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Thursday, April 27, 2023

Legacy of Faithfulness

No matter who we are or whatever our call,
both practically and spiritually,
it takes a lifetime to leave behind
a legacy of faithfulness.
Is faithfulness scarred by many a blow/wound?
Yes. But faithfulness is both gauntlet and goal!
Its achievement possible only through persistent perseverance.
Persistent perseverance only truly possible through many-a-prayer
and the sacred awareness of the giver of our abilities and its charge!

If we are faithless, He remains faithful; 
He cannot deny Himself.
(click link to the whole glorious chapter on guidelines for faithfulness)

Whether carpenter, housewife, spouse, 
preacher, poet, parent, 
teacher, butcher, baker,
truckdriver, candlestick maker, you-name-it...
faithfulness is never an overnight success!


My carpenter good naturedly allowed me to take his picture 
and said he doesn't mind if I use it on today's post...
He has just started his own business and is hoping, 
task by task to leave behind
a legacy of faithful care to his calling.
Below is his business card if you live in the area
and are looking for someone to do a home-project!

 

(With so many carpenters in my family & friend circle its hard to choose who to ask!!)
but while Shawn (family friend) was trying to decide whether to take this leap of faith
and go on his own we promised him if he does, 
we will give him this bathroom to do😊


A legacy of faithfulness is not hastily wrought
It cannot be accomplished by the high of noble thought
The reeling rush of feeling as it meets matters of fact
Cannot be counted on to keep meek faithfulness intact

A legacy of faithfulness does not attract applause
As it weathers the thick and thin of Is becoming Was
No one grand leap of faith is faithfulness, over and done
But step by step and day by day its legacy is won

A legacy of faithfulness perseveres, come what may
In its steadfast commitment to love, honor and obey
Through ebb and flow of high and low, faithfulness grins and groans
While learning the footwork/knee-work of stumbling blocks and stepping stones

A legacy of faithfulness, forged from prayers, smiles and tears
Awakes awareness of how moments are the sum of years
And years become far more than numbers on a birthday cake
Years are the culmination of what meted moments make

A legacy of faithfulness takes a lifetime to fill
Where today, always center stage gathers its scenes until
Life’s summary of seasons has collected in its sway
The very best of reasons to live/give our best each day

No matter who, or what we do, or where, we share this lot;
The onus of a legacy of faithfulness, or not
Where it is futile to despair; but rather bear in mind
The beauty/duty of this moment and how we leave it behind

A legacy of faithfulness is not impossible
He who is faithful helps us, like a daily miracle
By His sufficient grace we go, entrusting to His keep
Life's legacy of faithfulness; till faith's last flying leap 

© Janet Martin

Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do, in word or deed, 
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.



Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Rapt Gaze/Praise


This is the day the Lord has made'
we will rejoice and be glad in it
Psalm 118:24







It's a brisk frost-embossed world this morning...
enough to drive wonder mad!



Granted to you and I, a gift to unwrap with rapt gaze/praise
To rouse replenished worship for mercy’s unwearied ways
Earth and sky like a smorgasbord groaning with beauty’s feast
Reminds us that life is far more than debt to duty’s beast

This is the day the Lord has made; tis by His grace we go
And mankind is never betrayed by He who loves us so
But trustworthy and true He helps us each step of the way
All you and I are called to do is trust Him, and obey

No melancholy mandate this, no grin-and-bear-it grind
For He who keeps His promises is merciful and kind
Where a parade of proofs displayed drives rapt gaze/praise wonder-mad
In this new day the Lord has made to rejoice and be glad

© Janet Martin





 

 

Monday, April 24, 2023

Eternal Good News, Eternal God

 

O taste and see that the LORD is good: 
blessed is the man that trusteth in Him. 
Psalm 34:8

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting;
 and His truth endureth to all generations.
 Psalm 100:5

The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; 
and He knoweth them that trust in Him. 
Nahum 1:7

The LORD is good to all;
 and his tender mercies are over all His works.
 Psalm 145:9

He is an awesome Creator...


Grackle cackle over snack-leπŸ˜‚


 Robin Redbreast, photographed below, looks about as impressed as the photographer
with the cold rain-snow splashes...



Creation is budding and singing in spite of the nose-dived temperatures!
One small glimpse of a great God's faithfulness! 








 
Some reject, despise, refuse Him, choosing what demons applaud


© Janet Martin

Embarking-On-a-New Day-or-Week Prayer

Aren't you thankful for rich legacies preserved 
either in books or by modern technology?!!
 One of my 'dearest friends' I never met,
(or spoke to, though his messages often spoke to me,)
 passed away last week...


Does this phrase ring tenderly in your ears too, 
as we mourn the precious passing of a faithful Pastor/preacher?
"Obey God, and leave the consequences to Him"
Dr. Charles Stanley~

Below, a touching tribute to Dr. Charles Stanley by In Touch Ministries


Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints.

We are not all preachers or pastors but all believers are ministers of God's Word.
This morning's poem is a prayer, that barely skims the surface of my heart's cry,
as I seek to try to do my part to
"Obey God, and leave the consequences to Him"

I'm so thankful for God's Word and for faithful fellow-believers
as we never get too old to learn, 
(often through stumbles and fumbles/mistakes)

Dear Lord, I pray, lead me today in paths of righteousness
And let Thy everlasting way my sole/soul’s objective be
Protect me from promiscuous pitfalls of idleness
But bid humility commit to love and honor Thee

Search me and know my heart, try me, and know each fruit-fraught thought
And see if there be any wicked way in me to purge
Lord, the spirit is willing but the fickle flesh is not
Oh, let Thy law instilling me dissect desire’s urge

Whatever I achieve today (always, but by Thy grace)
Help me obey and leave in Thy kind care the consequence
Help me to trust Thy Word; worldly logic is blind and base
Remind me of the undeterred reply of recompense

Dear Lord, I pray for all who seek to daily follow Thee
Help us to turn the other cheek and not to wrath give way
Vengeance is Thine; Lord Thou art just; beyond the bit we see
Awaits the Prize for all who trust, endure, believe, obey

Dear Lord, as I embark upon this new Today once more
How merciful Thou art; kindle my heart with awe again
Lest I neglect to do the part You created me for
To love Thee first and then my neighbor as myself. Amen

© Janet Martin

Psalm 139:23-24 KJV
Search me, O God, and know my heart: 
Try me, and know my thoughts: 
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
 And lead me in the way everlasting.

(the same prayer in the 'we/us' version)

Dear Lord, we pray, lead us today in paths of righteousness
And let Thy everlasting way our sole/soul’s objective be
Protect us from promiscuous pitfalls of idleness
But bid humility commit to love and honor Thee

Search us and know our hearts, try us, and know each fruit-fraught thought
And see if there be any wicked way in us to purge
Lord, the spirit is willing but the fickle flesh is not
Oh, let Thy law instilling us dissect desire’s urge

Whatever we achieve today (always, but by Thy grace)
Help us obey and leave in thy kind care the consequence
Help us to trust Your Word; worldly logic is blind and base
Remind us of the undeterred reply of recompense

Dear Lord, we pray for all who seek to daily follow Thee
Help us to turn the other cheek and not to wrath give way
Vengeance is Thine; Lord Thou art just; beyond the bit we see
Awaits the Prize for all who trust, endure, believe, obey

Dear Lord, as we embark upon this new Today once more
How merciful Thou art; kindle our hearts with awe again
Lest we neglect to do the part You created us for
To love Thee first and then our neighbor as ourselves. Amen

© Janet Martin

Friday, April 21, 2023

Mercy-bespoke...


Today's poem was inspired in part by the surprise of a pretty sunrise, 
where I had mentally prepared for a rainy start to today, 
and the lusty robin heralding new morning and maybe forecasted rain too πŸ˜…πŸ’–
Also by the sudden conviction that we all should want to wonder more
 at our Creator whose morning/mercy never misses its mark!

...and, mercy bespoke??
yes! not the way man orders it 
but the way God orders it, perfectly, undeservedly!

The gilt-edged grace-pledged morning spills
From molten molds, mercy-bespoke
To draw the dark from dells and rills
And hills and fields like a plush cloak
Tugged from yon verge’s frameless clime
Unveiling vistas perched like art
On pedestals as old as time
To strike sheer wonder to the heart
For He, whose faithfulness remains
In spite of recreant reply
God’s covenant of old sustains
Renewal, filling earth and sky
Where you and I are not forgot
Caught between what was and will be
On a fresh threshold, mercy-wrought
On the verge of eternity

Where none can see how near or far
We are to The Sunrise That Flings
One Final Gilt-edged Gate Ajar
To draw the soul on welkin wings
Beyond this Bar of Burdened Must
And trust, not for the faint of heart
Where gilt-edged daybreak cheers tear-dust
With mercy-bespoke works of art
While we weather four-season’s wraith
The tether round wings not yet spanned
Where warp and weft of hope and faith
Confounds the ground whereon we stand
Feathering from the soul, the shroud
That fickle fools dote on and laud
Forgetting the fate of the proud
On That Morning that unveils God

…where gilt-edged, grace-pledged morn extends
The great divide, where heavens brim
With glimpses of He who befriends
The creature who confides in Him
Where, without fail He fills the dark
Awakens the trill of the lark
Kindles anew, devotion’s prayer
Where often we misunderstand
The Faithful Hand that tips the grail
That pours across the slumb’ring land
Ethereal sands that rend night’s veil
Where, on Creation’s Pedestal
Once more He plants love’s Living Proof
An every-morn Original
That only fools dare hold aloof

© Janet Martin

Lam.3:21-26-31-33

his I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord...

For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
33 For He does not afflict [i]willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.

I've shared this song many times because I love to listen to it
in the morning when I rise...I hope you do tooπŸ™πŸ’“




Thursday, April 20, 2023

There Is a Hand...


Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

 Savior, Lead Me Lest I Stray

 

There is a Hand to which faith clings with confidence secure
A hand that fits us with armor that fits us for the fight
And helps us in thick of opposition to endure
As we trust His command and make His love our chief delight
As we rely on He who tries and tests our hearts and minds
To see if there be any wicked way that persists still
To mar His perfect peace because of pride that blindly binds
Us to the pattern of this world rather than to His will

There is a Hand that draws us to the comfort of His Word
He leads in paths of righteousness through valleys of despair
And fills us with fresh wonder for His mercies, undeterred
To we, often forgetful of His faithful, loving care
He guides and keeps, while calling sheep still wandering and lost
His arms always wide open to welcome prodigals back
To kiss His hands, scarred with reminders of redemption’s cost
Hands still outstretched to all who still reject love without lack

© Janet Martin

Psalm 34:8-14
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.





 

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

I Love a Life of Simple Joys or April Awe

 One of my favorite spring-highlights is unfolding...maple tree buds





I love a life of simple joys
Cup o’ chamomile tea
Laughter of April afternoon
Trickling through lace-graced tree
The tender tug of budded lures
Soft wafting overhead
Starred dark where dreams embark before
We are asleep in bed

I love the color of surprise
The violet stars that fall
To dapple dells and spark swells of
Sheer wonder-of-it-all
The innocence of child and pup
The flower-bowl of earth
Crowned with the perfect hue of blue
The merriment of mirth

Roused by the way the day begins
As heaven overflows
And mercy brims into hymns of
Coral, purple and rose
And as if this was not enough
Bird song that rings and rings
And rouses from awe-humbled hearts
Joy for life’s simple things

I love the way spring makes us glad
From our head to our toes
Like a firm handshake that can make
Us smile in spite of woes
The way that April woos the land
With kisses fit for kings
And wakens us to worlds unfurled
With wealth of simple things

I love a life of simple joys
Dimple in chubby cheek
Of baby boy or girl, a curl
To tease, a chin to tweak
A little plot to teach a tot
Who makes the garden grow
And how the seeds we plant can't hide
And we reap what we sow

I love the way a warm hello
Makes worth the farewell tear
How grief is the brute fruit of love
Yet oh, so very dear
If I could ask for anything
T'would not be stuff or toys
But just a humble plea to see  
Life, rife with simple joys

© Janet Martin

I love a life of simple joys
Dimple in chubby cheek
Of baby boy or girl, a curl
To tease, a chin to tweak...





No Mean Miracle This...


A preacher once challenged his listeners with this thought;
If God granted us one glimpse of heaven
or one glimpse of hell...hell would be empty;
Heaven so awesome, hell so awful!
This mortal body instilled with immortal soul is no mean miracle
It is the awesome opportunity to believe in the One who made it possible
through his death and resurrection, to spend eternity
in a perfection we cannot begin to fathom...
1 Cor.2:9
But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Do you love Him?
Have you believed in Him and
received his gift?
Eph.2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Therefore, because every one of us is an Immortal Soul clad with a temporary cloak
let's treat each other with utmost awareness of what we all bear
in common... this, then eternity!





No mean miracle this; Soul stoked/cloaked with breath of life
No game of chance, no traitor’s kiss of death to insult strife
No futile farse is faith, no hoax, hope’s holy stairs
No pompous or pious charade, worship’s parade of prayers

Time tunes a transient toll; the body like a barge
That bears the cargo of the soul; a very sacred charge
Through life, a precious gift we unwrap day by day
Until the final, fleeting weft/breath of wrapping falls away

God’s love is without lack; His armor has no chink
His goodness groans on our behalf beyond what thought can think
His ways transcend the scope of logic’s keenest ken
His promises anchor the hope of all who trust. Amen.

No mean miracle this; body with soul instilled
For God, so rich in mercy is the law of love fulfilled
He beckons all to come; to repent and believe
This is no mean ultimatum He suffered to achieve

…His pardon for our sin; a debt we could not pay
Ah, heed the Voice that pleads within! Believe in Him today
Lest what is mean at last is our rebel pride
Who knew the miracle, but cast its saving grace aside

© Janet Martin

Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Measure of Here and Now


Rather than vainly mourning what has slipped through Bygone's Gate
Let's make the most of here-and-now before it is too late
Rather than vainly fretting about what the future holds
Let's cherish that which here-and-now so preciously unfolds

Sometimes I am dumbfounded with joy and grief
over what no hand can stay
Comforted that the heart can keep
what moments brush away...

Grand-kiddos growing up SO fast right before our ever-thankful gaze...


Wishing you a wonder-filled here-and-now!
wherever in the world you areπŸ’—πŸ’–

Some morning here-and-now after-effects


I went down the road for some farm-fresh eggs
to make brownies (which I over-baked)πŸ˜–


I'm bringing the snack for our Bible study group tonight so
if we choke on the brownies I guess we can wash it down with grapes??πŸ˜…



Your ‘here-and-now’ and mine differ geographically
But here-and-now is common ground wherever we may be
Where so much more than chance grants circumstance, as you and I
Weather the brunt of consequence according to reply

For here-and-now though ever-present, scatters in its wake
The landscape of a lifetime forged from choices that we make
Where oft, now’s What frustrates its How, beyond complete control
Yet, each response right here-and-now impacts the sacred whole

Therefore, no matter what composes here-and-now’s love-song
Whether of thorns or roses, nothing stays the same for long
Where by the grace of God we go, from rise to set of sun
Where footfalls of love’s yes and no can never be undone

But leads into new here-and-now that trickles through our hold
The warp and woof of wish-and-wow like threads of gray and gold
Soft-slipping through our fingers like treasure; gladness and strife
Entwining Here-and-now into the measure of a life

© Janet Martin

Eccles.12:11-14
The words of the wise are like goads, 
and the words of [e]scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 
12And further, my son, be admonished by these.
 Of making many books there is no end, 
and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

13Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
14For God will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.


Since I had my mixing bowls out I decided to make some energy balls as well!
This recipe below is a super versatile base for whatever seeds, nuts and dried fruit
is added! Cocoa powder can be substituted for carob powder. 
Toasting seeds and nuts before adding, enhances the flavor







Monday, April 17, 2023

Ode to the Daffodil

 

On Saturday, when we dropped something off at the house my son is living at temporarily
a golden profusion of frills stole my flower-hungry gaze!
I couldn't resist gathering a few beauties to bring home
to bury my face into again and again...
Another one of the guys also living in the same house with our son
 is currently renovating our main-floor washroom!


I confessed to him that the flowers on my kitchen table were 'borrowed'
from his property and he said, 'yeah, Matt told me, and I honestly hadn't
even noticed they were blooming!!" πŸ˜‚πŸ˜…πŸ˜‡


Dear daffodil, each spring you thrill us with your sanguine pose
Lovely trailblazer to a pageantry of blooms unfurled
You cheer earth’s stiff, bare bones stripped of last shreds of winter clothes
Spilling splashes of sunshine to a battered, threadbare world

Dear daffodil, who can resist your olden, golden charms
As you return to tended plots or yards from 'gards' of yore
Trustworthy, friendly forerunners welcomed with open arms
By petal-hungry passengers on winter run ashore

Dear daffodil, robust yet fine, apple of April’s eye
Your ruffled elegance graces hall tables and fence rows
Your frills fill flower-happy hearts with worship’s sweetest sigh
And hymns roused from a well-spring only Heaven fully knows

Dear daffodil, so worth the wait/wade through winter’s wild rampage
So worth the while it takes until its chilling tides subside
To unveil what we always knew would soon take center stage
Gaggles of giggling daffodils strolling the countryside

© Janet Martin











Saturday, April 15, 2023

Winepress of the Soul

What a week of wonderful weather!!
We are enjoying summer-like temperatures for another two days before they plummet!


I am so thankful God's goodness does not shift like shadows (or weather!)
With love comes a weight of care, doesn't it?!
Wherever, in this care-bearing we are,
What comfort to know we are called to cast our care on Him!

...casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
 1 Pet. 5:7


Beneath the burdens that we bear,
Beneath love’s constant cross of care
There is comfort beyond compare
In God’s mercy renewed
When we are weak then we are strong
Through He whose will is never wrong
Whose grace ignites in us a song
Of humble gratitude

The love that bore redemption’s wail
As triumph tore the temple’s veil
Is faultless and will never fail
Where all in this world will
Then, though want oft misunderstands
The cost obedience demands
As we ponder Christ’s nail-scarred hands
Storms of rebellion still

As we cast our cares on He
Who kindly cares for you and me
He helps us through the parts we see
Of toil and trouble’s toll
Love’s cross is never borne in vain
Though oft we stagger ‘neath its grain/pain
His grace and goodness will sustain
The winepress of the Soul

Where pride primps reason's cunning tricks 
Where failure and folly afflicts 
The righteousness of God convicts
And leads us on and up
Where beneath the burdens we bear
That pave life's/faith's path with prayer on prayer
His promises, beyond compare
Fill hope's uplifted cup
  
© Janet Martin

James 1:12-18
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because
 having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life 
that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” 
For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 
14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away 
by their own evil desire and enticed.
 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;
 and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, 
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, 
who does not change like shifting shadows. 
18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth,
 that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.





Friday, April 14, 2023

Like Spring Chamber Music With A Twist


For today's prompt, we're going to try something a little different
 in that I want you to write an "And Now for Something Completely Different" poem. 
This prompt is inspired by the Monty Python skits that would suddenly shift gears, 
but your poem doesn't have to be humorous. 
It should aspire to be somehow different than what you've written so far this month.

We laugh at robin antics...




Like an invitation to spring’s festival, the sun
Unfolds the earth at daybreak, beckoning to everyone...



Like an invitation to spring’s festival, the sun
Unfolds the earth at daybreak, beckoning to everyone
To rise and shine like little lights of love into a world
To slow swift pace and pause where nature’s vendors are unfurled
Like gentle chamber music, and admission is free
A festival of bars and phrases primed for poetry
Where no one is elbowing neighbors for a better view
(Although we wouldn’t mind, on this fine day, a nudge or two)
Because we are honored to be part of this happiness
While wandering through April’s festival of friendliness
We laugh at robin antics as they sing, a merry troop
And praise this perfect…what the heck?!!!
Aw! I just stepped in dog poop!!!

© Janet Martin



Thursday, April 13, 2023

April Quadrille

 PAD Challenge-day 13-For today's prompt, write a forgive poem. 

Green murmur on the meadow...

First timid tufts of flora...



Green murmur on the meadow
 New nest tucked in the brush
And on the verge of birth, a surge
Of calm before the rush

A bud pulsing with promise
A garden, primed with dreams
A zephyr. soft, blue sky aloft
Earth, bursting at its seams

Marmalade-misted morning
Sweet, sun-kissed afternoon
Silhouette-show of dusk’s tableau
‘neath tusk of opaque moon

First timid tufts of flora
Nature’s most modest plumes
Presents its charms to open arms
And eyes, thirsty for blooms

The ground, like Berber carpet
Where tender bare feet dance
Earth’s spartan sweep cannot long keep
Its pristine countenance

April arouses laughter
Wakes joy akin to Heav’n
A robin’s trill, a daffodil
And winter is forgiv’n

© Janet Martin