Post-Christmas Day/Weekend Exaltation

 

Exodus 15:11

Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? 

Who is like You--majestic in holiness, 

revered with praises, performing wonders?

Phil.2:9-11

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

The excerpt below was the reflection/invitation

in Our Daily Bread's Christmas Day devotion;

Reflect & Pray

What would life and history be like had Jesus never been born?

What prayer or poem can you offer God to thank Him?

Jesus, thank You for making Yourself nothing so I could be forgiven.

After the laughter and excitement of gifts given and received, 

(both of the kiddos responses to the gifts

brought laughter till we cried)

of dinners and treat-trays...

 tasted...

...and dismantled

...of visitors and vacations disappeared into the dark

Joy Abides!

Luke 2:10-11

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: 

for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, 

which shall be to all people. 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David 

a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Now trails upon the dark of dawn and thresholds of unknown

God’s grace and truth that leads us on from stone to stepping stone

Where fear could flaunt a cheerless taunt and dread could birth despair

But for man’s faithful confidante that hears faith’s humble prayer

The grace of God once gave to earth His only precious Son

Where the glad tidings of His birth can never be undone

Through century-to-century hope’s cornerstone abides

Salvation, wrought at Calvary, the gift God’s grace provides

Oh, praise He who fulfilled love’s plan, Heaven’s humility

Clothed in appearance as a man, yet Supreme Deity

He bore the gore of sin and shame, death on a cross, then God

Gave Him the Name above all names of Jesus Christ the Lord

…where, someday every knee will bow and every tongue confess

That Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God’s righteousness

Where glad tidings of greatest joy, in spite of sorrow, lives

Because the Son of God destroyed death because He forgives

Now trails upon the dark of dawn fresh opportunity

To worship He who gave his Son to set sin’s debtors free

Not to follow after the things this world exalts and hails

But to honour the King of kings and love that never fails

© Janet Martin

Happy Everlasting Exaltation!

Rejoice!

Wishing one and all a 

joyous Christmas celebration!

3.You have multiplied the nation

And [a]increased its joy;

They rejoice before You

According to the joy of harvest,

As men rejoice when they divide the spoil...

6.For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7.Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isa.9:3,6-7

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psalm 2:11

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, 

and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven;

for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

Matt.5:11-12

(This was going to be my post yesterday but due to Christmas Eve,

Christmas dinner and Sunday dinner food-prep

(with some very eager helpers/taste-testers)

...it simply didn't happen

Isn't it Wonderful?!

When it comes to the Real Gift of Christmas

no one needs to wonder, is there anything for me?

For God so loved the world

He gave his only begotten son 

that whosoever believes in him will not perish but

have everlasting life!

John 3:16

Rejoice, again I say rejoice; God works for our good

He who commissioned His own Son to do what none else could

Receive with joy the simple truth that first to Shepherds came

The joy of all mankind begins and ends in Jesus’ name

Not in the merits of this world will Mortal find true joy

But in The Word as hearts receive Bethlehem’s baby boy

In simple faith, in simply Christ, who beckons simply, come

Ah here, when we believe joy finds an everlasting home

© Janet Martin

Oh, that we older and perhaps more jaded

can once again glimpse the joy of a child's delight

sparked by something as simple as

a smiley-faced snowflake!

Joy Born at Bethlehem - Charles Spurgeon Sermon

Hymn of Joy (Inspired in part by Haitian Hostage release)

Just as the morning sun dissolves night's darkness with light

So Jesus, God's Son,(The True Light) dissolves death's darkness with life

this poem is inspired in part by Luke 18, 19& 20,

by Christmas as we dwell on God's gift to humanity,

by this week's advent theme, God's love,

by today's Daily Bread Devotion,

and by listening to the account from Christian Aid

about the missionaries released after being held captive for 2 months!

(see link below)

The word 'freedom' for them, must surely have a sweeter and deeper joy than ever before!

When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives,

 the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God 

in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”[b]

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Luke 19:37-40

In captivity the missionaries sang, Just like Paul and Silas long ago

(pray their captors too will ask like that jailer did, what must I do to be saved?)

As we begin hearing details about the missionaries who were held captive

in Haiti, we cannot help but we awed by God's faithfulness

and weep for the sheer joy of the hope we have in Him!

Christian Aid Ministry talks about the Haiti hostage release

May we continue to pray for them as they deal with the aftermath of it all!

Into the darkness of the age what joy True Light yet gives

God’s Word abides to show The Way; man’s steadfast hope yet lives

So then with confidence and peace through what we see, or not

We pray God may our faith increase for battles not yet fought

For heart-of-heart humility to obey and to trust

To eclipse the futility of worldly pride and lust

For we seek a city to come (Oh Lord, may it be so)

The perfection of Christendom beyond this world of woe

Beyond the darkness of the age, where, praise God, hope yet lives

To show the way, from page to page by the Light God’s Word gives

Then praise the one true God and keep the stones from crying out

‘He is not dead nor doth he sleep’ oh, may we never doubt

But undeterred press on to Sweet Redemption’s Aftermath

His Word a Lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path

He keeps in perfect peace the mind stayed steadfastly on He

Who is compassionate and kind and forgives you and me

Not repaying accordingly to what our sins deserve

He paid guilt’s debt at Calvary, in love without reserve

His gift of grace for everyone; what joy His True Light gives

God so loved us He gave his Son to save us; hope yet lives

Delight in the law of the Lord and he will give to thee

The full desires of thy heart, from worldly want set free

And as we gaze on He who bought our freedom with His blood

May we be awed anew by the redeeming love of God

And then, not grow disheartened but be filled with gratitude

And worship He who pardoned us, with hearts and minds renewed

To sing with joy and rejoice and again I say rejoice

Do not be silent, boys and girls but give your worship voice

The Beacon of God’s Word still gleams; what joy His True Light gives

Into the darkness of the world it streams and hope yet lives

© Janet Martin

Every so often I share this beautiful hymn because I love Jesus!

Jesus, Only Jesus

 

Perfect Grief and Joy

This world is full of the sorrow of

Christmases without loved ones...

My son-in-law and his family are mourning the

sudden loss Grandmother/mother

the victim in this head-on collision on Thursday evening.

My prayer is that the love and comfort of God

will be their strength and peace in the days ahead.

(will you pray too?)

and for my son-in-law as he travels home for four days to be with his family? 

I'm running a bit behind on my Luke reading's reflections

Such a treasure trove of Scriptural wealth

makes it difficult to choose just one or two gems to share...

this post is inspired in part by Luke 17, 

in part by our music and message this morning

(click link then click Sunday Service Dec.19)

and in part by this week's advent theme of love

We sang this breathtaking song this morning

(a new one for me!)

Chris Tomlin - Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground) [Lyric Video]

“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. 

Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 

‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 

8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready 

and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?

 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 

10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say,

 ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Luke 17:7-10

 

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

 Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

9 This is how God showed his love among us: 

He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 

10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us 

and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, 

God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:7-12

Unto earth’s span of toil and test

Where trouble takes its toll

God gave to man His utter best

The Saviour of the soul

This little mist of time and place

Soon vanishes away

God’s gift of salvation and grace

Succeeds faith’s cup of clay

Imagine if time’s trifling toast

Was all that we could win

But love robbed the grave of its boast

And broke the curse of sin

The love of God did not withhold

His Son from suffering

But saw the joy that would unfold

As Death loses its sting

Life’s bitter brunt of grief and loss

Is but triumph’s prelude

Servanthood’s blood and tearstained cross

Unworthy gratitude

To He who came, by Heaven sent

Counsellor, Father, Friend

The Prince of Peace whose government

Will increase without end

Who, in his very nature God

Did not refuse the call

Humility and love unflawed

Obeyed. Death, once for all

From heaven’s throne the Savior stepped

Bethlehem’s Baby Boy

While surely heaven’s angels wept

With perfect grief and joy

© Janet Martin

Joy to the World (Christmas is Far More Than Just a Happy Holiday)

How shallow a happy holiday is compared to the Christmas Celebration

of God's gift to humanity when the fullness of time had come!

This post is inspired in part by Luke 15...

Gal.3:4-5

But when the fullness of the time had come, 

God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law, 

5 to redeem those who were under the law, 

that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Hallelujah!

This week's advent theme is Joy...

Joy can seem a hard-fought battle when we focus on what we see without

The world groans with oppression,

with havoc and loss through natural disasters,

with sickness and sorrow,

but, Jesus is still the true light,

Still joy unspeakable

because He is the living hope for humankind...

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,

1 Pet.1:8

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee-Chris Tomlin

Joy Has Dawned

Castles built on the sand cannot withstand life’s stormy cares

Thus, nations disregarding God, (fools, unfaith-flawed) will fall

The One who came to save us and to make us sons and heirs

Is still the Rock of Ages and the Godhead over all

He is not mocked; He who suffered and died to set us free

(Though some may scoff and buffer fear and doubt with foolish pride)

He, to his own a stranger on the earth, left majesty

Laid in a lowly manger at his birth, then crucified

All hail the True Light of the world has come, the Son of God

 Pierces the dark. A star unfurled in sympathy and grace

When all creation groaned beneath oppression's brutal rod

Jesus obeyed His Father and atoned the human race 

He fulfilled mercy’s masterplan, afflicted and despised

King of kings, rejected by man and acquainted with grief

Like a lamb to the slaughter led, eyes esteemed Him chastised

Not knowing yet that His blood shed hope’s bedrock of belief

Then let’s make Christmas more than just a Happy Holiday

Let’s worship and adore the Reason for this season’s joy

Jesus, is mankind’s Saviour still, hope’s confidence and stay

No death-fated dominion will with hate God’s love destroy

Like a banner, let’s lift the name of Jesus above all

And praise Him for the love that came to seek and save the lost

Though He could see the awful price and sorrow of God's call

He saw beyond the sacrifice and deemed us worth the cost

He welcomes home each prodigal and meets us with arms wide

He works in us the miracle of righteousness and peace

By gift of grace the soul is saved and sinner justified

Praise Jesus for the cross He braved, with songs that never cease

© Janet Martin

 'leap for joy, for great is the reward in Heaven'.

Luke 6:23

After hearing that the remaining missionaries that were taken hostage in Haiti exactly two months ago were released today I wept for joy! Pure joy! Praise the Lord!

Joy-Athletes

Inspired in part by Luke 6

(such a rich chapter! so hard to choose just a few thoughts)

There's no getting around it; God knows our hearts!

Whether what we do is to glorify Him first through loving our neighbour as our self

or whether we live to look after personal interests first!

Jesus reminded the Pharisees that the 'Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.'

He taught us that it is always lawful to do good on any day of the week.

While, not voiding the command in Exodus 20:8-11  

to take a day of rest unto the Lord;

' Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 

Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; 

but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord God;

in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, 

your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle,

 or the sojourner who is within your gates;

 for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth,

 the sea, and all that is in them, 

and rested the seventh day; 

therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.'

In Luke 6 He went on to remind them/us 

of the faithfulness of God to sacrificial and suffering believers.

He encourages believers/followers to

 'leap for joy, for great is the reward in Heaven'.

Luke 6:23

So let's all be athletes and 'leap for joy'!!

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee- Carrie Underwood

Oh, leap for joy

The baby boy

In Bethlehem became

Redemption’s Lamb

God’s gift to man;

Salvation through His name

Trust in the One

Who gave His Son

The war o’er death to win

Faithful and just

He forgives us

As we confess our sin

Rejoice in He

Who sets us free

From dread of death and hell

The wonders of

Redeeming love

Is more than tongue can tell

Then join the song

The angel throng

Began so long ago

Peace and goodwill

To sweetly fill

Hearts dark with Eden's woe

And let life be

A melody

Of love’s lovely increase

As we applaud

The gift of God

Of righteousness and peace

Joy to the world

Mercy unfurled

Hope’s banner, blood red, oh

Yet by God’s grace

Sin is erased

And washed as white as snow

The doleful knell

Of would-be hell

Is quelled; let love applaud

And leap for joy

That baby Boy

Restored man’s way to God

Then let each heart

Become the part

That cradles Heaven’s boy

As we revere

God’s gift so dear

And sing with endless joy

© Janet Martin

Come, One and All and Gather Round

This post is inspired in part by Luke 2

 Light of the Stable-Selah

Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem -Jeremy Camp

  

Make Room

If covid has proven anything it's that we all need

the glad tidings of great joy/grace through Jesus!

We have been challenged and most of us likely disappointed

at times at responses and attitudes of our fellow-travelers

(in this journey of life) 

during the ongoing ripple-effects of this pandemic,

making the account of Jesus birth and childhood in Luke 2 

especially meaningful and vital this year!

Luke 2:10-11

And the angel said unto them, 

Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, 

which shall be to all people

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David 

a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

1 John 3:10

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, 

that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Come, one and all and gather round

Love’s wonder to behold

Glad tidings of great joy abound

For people young and old

For Jesus, though the King of kings

Did not despise God’s call

Or flee Calvary's sufferings

To be Saviour of all

Come one and all and gather round

The manger where He lay

Jesus, not royal robed and crowned

But on a bed of hay

Come bow your head and shed a tear

Of both sorrow and joy

Behold Majesty’s meek veneer

In Mary’s Baby Boy

Come, one and all and gather near

Lest morrow is too late

The message of God’s love is clear

Destiny more than fate

For whoever believes in Him

Eternal life will gain

Death’s verdict without God is grim

And life, hopeless and vain

Come, one and all and gather round

To celebrate with joy

The hope for man, none can confound

And nothing can destroy

Come one and all, hail and adore

The Gift angels applaud

For this is more than ancient lore

This is the love/Son of God

© Janet Martin

Joy to the World- John Berry

This morning's Daily Bread Devotion

 includes this precious passage of scripture from

1 John 2:28-3:10

The Children of God

28 And now, little children, abide in Him, 

that [a]when He appears, we may have confidence 

and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 

29 If you know that He is righteous, 

you know that everyone who practices righteousness 

is born of Him.

The Command to Love

3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,

 that we should be called children of [b]God! 

Therefore the world does not know [c]us, 

because it did not know Him. 

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; 

and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, 

but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, 

for we shall see Him as He is. 

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Sin and the Child of God

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, 

and sin is lawlessness. 

5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, 

and in Him there is no sin. 

6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. 

Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. 

He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 

8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. 

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, 

that He might destroy the works of the devil. 

9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, 

for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, 

because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love

10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: 

Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, 

nor is he who does not love his brother.

In Case Joy Should Falter...

Who has a claim against me that I must pay?

 Everything under heaven belongs to me.

Job 41:11

This poem was inspired after reading Job chapters 38 through 41

Stupendous! Wow!

and what can we do but echo Job's reply 

at the beginning of chapter 42

 (if ever we stoop to doubt)

 "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me to know."

“Have you ever given orders to the morning,
    or shown the dawn its place,

Job 38:12

Hope hoists it hymns on morning’s scrims as love its vow renews...

To place our prayers into the hands that laid earth’s cornerstone

To know He cares and sifts the sands that mete each steppingstone

To see each season’s treasure trove spill into hill and dale

Grants us reason enough to trust the love that cannot fail

To recognize that our eyes see but the fringe of He

Who paints the skies and cuts to size the proud waves of the sea

Who authors birth and tunes the earth’s orbit around the sun

Who puts his worth in human dearth through death’s curse fought and won

To lean on He whose majesty we cannot comprehend

Yet yearns to be to you and me an everlasting Friend

To touch His robe that fills the globe with glory none can dim

Instills earth’s road with Heaven’s goad as time draws us to Him

To have God’s Word, truth undeterred midst mortal fallacies

To guide and gird and keep souls stirred with hope through centuries

To know that He will always be at faith’s meek beck and call

Grants you and me security, whatever may befall

Hope hoists it hymns on morning’s scrims as love its vow renews

Where Mercy brims and nothing dims or thwarts the Giver’s views/dues

Where come what may no hand can sway what His will has decreed

Where when we pray, He leads the way, ah, what more do we need

© Janet Martin

Rejoice in the Lord always,

and again I say, rejoice

Phil.4:4

Who is our fount of joy?

Jesus, Only Jesus!

To Frame a Memory...

Today is perfect cup-o'-java-joy-bottomless-refill weather!

Part of the reason I spent this morning's hours outdoors 

was the promise of a rain-song afternoon!

I began painting another poem this morning, 

then got distracted by duty and beauty

While along came this poem to

 interrupt the previous one...

'composed' by the last 24 hours of life!

A peek onto a poet's 'colour-palette' 😊

If I could I would frame it;

that moment when she and I

stood spellbound by an egret

beneath autumn's brooding sky

That cozy fall contentment

with a coffee-pot between

That season of enchantment;

as bronze seeped through summer green

That solace of the woodland

and its shadow-dappled path

Its palace built with remnants

of butterfly aftermath

The orchard that not long ago

was wreathed in white and pink

Lanes decked in perfumed petal snow

Where now red apples wink

Dawn, as it drew ajar

windows of opportunity

Dusk, as it pinned a star

on pages of fresh history

September's cinnamon-kissed sweeps

we tasted with our eyes

The playful puppy as it leapt

through laughter's paradise

Saturday pitter-patter fueled

by rain-symphony 

Where ink and order dueled

(they will never quite agree)

My mother in her kerchief, warm

against fall's chill embrace

Love, evoking a perfect storm

*for joys so un-commonplace

Wonder, in all its rapture

never snared by brush or pen

I wish that I could capture it

to touch and taste again

...and then I smile, and then I say

Thank God for poetry

A poem is the perfect way

To frame a memory

Janet Martin

* a mother's kerchief-framed

most-beloved-of-all-faces

is anything but commonplace 

so I edited that sentence💖

Another un-commonplace joy today

is my parent's 58th wedding anniversary!

Joy-Quest #2

The Poet constantly finds him/herself torn between

the beauty of duty...

and the duty of beauty

Beauty preserved in poetry to relive and re-love !

Through showrooms diamond-dazzled crowned with boundless majesty

The way from here to There runs through Creation's gallery

Where work would often blind us if we didn't find a way

To pull the cart behind while finding joy in today

The earth is filled with glory spilling from the Artist's brush

We, all part of His story should not fret so much, or rush

Where people can perplex us and trouble will have its say

Still, let's not let it vex us but focus on joy today

The art of celebration does not need to wait until

Morrow's special occasions our cups of joy to fill

But rolling like a mist-kissed sea in generous re-lease

Dawn grants fresh opportunity to find joy's masterpiece

The more we try to teach the heart to make the most of Now

The more we cannot learn the art of keeping score, somehow

While being humbly grateful for bread, buttered on one side

We find a heaping plateful of Yet, waiting to be tried

Morning-glory unstoppered rolls through showrooms, diamond-glazed 

The way from here to There should leave us joyfully amazed

Where work could often blind us if beauty would not astound

As joy gently reminds us to just pause and look around 

Janet Martin~

Today's 'joy-ride' swept by 

and the poem I roughly drafted this morning...

...is now a vesper hymn

Dishes washed, 

tea waiting to be tasted

Of Un-Self-Discovery or Joy-Quest #1

Self-discovery can be a brutal awakening!

The journey of learning to truly love, 

a lifelong undertaking...

unlike the delight of a child on a swing💖

Instant and pure!

Little children, because they live in the moment

are unaware of what a gift it is to truly taste pure joy!

(the aim of the swing-game is to tickle the leaves with toes 

(she did it and her smile is one of pure joy!!)

Little children also soon start to show 

the self-centered nature of humans.

But because innocence has not yet

fallen prey to ulterior motive/selfish ambition

they are quick to love and be loved,

and move on to the next moment!

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.

 Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.

Philippians 2:3

Self when absorbed with self is blind

No heritage for humankind

When Self is spent, is left behind

For future benefit

Soul’s carriage, formed of skin and bone

When intent on itself alone

Worships idols of wood and stone

Atonement’s deficit

Self-joy relies on circumstance

The short-lived pleasure of the dance

Is a most pitiful romance

Devoid of love or skill

The drive to thrive in vain excess

Indulging self with yes, yes, yes

Will never lead to happiness

Self cannot self fulfill

How wanting are the riches of

The one who never learns to love

Where enough is never enough

To quench desire’s thirst

But, disillusioned bitterness

Will crown the summit of success

Epitome of emptiness

The life of self put first

For joy is not a purchased thing

No dancing puppet on a string

It is found in truly loving

God first, then fellowman

Then pray, this little life of mine

Will be a light to shine, shine, shine

As Self, engrafted to The Vine

Fulfills the Master's Plan

© Janet Martin

By ourselves we will always fall short of the mark

but by the grace of God and for His glory

even a cup of cold water 

given in his name is enough!

Hallelujah!

 

Joy Complete

So many potential titles for this poem;

So Much More Hope

Ultimate Relief

Prelude to the Prize

 Miracle-Pinnacle (Faith that makes us whole)

Complete In Him

Yesterday Victoria and I squealed with giddy delight,

our Almost-Autumn joy complete

in the culled, mulled colours 

and brisk breezes of September

This morning is no exception;

Apple-pear-cider crisp and tart

So much to love in the middle of life's muddle...

this morning's muddle in Canada includes back-to-school

meaning SO much emotion for first-time scholars and parents of those and,

first-time high-schooler, post-secondary education students etc.

So much out of our control means we need 

Someone to anchor us SO MUCH!

Col.2:8-10

Beware lest anyone [e]cheat you 

through philosophy and empty deceit, 

according to the tradition of men, 

according to the basic principles of the world, 

and not according to Christ. 

 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [f]bodily;

  and you are complete in Him, 

who is the head of all [g]principality and power.

So much to try our good intent

So much to lose and win

Desire and discouragement

Battle beneath our skin

So much to disappoint and tempt

So much to pick and choose

So much to do, where consequence

Soon keeps its promised dues

So much to vex the ardor of

The dreamer and the dream

So much to test the heart of love

Where idol-temples gleam

So much to taunt, where want runs rife

But boast cannot fulfill

So much to make the most of life

So much to steal its thrill

So much we touch then strew behind

So much hunger and thirst

So much for ties of death to bind

So much, both blessed and cursed

Where best and worst are woven through

Vestures of faith and fear

Where so much that we say and do

Can’t keep a conscience clear

So much to turn to prayerful trust

To repent and confess

So much more God, merciful, just

Father of forgiveness

So much more love where grace achieves

The convict’s full release

So much more hope as faith receives

So much more joy and peace

So much more hope; ah, this alone

Can make our joy complete

So much uncertain and unknown

Yet, so much comfort sweet

Where only genuine belief

Overcomes doubt and dread

Then we find ultimate relief

As we trust God instead

Complete in Him; ah, pray that we

Find this world's paradise

Complete in Him; ah, may this be

Our prelude to The Prize

Complete in Him; longing fulfilled

As much as possible

Complete in Him; fear's storm is stilled

By the Invisible 

© Janet Martin