Awakening to 'Living the 'Dream'

Today's poem was inspired by my niece who, yesterday, wrote on her Facebook post...

(after recovering from another round of sickness in their household)

'Walking around our property tonight, I took a moment

and realized in all the busyness & stress of home ownership & motherhood,

this is everything I've dreamed for' 💗

Thank-you J, for the reminder to treasure the moment and find the joy in it

no matter how hectic the 'happiness' spills!

'The dream' isn't only the picture-perfect moments but all of it together;

the lows make us more thankful for the highs.

This is the day the Lord has made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it!

Ps.118:24

Family milestone celebrations

are one of the happiest blessings on earth...

The other evening we celebrated Granddaughter's 6th birthday,

Which means it was her turn to receive her mommy-box/gramma box

'mommy' is the Pennsylvania-Dutch word for gramma.

(a short 'e' sound at the end rather than long)

In a mommy box 'treasures' are buried in popcorn...

Gum-lover's delight below 😂

the inside of the box is lined with little poems, pictures and bible verses

(I forgot to take a photo of the inside)

Awakening to 'Living the Dream'

To recognize that sorrow is the price we pay for joy

Loss is the proof of having had; everything comes, to pass

And grief and love are life’s most tenderly entwined alloy

Moment’s momentous momentum, sand in life’s hourglass

To recognize that highs and lows comprise ‘living the dream’

Without the brutal ‘bitter’ we would not cherish the ‘sweet’

Or taste the lilt of laughter with more reverent esteem

After the tears we shed when life and death solemnly meet

To recognize the priceless prize disguised as here-and-now

Intangible and fleet, the font that fills history’s mold

And then, with fervent thankfulness to make a humble vow

To do our part to make its art a pleasure/treasure to behold

To, recognize today is all we have, no more or less

To ‘live the dream’ by faith, not fate; to be constantly awed

By He whose loving kindness is the key to happiness

To recognize, through lows and highs, the faithfulness of God

© Janet Martin

I have decided to center my posts after all.

It's hard to teach an 'old dog' new tricks, plus

I have discovered some 'centered' poetry volumes 

in my poem book collection.

See HERE for back story on this 😆

To Think, Dear Day...

Today, the canvas of each and every lifetime!

Matt.6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will worry about itself. 

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

A stampede of Duty-dues assaulted my waking senses

threatening to thwart awareness to the whisper of mercy-renewed

and thus, reply of gratitude...

Yesterday I was visited by two little girls...

(dolls and outfits including shoes, handmade by local Talent)

oops, I mean four!! 😂

My granddaughter and my sister Lucy's granddaughter...

(where a few times I replied to the bittersweet title of Gram, um, Janet)

They giggled when I told them they made my dream come true...

a little home by the mountains and a lake!

Day...such a little word for all it unfurls

of troubles and triumphs and giggle of girls...

To think, I sometimes suppose you as common at first glance

Where opportunity is new, preceding consequence

Where the dictation of demands can consume praises owed

For it is not by human hands your favour is bestowed

To think I sometimes dare to state your mist as mine, somehow

And I am apt to underrate your mien of Here-and-Now

Where you are always caught between what was and waits to be

A sacred stage set with each scene that begets history

To think, sometimes the part I/eyes see can blind my finite gaze;

On the brink of eternity, the trail you blaze conveys

A fleeting caravan of fellowman from Here to Where

You yield your dust of Season-span to He who put it there

To think sometimes I rise without a rush of gratitude

For what none can surmise because of God’s mercy renewed

Where beauty you unfold is but a little foretaste of

The end of you, when we behold the Mystery of love

To think, I sometimes miss the wonder of your holy ground

Because the thunder of what is unfurls its sight and sound

To think, dear day, sometimes I suppose you as Duty’s toll

Rather than the highway hosting the carriage of the soul

© Janet Martin

a sacred stage set with each scene that begets history...

Roly-polies...leftover pie-pastry tradition! 

And today's devotion!

Only For Today...

 

Phil.4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always.

 I will say it again: Rejoice! 

5Let your gentleness be evident to all.

 The Lord is near.

 6Do not be anxious about anything, 

but in every situation,

 by prayer and petition, 

with thanksgiving, 

present your requests to God. 

7And the peace of God, 

which transcends all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and your minds

 in Christ Jesus.

A little doodle to begin a new week of looking up...

(Disclaimer: I have never pretended to be an accomplished artist 😅😂)

Not for tomorrow’s load of care

But only for today

I lift to Thee a simple prayer

To be my Strength and Stay

Not for tomorrow’s want and need

Do I pour out my heart

But only for today I plead

‘Lord, help me do my part’

Not for tomorrow’s battle-cry

Nor morrow’s misery

But only for today, supply

Mercy’s kind courtesy

Not for tomorrow’s come-what-may

Do I beseech Thy grace

Dear Lord, but only for today

Be sorrow’s resting place

Lord, list'ner of love's humble prayer

In Jesus’ name I pray

Fit me, not for tomorrow’s care

But only for today

And, should courage and confidence

Falter, Lord, help me hear

Your whisper, like a thousand winds  

'Fear not, for I am near'

© Janet Martin

A song for your wondering pleasure!

Who Am I?

Flawless Outpouring...

Heb.11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God,

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

What terrible misconceptions we believe,

what deadly mistakes we make

without faith...

'Wow', I commented the other day

'even in the thick of sorrow

other cares don't take a holiday!!'

Aren't you thankful God invites us to cast our care on Him

because He cares for us?!!

1 Pet.5:7

Humble yourselves, therefore,

 under God’s mighty hand,

 so that in due time He may exalt you.

 7Cast all your anxiety on Him,

 because He cares for you.

Ps.55:22

Cast your burden on the Lord,

And He shall sustain you;

He shall never permit the righteous to be [b]moved.

Even in the thick of sorrow

Creature care still finds its way

We are not made for tomorrow

God is faithful...for Today

Like a song flawlessly outpoured

The heavens declare, loud and clear

The glory of our loving Lord...

Not by goodness and grace devoid

God’s evidence shouts loud and clear

To keep Hope’s Creature overjoyed

Though Teacher vexes faith’s veneer

Where often sterling Wish is tried

Lest Want protects pride’s stumbling blocks

Lest Self is not humbly denied

Lest sight, not faith is how Boast walks/talks

…while longing’s nameless legions wage

A tug of war twixt fear and trust

And we are apt to prize the cage

Rather than Soul, veiled by frail dust

Not by God’s providence bereft

Nor by His Righteous Eye ignored

From the fissure in Mercy’s cleft

Today is flawlessly outpoured

Like the Lord’s love song undeterred

Hope soars once more, on eagle’s wings

No jot or tittle of God’s Word

Forgot; faith lifts Her voice and sings

For nothing is impossible

With God; then, what more do we need

Than worship, while the miracle

Matures, within faith’s mustard seed

Like a song flawlessly outpoured

The heavens declare, loud and clear

The glory of our loving Lord

Whose favour vexes faith's veneer 

Whose mercy, flawlessly outpoured

Fills frames with faithfulness renewed

God unfailingly keeps His Word

Then sing, with joyful gratitude 

© Janet Martin

Isa. 40:28-31

(read the whole glorious chapter HERE)

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary;

His understanding is beyond searching out.

29He gives power to the faint

and increases the strength of the weak.

30Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall.

31But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength;

they will mount up with wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not faint.

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

Unequivocal Eclipse

 Today's poem-a-day challenge from Robert Lee Brewer @ Writer's Digest

For today's prompt, write a major event poem.

A spectacular start to Eclipse Day...

Today bears an air of excited anticipation/expectation

for what has been dubbed a once in a lifetime celestial event!

A total solar eclipse!

Many have made much ado about this rare event!

Imagine if with similar excitement,  we anticipated and prepared for

Another Once in a 'lifetime' Celestial Event!

Rev.1:7

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, 

and every eye will see Him—

even those who pierced Him. 

And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. 

So shall it be! 

Amen.

(Today's poem can be read as one

or as five poem-lets)

To open my eyes to a front row seat

To goodness and mercy is no small fete

To want nothing dearer that God's Hand stayed

And to rejoice in this day He has made

To live in the moment before it is spent

Makes every Today a major event

***

To feast on the favors/flavors of hope and cheer

And savor the sparkle of Now and Here 

Before Today's Slice within reach becomes

A gaping impression of scattered crumbs

Ah, nothing and no one can capture time spent

Thus, every day is a major event 

***

The would-have and should have of yesterday lie

Like strewn husks beneath Today's beaming sky

Tomorrow's illusions may never unfold

Today's vault gleams with priceless moment-gold

Let's make the most of its measure soon spent

And treasure Today; a major event 

***

How lovely the laughter that dries the tear

How brief each leaf in the sheaf of a year

How hardly it seems daybreak spills hope's hues

Before darkly muffled by dusk's adieus  

How dearly then, before Today is spent

We should be tuned to its Major Event 

***

Each day is like a stepping stone; someday

God will reach down and brush them all away

Someday, each knee will bow, each tongue proclaim

That He is God; holy, holy, His Name 

Someday Unequivocal Evidence

Will eclipse all previous major events

Janet Martin

There's an old quote something like this;

For the believer, this world is as bad as it will get.

For the unbeliever, this world is as good as it will get!

What a (Glorious) Day That Will Be (for the Believer)

How hardly it seems daybreak spills hope's hues

Before darkly muffled by dusk's adieus  

Gift of Today...

It is futile to wish for 'lost' time.

But each Today is a fresh opportunity

to make the most of moments in reach!

It was such a delight to join my mom and sister

on a lunch date at the Sterre Café  where my sister works

to surprise her on her birthday!

Happy Birthday Lucy💓

The gift that tumbles from God’s grace to man’s embrace each morn

Settles so briefly within reach, before its lease is borne

Beyond our fingertips; the only remnant of its shroud

Is what we did with it while opportunity allowed

‘Each day passes but once’ but, each day grants mercy renewed

The best we can accomplish starts with hearts of gratitude

To He who is the Giver; then with holy, humble vim

To turn the gift He gives us into gifts of praise for Him

Today is the substance whereby a lifetime is composed

And no one knows how near we are to today’s last door closed

So, while we can let’s make the most of opportunities

To turn today into a gift of precious memories

Let's love each other well today before it is too late

A lifetime is too fleeting to desecrate it with hate

So let's live as if today was the final chance we had

To take this day the Lord has made to rejoice and be glad

© Janet Martin

Ps.118:24

This is the day the Lord has made;

 We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Ps.90:12

So teach us to number our days, 

That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Other interesting tidbits of today...

We are having roast beef dinner tonight.

My sister-in-law came home from the hospital today!

Mourning dove siesta...

 

Through the Means of Today

"That our sanctification did not depend upon changing

our works, but, in doing that for God's sake which we commonly do for our own.

That it was lamentable to see how many people mistook the means for the end,

addicting themselves to certain works which they performed

very imperfectly, by reason of their human or selfish regards...."

Above excerpt from The Practice of the Presence of God

by Brother Lawrence

We ought to pay close heed

To dawn’s gift on display

Because of where its moments lead

Through the means of Today...

Some folk I have outlived

And some will outlive me

Through the means of Today, a gift

God grants mortality

The tally of the sum

Of Today-shadows cast

Are like flickers that will become

My life, when life is passed

The breath that holds the soul

At bay, someday will cease

The means of getting to the goal

Will expire its lease

We ought to pay close heed

To dawn’s gift on display

Because of where its moments lead

Through the means of Today

The means is not the end

The ‘seen’ will soon be through

Let’s live as if Today could rend

The veil between the two

…where there is no release

To what none can outlive;

The end begins what cannot cease

And God alone can give

Oh, pray we bear in mind

Far more than dust of clay

In grave-strewn worlds soon left behind

Through the means of Today

© Janet Martin

Ps.107:8-9

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
 For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Sharing some morning robin and finch cheeriness!

(in between traffic noise!)

Building For Eternity-New Heights Quartet

The Great Redeemer

Of Tomorrow's What-We-Had (Today)

Happy Birthday, Leap Year 'babies'!!

The other morning dawn drew back night's shutters with a spectacular, balmy 'hello'...

...but there was something sort of ominous in its unseasonably warm temperatures 

and billowy thunderheads.

And small wonder! A thunder-hailstorm was brewing!!

Yesterday we woke to still-mild temps but by

the afternoon the mercury plummeted and frigid gales meant business!

And so, winter is back...

but not for long!

But whatever the weather, let's celebrate Today because

it will never be again!

Time offers no rerun

Today's burgeoning sphere

Of 'nothing new under the sun'

Is temporary, dear

 

Whatever today grants

Where dawn kicks up its heels

Is but a one-time song-and-dance 

That twilight always seals/steals 

Then rejoice and be glad

Whatever fills today

Will be tomorrow's 'what-we-had'

Before it slipped away

© Janet Martin

So far 'what -I-had' consists of sweet morning with grandsonny...

(it never gets old; bird-watching or watching tots watch birds😘)

...and lunch with daughter, providing the perfect excuse for a sumptuous salad!

I dubbed it Leap-Day Celebration Salad!

Leap Day Celebration Salad

3 cups oven-roasted or air-fried butternut squash cubes 

tossed with olive oil salt and pepper, and pinch of parsley flakes 

Rinse one cup quinoa

Strain in sieve.

Bring to boil in 2 cups water.

Reduce heat enough to keep it simmering.

Cook uncovered till water is gone

then turn off and cover for 5-7 min.

Fluff with fork.

Add a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper

a few cloves of fresh-pressed garlic.

cool quinoa and squash 

then place desired amounts on a bed of

your choice of greens.

Top with 1/2 pomegranate seeds,

(thinly sliced/diced apple or pear can be sub.)

1/3 cup feta cheese

1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

I small red onion finely chopped and 

mixed with 2 stalks celery finely chopped

Toss and serve with a dressing of

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. veg oil

2 tbsp. honey or maple syrup

11/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

(or 1 tsp. white vinegar and 1 balsamic)

bit of crushed dried parsley (optional)