This God We Ought to Love

 More messages of God and Love here 
and here

This God we ought to love

Because He loved us first

Seems to be pushed way back in line

By other gods death-cursed

This God we seek to love

In ways hard to express

Knows our heart of heart and thus

Knows what we should confess

This God we yearn to love

But fumble in our reach

Forgives, His love is strong enough

To test and try and teach

This God is grace and love

And pleads on our behalf

Through Jesus Christ we can be saved

From death’s eternal wrath

This God is Love supreme

No other god can boast

A love so great that it saves souls;

Redemption’s uttermost

This God of gods is love

Though oft perceived unjust

He knows and calls each one by name

For He created us

For this great God of love

For all our shame and sin

Desires our love so we

May learn to love like Him

© Janet Martin

 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. John 1:3-5

Of Fullness

Don't you just love this season of 'first leaf'?! The trees are like giant umbrellas and the other day this branch BEGGED for a swing(after I bumped my head on it once too often) so we made a one-of-a-kind pillow-swing. The little guys I baby-sit are delighted as they fight for turns;))

The tree is full of leaf

The morning full of spring

The throat of bird is full of song

The hour full of wing

The sky is full of blue

The earth is full of June

Thought’s poetry is full of praise

For bud is full of bloom

The hand is full of touch

The soul is full of need

Our eyes are full of the offspring

Where thought is full of seed

The dream is full of child

And hope is full of prayer

The heart is full of gratitude

For God is everywhere

© Janet Martin

The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Psalms 24:1

Little guy I babysit: 'Janet, why did God make robbers?'

Janet, after thinking for a moment: 'God made people, and we choose to become...'

....a few minutes later,

Little guy: 'Janet, what do you call a polar bear in a jungle?'

Janet, after thinking a few moments; 'I have no idea'

Little guy, with a twinkle in his eye; 'lost'

...the child is full of questions and we are full of laughter:) and  grave responsibility as they weigh our responses.

Reminder of Who We Are

 This garden always begins with irises...

The hours like flowers unfold

…a garden of season-span

Where Time’s array of gray and gold

Silences little man

For boldest endeavors of thought

Gifted by One greater far

When placed beside a little bloom

Reminds us who we are

© Janet Martin

Wedding Wish ABC's

I just finished doing the butters for my niece's wedding on Saturday, while reminiscing about our own daughter's days just before the wedding last fall and thinking about what I would wish to a couple just beginning life together.
...to Josh and Brit we wish;

All the best of Amazement and ambition

Bliss and beauty and babies,

Commitment, Contentment, Compassion,

Dedication, devotion and delight,

Excitement and energy,

Fulfillment, friendship and faithfulness,

God’s blessing,

Honesty, happiness, humor and health

Inspiration and intimacy,

Joy,

Kindness,

Laughter, love and loyalty

Music, mirth, moment-miracles,

Niceties,

Opportunity and optimism

Passion, purpose, patience and prayer

Quiet-times

Rose-gardens and rain-bows,

Success, smiles and sunshine

Thankfulness and Togetherness

Understanding

Victory

Wonder, work and wisdom

X-treme enjoyment

Years and years of

Zealousness and zest

© from your Aunt Janet

Yesterday's Rhyme

(getting home-made cards is a beautiful memory we can open again and again!) its the best part of birthdays.

When sky–lines are swaddled in garments of dusk

And we have per-used hours wafting un-kissed

When into the archives of Past we entrust

This Thing formed of waiting and wondering mist

Lord, I pray if it may, oh, let it be

A beautiful, beautiful memory

When what is waiting becomes what once was

When live-learn-love claims this tittle in time

Then we can never unravel the gauze

Willing its twill into yesterday’s rhyme

But, please, dear Lord, oh, if it pleases thee

May it weave a beautiful memory

When what we hold of this ethereal thread

Falls through our fingers into nevermore

When future fills what is done and what is said

as After exposes what now is Before

Lord, I pray if it may, oh let it be

A beautiful, beautiful memory

© Janet Martin

So linger in love’s kiss,

And don’t just touch, feel

We hold for a moment

What new moments steal