Sweet, Sweet, Wonderful Joy

Facebook is filled with people sharing whatever it is that brings joy, 

because there’s something about joy that just makes us want to share it! 

Whether sparked by babies, berries, flowers, birds,bonfires, completed projects,

 birthdays, ice-cream, shiny truck, meals, music, celebrations, scenery, sunrise or set; 

(these just a few of the joys shared in my feed recently) the list is endless. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that joy is just too wonder-full not to share!

Trusty flare of morning sun

Fades the stars, unveils the lea

From the fount where mercies run

Brims fresh Joy waiting to be

Feel the kiss that God bestows

Darling little girl and boy

Beauty gilds myriad woes

Sorrow overflows with joy

Pause to prize the petal-plume

Let wonder its thrill impart

Feel joy’s flower burst to bloom

In the garden of the heart

Taste the moment Mercy grants

Who knows what today may bring

Treasure Pleasure’s song and dance

That only pure joy can sing

Find amidst the thorn, the rose

Pause because who knows how soon

Joy’s paradox must compose

A most mournful, somber tune

Aha, herein lies the shift

From love’s flood of blood-sweat-tears

Comes the precious, priceless gift

Of joy, sweet, sweet joy, my dears

My, what happiness joy fires

By God's kind mercies renewed

Joy, His holy joy inspires

Humble, glorious gratitude

© Janet Martin

A glimpse of some personal joys

of the past few days...

Freshly painted bathroom courtesy of Victoria

Who is the Paint Lady at the local hardware store

and thought some painting experience might be nice...

She chose the colour and chose well.

So refreshing to go from a dark purply-taupe to soft hint of sage green...

peonies popped,

 Garden goodness granting endless salad-creation opportunities...

Garden goodness granting grandchildren wonderlands...

(and no, after all these years garden-dirt still does not taste like chocolate)

Flowers, flowers, flowers...

 lovely laundry day...

Helping hands...after I reassured him it's not scary

and I snagged fleeing Grandsonny to show him what fun he could have

helping to turn Stale Crust Collection into casserole toppers and meatloaf-filler etc...

(this was after a clean-up when Brother informed me that Sister poop-ed, pronounced poopette!

Doesn't that 'ette' add a bit of daintiness to a completely undainty task?!) 😂😁

Grandson is going through a stage where every word ending in -ed is an extra syllable😊

Oh, SO much joy in bein' Gramma!

(there was a time when the word Gramma filled me with apprehension

with its older-age connotation...no more! Gramma or not, time will do its thing!)

NOW, hopefully by the end of today I will be feeling the joy that comes

from a thoroughly cleaned house!

I love our large open windows but dust from tractor-traffic going by

has added an extra unwanted grit-coating to floor and furniture!

And a verse as timely as ever...

When anxiety was great within me,
    your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 94:19

Sinking Ships Without God's 'Quick'

The other day a friend gifted this book to me: (insert a happy jig😊)

...and though most of the layers of his poetry are over my middle-aged

housewife-head, every poem sparks Something...

Beneath our skin base villains vie for vict’ry’s seat of honor, oh

Loud, loud, around the throne they crowd, always eager to overthrow

The virtue of a gentle answer for retaliations, rash

They seek the chink in noble intent; tempt Opinion’s quick backlash

How much is veiled beneath facades; how cool a body can belie

Thought’s bloody battlefield not revealed to the study of the eye

Where jealousy and pride are poised to pounce upon the easy prey

Of Selfish Lust when by enticement Humble Trust is drawn away

The riots that ensue beneath quiet-embossed exterior

Are nothing to be scoffed at where pitiless pirates storm the core

Of barges that ferry a Charge more precious than Want’s gleaming dross

Where, if the Guard is lax, attacks will weaken to the point of loss

The cargo that feet carry beneath very common decoupage

If Mortal is not wary, is subject to scary sabotage

Desire’s treason needs no reason to defraud, trick and mislead

Where beneath skin Will cannot win without God’s ‘Quick’ to intercede

© Janet Martin

Heb.4:12 KJV

For the word of God is quick, and powerful,

 and sharper than any twoedged sword, 

piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, 

and of the joints and marrow, 

and is a discerner of the thoughts 

and intents of the heart.

 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, 

and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, 

but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 7:21-25

Pray Again and Again

Search me, O God, and know my heart: 

try me, and know my thoughts:

And see if there be any wicked way in me, 

and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139:23-24 

Do you ever feel like your prayer is a well-learned repetition

for strength, guidance and grace?!

For forgiveness, for meeker trust,
for healing for body and soul?

For courage, for true love for haters, 

for our leaders and followers,
for comfort for sorrow,

for firmer knowledge of the truth,

for kind keeping for our elderly and youth
for the lost to find The Way...

Praise Him! He welcomes our prayers,

He wants our prayers.
He hears our prayers

He cares! over and over and over.

Praise Him and pray To Him
again and again!!

No need to plead excuses; no need to apologize

God’s ear never refuses the humble heart’s sincere cries

No cause to be embarrassed by the appeals we repeat

He bids us to come boldly before heaven’s mercy-seat

No fear that He's too busy to be bothered by our cares

He seeks hearts of true worship to pour out hope’s earnest prayers

No reason to pause praises to He who loves us so dear

No need to book appointments; but just pray and He will hear

No need to question answers; whether yes or no or wait

The author of forgiveness does not reproach or berate

But loves mankind completely though He knows our heart of hearts

He bids us pray and meekly trust the answer He imparts

© Janet Martin

Shield Me From Pointing Fingers...With Flowers

Nourish me with lines;

With wine of ink-drops

Swirled

To scenes unseen

Save in a world

Tucked between

Two covers

When dark blue sequined depth

Enshrouds

And muffles the loud

Dust-clouds

Of jilted joy

And star-struck lovers 

Dawn yawns,

Shakes loose the fabric of new day,

Pink gauze spawns

A sea of gold and gray

Ripples;

Sets come-what-may

At large,

Where sails the barge

That bears the soul within;

Mortality and immortality

Juxtaposed

 Beneath skin

Shield me from pointing fingers

With flowers;

Bowers spilling

 Petal-plush flesh

Dripping fresh  

From God’s brush

In spite of hate

Bent on looting

Uprooting

And refuting

Unalterable fact

While all the while

Birds sing,

Flowers smile and

God’s love abides

Intact

© Janet Martin

Halfway Through June

How can it be we are half the way through

June’s paradise of green sheen and true blue

Home of copse cabins and willow-tree tents

Wild phlox meandering hither and thence

Halfway through heaven’s foothills flower-frilled

Rainbow of colour, splashed, sprinkled and spilled

Hold back the hour that snuffs out the bloom

Slow down the tempo that tatters the plume

Wait; bar the gate where day slips through too soon

Paving the runway to halfway through June

While the bard lassoes ink-intricacies

While pink the peony bobs in the breeze

How can it be half of June has been spent

Authoring longing’s most lovely lament

Gazing at garlands that God’s fingers stitched

Garden-enchanted and beauty-bewitched  

Lavished with lupines and ravished with rose

Spellbound by skylines where time ebbs and flows

Like a tide surging now near and now far

Heart-strings half fiddle and half steel guitar

Halfway through skies filled with daylight’s grand feast

Skimming night’s stars from blush bars in the east

Stealing our breath with its fair-weather show

Halfway through June but still halfway to go

© Janet Martin

...this guy hopped in front of me while I was on a bike ride tonight...
"I think if I stay really still she won't notice me"
is what he seemed to be thinking😊