Perspective Pause...

If, in all that we do, we view the One who grants the life we live

Then we will find love's purpose kind, and give the best we have to give

What joy to know he loves us so and helps us do the best we can

With thankful heart, to do our part to love Him first then fellowman

This is the day the Lord has made, like an alter beneath our feet

What will the price of sacrifice reveal as we, love's charges meet?

Will we be weighed with joy dismayed, or will we rejoice and be glad

To know God's love will surely prove faithful through both life's good and bad

Janet Martin

 

On Growing (our) 'Old'

Psalm 39:4-5

“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. 

Let me know how fleeting my life is. 

You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, 

and my lifetime as nothing before You. 

Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath.

 Selah

I remember as a child, telling my mom I want to be a nice grandma, 

like my grandma, when I'm old and she told me

 that to be a nice old person begins, 

not when we're old, but when we're young!

So, however young or old we are, let's begin today 

to make tomorrow's older version of ourselves

 a bit more patient, humble, caring and kind.

Last night I visited my aunt (Naomi) in the hospital,

not because I'm so kindly faithful at visiting my aunts!!

 but because she happened to be in the room beside my sister-in-law's room.

I blinked and blinked as I gazed at my aunt, 

feeling like I was looking at the face of dear grandma from years ago!

My aunt is a beautiful 'old' person just like her mother/my grandma was 💝🙏

Whatever we are doing, who/wherever we are today

we are 'growing' who we will become when we are old-er!

Let's 'bloom' like a beautiful flower; like my mom's amaryllis! 

Who we turn into when we’re old begins when we are young

The golden years of childhood mold the makings of the man

Like learning the rules of respect, and how to hold the tongue

What habits we should not neglect and doing what we can

To make this world a kinder place with gentler word and deed

To treat one another with grace rather than spite and greed

To be who we imagine when/if we reach ripe eighty-three

Begins long, long before the benediction of fleet/sweet youth

Better to begin now to hone the way we hope to be

Before we look back and bemoan the telling toll of Truth

Tis no small thing to train a child to live/love the way they should

To tame tempers that else run wild, and never lead to good

To be a wise old woman-man is not by accident

We ought to prize, the best we can each opportunity

To mine for wisdom in life’s sacred lease of moments spent

Rather than wasting acres with wild-oat futility

Because Time seems to quicken haste with every passing year

Thus, no one can afford to waste the wealth of Now and Here

Who we want to be when we’re old begins anew, today

To treasure like nuggets of gold, life’s moments as they spill

From choices into consequence we cannot wish away

As they augment investments Time is eager to fulfill

Sooner than we suppose we feel and see and bear the truth

Of what once seemed strange and surreal, turned into living proof

This life is full of schemes, it seems, to teach us how to pray

 And give to God our hopes and dreams, while weathering the art

Of ever growing older with each precious, passing day

While turning wrinkles bolder, while nothing new tries the heart

While often we forget while we are busy being young

The things we do habitually, shape who we will become 

Janet Martin 

 

If We Make Christ our Master

For me, one of the takeaway applications of yesterday morning's message

Behold the Man is this:

Choose your master/Master or your master will choose you!

The speaker also reminded /encouraged us with this;

If we make Christ our Master and mission

day by day, the end will take care of itself;

We will be able to be faithful to the end

and echo the words of Paul in

2 Tim.4:7

" I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith."

So thank You Lord, for a new morning filled with new mercies!

Lam.3:22-23

Lord, because no one can serve two masters (Matt.6:24)
 help us choose You!

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus - Lydia Walker | Lyric Video |

If we make Christ our Master we will fix our eyes on Him

Not mine, but Thine the Kingdom, power and glory. Amen

If we make Christ our Master He will passion's zeal persuade

To seek His kingdom first and not vain treasures that will fade

If we make Christ our Master then, we will hallow His name

And reverence and fear the One who bore our sin and shame

If we make Christ our Master we will trust Him and obey

Knowing sorry disaster waits where Self demands its say

If we make Christ our Master we will be misunderstood

As we reject this world's appeal for Heaven's Greater Good

If we make Christ our Master worship commands a great price

Each day will be an altar, Self will be the sacrifice 

It we make Christ our Master; He, The Way, the Truth, the Life

Will lead in paths of righteousness and fit us for its strife 

If we make Christ our Master, Holy power will prevail

His armour equips us to withstand evils that assail

If we make Christ our Master we will never walk alone

His rod and staff will comfort all who make His will their own

If we make Christ our Master life will be no Easy Street

And mean will seem the Potter's Wheel as faith and sight compete

If we make Christ our Master, then, whatever may befall

When we behold Him we will know the fight was worth it all 

If we make Christ our Master, focus/motive will be realigned 

And as it is He help us love Him heart, soul, strength and mind

If we make Christ our Master, then the Best is yet to come

Death's solemn due, the doorway to Eternity with Him

The lordship of Me-Myself-I, mines deeps of futile yen

If we make Christ our Master He will satisfy. Amen 

Janet Martin

Josh Turner - I Serve A Savior (Official Audio)

JIM REEVES HAVE THINE OWN WAY LORD with LYRICS 

Worthy (Wealth Evaluation)

We live in an age not so very much different as ages past...

of good intention juxtaposed with temptation

and 'being wise in our own eyes' 

and not always trembling at the consequence of disobedience/rebellion,

and its ripple effect...

In 1 Samuel 15

God rejected Saul as king after Saul rejected/disobeyed

the word of the LORD, though Saul repented,

the consequence of his disobedience could not be reversed!

1 Sam.15:20-23

And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, 

and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, 

and brought back Agag king of Amalek; 

I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 

21 But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, 

the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed,

to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

22 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.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of [d]witchcraft,

And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

He also has rejected you from being king.”

Who do we listen to as we make countless choices every day?

Whose authority do we reflect/reject 

as we prove who we belong to; God or self?

Do we consider our choice worth the cost?!!

Andrew Peterson - Is He Worthy?

All who belong to the Father

Belong to the King of kings

Heirs and joint heirs of love’s Author

And the shares this Sonship brings

He is our regal provision/position

He is the Way, Truth and Life

Anchoring hope where derision

And opposition runs rife

His wealth defends faith's discourses

Inheritance beyond ken

Wellspring of unplumbed resources

Bids us draw and drink. Amen

What unfathomable stature

Instills mortal dust to dust

Partakers of divine nature

Escapees of evil's lust

Lord, lest leprosy of spirit

Some sinful longing sustains

Pray Lord, search the heart and try it

Lest a wicked way remains

God is love; love never forces

Anybody to believe

But the riches He endorses

Each yielded heart will receive

Satisfying the soul's hunger

With love's infinite supply 

Pity all who drift and wander

Disillusioned by the eye 

Unaffected by the Saviour

Unwilling to 'taste and see'

   Choosing death's selfish/sinful behaviour

Rather than bowing the knee

Worship is the revelation/elevation

Of who we most love and crave

Either the God of salvation

Or gods, powerless to save

Do we rejoice to assemble

With fellow-heirs, undeterred

By this world's off'rings, to tremble

At the power of God's Word

Are we part of faith's profession/procession

 Washed in the blood Jesus spilled

 Do we treasure faith's possession

Of God's promises fulfilled

 

Janet Martin

Rom.8:17

and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, 

if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

1 Pet.4:12-13

Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you,

 as though some strange thing happened to you;

  13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings,

 that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

2 Pet.1:10-11

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, 

for if you do these things you will never stumble;

 11for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly

 into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The Most Important Things in Life...

Heb.10:35-36 (BSB)

So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward.

 36You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, 

you will receive what He has promised.

Doesn't each part/phrase of the above verses

give great truths and conditions to ponder and prize

as we persevere?!!

This hawk has made life a misery for the little birds this winter,

but it is hungry too,

and only doing what it must to survive

though it is heartbreaking to watch!

It is heartbreaking to watch suffering and feel helpless to alleviate it

because we cannot (thank God!) do what only He can

through the Comforter/Helper He has given, to all who believe

and receive the Holy Spirit.

John 14:15-18

If you love Me, [d]keep My commandments.

 16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [e]Helper,

 that He may abide with you forever— 

17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive,

 because it neither sees Him nor knows Him;

 but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 

18I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

The most important things in life 

Are ministered where no one sees

But He who runs the heavens rife

With ineffable majesties

The Maker, Ruler, Keeper of

Heaven and earth is good and kind

His patient, everlasting love

Enough, if Want is thus inclined 

...to seek life's most important things

From God's momentous smorgasbord

Of invisible offerings

Veiling recompense of reward

We choose either seen or Unseen

Faith boasts in what it cannot see

In spite of the dark glass between

Man's questions and God's clarity 

As sure as the spark upward flies

We are born to sorrow and pain

Where what we understand God tries

With reasons no one can explain

God cares for creatures great and small

Such knowledge is too wonderful

Behold, a sparrow cannot fall

Outside love's kind peripheral 

While goodness and mercy run rife

-est through broken hearts and dreams, for

The most important things in life

Teach us to trust and love God more

So, as we hope, pray, dream and plan

Lord, help us learn through what life brings

To love You first, then fellowman;

These are life's most important things

Janet Martin

Only Trust Him

Paramount Appraisal...

Phil.2:3-4

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride,

 but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. 

4Each of you should look not only to your own interests,

 but also to the interests of others...

'Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, 

do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.' 

Matt.7:12

Galatians 6:2
Carry one another’s burdens, 

and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. 

Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.

A new day scales earth's eastward edge 

Worlds reappear to sight

As God maintains His ancient pledge 

Of seasons, day and night...

***

What are you up to today?

I am only doing childcare one day a week right now

and that day is Wednesdays

so I am enjoying the company of two

eager, affectionate and energetic little boys...

Ah, what we do with where we are and what we have, my dear

Is of far more Importance than at brief glance, may appear

Where train of thought (and sometimes not) turns into words and deeds

And what we say and do turns into potent, scattered seeds

Then, when the sum of it takes root and the shoot is full grown

We bear witness to steadfast truth, 'by fruit the tree is known’

Ah, what we do with here and now is how lifetimes accrue

No turning back, no leaping over present moment’s due

Where no one is forgotten, or of insignificance

No matter who or where we are, action bears consequence

So then, what matters most (because we all will give account)

Is what we do with what brims from time’s invisible fount

Ah, what we do with what may seem to deftly disappear

Is worth a second look because of what remains, my dear

From God’s goodness and mercy, morn’s fresh opportunity

And if we ask, He helps us who-wherever we may be

To do our best with what we have, not what we wish we had

This is the day the Lord has made to rejoice and be glad

…and recognize the value of a Prize we press toward

Where the fruit of the tree effects recompense of reward

For, what we do with what we have will verily become

Something we ought not to ignore; a lifetime’s sacred sum

Does this not stir humbler regard for what we have, before

Life's fruit is gathered into baskets of Forevermore….

© Janet Martin

Regarding Life's 'Musts'

Today's post was inspired, in part,  by a comment Jim (my husband, a truck driver)

 made this morning, as he envisioned another week 

of snowy roads, winter driving etc...

Not in disrespect to my 'I will pray for you'

he simply stated the matter of fact/must;

'all your prayers don't take away the fact that I

still have to face the weather and the highway...'

What a picture of life for all of us!!!

 and what a comfort of love!

When we pray for each other, 'for God to guide and keep'

the prayer does not take away the 'road ahead'

  but suddenly, gloriously 

a miraculous transformation takes place!

We go from this...

to this!!

(oops!! I missed a word in the reference below but

drawing is way too challenging for me to attempt a do-over 😂😐)

also, a glimpse at what happens when I look at the clock and g-a-a-a-asp!

“I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”;

Life's storms come, and pass

just as one 'must' precedes another!

No matter what we say to someone

we cannot take their 'Must' away.

(Jesus, in Gethsemane, though he pleaded was not spared)

We cannot travel their stretch of highway,

we cannot carry their cross.

We can walk alongside each other and

encourage each other, but we cannot

do each other's 'must'.

How wonderful then, the holy opportunity

free to all, to ask God to help us,

 to hold our hand and to go before us.

We don't have to face life's 'musts' alone!

Oh think about this;

We alone, are responsible for our fellowship with our

Heavenly Father; surely the most sacred 'must' of all.

May we pray, as Jesus in Gethsemane prayed , 'not my will, but Thine!'

Or in the Lord's Prayer, 'Thy will be done'.

Isa.45:2-3 & 5-8

“I will go before you

and level the mountains; 

I will break down the gates of bronze

and cut through the bars of iron.

3I will give you the treasures of darkness

and the riches hidden in secret places,

so that you may know that I am the LORD,

the God of Israel, who calls you by name...

5I am the LORD, and there is no other;

there is no God but Me.

I will equip you for battle,

though you have not known Me,

6so that all may know,

from where the sun rises to where it sets,

that there is none but Me;

I am the LORD, and there is no other.

7I form the light and create the darkness;

I bring prosperity and create calamity.

I, the LORD, do all these things.

8Drip down, O heavens, from above,

and let the skies pour down righteousness.

Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout

and righteousness spring up with it;

I, the LORD, have created it.

Read the whole glorious chapter HERE

***

Life's burdens must be borne

Its highways must be trod

Its holy unknowns must be faced

Either fear or faith-shod

Its mornings must be met

Its tests must be endured

Its tempests must be weathered, pray

Hope's Anchor is secured

Life's deserts must be crossed

Its hurdles must be leapt

Its battles must be won or lost

Promises must be kept

Its choices must be made

Its voices must be heard

Its sorrows must be suffered, for

Love's due is undeterred

Life's lessons must be learned

Through much-mistake accrued 

Its crown of wisdom must be earned

Humble pie must be chewed

And each of us must choose

How we will heed life's call

Whether we will trust or refuse

The God who loves us all 

Life's burdens must be borne

Its highways must be trod

Its unknowns, betwixt morn-to-morn

Never too hard for God 

© Janet Martin 

Being a transport truck driver in the winter

is not for the faint of heart!

Will you pray for their safety and encouragement too?

Isa.45:21-22

...There is no other God but Me,

a righteous God and Savior;

there is none but Me.

22Turn to Me and be saved,

all the ends of the earth;

for I am God,

and there is no other.

'Til the Storm Passes By

Lyrics-Songwriters: Thomas Mosie Lister

… In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face

While the storms howl above me, and there's no hiding place

'Mid the crash of the thunder, precious Lord, hear my cry

Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by

… 'Til the storm passes over, 'til the thunder sounds no more

'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by

… Many times Satan whispered, "There is no need to try

For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by"

But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise

Where the storms never darken the skies

… 'Til the storm passes over, 'til the thunder sounds no more

'Til the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe 'til the storm passes by

Pondering the Possible,

Then we could be far more carefree, while we weather what we must...

It is holiday weekend in Ontario...for some...

non-farmers-wedding caterers/florists, gardeners, etc 😅

I'm about to finish some tasks I couldn't complete yesterday...

canning yellow bean salad and zucchini relish

( if you are in the neighborhood and would like either yellow beans or

zucchini, send me a message. they can be yours free for the picking)

What if we would have more gardens where we would linger to pray...

(rather than simply SWEAT and toil?! 

It was a sweltering garden week!!)

What if, in the face of insult we would be patient and kind

Giving grace, rather than revolt, when we are vengeance inclined

What if we would have more gardens where we would linger to pray

Before rushing hard and headlong into a new workaday

What if we would plant more flowers rather than sowing wild oats

Using youth to redeem hours wisely before harvest gloats  

What if we considered lilies and He who weaves their fine cloak

What if we would be more willing to believe the words He spoke?

(Then we could be far more carefree, while we weather what we must

Knowing Who is able 'ere we lower our yoke of dust)

What if we were far more giving than taking more than we should

What if our goal for living was another's greater good

What if life's most fruitful labor was unfeigned humility

Loving God first, then our neighbour; what a heaven, earth would be

© Janet Martin

A few excerpts from the profound part Sermon on the Mount

below, passages from Matt.6

Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them.

 If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets,

 as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. 

Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 

3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 

4 so that your giving may be in secret. 

Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you...

...“And why do you worry about clothes? 

See how the flowers of the field grow. 

They do not labor or spin. 

29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today

 and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ 

or ‘What shall we drink?’ 

or ‘What shall we wear?’ 

32 For the pagans run after all these things, 

and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, 

and all these things will be given to you as well. 

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

 Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Before The Tree and the Fruit... (or, It May Seem Small in the Planting)

One choice may seem so small, for good or bad,

but small things amassed become something much bigger;

grains of sand make a shore,

drops of water an ocean,

moments, a lifetime.

Choice, repeated becomes a habit!

Our 'habits' become our lives...

Day by day,

verse by verse, 

chapter by chapter 

we read through the Bible

and are spoken to and taught by God, 

or not!

Prayer by prayer 

we learn to worship Him 

and trust Him a little more, 

or not...

What are we going to do Today, 

with our pocket full of moment-seeds

dropping from the Hand of goodness and mercy

to the soil of the soul?

(Where, even in reaping, we are planting!)

I'm about to head out to plant some marigold among the tomatoes,

in hopes of deterring tomato worms!

1 Cor. 1:4-9

I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God

 which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 

5 that you were enriched in everything by Him 

in all [a]utterance and all knowledge, 

6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed [b]in you, 

7 so that you come short in no gift, 

eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

8 who will also confirm you to the end, 

that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

9 God is faithful, by whom you were called 

into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Isn't verse 9 an awesome verse to begin a new week on?

To remind us to make the most of every opportunity?!

It may seem minute, the measure of a moment, thought or seed

But the value of life’s treasure is measured by word and deed

Where Choice bears a holy onus in each little ‘yes’ or ‘no’

Where no one can trick the promise that we will reap what we sow

It may seem inconsequential; as, partakers of God’s grace

We, oft thoughtlessly unthankful, give the Giver second place

Not with preconceived intention but, as bridles are cut loose

Without forceful intervention interfering with excuse

It may seem so small, where choices gape with opportunity

Be careful, for Reply voices far more than first glance may see

And no matter how we defend lack of honor with excuse

The fruit of seed cannot pretend; what we plant, seed will produce

It may seem so very common; left foot, right foot, slumber, wake

Sometimes we forget that Someone grants each gifted breath we take

Sometimes, then we are not prayerful, humble and obedient

Sometimes then, we are not careful with the seeds God’s goodness lent

It may not seem very dire, crucial or imperative

What or who attunes desire, what we choose to keep or give

Who we worship in the granting of love and longing’s pursuit

It may seem small in the planting, before the tree and the fruit

© Janet Martin

Day by Day

The Poorest of the Poor or Beggars by Choice

It's one thing to read the beginning of Romans 12,

but quite another to live it! Don't you agree? 

Therefore I urge you, brothers, (meaning every believer)

 on account of God’s mercy,

 to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, 

which is your spiritual service of worship.

 2Do not be conformed to this world, 

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

 Then you will be able to test and approve 

what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: 

Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, 

but think of yourself with sober judgment,

 according to the measure of faith God has given you...

Oh, so many perfectly, good reasons can tempt us to

dwell more on the temporal than the eternal!

If we could see for a moment what lies beyond the bit we see...

...not one of us would hesitate to prepare today for eternity; 

one glimpse (of either Heaven or hell)

would be enough to convince us completely!

The Gate of Final Breath (unlike the gates in the picture below) 

leaves no loop holes or gaps through which one might escape/return

 

To ignore or decline or disregard God’s still small voice

Turns us, often quite unawares, into beggars by choice

The poorest of the poor; no joy, hope or peace for the soul

No one to trust with all our hearts, no faith to make us whole

No touch to heal our blindness, no Comforter for our grief

No Father to reply when we cry ‘help my unbelief’

No all-sufficient grace to be our strength when we are weak

No fear of He who keeps account of idle words we speak

As destitute in spirit as blind beggars on the street

Without a Friend to bind Want’s wounds and help us to our feet

Knowing that He is able to do far more than we think

No anchor in life’s storms, no Living Water we can drink

No assurance of everlasting life after we die

No confidence or courage when we look death in the eye

No humble gratitude to He who paid the debt we owed

No gladness (other than what favor’s circumstance bestowed)

No power greater than the shadow of might man may boast

No sweet hour of prayer to cheer us when we need it most

No whisper of encouragement to combat dark despair

No Word to light our path, no one on whom to cast our care

No reason for love’s sacrifices, beyond what we can see

No joy still set before us when we shed mortality

No glory at the Finish Line, no Victor’s sweet reward

No crown to lay before God’s throne, no ‘Worthy are You, Lord’

No promise that defeats the grave, no treasure, Heavenly

No doubtless proclamation of ‘Greater is He in me’

No armor to equip us so we can fight the Good Fight

No happiness that transcends trouble with holy delight

No self-denying, death-defying purpose-passion-plea

No pleasure at the right hand of God for eternity

No one to do through us what we on our own, cannot do

No chosen, precious Cornerstone unshakeable and true

To build upon; no refuge in the shadow of His wing

No higher call to satisfy our present suffering

No Salvation’s deliverance from wrath to come, for sin

No escape from the poverty we chose, in place of Him

When we ignore, decline or disregard God’s still, small Voice

We turn ourselves, oft unawares, to doomed beggars, by choice

© Janet Martin

sometimes we refer to beauty here as 'glimpses of paradise' ...

...but God tells us differently: 

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.”

Wishing you blessed encouragement at the beginning of a new week

on account of God's mercies,..

a life holy and pleasing to God

A few more Sunday evening drive show/car-stoppers!!

The air was dense with purple fragrance!