Joy Inexpressible and Glorious

John 16:24

Until now you have not asked for anything in My name.

 Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.

This year, as I re-glued the weathered letters below back together

and pondered the word Joy, it was not without tears,

realizing how, this year I have discovered

a most holy, indescribable joy plumbed from the depths of

heart-wrenching grief!

For our God, acquainted with grief, 

comforts us with unspeakable joy...

Isa.53:3-6

He is despised and [d]rejected by men,

A Man of [e]sorrows and acquainted with [f]grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our [g]griefs

And carried our [h]sorrows;

Yet we [i]esteemed Him stricken,

[j]Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded[k] for our transgressions,

He was [l]bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes[m] we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord [n]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

(read the whole wondrous chapter HERE)

Joy is the outpouring of God's inpouring!

***

1 Peter 1:8

Though you have not seen him, you love him; 

and even though you do not see him now, 

you believe in him and are filled 

with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

***

Joy is the essence of Hope, hallelujah!

Joy is God's Presence of peace

Joy is believing while not yet receiving

Knowing soon sorrow will cease

Joy is the knowledge that if God is for us

Who can be 'gainst us and win?

Joy is salvation; the soul's separation

From hell and death's curse of sin

Go to, and howl, you rich men full of mis'ry

Joy cannot be bought or sold

Joy is soul's laughter that ripples long after

The glint that delighted earth's hold

Joy is the baby in Bethlehem's manger

The cross where redemption runs rife

Joy is the Saviour who will reign forever

Mankind's resurrection and life

Joy without Jesus is but joy's pale shadow

Fickle as Fantasy's Whim

True joy is Jesus, whose gift of grace frees us

Joy is love's wonder of Him

Joy is the posture of utter surrender

To God, worthy of all praise

Joy is an ocean of unplumbed devotion

Eternity cannot faze

© Janet Martin 

John 17:13

But now I am coming to You;

and I am saying these things while I am in the world, 

so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them.

1 John 1:4

We write these things so that our joy may be complete.

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord always. 

I will say it again: Rejoice!

Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope

 fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, 

so that you may overflow with hope 

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Nehemiah 8:10

Then Nehemiah told them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet,

 and send out portions to those who have nothing prepared, 

since today is holy to our Lord. 

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life; 

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

 At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee-Carrie Underwood

Lyrics- Henry J. van Dyke

(story of its inspiration HERE)

1. Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
   God of glory, Lord of love;
   Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,
   Op’ning to the sun above.
   Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
   Drive the dark of doubt away;
   Giver of immortal gladness,
   Fill us with the light of day!
2. All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
   Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
   Stars and angels sing around Thee,
   Center of unbroken praise.
   Field and forest, vale and mountain,
   Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
   Singing bird and flowing fountain
   Call us to rejoice in Thee.
3. Thou art giving and forgiving,
   Ever blessing, ever blest,
   Wellspring of the joy of living,
   Ocean depth of happy rest!
   Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
   All who live in love are Thine;
   Teach us how to love each other,
   Lift us to the joy divine.
4. Mortals, join the happy chorus,
   Which the morning stars began;
   Father love is reigning o’er us,
   Brother love binds man to man.
   Ever singing, march we onward,
   Victors in the midst of strife,
   Joyful music leads us Sunward
   In the triumph song of life.

A Blessing for Dads

Happy Father's Day...

I am grateful for the many sacrifices Jim makes

for the benefit of us, his family!

Thank-you 💖

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath; instead, 

bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

I am so thankful to God for my dad who loved the Lord

and instilled the spark of God's love in us when we were but a little child,

and nurtured it, sometimes by great frustration of the child

into something we can look back on, in maturity

and marvel at his wisdom!! 

A photo from a month ago of my grandson and his daddy...

my love and prayers are with young dads esp. who are seeking to

raise children to grow into godly men and women, in an ungodly world.

What a tremendous, sacred calling, dear young fathers, you have!

I pray God's Word is a lamp to your feet

and a light to your path!

Without it we stray and become wise in our own eyes 🙏

God bless the dad who is undeterred

In training a child through the lens/Light of God’s Word

God bless the dad whose ultimate goal

Is nurturing child in both body and soul

…who teaches his children to love and revere

Our Father in Heaven, who loves us so dear

God, bless the dad who hallows Your name

And teaches his children to do the same

And, bless the dad who, when the going gets tough

Still trusts in Your promises to be enough

Who instructs his children with more than mere talk

But, sets by example, the way they should walk

…who faithfully labors and faithfully prays

And shoulders the yoke of his call, by God’s grace

© Janet Martin

I love this excerpt from the book Little Rivers

by Henry Van Dyke

I'm sorry I can't share the whole chapter!

I'm dusting off an oldie this morning, as well;

a poem my son and some of his friends read for a Father's day church service 

around 16 years ago!

Some dads are really, really cool, and some are really smart,

Some dads barely went to school but still have big soft hearts,

Some dads stand up straight and tall and look all sober-like

As if they’ve never thrown a ball or raced on their old bike,

Some dads like to tease and wink and some dads laugh a lot,

I guess, I suppose, it depends, I think, on how many bills they’ve got,

‘Cause dad says, as long as the bills keep a-comin’,

He’ll have to get up an’ keep on a-workin’,

And God bless the dad that keeps on a-hummin’

Even when the bills keep a-comin’

Some dads make lots of money and some, I’ve heard, are broke,

Some say things like sweetheart and honey and some dads never joke,

Some dads work from dawn ‘til dark with little time to play,

Some take their children to the park and some just go away,

Some dads work so very hard so mother can stay home,

Some dads are so very tired, when at last they come,

But, God bless the dad, who at the end of his day

Still gets down on his knees to pray,

And God bless the faithful dad who

Teaches his little ones to pray too

Some dads are really big and tough, while some are short and thin,

Some dads are kinda’ rough and some are gentlemen,

Some dad’s hair is curly and some dad’s hair is gray,

Some don’t really worry ‘cause their hair has gone away,

Some dads drive pick-ups shiny and new, some say any wheels will do,

'As long as it takes me to work and such, and the insurance on it isn’t too much,'

Some dads whistle and some dads sing,

At home some dads feel as rich as a king,

But for one thing I sure am glad,

God knew how much we’d need some dads

Some dads read God’s word every night, some never read at all,

Some dads teach us wrong from right to guide us lest we fall,

And some dads are a little like God, I suppose,

‘Cause through trial and error this dad knows

Though hearts be broken and sometimes need mending,

A father’s love is never-ending,

And God bless the dad whose love never fails,

When the going gets bad, love still prevails,

Thus, for one thing I sure am glad, 

God knew how much we’d need some dads,

Some dads’ sure leave big shoes to fill 

but the One who guides them will be there still,

Someday, when someone says they’re glad 

God knew how much we’d need some dads

Janet Martin

Dear Henry Van Dyke (and a few other rare old writers/poets)

Books that touch me/move me as often and deeply as the one below

are far and few between!

Thank-you Henry!

You are my friend though you were gone long before I was born

And we have never met, save in words penned in days of yorn

You move me still, where once your quill traversed a barren page

To leave behind kind fellowship for folk of future age

To touch us in those places time cannot affect, it seems

No matter how it chases generations through its schemes/dreams

I love you, though to tell you is a joy deferred and weighed

In a balance that tips toward a door none can evade

Till then I'll taste thy turn of phrase with slow and sheer amour

To think that ink can keep alive what death cannot devour

To touch us with affections Time cannot thwart by its toll

As you arouse reflections in rivers poured from your soul

You make me smile and weep and laugh and sigh in sweet surprise

You steal my breath; earth moves beneath its motionless disguise

Oh, how I wish that I could shake the hand that shaped the thought

That gently cheers an afternoon, soon otherwise forgot

You touch me as if we were just a fireside apart

Sharing a glimpse of heaven as we commune, heart to heart

© Janet Martin

Below are a few examples why I love this writer so much!

By Tender Means of Poetry (or, To My Gentle Reader)

So sorry, sweet little birdies, but filling the feeders needs to wait!

A sudden day off due to wild weather has opened the rather rare (ice-embossed)

window of opportunity to 'wax poetic' 😅💓

This book, rescued from the garbage bin by a truly caring friend

 who dropped it off at my door last week, 

Stole my heart with the first page!...

and inspired today's poem 'to my gentle reader'...

Of that which kindly comes to be

By tender means of poetry

To cheer us gently on, dear friend

Upon life’s careworn twist and bend

Where face to face we may not meet

To trace the bond of friendships sweet

I thank God for love’s ink-wrought font

To gently bind the wounds of want

And keep each other company

By tender means of poetry

To know, though we are far apart

The timeless tug of heart to heart

To share the very sacred touch

Of tears and smiles and prayers and such

And help us realize anew

The preciousness of me-and-you

And to gladden regions of thought

With refreshed awareness of God

To make us feel like family

By tender means of poetry

To tune us to the creature cry

Of hope; to hold love’s candle high

Where often dreams do not come true

And carefully laid plans fall through

To teach us to not cling too fast

-ly to what soon augments the past

To remind us, through lilt of rhyme

What does not change, in spite of time

And taste life’s sweet comradery

By tender means of poetry

To catch midst winter’s frigid fling

A sense of everlasting spring

To find a plot where tulips grow

To brighten thought while wild winds blow

To rouse an unexpected thrill

Where pages birth a bloom-tossed hill

And suddenly we bow the head

And thank God for the bit o' bread

Through that which kindly comes to be

By tender means of poetry

© Janet Martin