Of Live-and-Learning's Page/Wage...

 I snapped this quickie-photo as I was heading out this morning...

...when I returned home the day was done!

Today was the funeral of the man from our church family
who passed away unexpectedly and I mentioned here on Monday.

 We all live in a world where none of us knows what a day, much less an hour holds!

This should surely cause us to touch down on dawn's blank page

many expressions of kindness and sympathy!

I began this poem this morning but was unable to finish it before I needed to leave...

Day dawns and splays beneath our touch the likeness of an empty page

And who knows what will spill from mortal quill where mercy sets the stage

But He who authorizes and bestows the breath and breadth of It

Grants confidence and courage as we pause and talk to Him a bit

How heartily an hour can devour seasons blink by blink

And where the page was bare it wears invisible, permanent ink

But while we earn the stars and scars of live-and-learning’s hard-fought wage

God never grants a second chance on anything but a fresh page

Now what we, once upon our youth thought we could outrun or outsmart

Pays homage to the age-old truth that mellows our mind and heart

And fills us with meek gratitude, and attitudes of sympathy

For we, kinda like family, all face what only God can see

Day dawns and splays beneath our touch what live-laugh-love will soon estrange

The platform for our such-and-such is subject to plan’s sudden change

Where we could all be terrified by What If’s wild-flung avenue

Without God’s promise verified; ‘My peace I leave and give to You’

© Janet Martin

 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

Making the Most of Opportunity

I take a lot of good-natured ribbing when it comes to poetry,(which is fair)
 teased, depending on what is happening that likely I'm coming up with a poem...
I wish it was that easy😊😉 

...but on the other hand, everything I do is poem-fodder, perhaps, Lord willing!

Last night was my turn to bring a meal to alpha and someone teased me that maybe this will be the topic for the next poem...in a way it is, but not because of the food, but rather the people who came out to eat before doing the next lesson in alpha on their journey to Bethlehem/discovering Jesus!

What is Alpha? below is the introductory video to the course...

 

What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? 

 To whom will you run for help? 

Where will you leave your riches?

Isa.10:3

The love of God is beckoning; oh loved one, do you hear

Because the day of reckoning is drawing ever near

Where we will meet the One whose hands are Calvary engraved

Who came not to condemn the world but that we may be saved

The Hope of God is imploring; oh, hopeless sinner, heed

For the cost of ignoring Him is terrible indeed

Ah, who can bear to meet Him, middle-step and unprepared

Too late to seek redemption when the soul from flesh is bared

The grace of God is pleading still, lest graceless death is Chief

Come, only Jesus can fulfill the Bulwark of Belief

Then haste, the way the shepherds did when angels hailed Christ's birth

To taste firsthand the wonder of Heaven come down to earth

The mercy of God moans and groans where moments hide His face

The One whose blood atones extends time’s steppingstones of grace

Until the breadth of moments yields unto eternity

The love-hope-grace-mercy of God grants opportunity

© Janet Martin

If you are interested in taking the alpha course google it to find one near you.
If you would like details on the one offered at WBC please contact me or WBC.

Anyone, everyone welcome!

Joy-fix

I started writing this poem yesterday morning when dawn burst into bloom like a coral flower!

This morning's 'flower' is wet and gray😀 

...but then Victoria and I decided it might be the last Monday of the season 

to get in a nice fall-colour hike, so off we went!

When we got back since it was election day in Canada we went to vote,

before Grand-sonny arrived to 'help' Grandma with some outdoor fall chores...

...by the time these were finished it was almost dark.

When I returned to the poem this morning I was thinking about how thankful I am that we can 

fix our hope and joy on more than election outcomes!

(we will continue to pray for our leaders in government...
and do our best to be up-building citizens!)

Beauty breaks yon bower

Black of night unfolds

Morning is a flower

Bursting ancient molds

As waking elation

Glimpses He who grants

A kind invitation

To The Cosmic Dance

…where we, when forgiven

Through Jesus, God’s Son

Will inherit Heaven

After earth is done

By no self-wrought merit

Salvation, a gift

Father, Son and Spirit

Bridge damnation’s rift

Beauty breaks yon bower

Grace ignites hope’s flare

None can thwart the power

Of penitent prayer

While the seasons sally

One above Time’s toll

Stays the Divine Rally

Twixt Godhead and soul

…where we with kind courage

Trek this fleck of sod

Not in feckless forage

But with trust in God

For our joy is Jesus

Through Him we proceed

Where Perfect Love bids us

To follow His lead

© Janet Martin

our call to endurance is found in Hebrews 2:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.…

Creation's Example

Tis the season when believers and atheists alike

 agree that creation/nature in autumn is a beautiful thing! 

Inspired in part by Autumn and Psalms 104

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Lord my God, you are very great;
    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

Psalm 104:1

The world may try to ban His Name with bold and calloused ignorance

And they may plan with foolish fame to put their faith in luck and chance

And they may claim with shameless scorn that Holy God does not exist

While poised upon the brink of morn all grace and mist and mercy-kissed

...and all around creation spills God’s autograph in ridge and rills

And all around creation hails God’s artistry in woods and vales

And all around creation cries God’s name in sod and sea and skies

And all around creations rings with praise fit for the King of kings

The world may boast and raise a toast to lesser gods of rust and dust

And they may dare to scoff at prayer and make a mockery of trust

And they, of darkened understanding may think death is but a grave

Pitiful and uncomprehending of the love mighty to save

While all around creation shouts God’s majesty while the fool doubts

And all around creation heeds God’s providence in buds and seeds

And all around creation yields God’s goodness from orchards and fields

And all around creation brims with God’s Eden-anointed hymns

The world may try with every lie to prove the nothingness of God

The bird, the bee, the butterfly might get a scientific nod

And with great faith they embrace ‘likely theories’ grandly unfurled

Insistent that in the beginning God did not create the world

While all around creation beams God’s glory in fountains and streams

And all around creation plays God’s music in ten-thousand ways

And all around creation fills God’s framework with valleys and hills

And all around creation frees God’s wink in mountains, flowers, trees

The world may make a lot of noise while trying to disprove I AM

Pity the one made in His image who insists God is a sham

Pray they may find the Way the Truth the Life before it is too late

Before they plead for rocks and mountains to save them from Hades fate

© Janet Martin