Before The Winepress and Threshing Floor

Wheat harvest is in full swing! 

The 'winnowing fan' is separating the wheat from the chaff!

Many less visible 'harvests' are in full swing too!

John 15: 1-4 & 16

(read the whole beloved chapter HERE)

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 

 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; 

and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 

3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. 

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, 

neither can you, unless you abide in Me...

16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, 

and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, 

and that your fruit should remain: 

that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

James 2:17

So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.

Matthew 3:8
Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance...

As we study the ripple effects of carelessness, of sin/ disobedience to God,

its consequence is ghastly, rolling though generations with ease,

if left unchecked,

until the 'pit'-fall once disregarded by a few,

 is so crowded that the awareness of it ceases.

(why is it we are prone to lamenting sin's consequence, 

rather than the origin of the consequence- sin?!)

Wisdom always considers, beyond instant gratification, where the action or choice

if unchecked,  will lead and whether the fruit of it will ultimately,

draw us nearer to God or to the world...

is it a fruit of the Spirit or flesh?

If we have truly repented 

and if we truly love

our Saviour, then fruit in keeping with repentance

will/must be evident!! 

We live in a pleasure-driven age with exorbitant amounts of money

poured into the fleeting fruitlessness of many-a-joy toy...

Oh pray we never let the 'thorns/things' choke out the desire for God;

the Giver of every good and perfect gift!

We don't need to be wealthy to afford the gifts He promises to all

who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

'they shall be filled.' Matt.5:6,

while, the opposite is true when it comes to feeding carnal appetites;

the more we feast, the more we starve! 

If we are rooted in Good Soil we will grow and bear fruit...

Years ago one of the families I did childcare for, 

generously built/gifted me an arbour

and some grapevines, after I casually mentioned to them 

in a gardening conversation that someday I would LOVE to have a grape arbor.

What grand anticipation followed the planting of the vines!

but, nothing happened!!

For three years I watched as each spring a few valiant leaves appeared, 

assuring me there was still some life in the vine,

but it only ever survived each season, rather than thrived! 

Suddenly it dawned on me that perhaps the arbor is too close to

the black walnut trees bordering the neighbor's property!

Sure enough, only wild grapes are juglone tolerant!

In disappointment I dug them up and carelessly plopped them in a hole

in my 'miscellaneous' flowerbed assuming by the looks of them

that this time there was no life remaining...

I was wrong!

Finally the thing that hampered their growth was removed 

and they leaped from the earth like a visual hymn!

thankfully, wisteria is unbothered by juglone!

(walnut tree beauties in background)

the mouth may boast a myriad of profound piety

but fruit will always tell the truth of fig or thistle tree 

how careful then, we ought to heed, before the consequence

the seeds we strew, of righteousness or disobedience 

...because, no matter what we say, our actions do not lie

Who we live for is proven by the one we most deny;

the God of love or god of self; no one can serve two Lords/lords

And by the fruit the tree is known; not by the wind of words

    Producing fruit in keeping with repentance, none can do

apart from the True Vine; then call on Him; He helps us to

endure the painful pruning of the Vinedresser, before

the Grim Authentication of winepress and threshing-floor 

 

Janet Martin

Ps.33:18-22

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,

On those who hope in His mercy,

19 To deliver their soul from death,

And to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waits for the Lord;

He is our help and our shield.

21 For our heart shall rejoice in Him,

Because we have trusted in His holy name.

22 Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us,

Just as we hope in You.

Trying to Take It All In

On Saturday at my nephew's wedding he commented in his speech 

how he and his wife were 'trying to take it all in'- 

this beautiful beginning to 'till death doth part'! 

This statement echoed a sentiment I seek to live by, 

but never more so as in the past year!! 

Death, esp. sudden death, which my family, church family and local community 

have experienced like never before in my recollection,

 has re-impacted me with the awareness of the sacred brevity of it all 

and how nothing stays the same for every long,

and how, because none of us knows the number of our ordained days,

we should endeavor daily to take to heart the humble, holy, whole duty of man.

The 'whole duty of man' is also a 'till death doth part ' undertaking! 

Eccles.12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

 Fear God, and keep his commandments: 

for this is the whole duty of man.

After a week of vacation followed by Saturday's beautiful wedding 

I told my sister this morning that in today's poem

 'I'm trying to snare the bitter-sweetness of love

that always climaxes on days like Saturday',

 especially after a week of more-precious-than-ever family time.

One of vacation's highlights;  dock-breakfasts!

Beauty and brokenness sparkle and shatter

Rushing like waves across shorelines within

Trying The Conclusion of the Whole Matter

That Mortal shoulders beneath shrouds of skin

While we are trying to take it all in

College is not learning’s sole institution

Wisdom and knowledge are not the same thing

Wonder and sorrow, with clashing profusion

Author both worship and Want’s groan and grin

While we are trying to take it all in

Praise God whose thoughts and ways confound man’s reason

Praise God who grants all we hold and let go

Praise God who orchestrates time’s ordained seasons

Who is not mocked; we will reap what we sow

While bitter-sweetly Farewell braves Hello

...while we are weathering love’s grueling glories

Tasting the ink of its laughter and tears

Kicking its dust that soon settles in stories

Added to archives of fond yesteryears

While morning breaks that which soft disappears

Darling, the dew of dusk startles dream-dancers

Beauty and brokenness sparkle and spin

While some are armed with youth’s untested answers

Others renew seasoned vows to begin

To never stop trying to take it all in

© Janet Martin

The Preciousness of Moment-gold

Life is busy...often it's easy to lament its haste and all we didn't do

in spite of all we did.

Each day deserves our careful consideration

in the weighing of moment gold

because of its eternal value! 

a peek into a small part of July's beautiful bustle

Life is not always 'a bowl of cherries' is it?!!

But oh the beauty of those 'bowls'!

Thank-you, God

our days are never long enough to do all that we want to do

when it comes to the ones we love, how swift the sands of time run through

the hourglass of touch and taste; its haste a subtle give and take

gathering all we once embraced into love's sentimental ache

the preciousness of moment-gold is a gift new moments estrange

as joy and grief slip through our hold they join a cast nothing can change

as choice by choice ( love's sacred charge) grants countless reasons to be kind

for we are always on the verge of the life we will leave behind

behold today, a gleaming gem granted to likes of you and I

a diamond for a diadem of dust to dust of days gone by

where days never seem long enough to do all that we want or should

before we meet the One whose love bestows all that is true and good

Janet Martin

on this note, I am off for an annual summer break.

See you soon , Lord willing

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, 

as for the Lord and not for men, 

 because you know that you will receive an inheritance

 from the Lord as your reward. 

It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, 

do it all to the glory of God.

Dear Lucy, It Is Summer

...and now it is ten months since our hearts were suddenly broken,

never to be the same again!

Dear Lucy, how we miss you!

The honeysuckle vine you gave is gilt with clusters, pink...

The breeze chases a winsome wave that rolls through wheat fields, gold...

The lily and the hollyhock lure honey bees to drink...

And everywhere we look earth gleams with beauty to behold

Summer has much on offer to rekindle awe and praise

The garden like a coffer brimming with the fruit of dreams

The countryside, a work of art entitled Summer Days...

Dear Lucy

The honeysuckle vine you gave is gilt with clusters, pink

The breeze chases a winsome wave that rolls through wheat fields, gold

The lily and the hollyhock lure honey bees to drink

And everywhere we look earth gleams with beauty to behold

Summer has much on offer to rekindle awe and praise

The garden like a coffer brimming with the fruit of dreams

The countryside, a work of art entitled Summer Days

(where joy and sorrow rush the heart in conflicting extremes)  

Sometimes, when missing you ignites fresh, sudden pangs of grief

I count the ways I loved you, sister dear, and love you more 

Then, from a world of yesterdays, descends divine relief

Love's symphony of echoes plays a tender repertoire 

The memories I have of you are like a garden path

Traced and retraced, soft woven through with threads I cannot touch

They gently bind the isles Thought trods to Laughter's Aftermath

Of Summers where we oohed and a-ahed, and talked and walked and such

....while watching our children grow too fast; they always do

While weathering the ebb and flow of tides that stole our youth

While planting flow'rs in trouble's dirt like our mother did too

While learning from parental hurt, lessons of timeless truth 

What I would give to hear you sigh or exclaim with delight  

Over something that caught your eye while your heart skipped a beat

A field full of wild flowers, purple, yellow, red and white (we were out on a sister's day)

Or twilight's tranquil bowers, or a yummy fresh-baked treat 

No, summer has not changed its ways, it still burgeons with bliss

And never ceases to amaze on both good days and bad 

The sky is blue; the lake is too, but, oh, in spite of this 

Somehow sweet summer without you just isn't quite as glad 

Janet Martin 

The memories I have of you are like a garden path

Traced and retraced, soft woven through with threads I cannot touch...

This year I planted a little flower garden in my vegetable garden...

A place to work, and let the therapy of flowers comfort me.

A place to sit to pray, read and remember Lucy, as well as my parents,

my other three sisters and their spouses,

my five brothers and their spouses

And of course her husband and children

We, as a family, all share in this deep grief of missing Lucy..

I hope in August when more flowers bloom, 

and you also would love a quiet moment of reflection and remembering Lucy,

you know you are welcome to drop by my garden too 💛🙏 

In the Garden

Because True Love Must Suffer Long...

“In every temptation we face and every trial we endure,

both Satan and God are active, and they have opposite designs, opposite purposes.

God is always proving your faith and your obedience in every temptation and trial.

And Satan is always seeking to destroy your faith and undermine your obedience

in every temptation and trial.”

—John Piper

Rom.8:6

For to be carnally minded is death;

 but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

God had one Son without sin,

but none without sorrow

J.R. Miller

Love suffers long...1 Cor.13:4

For this midweek, midmonth morning, a prayer.

Happy (or not) Mid-July! 

Dear Lord, waken our wanting to veiled blessings burdens bear

Expose the carnal taunting of the tempter’s cunning snare

By Thy own life, remind us how true love must suffer long

How before and behind us, your Hand on us makes us strong

Let Your Word be our buffer in a world vile and untrue

Through all that love must suffer, shape us to be more like You

As You bless those who mourn with comfort of courage renewed

As You infuse hearts, sorrow-worn with humbler gratitude

Surely goodness and mercy will not fail us all our days

Surely, through sorrow, You instill love’s purer joy and praise

Surely, through self-denial You bestow riches untold

Surely, through each new trial some new blessing You unfold

Dear Lord, help us humbly receive the gifts You long to give

Guard us against lies that deceive; show us how we should live

Then help us walk by faith, not sight; in weakness make us strong

As Your law becomes our delight and love’s suff’ring, our song

© Janet Martin

another soul-cheering reminder from the book pictured HERE 

The Beatitudes

Matt.5:3-12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the [a]earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, 

and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, 

for great is your reward in heaven, 

for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Tribute to Truckdrivers

Beginning this new week with thoughts and prayers for everyone whose occupation

demands many hours on highways, but esp. truckdrivers!

Below Jim,(my husband who is nearing a 40 year career of truck driving), 

getting ready to leave.

'While many wives and mothers stoke home-sweet-home fires with prayer

That God would send each truckdriver an angel unaware'...

Sometimes when we're in traffic we forget this bitty slogan,

'if we've got it a truck brought it!'

So how about a prayer, a smile and thumbs up, for our truckdrivers,

instead of temper-flares, horn blares and raised fists!

This Tribute to Truckdrivers was penned for my friend 

who lost her husband in May, (click HERE for May post)

after a fifty year career of driving truck. 

 In loving memory of Cliff Martin 

who is deeply missed and fondly remembered.

Continued prayers for his wife and family are dearly valued.

***

To you, the unsung heroes of a million miles and more

Who keep the wheels of commerce turning worldwide, shore to shore

Who leave the warmth of home, sweet home for supply and demand

Of socks and shoes, cruses of oil, fertilizer and sand

To you, the unsung heroes we pray God to guide and keep

Oft rolling through the dark night while the world is fast asleep

Where often we are guilty of forgetting what it takes

So we have chow for pup and cow and coffee for our breaks/cakes

To you, the unsung heroes of love’s often Missed Event

While you make someone else’s day across the continent

While you transport material and tools for every trade

While going extra miles to keep the costs of living/loving paid

To you, the unsung heroes of many a-weathered gale

And many a-mustered steep, while praying brakes and gears won’t fail

While many wives and mothers stoke home-sweet-home fires with prayer

That God would send each truckdriver an angel unaware

To you, the unsung heroes of many a lonely scene

While rolling down the highway, while mile on mile gapes between

Those dearly loved, because somewhere someone depends on you

To bring the Things they need, to do the Things They Need to Do

To you, the unsung heroes of facing another day

Of traffic racing on both sides because ‘you’re in the way!’

Caught in a line of fire, not for faint of heart and mind

So, if you meet a truckdriver, dear car driver, be kind

To you, the unsung heroes of pick-ups and drop-offs, while

Horns blare and tempers flare; not everybody wears a smile

To you, the unsung heroes of bridge-builders, buttered bread

Of bringing what it takes to keep us housed and clothed and fed

You are the unsung heroes of earth’s asphalt battlefield

Where every day you face the danger of weapons, four-wheeled

And many return home to hug their loved ones, once again

But many don’t. God, guide and guard/bless our truckdrivers, amen

© Janet Martin

Ps.91:1-2&4

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.a

2I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

4He will cover you with His feathers;

under His wings you will find refuge;

His faithfulness is a shield and rampart.

George Strait Brothers of the Highway

'this country turns on eighteen wheels' ♫♬♬🎜

Roll On, Eighteen Wheeler-Alabama