For Wonder-seekers

Not recovering quite as quickly from whatever I have

(not even worth the mention compared to people with really hard hardships,

but still enough to knock the wind from my sails this past week+)

has challenged me to treasure-hunt/wonder-seek! 

It also seems to be the time of year I have to dig/drill a little deeper

to find poem-oil/ink

This Feathered Friend, Red-bellied Wood-pecker, though very bashful

delights us on a daily basis right now!

Thank-you God for daily wonders...

we will find them if we seek!

Songs of joy are not depleted, sustained by the One who made

Beauty’s birthplace, undefeated by time’s four-seasoned parade

From founts faithfully replenished earth and heavens overflow

With His wonders undiminished in a world of want and woe

What a friend we have in He who does not weary of our prayers

Constant confidante for we who oft must suffer creature cares

He abides, steadfast and righteous, in spite of calamities

Oft His handiwork delights us, oft His promises appease

Earth and sky showcase creation’s masterpieces without pause

In the face of altercations Mercy does not cease its cause

But brings to the due of duties, nature’s gifts to thrill our gaze

Where each season brims with beauties to surprise us into praise

© Janet Martin

Psalm 65:8

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; 

where morning dawns, 

where evening fades, 

you call forth songs of joy.

Wonder-Full

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,

 so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

A glimpse at what has overflowed my cup of  hope (aka wonder and joy)

in the past few days...

Winner of the American Express Golf Tournament...

with his son who kept saying 'daddy, let's go see the ducks and geese' (swimming nearby)

completely oblivious to the interview/er about his daddy's shining hour💖

Guess which part of the pumpkin-raisin muffin tot preferred😂

These pics but surface skimmings!!

A few more below!

How does one choose a few from thousands?!!

(h-m-m, is that what God says as He chooses our mercies new each morning?!)

('how does one choose a few from trillions?')

The wonder of the Giver’s love is up to us to find

His promises bring happiness to heart and soul and mind

To we who seek, God’s goodness leaps to cheer the common-place

To sweeten life amidst the toil and strife of truth and grace

To wonder is faith’s sacred bliss; a diamond in the dirt

Of learning how to find the ‘wow’ in hope’s heartache and hurt

How to be awed by Holy God where His kind mercies brim

Our burden but the needful ‘what’ to keep us tuned to Him

The wonder of the Giver’s love bids us to be content

To marvel where the very air we breathe is Heaven-lent

To take the time to be sublimely surprised by the ‘small’

And to begin to barely skim the wonder of it all

The wonder of God is enough to combat wonder’s foe

Where sin would be an enemy we could not overthrow

But, by God’s grace He helps us trace the shadow of His pow’r

As to love’s grief He pins a leaf, bird-symphony, a flow’r

© Janet Martin

(this passage is entitled The God Given Task)

Eccles.3:9-14

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? 

10 I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. 

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. 

Also He has put eternity in their hearts, 

except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, 

13 and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—

it is the gift of God.

14 I know that whatever God does,

It shall be forever.

Nothing can be added to it,

And nothing taken from it.

God does it, that men should fear before Him.

and the conclusion is entitled:

The Whole Duty of Man

9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; 

yes, he pondered and sought out and set[c] in order many proverbs. 

10 The Preacher sought to find [d]acceptable words; 

and what was written was upright—words of truth. 

11 The words of the wise are like goads, 

and the words of [e]scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 

12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. 

Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.

13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,

For this is man’s all.

14 For God will bring every work into judgment,

Including every secret thing,

Whether good or evil.

From the book Susie, Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon

Want-list...

The changing views due to the changing hues of twilight helped me finish

this poem; one I doodled at here and there all day long...

The backdrop changed dramatically in a matter of 10-20 minutes!

I want to marvel every day at ways that never lose their wonder!

I want to marvel still where wonder’s thrill never grows old

To feel hope’s joy in dawn’s ahoy whether of gray or gold

To make the best of moments lest when life’s last drop is poured

I weep because for all that was, regret is my reward

From Mercy’s fount I want to count the goodness-es of God

And never taint with rude complaint and thanklessness, His laud

But recognize the precious prize each morning ushers in

Then, be renewed with gratitude for forgiveness of sin

I want to give this life I live love’s careful, prayerful thought

Not to lament with discontentment for what I have not

But to embrace each day of grace with holy diligence

And live without shadows of doubt to cloud love’s reverence

I want to work and not to shirk the duties of the day

But to behold God’s manifold beauties along life’s way

And know His love will grant enough to satisfy my soul

And not to fret and thus forget that He is in control

I want to sing and ever bring an offering of praise

To He who cups life’s downs and ups in Higher Thoughts and Ways

And thrill anew ‘neath heaven’s blue and rose-tinted ramparts

Constantly awed at the way God captures, enraptures hearts

I want to stand on twilight’s strand where shadows sprawl like piers

And feel toil’s rush yield to the hush as daylight disappears

And marvel still where wonder’s thrill never runs out of ways

To cheer, delight, enthrall, excite, inspire and amaze

© Janet Martin

Awesome Overtures or Moment-ous Ink

The gold of moments molds mementos we cannot hold in our hands

It composes strange concertos from the sum of settled sands

Eventide’s subtle rebuttal eases the brunt of day’s death

With skylines where pink-gold-purple teases eyes and steals our breath

The gold of moments molds mementos we cannot hold in our hands

It composes strange concertos from the sum/thrum of settled sands

Nothing in the world can alter the momentum of the clock

Soon the Flare of Now will falter on the wick of tick and tock

Look, the lane once fringed with daisies wears a chain of snowflake stars

What once drove desire crazy decks the halls of yester-bars

Let’s not take today for granted; let’s make it a work of art

For its echo soon is planted in the garden of the heart

The ink of ten thousand oceans sweeps shorelines of Bygone’s grave

While we wrangle into Poem the sun-sparkles on its wave

Lyrics of lament and laughter sealed in stanzas set to rhyme

Before soon pours into After; where After hoards ash of Time

Ever-afters last forever hinged to morning's virgin yawn

After and before are tethered to a weathered on-and-on

Where endings beget beginnings destined to augment Past's stash

As twilight collects its winnings; dust-to-dust and ash to ash  

Eventide’s subtle rebuttal eases the brunt of day’s death

With skylines where pink-gold-purple teases eyes and steals our breath

Thievery like this is common when wonder fulfills its charge

Where we bear witness to awesome overtures of God at large

© Janet Martin

From Rent Reservoirs

Beauty and duty distractions kept me from my keyboard this morning...

but not from worship!

Surely the hour is an altar awaiting our sacrifice of praise!

Not difficult on a morning like today!

(I linked to the word brigantine in the poem

because grand-sonny wondered why grandma was looking at boat pictures)😊

He arrived while I was working on the first stanza

which is why my morning poem became an afternoon poem

...with a message that is wonder-full any time of day or night!

Once again, like yesterday, the sunrise was like listening to an orchestra...

From mercy’s boundless reservoir new morning meets its mark

On daybreak’s brigantine once more passengers reembark

Who knows what waits where welkin gates are grandly flung ajar

Where, only when time’s tide abates will we have won faith’s war

Heavens unfold the glory of love’s kind mercy renewed

Where we behold but fringes of unfathomed magnitude

Praise He who cups earth’s marbled globe in absolute control

And as we touch the hemline of His robe, He makes us whole

The train of the king’s glory fills the temple of the earth

Then tell the old, old, story of the Saviour’s lowly birth

Of how he left Perfection mankind’s sin-debt to atone

How, with His resurrection death and hell were overthrown

…and how all who believe in Him receive the gift of grace

Eternal life; no sentence grim when death’s dark door we face

Then come what may, where mercy’s kind compassion is renewed

We face the day with peace of mind and humble gratitude

...for He who rends dark yonder with a glimpse of Majesty

Where hearts thunder with wonder at whispers of 'let there be'

As mercy breaks the bower of the bud with crimson rose

And from a reservoir of love, God's goodness overflows

© Janet Martin

After the sun rose it disappeared for a little while...

...only to reappear with a sky-wide smile!

Sorry for so many pics 

but trying to pick only a handful out of a couple hundred wow-some photos

is no small joy-task!

Psalms 50:2 - 

Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, 

God hath shined.

Wonder-World -Wealthy

Psalm 40:4-8

Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust,

And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

5Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works

Which You have done;

And Your thoughts toward us

Cannot be recounted to You in order;

If I would declare and speak of them,

They are more than can be numbered.

6Sacrifice and offering You did not desire;

My ears You have opened.

Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.

7Then I said, “Behold, I come;

In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

8I delight to do Your will, O my God,

And Your law is within my heart.”

How Great Thou Art-Chris Rice

 (because Awesome Wonder makes life wonder-full)

Wonder rewards its heritor with wealth a-hundred-fold

A well-spring without barriers to joyfully behold

It fills the world with pleasure to enrapture and confound

A vault of hidden treasure overflowing all around

Some wonder we behold with eyes and some with humbled heart

As we begin to recognize its vault of ageless art

Its wealth, not in showcases filled with ‘look but do not touch’

But spilled from friendly faces, wisdom’s fount, seasons and such

Wonder waits to be tasted at each turn, it seems to me

Thus, Time should not be wasted in indulgent vanity

But rather, with each breath exalt the Giver of today

Because at every turn Death also stalks its primal prey

Wonder is worship’s uttermost; nothing can take its place

It strips proprietors of boast in its selfless embrace

And lifts the drooping spirit as it fills us with surprise

And gifts us with the merit of love’s selfless paradise

As high as heavens pathless hills and deep as deepest sea

A world of still impending thrills, unfurled epiphany

A grand buffet that beckons, its fulfilling feast beguiles 

Where The Creator reckons mortal appetites, and smiles

Pride goes before the fall and strangles wonder that would be

It caters to a call of covetous idolatry

And leaves a sense of joy amiss, its bliss a bitter fraud

But Wonder’s perfect happiness reveals a glimpse of God

Wonder wakens awareness, not to pelf of miser’s lure

But to unrivaled rareness of wealth coin cannot procure

Wonder wears threads of duty but, like autumn’s orchard bent

It yields the fruit of beauty in a heart sweetly content

© Janet Martin

Fringe Benefits

Thought's 

grand landscapes

of desire

cannot compete with

The One

who sets

welkin worlds afire

with the

setting of the sun

Want's 

wildest imagination

Pales 

beneath the

 Breath of He

Who evokes

pure adoration

From fringes of

Majesty

Janet Martin

Psalm 19

I was going to share only the familiar first verse

but couldn't stop reading...Hallelujah!!

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

2Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they reveal knowledge.

3They have no speech, they use no words;

no sound is heard from them.

4Yet their voice ^b goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

5It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

6It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes its circuit to the other;

nothing is deprived of its warmth.

7The law of the Lord is perfect,

refreshing the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

9The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring forever.

The decrees of the Lord are firm,

and all of them are righteous.

10They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the honeycomb.

11By them your servant is warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

12But who can discern their own errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

13Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then I will be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

14May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Firsthand Evidence...

 How beautiful to stand beneath a brand-new break of day...

How glorious to gaze anew at what never grows old

And feel God run his fingers through Time’s transitional fold

Of gold and blush and silver-blue...

How stunning to straddle the fence facing earth’s eastward edge...

To see firsthand the evidence of Mercy’s renewed pledge...

How beautiful to stand beneath a brand-new break of day

And sense above the rolling heath unfolding, silver-gray

The goodness of a Father as heaven’s fathoms proclaim

But glimpses of the grandeur, synonymous with His name

How glorious to gaze anew at what never grows old

And feel God run his fingers through Time’s transitional fold

Of gold and blush and silver-blue, His brush-strokes steal our breath

And waken our senses to feet perched on brinks of death

How stunning to straddle the fence facing earth’s eastward edge

To see firsthand the evidence of Mercy’s renewed pledge

To soak in ink of molten pink from founts vaulted in space

As He kind-beckons us to drink His signature of grace

© Janet Martin

Isa.12:4-5

“Praise the Lord, call upon His name;
Declare His deeds among the peoples,
Make mention that His name is exalted.
 Sing to the Lord,
For He has done excellent things;
This is known in all the earth.