Gift-Unwrapping Onus

Ps.78:4&6-7

We will not hide them from their children,

Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,

And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done....

...That the generation to come might know them,

The children who would be born,

That they may arise and declare them to their children,

7That they may set their hope in God,

And not forget the works of God,

But keep His commandments;...

Tug gently where dawn’s coral tulle

Gilt-edged, dissolves night’s crepuscule

Where mercy’s kind pledge is renewed

To author humble gratitude

Tread softly where a shadow-world

Beneath each sunrise is unfurled

Dawn’s wrapping paper falls away

Granting a gift, we call Today

Touch kindly its fugitive lease

Cherish it with love, joy and peace

Take time to pray-smile-sing, to sit

And worship the Giver of it

Tend wisely, what is given thee

And live as if today could be

The Gift that flings ajar The Door

Between time and Forevermore

© Janet Martin

However Great or Small...

Before the Yet of dusk is met with setting of the sun...

John 6:28-29

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

 

Before today's bitty ditty was done I had an invitation from Daughter to join them 

so we could do groceries together, then they stayed for lunch,

Grand-kiddos eager for more fresh-carrot crunch...

(see pic on yesterday's post)

 so morning poem is now afternoon Poem!

Before this gifted day will wend its way to nevermore

Before it slips into the crypt with fellow days of yore

May what we do be kind and true, however great or small

A humble offering to bring before the Lord of all

Before it is too late to recreate its memory

Or recognize its fleeting prize of opportunity

May we commit to do our bit, however great or small

With willing heart embrace our part to praise the Lord of all

Before the Yet of dusk is met with setting of the sun

Before the Past secures the latest cast of moments spun

May we employ life’s tasks with joy, however great or small

Remembering its offering is to the Lord of all

© Janet Martin

Emily and I preferred a little more than toasted bagels and fresh-carrot-crunch for lunch...

A fresh from the garden mixed greens salad with thinly sliced white onion and beets, 

feta cheese and toasted sesame seeds.

 YUMMY!!

Boon of New Today

Psalm 40:16

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee:

let such as love thy salvation say continually,

The LORD be magnified.

Above the boon of New Today

A slice of moon slip-slips away

Time’s primed pronouncements of decay

Presents us with love’s latest charge

Where so much worse and better waits

To rush dawn’s diamond-studded gates

…a big balloon that dusk deflates

but now is like a gleaming barge

...bearing us to new highs and lows

Where farewells, disguised as hellos

Untether high-fives and low-blows

Like loosed petals that glim and glance

And settle where the dust we stirred

Is cast in Past and echo-blurred

Swept up in a tide, undeterred

In the better and worse life grants

Where much enchants and much offends

Where kindness always makes amends

And life is short, so let’s be friends

Before the boon of new Today

Is swaddled beneath shadow-shawls

And lost, save in the fond footfalls

As thought retraces steps through halls

That showcase what has slipped away

© Janet Martin

Between Becoming and Became

It's been a whirlwind of special occasions and celebrations recently!

Convocation Ceremony

(proud parent-moment💗)

Congratulations, Victoria!

Below shot blurred for privacy sake; birthday celebrations

with two young men who used to be in my childcare💖

(photo courtesy of their mom/host)

Birthday Picnic with Grand-kiddos

to celebrate their mom's/our daughter's birthday

Missing all the fun is school-age brother!

He is counting the days to the end of June😂

Hello, new today! I sure wonder what wonders you will spill!

The earth is singing its heart out after a much needed rain!!

releasing/reviving petal-pleasure!

Gold melts away deep shadow-gray; today bursts into bloom...

Wow! a busy-dizzy morning has turned

what began as an early morning post into noon-post!!😅😘

Gold melts away deep shadow-gray; today bursts into bloom

A flower held while being felled; flickers of blush and blue

Soon to become part of a sum no finesse can exhume

As we collect what only retrospect has access to

…where how we love will always prove the measure of the heart

Where how we live will always give ‘reap what we sowed’ return

While what yet waits pushes at gates that only God can part

While we proceed where want and need will always feed and yearn

Hello, today! I hope, nay, pray as you slip out of reach

That, as you test our humble best with what yet waits to be

As Goodness grants a whole new chance to learn what you will teach

I pray that you will turn into a lovely memory

A flower felled while being held unravels rose and thorn

A rush of green tucked in between Becoming and Became

A twinkle in time’s eye, a sigh of summer-leaf soon borne

From overhead to gently wed with footfalls none can tame

© Janet Martin

1 Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, 

do it all to the glory of God.

Ephesians 5:20
always giving thanks to God the Father for everything

 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

pretty peony at my friend's house!

For Every (one-time gift) of Today

Rom.11:36

For of Him 

and through Him 

and to Him 

are all things, 

to whom be glory forever.

 Amen.

For every afternoon not yet framed in fond remembrance

For every day of June still like a pearl in welkin shells

For every wave not yet undone by shoreline’s supine stance

For every grave still waiting for what every breath soft-fells

For every sweet delight and bitter bite from life’s buffet

Not sampled yet; we rise to greet the surprise of Today

For every good and perfect gift from mercy’s treasured trove

For every echo not yet drifting in past’s pastel clime

For every memento first refined by faith, hope and love

For every moment-morsel not yet run through hands of time

From He who gives all that we take, from He who takes away

We trust His grace and thank Him for the blessing of today

For from and to and for Him are all things; to Him all praise

For every lesson not yet taught or learned by young or old

For every green of innocence still unseared by want’s ways

For every earnest shepherd of lambs, eternity-souled

For every hymn unraveled by the willow-limbs that sway

For every sacred beauty-onus-impact of today

For this we touch toes down once more on the tarmac of morn

For every hour still unwed to flickers, farewell-kissed

For every daisy still unchained, for ballads not yet born

For every flower-lyric , orange, yellow, amethyst

For thoughts, pure, honest, noble, true and lovely, Lord, we pray

That we would honor You with each one-time gift of today

© Janet Martin

Finally, brothers and sisters, 

whatever is true,

 whatever is noble, 

whatever is right, 

whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, 

whatever is admirable—

if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things. 

Phil.4:8

Collections of Today or (of Eternal Unreachable)

Today, the page on which every life-story is written!

A bevy of birds and blooms

cheers this time of year's incessant duty with beauty!!

Unreachable, the poses exhumed from Past’s picture-show

Untouchable, the roses that bloomed a summer ago

Unmovable, unchangeable, scenes of spent seasons splay

In an un-rearrangeable Collection of Today

Yesterday's lifeless embers cannot warm the outstretched hand

An empire of echoes is naught but a shadowland

So then, ere dusk erases what will never more return

Of today’s tender graces and of lessons yet to learn

...of names still warm with faces we can touch and cup and kiss

Before Framed Font/Want replaces Today’s Very Present ‘This’

Still very rife with reason at the mercy of Because

Before the soldered season of Collections of What Was

Let's live as if today was all we have, for so it is

Each hour rolling like a wave tolling Past's Genesis   

Composing the unchangeable, irretrievable play

Of eternal, unreachable Collections of Today

© Janet Martin

1 Tim.4 BSB

Godly Exhortation for Today...

Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith

 to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, 

2influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, 

whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

3They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods 

that God has created to be received with thanksgiving

 by those who believe and know the truth.

  4For every creation of God is good, 

and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, 

5because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

6By pointing out these things to the brothers, 

you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus,

 nourished by the words of faith 

and sound instruction that you have followed.

7But reject irreverent, silly myths.

 Instead, train yourself for godliness

. 8For physical exercise is of limited value, 

but godliness is valuable in every way, 

holding promise for the present life and for the one to come.

  9This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance.

10To this end we labor and strive,a 

because we have set our hope on the living God, 

who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe. 

11Command and teach these things.

12Let no one despise your youth, 

but set an example for the believers 

in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 

13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, 

to exhortation, and to teaching.

14Do not neglect the gift that is in you,

 which was given you through the prophecy spoken over you 

at the laying on of the hands of the elders. 

15Be diligent in these matters and absorbed in them, 

so that your progress will be evident to all. 

16Pay close attention to your life and to your teaching. 

Persevere in these things, 

for by so doing you will save both yourself 

and those who hear you.

Today Page

 

oh look! Breakfast visitors!

Our lives are like a book

Each day a page we fill

With choice and consequence. Ah, look

Where morning’s mercies spill

Not willing that we turn

To where we were before

Love splays beneath the ways we learn

A pristine page once more

Duty and beauty brim

Ah look; the earth is green

Spring hoists a hallelujah hymn

Where Barren World had been

How much God’s grace allots

To be so thankful for

His goodness overflows with what

Has never been before

…yet age to age proclaims

The faithfulness of He

Who lowers death’s verge to life’s frames

Hinged to eternity

Where the ink we employ

Is poured from virgin grails

God beckons us to sing for joy

For His kindness prevails

Oh pray, as we advance

In years, life’s lessons earn

More than a weathered countenance

But wisdom’s rich return

Run through with thankfulness

For each new Today Page

From God’s enduring faithfulness

From age to age to age

© Janet Martin

Psalm 95:1-7

Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;

let us shout to the Rock of our salvation!

2Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to Him in song.

3For the LORD is a great God,

a great King above all gods.

4In His hand are the depths of the earth,

and the mountain peaks belong to Him.

5The sea is His, for He made it,

and His hands formed the dry land.

6O come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

7For He is our God,

and we are the people of His pasture,

the sheep under His care.

Song-sparrows are singing their little birdie-hearts out

this morning, but I couldn't get a long clip

because of a steady stream of noisy traffic...

Make Today a Celebration

Inspired in part by King Solomon's Prayer of Dedication in 1 Kings 8:22-61

below, a small excerpt (click link above for full chapter)

1 Kings 8:56-61

“Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised.

 Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses. 

57 May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; 

may he never leave us nor forsake us. 

58 May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him 

and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors. 

59 And may these words of mine, which I have prayed before the Lord,

 be near to the Lord our God day and night, 

that he may uphold the cause of his servant 

and the cause of his people Israel according to each day’s need,

 60 so that all the peoples of the earth may know 

that the Lord is God and that there is no other. 

61 And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, 

to live by his decrees and obey his commands, as at this time.”

It was also inspired in part by Isa.26

simply entitled a Song of Praise

May today, for each of us be a reverent hymn of praise

to He who is the same God today as in the days of old

and will ever be!

Father, We Praise Thee

Make today a celebration

Pour from forms of mortal dust

Reverence and adoration

For God, holy, true and just

He, whose glory beyond telling

Transcends heaven's highest parts

Yet He comes and makes His dwelling

In temples of human hearts

Praise Him where ten thousand reasons

Barely skims His majesty

He who twirls time’s reel of seasons

Lowered twixt eternity

Praise Him for His mighty power

Staying judgment’s righteous wrath

Until the appointed hour

When not one will scorn nor laugh

Make today a dedication

Of Self, humbly sacrificed

For there is no condemnation

For all they/we who are in Christ

Who do not walk in ways worldly

But according to God’s word

Strive to be a servant, wholly

With devotion undeterred

Make today a celebration

Ringing with authentic praise

To the Author of creation

For the wonder of His ways

He, who rich in mercy hears us

As we cast on Him our cares

He whose love unfailing cheers us

Though life’s pilgrimage of prayers

He whose judgements will not falter

By Him everything was made

He who witnesses the altar

Where worship's off'ring is laid 

Raise unrivaled adoration

Let praise, like an ocean roll

In a hymn of celebration

To the Saviour of the Soul

© Janet Martin

To the only wise God our Saviour, 

be glory and majesty, 

dominion and power, 

both now and ever. 

Amen.

Jude 1:25

Grace-berth/Birth

Yesterday's sunrise

So often so little distance seems to lie between dawn and dusk, doesn't it?!!

Yesterday's sunset

Days seem to fly by! 

So does life!!

Just a blip between the dawn of birth and the dusk of death!

(two visitations this week for friend's parents were a vivid reminder!!)

...and not one of us can see how near that Dusk is!

It can fall in the twinkle of an eye to young or old alike!

Thus, often much of life's focus seems to be 

on making every effort to 'Make (fond) Memories'

which really are precious!

...like picking pussy willows 😊

Canning sausage

Spending time with (aging) more precious-than-ever parents...

Because there are 10 children in our family, for mom and dad's Christmas gift

this year, each child is given a month to extra-bless them

 (not counting December (Christmas) and September 

when we hope to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary all together)

March was our month. 

On Saturday we took them to my brother-in-law's sugar bush

 to watch modern-day maple-syrup making...

...and then we dropped by my mother-in-law's house where my sister-in-law served us supper;

 the best bean soup I ever tasted served with Vidalia onions, 

summer-sausage, fresh bread and cheese! A five-star meal!!)

...but, as dear as these memories are there is something

far more sacred in life to make, than memories...

We are called to 'make every effort' for something far more lasting!

2 Pet.1:3-10

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life 

through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 

4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, 

so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, 

having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; 

and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; 

and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 

7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

  8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure,

 they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive

 in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, 

forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10Therefore, my brothers and sisters

 a make every effort to confirm your calling and election.

 For if you do these things, you will never stumble,

  11and you will receive a rich welcome 

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

In light of this, Awareness beckons us behold today with 

more thankful, thoughtful, sacred soul-searching!

Behold the berth/birth where God’s grace is extended

Where Life runs rife with holy beck and call

Daylight dissolves heaven’s star-studded blanket

From mercy’s fount hope-forged stepping-stones fall

From He whose love cannot be comprehended

Today is bestowed by God, to one and all

Though want and woe’s what and wherefore may vary

Though no two roads of life are quite the same

No matter what composes cares we carry

Rest and redemption are found in One Name

For the deathless soul, none can burn or bury

Jesus, the Way, Truth and Life all may claim

Today is a common-ground charge, all must weather

Like a barge drawn over sky, sea and sod

Where soon the Harbour at Twilight will tether

Some to the slumber that morning will prod

Some through a gate that parts, light as feather

Over that last lowered gangway to God

Who can afford to be calloused and careless

When no one knows where time’s curtain will close

Pity the passenger, faithless and prayerless

Unready for what Last Breath will expose

Come, bid Today reawakens awareness

To behold berths/birth where God’s grace overflows

© Janet Martin

So off we go on a new Today!

How many remain,

 only the Giver knows!

The Terminal Temporal

Rom.3:23

For the wages of sin is death, 

but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Rom.6:1

What shall we say then? 

Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?

  2Certainly not! 

How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

A solemn tone to today's train of think-ink...

It is impossible to repent and continue living in sin!

As humans we all sin, yes, 

but that is not the same as living in sin.

 For every tree is known by its own fruit...

Luke 6:44

Jesus didn't die to save us so we could continue living in sin.

Jesus came to earth to die and rise again,

 to save us from our sins

Truth is not altered by our denial of its facts;

Truth IS!

Truth is its own Absolute! Hallelujah!

(That's what makes Him/it trustworthy)

Today's solemn splendor spilled 

in a temporary tracery of white!

Today in solemn splendor spills from He, worthy of all our praise

This is no flippant grant He wills to fulfill mortal’s numbered days

Sovereign God lends the lease that bends with choice wedded with consequence

The bedrock of His Truth transcends time’s brief exploits of Preference

As through The Temporal we pass like lightning in an hourglass

Today, in gracious grandeur gleams like a pendent of hope and grace

With faithful fervor Mercy streams from Holy God to human race

Battlegrounds of hunger and thirst weather war-cries of pride and lust

While the deathless soul is immersed in apparel of dust-to-dust

And Temporal we behold will soon melt like mist upon a hill

Today, in precious promise pours from a Presence that is not moved

Though, by and large the world ignores Him; this by bold disregard proved

Where His Word is not hidden in the heart so that we do not err

Where conscience is not stricken by sin that entered in unaware

While The Temporal lulls asleep those who no earnest vigil keep

Today, in kind compassion brims from He who, oft misunderstood

Abides, worthy of worship’s hymns for He is trustworthy and good

And never makes mistakes; He takes the broken pieces we release

And from repentance He reshapes dashed shards into a masterpiece

And tunes us to the Temporal, that, tick by tock unveils the Whole

Today in solemn splendor spills and refills smorgasbords with Choice

A free-for-all that soon reveals whether we heed that Still, Small Voice 

This is no flippant grant God wills to the Soul's temporary cape

It is a gift; a gift that drills us with temptation and Escape

Before the Temporal gives way to never-ending night or day 

© Janet Martin

2 Cor.4:18

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,

 since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

“But of that day and hour no one knows,

 not even the angels in heaven,

 nor the Son, but only the Father. 

 Take heed, watch and pray; 

for you do not know when the time is. 

 It is like a man going to a far country, 

who left his house and gave authority

 to his servants, and to each his work, 

and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 

 Watch therefore, for you do not know 

when the master of the house is coming—

in the evening, 

at midnight, 

at the crowing of the rooster, 

or in the morning— 

 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 

 And what I say to you, I say to all: 

Watch!”

Mark 13:32-37