Five Senses Smorgasbord or Autumn Accolades

These days earth's Smorgasbord groans with Autumn's abundancy

appealing to all the senses but especially taste and see...

Season where halos overhead...

float leaf by leaf...

to lawn and street...

And so, we muster up excuses fine reason to put indoor chores on pause...

Because we know how soon this season drifts away like milkweed gauze...

Season where halos overhead float leaf by leaf to lawn and street

Where hazy, lazy days turn red and gold and crisp and apple-sweet

Where woodland beauty turns our heads and steals the autumn-lover’s heart

Where nature’s loom weaves lustrous threads that only God’s touch can impart

Season of flower-frond farewells as petal bells, frost-kissed, are stilled

Of fields where harvest homage swells as bins and barns and jars are filled

Of oh, so silent aftermath as hymn of limb and field are doffed

Of foot-fall vacant garden path, save for the frames where echoes waft

Season of epicurean thrills, seasoned with cinnamon and cloves

Where nature is a fount that spills to nutmeg-ginger-tinted groves

That dwindles fall’s pigment from heights like a slow-ebbing color-sea

And rekindles our appetites for books and cozy nooks and tea

Season of comfy sweaters tugged from shelves and boxes long forgot

Where we feel warm and wooly hugged and dance a jig right on the spot

Where thanksgiving is not about the meal of turkey, dressing, pie

But daily living out life’s zeal of gratefulness in rife reply

Season of lingering outdoors because we sense the numbered days

Before the chill of winter roars through corridors where sumacs blaze

And so, we muster up excuses fine reason to put indoor chores on pause

Because we know how soon this season drifts away like milkweed gauze

Season of acorn, butternut squash, pumpkin popularity

Of hearty chowders, succotash, of simmer-steep-knead gaiety

While the wind whinnies like a horse tossing the tress of tree and reed

While nature takes its steady course of bud to bloom to scattered seed

Season where longing mingles with gentle contentment, bittersweet

Where tingle of excitement and lament for what is spent compete

Season of simple wishes like savouring autumn’s melody

And delighting in the delicious smorgasbord of Taste and See

© Janet Martin

And rekindles our appetites for books and cozy nooks...

... and tea

From Green Leaf to Silver Sheaf

This life we live is lent

Green leaf to silver sage

A perpetual annulment 

Of scenes, once center stage

Four-season circuits gleam

Where dream and wanderlust

Soon clash with the more brash Regime

Of ash and mist and dust

Where, from green leaf to sheaves

With measure, always lent

Tumbles the filigree that weaves

The way a life is spent

…aware or unaware

From Whence lent moments brim

Yet all weaving the Thoroughfare

That draws us back to Him

© Janet Martin

It feels like we went from spring....

to summer...

to fall...

...in next to time at all!

Earthen Treasure Chests

 Christ, Our Hope in Life and Death

Therefore we do not lose heart.

Even though our outward man is perishing,

yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

18 while we do not look at the things which are seen,

but at the things which are not seen.

For the things which are seen are temporary,

but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Cor.4:16-18

I think I shared this scripture verse a week ago,

but it is in today's Daily Bread Devotion

as well as much needed encouragement

where suffering does not seem to take a break in this broken world.

But, for we who have placed our faith in Jesus

we do not lose heart!

This afternoon I will go to the visitation

for one of the young moms I did childcare for briefly

before she started working from home because of Covid-19,

before being diagnosed with cancer in the spring.

Our hearts are broken for this young family!

Will you hold them (Dana's family) in your prayers??

While the outward man wastes away

As seasons take their toll

Still, we are renewed day by day

In fathoms of the soul

And, though we cannot keep at bay

The hardships we must bear

Within these vessels made of clay

God puts His Treasure there

So that the excellence we boast

Is not of us, but He

Who gave for man, love’s uttermost

To set cursed sinners free

Then though the outward wastes away

Beneath affliction’s rod

Within these vessels made of clay

Shines the treasure of God

© Janet Martin

2 Cor.4:7

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, 

that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

A Morning/Today Mantra

Sometimes it easy to drag yesterday's baggage into New-day/Today!

Sometimes it hard to cast all our care upon Him, 

for He cares for you/us...1 Peter 5:7

and leave them there!

And proceed with renewed ambition in what... 

He has shown you/us, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you/us?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your/our God.

Micah 6:8

Dawn’s door, once more has swung ajar

Eyes turn toward the east

Where mercy spreads on welkin bar

A lavish beauty-feast

And bids the sojourner of care

To trust the Artist of the air

Soon pink ink pales, gold fringes fade

Blue heavens crown the world

As this new day the Lord has made

Is furthermore unfurled

Where His hand cups each stepping stone

Poised on the crux of The Unknown

Then, pray we cast our cares on He

Who cares for one and all

May we with renewed fervency

Proceed and heed His call

To act justly with loving laud

And to walk humbly with our God

© Janet Martin

Well, it's off to the races graces once more!

Last night's finish-line, 

midst much background action-attraction-distraction-music...

...boasted fresh applesauce, finally!

On my need-to-do list all week!

Welcome October

 

Welcome October

Flower-fleet

Autumn lover’s

Joy complete

Shadow of

Where summer was

Kindles earth’s

Candelabras

Welcome October

Bliss unfurled

In an Autumn

Wonder-world

Amber, merlot

Scarlet, brown

Tint the glints

In nature’s crown

Welcome October

Pumpkin Pies

Apple Orchard

Paradise

Woodlands flare

While we applaud

Everybody

Worships God

Welcome October

Harvest hymn

Cellars, silos

And hearts brim

With a melody

Of praise

For red, gold

October days

© Janet Martin

Conditional Blessing

Heb.11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

There are definitely some 'conditions' when it comes to

reaping a harvest of joy...

Love is no sit-back-and-enjoy-the-benefits sport,,

but rather a life of diligent, servant-heart obedience

not to gain/keep our salvation but to say/prove

I love you, Lord!

If we desire God to bless

Our lives with joy’s true happiness

We have a vital part to play

In His reply; we must obey

If we long for His peace to fill

Our hearts though storms and struggles spill

It will, for He is kind and just

His peace will prevail, if we trust

If we want to find we must seek

And learn to turn the other cheek

Not answer blow with counter-blow

But in humility, bow low

If we want to reap joy so sweet

Then Self must first take a back seat

Before faith’s field can yield non-stop

Fruits-of-the-Spirit bumper-crop

His love does not indulge our greed

But will supply our every need

He will not leave us comfortless

If we believe His promises

So, if we ask for God to bless

Our lives with joy and happiness

We have a vital part to play

In His reply; if we obey

© Janet Martin

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, having been justified by faith,

  [a]we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

  2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, 

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

  3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, 

knowing that tribulation produces [b]perseverance;

  4and perseverance, [c]character; and character, hope.

  5Now hope does not disappoint, 

because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts 

by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1 John 2:3

By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him:

 if we keep His commandments.

Trust and Obey-Don Moen

Obey God and Leave the Consequences to Him - Charles Stanley

Shadow Art...

 

The shadows caught my attention

while I was cooking supper, but

its hard to capture their impact from the front porch!

However, I hope you can sense the halcyon aura! 

The art of shadows cast upon a canvas of day nearly done

Captures our gaze where dusk’s tableau seems just like days from long ago

And we feel like an honoured guest in front row seats all facing west

While to the east the shadows lie like blue-paint steeples run awry

Upon a canvas where the day that casts the shadows fades away

© Janet Martin

By the time supper was over and dishes done

the shadows were gone...

Transformation Process Blessing

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Romans 12:2

'Although this transformation process is ongoing,

often has more stops and starts than a train ride,

the process helps us understand what God wants for our lives.'

Excerpt from today's Daily Bead Devotion; Joyful Learning

The above excerpt made me kinda laugh and cry inwardly, a bit

cause it sure is a jolting stop-and-go journey isn't it?!!

With lots of  ups-a-daisies after stumbles/falls

 to accomplish the transformation, but...

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering,

for He who promised is faithful.

Heb.10:23

So to/through the God who cracks the morning sun like a fresh egg...

..into a sky-wide frying pan,

to/through He who knows us inside and out,

and loves us all the more because of it

on we go...

Dear Lord,

With love learned patiently

With grace and gratitude

With kindness and humility

May our minds be renewed

With diligence and joy

With peace and faithfulness

With hope, for nothing can destroy

Your Truth and promises

Through You, Creator of

The heavens and the earth

Through you, who taught us how to love

And offers us rebirth

…as we are washed within

By the blood of Your Son

Then You, if we confess our sin

Forgives them, every one

Through You, faithful and just

With joyful gratitude

As You turn doubt and fear to trust

May our minds be renewed

Amen

© Janet Martin

Most of us bear

some sort of Unspoken Broken

but

"We can still rise in the face of hopelessness —

because we are still held in the arms of God."

From When You Want a Different Timeline&

The Story Is Hard

by Ann Voskamp