God's Opportunity

Tip 'o the hat to cement truck drivers and cementers.

That is some seriously hard work!!

Some of my brothers and nephews are carpenters so they are a huge blessing

as we build a granny-flat onto my parent's home

for them to hopefully move into by the end of the year!

Lots of hard work is happening but I think cementing must be one of the hardest.

First, the hard work to install heavy cribbing,

then, after the hard work of cementing,

the hard work of tearing it away.

This week I learned what a rebar is and its purpose!

So many metaphors to apply to life;

how what seems like the 'hard work' is actually the preparation 

for the 'pouring' of the foundation!

How there is so much more to the foundation and footing than meets the eye!

Every day we are each God's opportunity 

to work through and in us with the abilities and gifts He has given!

Let's not miss them, because there is no other me or you to do

what he has deigned for each of us to do!

The rebars in our own life-foundations are not visible to others,

nor theirs to us, reminding us there is so much more 

than meets the eye in all of our 'temples'.

It's almost more than my dad (almost 85 and a former carpenter)

can do to simply watch...

What we see never grants enough

to justify disregarding what we cannot see!

(like spiritual rebars, or the lack of them)

God is faithful;

faithful when we are tempted

to fear

to doubt

to despair.

1 Cor.10:12-13

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; 

but God is faithful, 

who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, 

but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, 

that you may be able to [d]bear it.

We are God's opportunity;

Through people just like you and me

He ministers His faithfulness

So we may live to love and bless

...and though no person can fulfill

The part only His Spirit will

He helps us love the way we should

And through this love works all for good

We are God's workmanship; His grace

Equips us for all that we face

So we may daily shed abroad

The light, hope, joy and love of God

Janet Martin  

Call of Beauty

In answering love's call of 'duty'

we are given opportunity to

to turn it into a call of beauty!

Serving one another in love;

is there anything on earth more beautiful than this?!

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, 

I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, 

and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,

 and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,

 but have not love, I am nothing.

 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,

 and though I give my body [a]to be burned, 

but have not love, it profits me nothing.

 1 Cor.13:1-3

Jesus came, not to be served, but to serve

and give his life as a ransom for many! (Matt.20:28)

We have a perfect example of love from Him.

What a privilege, each new day

to heed life's call of Beauty!

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.

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give you: Love one another. 

As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 

35By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, 

if you love one another.”

Today's call of beauty will be spring cleaning with my sisters

at our mom and dad's house 💕🙏

I'm on for bringing the salad for lunch 😋

Each new day bears upon its pier of grace and love and light

Fresh opportunity to cheer each other on life's way

To be the hands and feet of He who taught us what is right

And bids the likes of you and me to trust Him and obey 

Each new day spreads a welkin wing of Refuge overhead

And ushers to love's suffering, God's kind mercy renewed

The riches of His promises will minister to dread

Arousing hymns of happiness in hearts of gratitude 

Each new day sweet and kindly grants Duty's/Beauty's replenished call

A shiny, like-a-new-bike-chance to try and try again

To serve God in all that we do, however great or small

To labour with love, meek and true and glad honour. Amen 

Each new day, like a trumpet hails; pray, how will we reply

To God, whose favor never fails as faith its need confides

Whose might equips us for the task; tis up to you and I 

To look to Him and humbly ask; He faithfully provides

Love's call of beauty sometimes appears common and mundane

Because it looks like duty lacking luster or appeal

But love turns duty's plain disguise to living's greatest gain

Transforming what would otherwise depend on how we feel 

Janet Martin

Seems we go from dusk to dawn in a wink....

One-of-a-kind-Beloved (Happy Family Day)

Every single day countless one-of-a-kind human beings depart from Time

while countless others are born into it!

God, our Creator knows and loves each and every

one-of-a-kind Beloved member of the Family of Humanity !

In Ontario  we are observing Family Day!

In most of our family circles there is a hole where a loved one used to be!

Let's not take any of the faces we can still look into, for granted!

Not one of us is promised tomorrow!

 We all are a 'one-of-a-kind'

No one can take the place

Of someone who has left behind

Only mem'ries to trace...

We miss her...our sister Lucy💗

(tomorrow marks 17 mos. of missing her )

We all are a 'one-of-a-kind'

No one can take the place

Of someone who has left behind

Only mem'ries to trace

We are God's precious works of art

 And no two quite the same

 A one-of-a-kind face and heart

No matter what our name

Thus, when one-of-a-kind eyes close

 The sound of their voice stills

It leaves a hole in hearts and homes

That no one else quite fills

Because we all, one-of-a-kind

Part of the human race

Effect a purpose God-designed

That no one can replace

Reminding us, to seek and find 

Reasons, while we yet may

To be our best one-of-a-kind

Family-member today

...because who-wherever we be 

One-of-a-kind, beloved

We are part of a Family

God-granted and approved 

...and no one knows how near or far

Final farewells may be

Let's live as if dawn flings ajar

Last opportunity 

 Janet Martin

My mother gave me a copy of this poem

I keep it on my fridge as a reminder

to treasure the memories...

 

 

With Every Beaming Break of Day

'I believe it is very important for people to appreciate each other'

 -my Dad's thoughtful reply

to my 'I appreciate you more the older I grow' 🙏💓

As break of a new day dazzles creation

 I am so thankful for the gift of fresh opportunity

to forget past failures and regrets and press on...

Pressing on toward the Goal...

Phil.3:12-14

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,

but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

14I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

Behold love, gold and silvered lined

Transcends the bars of yester-rue

With goodness and mercy, brand-new...

With every beaming break of day

For all that Bygone holds at bay

Of opportunity declined

Behold love, gold and silvered lined

Transcends the bars of yester-rue

With goodness and mercy, brand-new

With every gleaming gift of grace

In spite of what none can erase

God, rich in mercy meets us where

We all have darling, equal share

To take this day He made to fit

Faith’s freedom to be glad in it

With every teeming morning-tide

Rife with renewed mercies untried

To cheer the common ground, we trod

Of moments leading back to God

He overflows the part we see

With virgin opportunity

….to love Him and each other more

And to be truly thankful for

His favours, as He bids us trust

Goodness that baffles mortal dust

And kindly cheers us on our way

With every beaming break of day

With every beaming break of day

Oh, may we never cease to pray

For many sorrowing and sick

For courage, as we face the thick

Of unknowns waiting to unfold

Linings of gray, silver and gold 

Janet Martin

I am SO thankful I didn't know yesterday morning

that love would challenge me (in the form of a girl

who used to be in my childcare) to ple-e-e-eae hold her pet...RAT!!! 

'He's so cute and he doesn't scratch or bite' 😭

I was NOT as calm as the photos may seem to suggest!!! 

P.S. I agreed to do it only after they agreed to take a picture

as living proof that I did indeed

HOLD A RAT!!! 😆

Morning Hymn

Lyrics: 1. O, how lovely is the morning, when it is begun with God; Joy and thanks our hearts adorning, as behooves a child of God, Waking after night so fair in the Maker’s gentle care, Rising without grief or sorrow to a new and joyful morrow. 2. Let our eyes be raised to heaven where the sun is shining bright, And on hill and dale and meadow is dispensing life and light; But far more than sun in space beams the Saviour’s kindly face; Truth and kindness, peaceful nearness shine out in eternal clearness. 3. Even as the springtime flowers grow beneath the sun’s warm rays, So the Lord by His own powers makes us garlands for His praise; He invites most lovingly: Little children, come to Me! All should truly know Him ever, call Him Brother, Lord, and Saviour! 4. This day also He will guide us, in our work His help provide, And on wisdom’s ways He’ll lead us, standing ever by our side, That on this whole blessed day no mishap can come our way; And that under His rich blessing night will find us sweetly resting. 5. Through His grace made sweet and easy, we’ll His teachings understand, When he on the path of duty gently leads us by the hand. O, how blest the child that may in His grace begin the day, Whose desire and wish is wholly by His love to be made holy. ​ 6. Come then, Lord of life eternal, step into our midst, we pray; Help that we may not be merely hearers of Thy Word today. To our teacher, O, be near; bless the children gathered here; May we thrive in fullest measure, and Thy heart in us find pleasure!

A Masterpiece of Reverence (in the making)

 

Romans 12:11

Do not let your zeal subside;

keep your spiritual fervor,

serving the Lord.

Ephesians 6:7

Serve with good will,

as to the Lord and not to men,

1 Corinthians 10:31

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do,

do it all to the glory of God.

Psalm 100:2

Serve the LORD with gladness;

come into His presence with joyful songs.

1 Samuel 12:24

Above all, fear the LORD

and serve Him faithfully with all your heart;

consider what great things He has done for you.

💝💝💝

Dear poet-(whether-we-know-it-or-not!)

Here's to Fresh Fervour/Favour for Today's Poem-possibilities!

A little glimpse at yesterday's ballad 💗

Today, like a fresh page is laid beneath each poet’s pen
Where this new day the Lord has made glistens with grace again
For we, apt to forget the bent of breath, cut down to size
Composing, as Today is spent, a poem of replies
Intangible and permanent, moment-ink spills and dries

‘Oh God, have mercy on us all’ as lyrics rush reply
Blotting fresh pages as they fall, with love oft run awry
As mortal clashes with Sublime; with grace we cannot daunt
While give and take’s rhythm and rhyme, perplexes wishful want
We loot inkwells as old as Time, supplied with virgin font

‘Thy word is a lamp to our ‘pen’, a light unto our ‘page’
Thy Word is truth; foolproof, amen. Faithful from age to age
Then, with this day Thy goodness grants, may we, though sadly-flawed
Recognize Dried Ink's permanence; then seek to write, love-awed
A Masterpiece of Reverence to Thee, most gracious God

© Janet Martin

I Peter 3:8-12

Finally, all of you be of one mind,

having compassion for one another;

love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be [b]courteous;

9not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling,

but on the contrary blessing,

knowing that you were called to this,

 that you may inherit a blessing.

10For “He who would love life

And see good days,

Let him [c]refrain his tongue from evil,

And his lips from speaking deceit.

11Let him turn away from evil and do good;

Let him seek peace and pursue it.

12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,

And His ears are open to their prayers;

But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Wondrous Worldwide Window

'Each day we find ourselves asking the Lord what he has for that day. 

How can we serve and love those God puts in our path today...

'excerpt from a letter from a family on a mission field 

quite literally on the other side of the world! 

and a question we hopefully pray each morning 

before we face our own mission field on this side of the world!

This past week my heart burst with bittersweet bliss

in the company of many kiddos...

esp. a visit from a few who used to be in my childcare!

I love all of the children who spent time in my childcare a little like my own,

and in a way they will always be 'my other children'

and sometimes I deeply mourn needing to scale back

my childcare hours, then remember

'to everything there is a season'!

And every new season and day is laden with fresh opportunity

to honour and cherish each God-granted moment!

Behold, from shore to shore

A prize for all to claim

A catalyst of unplumbed score

For young and old the same

It opens to the world

The moment we awake

Vistas of Potential unfurled

In every breath we take

It gleams upon yon slope

With heaven-kindled sheen

It redeems that which staggered hope

Where flagging zeal had been

...and recharges the part

That yester-cares wore thin

It overflows the thorn-pricked heart

With roses once again  

 

It glistens with God's love

And mercy's fealty 

Morn's wondrous worldwide window of

Fresh Opportunity

Fresh Opportunity

What better can we ask

It cheers us in what waits to be

And fits us for its task

© Janet Martin

Hear, oh LORD, and

have mercy upon me.

LORD, be Thou my helper

Ps.30:10

Immortality in the Making

'Stop it!' I scolded myself, as I began again, 

to inwardly lament the haste of summer.

'Rather, focus on the vault where Time's timeless treasure accumulates

from the riches of Today's opportunities!!'

This is the day the Lord has made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it

Ps.118;24

Imagine if I/we truly, utterly lived/loved in light of the Giver/Maker each day!

As soon as something is given, it becomes a gift!

so then, each day is a gift;

a gift we shape into life's legacy!

How suddenly sacred today has become!

It's rainy.

A good day for errands and indoor chores!

The way we live/love in life will be the way we live/love in death

The character of you and me survives our final breath

The passion of pursuits when all is said and done, produce

The ration of the fruits that God will weigh without excuse

Lord, ere this day begins to drain into eternity

Remind us of what will remain beyond the part we see

How fleet the seat we fill on Time’s four-season-carousel

How surely each coveted thrill will fall prey to farewell

Like paintings in a gallery, love hangs its works of art

Like pieces of a legacy, like treasure of the heart

Lord, ere we wake beyond this world, impress on us today

The proof of love’s witness unfurled through whose law we obey

Where the heart is, there love’s collected treasure too will boast

(Either on earth or up above) of who we love the most

This is the day the Lord bestows, to live with gifted breath

That which transcends the curtain close, immortal then, in death

Lord, ere it is too late to live/love the way we wish we had

'This is the day that You have made to rejoice and be glad'

© Janet Martin

For where your treasure is, 

there your heart will be also.

Matt.6:21

While Opportunity Affords...

whether its a hug,

flowers,

a text,

a thank-you,

a smile,

we'll take it,

right, moms?

(and dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings, spouses, etc.)

any day of the week

any time of the year💝

and, while we have the opportunity

in like measure let's give to our moms

(and dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings, spouses, etc.)

what we appreciate receiving...

tokens of love

Happy 26th birthday, Matt

(with celebrations better late than never)

Waiting for Uncle Matt to say....

OKAY! Blow!!!

Happy Birthday to you

Little Big Boy is two!

(whenever Little Big Boy's  mommy asked what kind of birthday cake he would like

his reply was quick and to the point, 'Candy!!' 😅😂💖

In the past week we've celebrated a few birthdays 

and a few mothers...

Each celebration's joy over-shadowed with the awareness

of a grief-stricken family in our neighborhood

who recently lost 'mother' without warning

on their way home from a day spent together.

These things should serve as sacred reminders

to love while opportunity affords...

(yes, every 'howling' bit of it, some with laughter, some with tears 😅)

in tot's defense, he just got pulled from playing golf with a set he just received for his birthday

Here's to the beginning of a lifetime of 'looking for the ball!'

While opportunity affords occasion to love as we ought

To test the reasoning that lords over empires of want-prone thought

While we are able to partake of moments shaping What Has Been

While love allots hope and heartache and all its tender points between

While give-and-take are running rife

Let's make the most of love and life 

While celebrating motherhood and everyone that makes Her thus

While learning to love as we should amidst the humanness of 'us' 

While weathering (but by God's grace) the rise and fall of highs and lows

While ever-approaching the place we all will face; life's curtain-close

While have-and-hold unfolds its lease

Let's cherish every masterpiece 

While laughter spills lyrical thrills and we embrace the gift of 'touch' 

While we encounter clash of wills because human nature is such

While years estrange each brief What Is, while leaving so much still to teach  

While we shoulder imperfect bliss before it slips beyond our reach

Let's taste simple pleasures with love

While God refills Time's treasure-trove 

While mercy meets us where we are and grants fresh opportunity 

While we are never very far from fond farewells waiting to be

While growing older with each breath that draws closer dust-and-ash dues 

Let's live today's prelude to death as if love has no time to lose 

Before its sorrowing tears pour

Let's love now, like never before    

Let's evaluate moment-art

then take each gift of love to heart

Janet~

...and last but not least, our master chef!

Yesterday morning the service was opened with one of my favorite Psalms-16...

Preserve[a] me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,

“You are my Lord,

My goodness is nothing apart from You.”

3 As for the saints who are on the earth,

“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;

Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,

Nor take up their names on my lips.

5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You [b]maintain my lot.

6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;

My [c]heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the Lord always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;

My flesh also will [d]rest in hope.

10 For You will not leave my soul in [e]Sheol,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to [f]see corruption.

11 You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

For Today's Roses (still taking shape)

Some days life is a lovely maze of roses and butterflies.

And some days are more like thorn pricks and bee stings.

No matter what kind of day we are having,

only we are responsible for how we reply...

(Yes! This sunny stretch is turning my thoughts gardenward😀💖)

Wishing you a rose-giddy weekend!

Dawn unfolds like a butterfly alighting on earth’s supine pose

Once more courage and faith ally, to try the bud that holds the rose

Where, dust of trust pulses with dreams and wholesome opportunity

Where, though circumstance sets the scene, reply is up to you and me

Where we are always young enough to do the good we ought, to pray

To take and make the most of love before life’s flower falls away

And speak the kind and gentle word and live to give rather than get

And keep our focus undeterred, on Due Season not rendered yet

Then, not grow weary in the good we ought to do, ere reaping starts

And, when love is misunderstood, to answer with forgiving hearts

Then we will never lack for joy, but always find fresh ways to gape

At buds beginning to deploy today’s roses still taking shape

© Janet Martin

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.

Yesterday was pleasant on the southside deck...

Today temps have plummeted to more seasonal settings