A Give-Me Benediction

 And just like that February is over!!!

Don't you love the sound of a kettle whistling

the prelude to a cup-sized vacay?!!

Give me a kettle that whistles the lyrics

Preceding a cup-sized vacay

Give me a nook with a book and a window

To nurture a noon-getaway

Give me a morning, gold-polished with sunshine

And gladness for mercy renewed

Give me enough lack to keep me from nursing

A heart of ingratitude

Give me a child, innocent and eager,

Brimming with curiosity

Give me an ear that is always half-hearing

Snatches of untamed poetry

Give me the eye of Beholden Beholder

Where earth and sky glory abounds

Give me a cup, though its handle is broken

That joy over joy still confounds

Give me a will, not my own but contented

No matter what today brings

To trust the Giver whose Hand has oft mended

And tuned my oft off-key harp/heart-strings

Give me the goodness of grief-tutored chatter

Rich with mutual sympathy

Pleasureful cadence of voices and laughter

To frame in fond memory…

Give me love’s splendid delight, fierce yet tender

As season-tides rise and fall

Remind me when love cheers the charge of the duty

No task is too common or small

Give me the beauty of daylight departing

In backdrops of deep indigo

Give me a soul not afraid of the smarting

Waiting beyond every hello

Give me the kind of trust that kindles courage

Come whatsoever yet may

Give me a kettle that whistles the welcome

To a cup-sized holiday

© Janet Martin

Give me the eye of Beholden Beholder

Where earth and sky glory abounds...

Give me a nook with a book and a window...

Common-Bound, our Common Ground

We come in all colors, cultures, shapes, sizes and personalities.

But we have so much in common.

Some days we get along and some we don't.

Some days our hopes are bright and some days

We struggle to find delight.

Some days are downers, 

and others filled with laughter and song.

We all at times are disappointed, 

misunderstood, discouraged

and depleted.

We all want to feel needed and appreciated

and loved.

Rather than let our differences draw us a part

we should endeavor to let what we have in common

pull us together!

Because in the end Who we have in common

is what this life is all about!

Our differences keep life interesting

and our common bonds keep it sacred!

The Same Giver stokes the dark with dawn...

while drawing us back to Him!

How we redeem our gifted Time is up to us!

Whether rushing, lagging, pushing,

Pulling, leaping, limping, oh

Whether caring, sharing, hoarding,

Loving, grasping, letting go

Whether groaning, grinning, grunting,

Fretting, trusting God or luck

Tidy, messy, blind to blessings

Or thankful and wonder-struck

Whether lazy or industr'ous

Rough and vulgar, sweet and kind

Foolish, wise, shy or loquacious 

We all should keep this in mind

Whether we are ready, or not

Whether we believe or doubt

We have destiny in common

Who This Life Is All About

Whether prayer-warrior or heedless

Old or young or in between

Principled and conscientious 

Or unmoral and obscene

Whether generous or selfish

Wasteful, prudent, humble, vain

Whether keeping up with Jones's

Or content, pretty or plain 

Whether dull, witty, hale, feeble

Rich, poor, aiding peace or strife

Talented or born to struggle

Taught, or not, who authors life

Whether we take time to find Him,

Know Him, love Him, humbly awed

We have destiny in common

Shell to dust and soul to God

Janet Martin~

Rom.14:10-12

Why, then, do you judge your brother?

 Or why do you belittle your brother?

For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

  11It is written:

“As surely as I live,

says the Lord,

every knee will bow before Me;

every tongue will confess to God.”c

12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Take Time to Be Holy

Behold The Comforter

John 14:18

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

Grief is not all that it appears

Beyond the part we see

Of loss and farewell’s flowing tears

And mourning’s misery

Beyond the appearance of gloom

Sorrow holds out a key

For a Door to an Inner Room

Where Divine Sympathy

Unveils the fulfilled promise of

Mankind’s Deliverer

Behold, God’s outstretched arms of love

Behold, the Comforter

© Janet Martin

Rev.3:20

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. 

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, 

I will come in to him and dine with him,

 and he with Me.

Not For Nothing, This...

We are all part of a 'secret service'

only our Creator knows as

He beholds our hearts...

Does it sometimes seem like the altar of today

is heaped with ashes of sacrifice rather than reward?

Take heart, my dear!

There is a much bigger picture

than the part we see!

Gal.6:9

And let us not grow weary while doing good, 

for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Not all 'rewards' are as quickly beheld

as the treat inside a popping corn kernel!

Grand-sonny could not contain his exhilaration

as they tried out their new stir-crazy last night! 😋😍

No, it is not for nothing, nor forgotten or ignored

No, every loving sacrifice will gain a rich reward

So fix your eyes upon the prize that only faith can win

When God Himself will say 'well done' and bid Thee enter in

No, it is not for nothing, every secret second mile

Or earnest intercession between Abba and his child

Or every 'cup of water' given in the Name of He

Who sees in secret but someday will reward openly 

No, it is not for nothing, to live with Heaven in view

To give love's highest honour to He whom all praise is due

To love your neighbour as yourself, to be earth's sav'ry salt

Knowing what matters most is treasure poured/stored in Heaven's vault 

No, it is not for nothing but for God, who sees the heart

And a much bigger picture than we who see but in part

Until that day when face to face, His beauty we will see

As He reveals faith's resting place for all eternity  

Janet Martin

God Bless You As You Celebrate...

I have four friends celebrating birthdays today!

A 70th, a 61st, a 50th, and a sweet young 30-something 💝

Happy Birthday, Karen, Debbie, Kim and Paula!

All of you have enriched my life immensely!

Esp. in the past 5 mos. 🙏

God bless you are you celebrate.

God bless you as you celebrate the gift each birthday brings

An opportunity to count the gifts we sometimes miss

For life is full of cares crowding to cloud love's finer things

Caught between hello hugs that lead to farewell's tender kiss

God bless you as you celebrate each face-to-face delight 

Let a firm handshake steal your breath, let laughter make you cry

With joy and thankfulness for everybody you hold tight

And never take for granted looking loved ones in the eye

God bless you are you celebrate another year complete

Where highs and lows collect in settled dust of Past, surreal 

And Today, Happy Birthday, grants a milestone, bittersweet

Because no one can hold at bay, Time's hastening appeal 

 

God bless you as you celebrate the give and take of love

And make the most of Here and Now, because we cannot see

How near or far we are to where the Soul slips off its glove

And leaves behind the precious treasure of A Memory

Love, from Janet 

And to all of us who have or will, 

Lord willing, celebrate a birthday this year!

Author unknown for the poem below...

Fortune of Fear

Today's devotion from the book Consolation

by Chas. E Cowman

"We all started somewhere at some point in our journey as a believer'

was my dad's reply a few months ago when I asked him to pray

for someone who, as yet, has not taken the first step of faith.

How often since then, those words have encouraged me not to give up

in lifting my loved ones to God in prayer,

whether it is for the first, sacred, genuine step of confessing that we are a sinner

and need Jesus as our Saviour, 

or in the ups and downs that follow repentance and belief.

On Sunday, the pastor closed his message with encouragement,

reminding us the Christian life is a course of ups and downs,

feeling near to God on some days and on others days

wondering why He doesn't feel so near.

He encouraged us to cling to the truth of a changeless God,

who, no matter how we feel steadfastly abides with us,

So then, he reminded us to abide in the Vine so we may live a fruitful life

for apart from Him we can do nothing.

John 15:5

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me,

and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Proverbs 3:7:

"Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil"

Matt.10:28

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Heb.10:31

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

It is impossible to truly love or follow God until we truly fear Him;

Until He who loved us so much He gave His Son/himself

to break the curse of sin, so all who believe

will never perish but have everlasting life...

 until this Holy God confounds our utter thought

as we try to fathom His love, mercy and holiness

we will fail to live the Christian life.

As our reverence/fear for God grows,

so grows our love.

Ps.103:11

For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

 (read the whole glorious chapter of Ps.103 HERE)

Lord let not faith be warped by sight

Nor trust, by understanding

But let the fear of Thee delight

My will with Thy commanding

And let devotion not be swayed

By ups and downs of living

Lord, keep my want-prone wonder stayed

Beneath Thy cross, life-giving

And woo me, not with worldly creed

Or fortune's vain ovation/persuasion 

But, help me pay more earnest heed

To Thee, Rock of salvation

That I may gain a heart of love

Of wisdom's priceless treasure

And grow in grace and knowledge of

Thee, one true God, forever

Amen

Janet Martin

Ps.62:2

He only is my rock and my salvation;

 He is my defense; 

I shall not be greatly moved.

Rock of Ages

The Key/Path To True Happiness

Happiness is not listed with the fruits of the Spirit,

however, happiness is promised to those who trust in and obey the Lord.

( we just might need to take a closer look at what we define as happiness

and who our 'happiness' serves) ooh

Happy/blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Ps.144:15

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

And whose hope is the LORD.

Jer.17:7

Happiness is the the phoenix that rises

from the ashes on the altar of sacrifice/obedience

So Samuel said: “Has the LORD as great delight

 in burnt offerings and sacrifices, 

As in obeying the voice of the LORD? 

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

 And to heed than the fat of rams.

1 Sa.15:22

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it,

and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work,

this one will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:25

The law of liberty is not freedom/permission to

do what we prefer, but rather to trust God (who) works all things for good

to those who love Him are called according to His purpose (not ours)

Rom.8:28

John 13:17

If you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Romans 2:13

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God,

but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

Luke 11:28

But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

1 Peter 3:14

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.

“Do not fear what they fear; do not be shaken.”

James 1:22

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.

Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

The path to the house has been cleared so we can get to the front door!

The path of righteousness has been cleared too, not by a shovel

but by a Shepherd 🙏 

To walk in paths of righteousness we first must trust the Shepherd's lead

And acknowledge the selfishness, that hinders true humility

That frustrates full surrender to He who knows and supplies our need

His love, faithful, tender and true secures the law of liberty

He cannot keep in perfect peace, the mind that is not stayed on Him

Who prefers rather, to appease the ways of want with willful pride

And cater to the nature that justifies stubborn wish and whim

Rather than honour the Creator who is able/faithful to provide

The Way, The Truth, the Life is not a 'pick-your-flavour-of-the-day'

His commands are not optional, but He gives us freedom to choose

To accept the duty of man; fear God, keep His commands, obey

He, who authored salvation's plan and paid its price. Or to refuse

With God all things are possible; why are we so deceived by sight?

Making logic more credible than He who rules seas, tempest-tossed

And numbers stars; who through His word grants wisdom to know wrong from right

A Shepherd who is undeterred and leaves the fold to seek the lost

To walk in paths of righteousness we first must trust the Shepherd's lead

And recognize that selfishness approves the wayward ways of sin

We first must bow in thankful wonder before He who fills our need

Who rent the temple's veil with thunder so that all may enter in

So that all may find sweet rest for souls that once were lost, like sheep

For all who trust the Lord are blessed; who make His law their chief delight  

So that we need not fear the vales that wind through Unknowns, dark and deep

The Shepherd, whose love never fails leads us till faith is turned to sight

© Janet Martin

Psalm 95:6-7

O come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For He is our God,

and we are the people of His pasture,

the sheep under His care.

A Picture (Full of Pictures)

My current roles as a member of my family are daughter, sister, wife, mother,

grandmother, aunt, niece, sister-in-law, mother-in-law,

Those to whom I was granddaughter and daughter-in-law have passed on)

In Ontario we are celebrating Family Day!

My thankfulness for family has been refined

in 2024 like never before

and my heart wears an unutterable ache

for all whose family circles this year have a gap

where Loved One used to be.

In place of warmth and vitality, a precious picture...

A picture full of pictures!!

Our Family/Valentine's dinner planned for last night

 will hopefully happen next Sunday!

Postponed due to weather

Thankfully we had a few eager volunteers who 'ventured' out to help mom-dad, 

grandma-grandpa eat a big pan of stew and strawberry pie 😊😋💝

and one more, courtesy of Grandson

Each day God gives us a fresh start

To develop a work of art

That, when we go from whence we came

Will be the picture of our name

Will be the echo of our creed

The heirloom cast by word and deed

An everlasting legacy

 Of love for God and family

Each day we ought to bear in mind

The part of us we leave behind

The one thing that death cannot claim

The precious picture of a name

How humbly aware we should be

Of lovely little words like 'we'

And 'us' and 'family' and such

Before one slips beyond our touch

Each day bestows to all a brush

With daub and splash, with pull and push 

And often without second thought

The hues of love and life are wrought

Where we have none but self to blame

For the picture of our name

That will unveil ultimately

Our love for God and family

Each day lengthens and shortens life

...as sister, brother, husband, wife

As father, mother, daughter, son

Someday the picture will be done

A keepsake that we cannot see

But leave behind for family

A treasure that death cannot claim

The precious picture of a name

© Janet Martin 

Our Father who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy Name...

Matt.6:9

All This And Heaven Too

Enjoying a Snowbound Sunday! 

Proverbs 3:19-20
The LORD founded the earth by wisdom 

and established the heavens by understanding. /

By His knowledge the watery depths were broken open, 

and the clouds dripped with dew. (or snow??)

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities,

His eternal power and divine nature, 

have been clearly seen, 

being understood from His workmanship, 

that men are without excuse.

Colossians 1:16
For in Him all things were created, 

things in heaven and on earth,

 visible and invisible, 

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. 

things were created through Him and for Him.

Psalm 104:24
How many are Your works, O LORD! 

In wisdom You have made them all; 

the earth is full of Your creatures.

Jeremiah 10:12
The LORD made the earth by His power;

 He established the world by His wisdom 

and stretched out the heavens by His understanding.

Where every window frames a masterpiece by God unfurled...

And bids us find a cozy seat to marvel at the world...

Where every window frames a masterpiece by God unfurled

And bids us find a cozy seat to marvel at the world

Where the Creator fills the earth with galleries, snow-spun

And awestruck creature thrills in works of art second to none

Where every season brims with boundless beauty to behold

And humble hearts thunder with hymns as God's name is extolled

(Where we are all without excuse; God's qualities unfurled

In evidence unloosed since the creation of the world) Rom.1:18-20

Where to witness mankind's delight must bring God pleasure too

As we approach Faith Turned To Sight, when all will be made new

But, until then He grants a world of unplumbed majesty 

Gazillion autographs untwirled for everyone to see 

Where He maintains the matrix of four-season ebb and flow

 A collage of mosaics swirls blue sky, green grass, white snow 

Until it seems each season tries to boast the finest view

While, every heart a poet sighs, All this and Heaven too' 

Janet Martin

                            

A Poem About the Tempter and God's Everlasting Arms

Today's post kinda evolved as the morning dissolved...

It began with the passage below- today's Our Daily Bread Scripture reading...

12 For the word of God is living and powerful,

and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing

even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow,

and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight,

but all things are naked and open to the eyes

of Him to whom we must give account.

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest

who has passed through the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,

but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,

that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Heb.4:12-16

This morning my waking thoughts turned to today's young parents.

Sometimes my heart/prayer groans for those

who are training up future generations;

Teaching us(them) that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts,

 we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Titus 2:12

Mankind's enemy since the beginning is the Tempter.

Gen.3:1

Now the serpenta was more crafty than any beast of the field

that the LORD God had made.

 And he said to the woman, “Did God really say,...?

He succeeded in deceiving Eve, and Adam also,

and sin entered into the previously perfect world.

where only a perfect sacrifice could wholly redeem sinful humanity, 

And so God, eternally perfect sent His Son/Himself!

'For when we were still without strength,

in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom.5:6

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God—

John 1:11-12

***

I'm in a season of life where children no longer

climb into my lap in the morning, or snuggle up beside me.

In that season, young mothers often find morning devotion-time interrupted! 

I am in a season of life where I can be the child, in a sense,

climbing into my Heavenly Father's lap or snuggling at His side

as I wake up, for reassurance, attention, love and kind affection

 that every child needs!

But ho!! The Tempter is there as well, so it seems!

trying to draw me away from being still

 to ever present distractions and tasks!!

I sat down with a coffee to begin my 'devotions'

then decided I should start the fire first,

then I noticed I should rotate the dry laundry on wooden clothes dryer

with a wet load still waiting...

...then I thought I should fold the dry laundry immediately

 to avoid more wrinkles...

...then, I decided to start another load of laundry

then, I noticed my house plants in the laundry room

were infested with little white gnats that seemed

to be feasting on the insecticidal soap spray 

I treated the plants with a few days ago...

So I snipped off the heavily infested sprigs

 and sprayed the plants and covered them with bags 

to contain things

then I returned to 'my devotions'... 

only to realize as I sat down that

the bird feeders are empty again!!

so I waded through the snow to fill them 

because the hungry birds are fluttering 

in unceasing flocks these snowy days...

...now, back to devotions. oops!

I need to add a log to the fire before it gets too low!!

While downstairs I remember I should take some food out of the freezer

to thaw for tomorrow night's family dinner...

The washer has stopped.

I should switch loads!

'get thee behind me, Satan,' 

My coffee is cold...😑

The tempter still roams earth's summits; young and old, potential prey

Daring us to test truth's limits, taunting 'did God really say...?'

He, an unscrupulous charmer dared to tempt the Son of God

We, without God's word and armour cannot recognize a fraud

...cannot overthrow the liar, cannot discern right from wrong

Cannot purify desire, cannot be holy or strong 

But, greater is He within us who believe God hears our prayer

All who trust the name of Jesus can conquer the Tempter's dare

Can, when doubt and despair cower lean on God's eternal arms

Knowing none can overpower He who frees us from sin's charms  

How commonplace the appearance of love's sacred battlefield

Where God increases assurance/endurance the more that we trust and yield

How comforting is faith's solace; cradled in the arms of He

Who never leaves or forsakes us. What sweeter bliss can there be? 

© Janet Martin 

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Lyrics

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Leaning, leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.

2

O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

O how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

3

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

I have peace complete with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms!

Author: E. A. Hoffman

Elisha Hoffman (1839-1929) after graduating from Union Seminary in Pennsylvania was ordained in 1868. As a minister he was appointed to the circuit in Napoleon, Ohio in 1872. He worked with the Evangelical Association's publishing arm in Cleveland for eleven years. He served in many chapels and churches in Cleveland and in Grafton in the 1880s, among them Bethel Home for Sailors and Seamen, Chestnut Ridge Union Chapel, Grace Congregational Church and Rockport Congregational Church. In his lifetime he wrote more than 2,000 gospel songs including"Leaning on the everlasting arms" (1894). The fifty song books he edited include Pentecostal Hymns No. 1 and The Evergreen, 1873.