Little Bits of Beauty

A little bit of tidy...:)  We enjoyed a few Valentine's treats before everyone rushed away...Emily dropped in and it was almost like old times!

 (Melissa was here too but she ducked out of every picture;) Matt experiments with 15 yr. old humor in the background!

Sometimes in less polished moments

I’ve wished for what I wanted instead of what I had

But God left those wishes unanswered

And in looking back, I am glad

We cherish more deeply life’s laughter

When we have polished its unpredictable air

With tears of love’s utter loyalty

Returning our thanks in a prayer

Because love is a two-tone commitment

To weather its storm; well, this we must do

Then every so often a moment

Looks exactly like we want it to

© Janet Martin

See you after the week-end!

Mr. If

   

Image Source

To all our American friends...hang in there and be careful!

We are good at making

Appointments and such

But ‘if’ stands somewhere

Between thought and touch

Sometimes we forget

As we plan what to do

We should make lots of room

For Mr. If too

Plan; yes, we must

But we should keep in mind

Mr. If is never

Very far behind

© Janet Martin

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:15   

Jim just called...he will be home by tomorrow morning IF all goes well. He had a SNOWY drive to New Jersey and more snow is coming...He said that the amount of snow he has seen is unbelievable!

Let's NOT Talk about Love;) in Love's Filigree

 ...because most of the time life is not a pretty, picture-perfect blog-post;)

Today I will not talk about love

But take its chance

To thank God for its gift

As I dance and dance

I’ll dance with a dish-cloth

A mop and a broom

Laugh through a two-step

In the laundry-room

Tea-towel tango

And wooden-spoon trot

Plan ‘what’s for dinner’

With chocolate on top

For love’s filigree

Boasting everything nice

Is danced in the trenches

Of every-day life

© Janet Martin

Above are some ‘before’ shots…'after’ shots to follow IF the day goes as planned;)

There are no ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots of love…love is an ever-present endeavor!

I was thinking about what I could do to make this day special for all and I realized that my kids don’t care what it is as long as it tastes like chocolate;) so the rest will be the things they only notice when it doesn’t get done…cooking, baking, laundry, cleaning.

Hubby and I are hoping for a short get-away this week-end.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Let's Talk About Love # 13 Love Came...

 

Love came to earth, a babe in the manger

Heaven’s perfection put on flesh and blood

In lowly birth and to His own a stranger

Love came to serve us; the Son of God

Love came to free us; despised and rejected

Forsaken by all in death’s hour of grief

His name is Jesus; Love came to save us

And offer salvation for our unbelief

Love spared no comfort; in blood-bought atonement

Perfect love came to become sin for us

Love never fails; prophecy’s fulfillment

Was laid in a manger and nailed to the cross

Love came to earth; and we hid our faces

Yet His perfect love over-came sin’s dark curse

By His stripes we are healed; as His love erases

The debt of our guilt; Love’s name is Jesus

© Janet Martin

Isa. 53

Let's Talk About Love # 12 Over-looked and Under-rated

 

The intimacy of being

Completely understood

Is far too often overlooked

And under-rated

Hold me darling,

Not in your arms

But in the gentle smile

Of understanding

The warmth of your gaze

Coupled with two words

‘I know’ are ecstasy unequaled

And contentment unrivaled

Then I am ready to hear

Those other words

I love you, I want you

I need you

Janet~

I'm looking for a certain poem and finding some I've long-forgotten...

Let's Talk About Love #11

Love is a dialogue

Not simply of lips

But of heart-whispered wishes

  And fingertips

We live our moments

With immutable choice

For the heart moves the hand

Thus, the hand is our voice

Can we teach the heart

The law of the head

Or are words mere distraction

To what really is said?

Come closer, my darling

I long to convey

Without word-diversion

What I need to say

© Janet Martin

After a discussion with my son on how the hand often speaks more loudly than the mouth because we are known by what we do and not only what we say, I decided to put a romantic twist on that train of thought;) 'tis the season!

Let's Talk About Love # 10 A 'heart' re-run

I cannot get         enough of you

The shape   of your words

Or your silence teases,

Pleases me, and oh my 

darling, while others fuss

over love’s inadequacies

I smile because

I just can’t get

enough

Of

Us 

 

 

Janet~

Let's Talk About Love # 9

 

There is no pride in love

No selfish vanity

To find its pure fulfillment

We must seek humility

There is no fear in love

And as it freely pours

It never empties but instead

Increases more and more

There is no guilt in love

But its vile tempter, lust

Will sully faultless purity

And rob the heart of trust

There is no greed in love

Nor self-sought indulgence

Yet Love succors our deepest need

In wondrous recompense

There is no loss in love

Its call, our greatest debt

The more we give to fellowman

The more and more we get

© Janet Martin