Dear Mother of Tot...

Tots require endless hands on involvement. 

This can be really draining on mother-of-tot's energy, wisdom and patience-well!

  Mommy, hang in there!
It's extra-hard right now when you can't get together

 to empathize with a great source of strength and encouragement...other mothers!

Praying God grants you super-strength and patience hour by hour!

 (because I do childcare I get fresh 'reminders' of the tot-stage!

A seriously tiring and challenging stage for mom-of-tot!)

or 'dad of tot' just in case you're Mr. Mom😀 

Dear mother of tot,

Well we know it is not

A small call that you undertake

Where the battles you brave

Are with innocent babes

You love so much your heart could break

But dear little tot,

Though you like it or not

You must learn that no means no

And mother of tot,

Whether you like it or not,

You must teach them that it is so

Dear mother of tot,

What a large charge you’ve got

To train up a child in ‘the Way’

Where wee hearts and hands

With their endless demands

Sometimes drain you of words left to pray

For a ‘dear little tot’

Far too soon they are not

And the window of training will close

So, dear mother of tot

Give the best you have got

It is all you can do and God knows

Dear mother of tot

Do not, I repeat, do not

Keep a list of your fumbles and frowns

But let go at dusk’s door

What will be no more

We all learn through love’s ups and downs

…for dear, dear little tot

This mother you’ve got

Loves you more than the world times ten

And dear mother of tot

By the goodness of God

You will raise morrow’s women and men

© Janet Martin

(According to the passage below we 'older women' have
a pretty big role to play in the encouragement of our dear younger women!)

Titus 2:1-8

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Morning Prayer...

 Marching Orders...

Chin up

Heart strong

Eyes on The Reward

Remember,
The journey is not long
and

We serve

The risen Lord

Lord, help us recognize the prize before our very eyes

Before its ash is scattered where only frayed echoes rise

This day that you have made is like an opportunity

Above all else to turn it into worship unto Thee

Lord, purify the mind adept in Reason’s cunning art

Remind us of promises kept when fear alarms the heart

Waken us to Your poetry with wonder’s virgin awe

Keen us to the security of Your love’s perfect law

Crucify self-importance; Lord, teach us humility

No matter what we do it is enough when done for Thee 

So, though the shoes that we are called to fill seem small and plain

If we do what we do for You, we do nothing in vain

Lord, You abide with us no matter what; this truth assures

We do not need to fret because Heaven and earth is Yours

Then let this new day You have made most thoroughly instill

In us pure joy to know it is enough to trust Your will

Amen

© Janet Martin

Waken us to Your poetry...

Both Banner And Anchor

Circumstance,

such as what my husband's cousins family is faced with 

would crush without

The Greatest Love of all which grants

grace for the trial, strength from above

unfailing sympathy, undying love!

The dad of the young man that was killed
encourages the other young man involved
 to use this 'mistake' as a steppingstone, not a millstone'...

I know I shared this song pretty recently but it bears repeating!

A banner of pure gold unfurled above the stirring land

Enlarges over the whole world mercy’s First in Command

Where steadfast rise and fall of storms that mortal subject braves

Without God’s Greatest Love of All would drown us in its waves

The Light that lights the world is greater than dawn’s flaming flare

And though like rain our tears are pearled on petals curled with care

From fathoms without frame Love’s abiding promises roll

Hope rides upon dread's lethal main that fain would crush the soul

The power of His might no other force can apprehend

The hour’s unfazed appetite no man or beast can bend

The tie that binds its sum no frantic fingers can undo

Where what is gathered will become the dust of me and you

…then look where morning breaks through yonder bars of darksome deep

Our Greatest love never forsakes the charges in His keep

No matter what befalls where loosened tempests toss and seethe

The power of the cross installs Hope’s anchorage beneath

© Janet Martin

 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, 

a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

Hebrews 6:19

Worth Every While

Worth ev’ry change of plans; all we give up

Ev’ry heave-ho that drains youth’s favoured cup

Worth ev’ry second mile till we lose track

How many miles we have walked back to back

Worth ev’ry farewell-pang, worth ev’ry prayer

All we have given to prove that we care

Worth ev’ry sorrow no matter the cost

Worth ev’ry hour of sleep we have lost

Worth ev’ry while with nothing much to tell

Ev’ry perhaps that turns into ‘oh, well’

Worth ev’ry mistake, each grin, groan, grunt, oh

Worth every ache and painful letting go

Worth every kick-off, low-blow and high-five

Worth all the trouble it takes to survive

Worth all the wishes that never come true

Because of all the surprises that do

Worth all the lessons required to learn

It yields both bitter and sweeter return

Worth ev’ry flying-leap, face-plant, push-shove

This is the terrible worth of true love

© Janet Martin

Worth Every Tear

 Over and over we are reminded through loss

how much we ought to cherish what/who we have/love!

Two weeks ago a friend celebrated the birth of a grand-daughter 

and the sudden loss of her father...hours apart!

This past weekend my husband's cousin lost their eighteen year old son.

He was hit on his bicycle and killed instantly!
 (Please pray for this family as well as the other young man who hit him!!)

Joy turned to sorrow in the blink of an eye!

(for locals; the son of the owner of Whiffletree Farm and Nursery)

(these losses bear the added grief of absence of loved ones around them
because of Covid-19 restrictions!)

But something about love makes it worth every tear! 

So much joy to celebrate

Sorrow in disguise

Interweaves through love’s estate

Solemn compromise

Laughter’s sparkling melody

Spills its joyful score

Sorrow’s searing agony

Knocks outside the door

Joy, love’s gladsome buffer in

Certain recompense

Sorrow’s sacred suffering

Is love’s consequence

Love, ah who is brave enough

For grief’s rending shear

Ah, the tender joy of love

Is worth every tear

Sometimes fear could almost steal

Love's vulner'ble joy

But for love's succor to heal 

What naught can destroy

© Janet Martin