This and That

Fire kindled in the grate

Is a lovely thing

But run wild it is like hate

Very damaging

Self-defense with word swift-flung

Oft feels justified

Better to bridle the tongue

Quick to protect pride

Though the foothold may seem sound

Where people applaud

Reasoning is shaky ground

When we sidestep God

Time enough is wearing thin

Sacred filigree

The slipcover of our skin

Veils eternity

Left-foot-right-foot odyssey

Stumble-fumble cursed

Winning is not always he/she

Who finishes first

Keep your focus on the plow

Not on furrowed wakes

All we ever have is Now

…what a life it makes

© Janet Martin

Psalm 37

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.

¹⁴ The wicked draw the sword
    and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
¹⁵ But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
    and their bows will be broken.

¹⁶ Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth of many wicked;
¹⁷ for the power of the wicked will be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

¹⁸ The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
    and their inheritance will endure forever.
¹⁹ In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

²⁰ But the wicked will perish:
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

²¹ The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;
²² those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses will be destroyed.

²³ The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

²⁵ I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
    or their children begging bread.
²⁶ They are always generous and lend freely;
    their children will be a blessing.^[b]

²⁷ Turn from evil and do good;
    then you will dwell in the land forever.
²⁸ For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed^[c];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.
²⁹ The righteous will inherit the land
    and dwell in it forever.

³⁰ The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
    and their tongues speak what is just.
³¹ The law of their God is in their hearts;
    their feet do not slip.

³² The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
    intent on putting them to death;
³³ but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

³⁴ Hope in the Lord
    and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
³⁶ but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.

³⁷ Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
    a future awaits those who seek peace.^[d]
38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
    there will be no future^[e] for the wicked.

³⁹ The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

Happy Birthday, Matt!

 Happy 22nd Birthday, Matt!

We are so blessed and thankful by the laughter and love you bring to our home!
Whether you're working, working out, laughing and sharing crazy youtube videos,

or discussing life's more serious side,
may God bless and lead you in the year ahead!

The mettle of a runner is not proven at the start

The middle-to-end of the race proves who we are at heart

The most important matter is not how the race began

But how we finish that confirms the measure of a man

Then choose to be strong in the Lord; the power of His might

No matter what may try and test, will fit you for the fight

Do not be wise in your own eyes (for we see but in part)

We walk by faith and not by sight; Trust God with all your heart

Young man, rejoice while you are young but keep one thing in mind

The greatest mark of success is to be honest and kind

For these will bring true happiness through living’s highs and lows

And leave a good example for Small Fellow who follows

Who knows what you must brave before you reach the other side

While fire pulses in your veins with many dreams untried

Remember this, while you are young and feeling fit and fine

The measure of a man is proven at the Finish Line

© Janet Martin

Ecclesiastes 11:9

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, 

and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. 

Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. 

But know that for all these things 

God will bring you into judgment.
 

Titus 2:6 NKJV

Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded,  

1 Cor.9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run,

 but only one gets the prize? 

Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Evaluating Point of View

When we recognize the Giver of all we are privy to

It affects our behavior and humbles our point of view

For all we have and hold to buoy us through highs and lows

Should make us meekly thankful for the blessings grace bestows

And never should we dare to raise a proud and haughty head

But ever be compelled to praise the Good Giver instead

And never dare to utter thoughts of complaint or ill will

But bear in mind mercies designed His purpose to fulfill

© Janet Martin

While We All Are Feeling Our Way...

He has told you, O man, what is good; 

and what does the LORD require of you 

but to do justice, and to love kindness, 

and to walk humbly with your God?
 Micah 6:8

I had hoped through all ‘This’ most of us would turn more loving 

but it seems its still the same; loving only on our terms 

and hating with a passion those who do not agree! 

And we cannot blame this on COVID-19, only on our hearts!

Seems some things never change; 

below an excerpt from a conversation between Robbie Burn's father and a neighbour

in Scotland in the 1700s

from the book The Wind That Shakes The Barley

Not one of us had been through anything like this before

Some call it COVID -19 while others have called it war

So while we all are feeling our way through the unknowns

Let’s make our greatest effort yet to love and not throw stones

This life we live is precious and a sacred, single leap

Not much we can take with us to that Great Immortal Sleep

So while we have each other, should we not strive to be kind

For though we take nothing with us, we leave so much behind

...and all the stones we hurl accomplish only hate, not love

No matter how uncertain times may be, we ought to prove

Not with loud lashing out about things we see but in part

But with sacred awareness for He who beholds the heart

The greatest of these, love, does not release us from its charge

When we are disappointed in life's circumstance At Large

But even greater then, the need that we stand strong and true

Revering life’s Creator with what we are called to do

Abhor that which is evil and cling to that which is good

And though we are appalled at evil's multiplying brood

Pray we do not confuse opinion with our Utmost Call

To love Him and each other; this, the Greatest Law of all

Advancement does not absolve our 'whole duty of man'
These modern days we live in too will end where Time began
And pray, what will we do when, face to face with God above

He opens up our book of life and finds we failed to love

© Janet Martin

 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: 

Fear God and keep His commandments, 

because this is the whole duty of man.

For God will bring every deed into judgment, 

along with every hidden thing, 

whether good or evil.

Eccles.12:13-14

 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart 
and with all your soul
 and with all your mind.’^[a]  
This is the first and greatest commandment.  
And the second is like it:
 ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[b]  
All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matt.22:36-40 

 We are all COVID-19-restriction weary, but come on,
let's not make it worse by hurling stones as we disagree on how things should be handled!
 Let's please use this as a time to love more, not hate more!
Things are hard enough without lack of love!