Of Purposed Pleasure...

If the eye does not gaze

the heart does not sigh

Venetian Proverb~

And never take for granted what dusk steals and morning frees...

Take time to be amazed and gaze at common majesties

It only takes a moment to make lifelong memories

Take time to look into the eyes of little girl and boy

And salvage from love’s sweet surprise life’s lyrics of pure joy

It only takes a moment to make lifetime memories

Then taste with purposed pleasure the measure of moment-ease

And do not let an afternoon without fond homage slip

But hark! List to the music and give humble thanks for it

Take time to look into the eyes of little girl and boy

For soon, so soon they kiss childhood goodbye, ahoy, ahoy

To blaze trails through dreamlands soon tamed and framed by shadows cast

To wonder at the way a season disappears so fast

Then, salvage from love’s sweet surprise life’s lyrics of pure joy

And join the hymn as earth and skies the praise of God employs

And never take for granted what dusk steals and morning frees

For these turn into moments that make lifelong memories

© Janet Martin

Love Possible

Somehow, as I grow older the messages etched and penned

onto and into lovely Christmas cards grows dearer.

 

Human nature tries to be wise in its own eyes; beware

It is a masterpiece of lies that leads us to despair

Without the love and grace of God we cannot be made new

The creature by one’s self cannot the creature's curse undo

Though in his very nature God, Jesus did not esteem

His reputation above what the love of God did deem

But with will meek and lowly He the love of God did prove

And calls us to be holy imitators of His love

How harsh and hard and hopeless is the heart devoid of God

Where judgement is spite’s solace and intellect, darkness-flawed

How sweet the song that fills the tongue, no longer vengeance-cursed

Love possible for everyone because God loved us first

Aha, we altogether need God’s Christmas gift of grace

The affection Mercy decreed is for all human race

Forgiveness from the debt of sin, to all who will believe

And transformation from within only love can achieve

Human nature by one’s own self cannot be overcome

Only the love of God can help after we yield, undone

Above all else then pray that He would give us eyes to see

The price love was willing to pay to set doomed sinners free

Ah, what an everlasting love song fills the heart with praise

For He who forsook heaven’s throne earth’s wretched race to save

Jesus, Jesus, oh may we never cease to bring Him laud

His blood signed the sinner’s release, sealed by the love of God

© Janet Martin

Eph.5:1-2

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

 2And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, 

an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him

 

Perfect Grief and Joy

This world is full of the sorrow of

Christmases without loved ones...

My son-in-law and his family are mourning the

sudden loss Grandmother/mother

the victim in this head-on collision on Thursday evening.

My prayer is that the love and comfort of God

will be their strength and peace in the days ahead.

(will you pray too?)

and for my son-in-law as he travels home for four days to be with his family? 

I'm running a bit behind on my Luke reading's reflections

Such a treasure trove of Scriptural wealth

makes it difficult to choose just one or two gems to share...

this post is inspired in part by Luke 17, 

in part by our music and message this morning

(click link then click Sunday Service Dec.19)

and in part by this week's advent theme of love

We sang this breathtaking song this morning

(a new one for me!)

Chris Tomlin - Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground) [Lyric Video]

“Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. 

Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 

‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 

8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready 

and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’?

 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 

10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say,

 ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

Luke 17:7-10

 

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

 Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 

8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 

9 This is how God showed his love among us: 

He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 

10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us 

and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 

12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, 

God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

1 John 4:7-12

Unto earth’s span of toil and test

Where trouble takes its toll

God gave to man His utter best

The Saviour of the soul

This little mist of time and place

Soon vanishes away

God’s gift of salvation and grace

Succeeds faith’s cup of clay

Imagine if time’s trifling toast

Was all that we could win

But love robbed the grave of its boast

And broke the curse of sin

The love of God did not withhold

His Son from suffering

But saw the joy that would unfold

As Death loses its sting

Life’s bitter brunt of grief and loss

Is but triumph’s prelude

Servanthood’s blood and tearstained cross

Unworthy gratitude

To He who came, by Heaven sent

Counsellor, Father, Friend

The Prince of Peace whose government

Will increase without end

Who, in his very nature God

Did not refuse the call

Humility and love unflawed

Obeyed. Death, once for all

From heaven’s throne the Savior stepped

Bethlehem’s Baby Boy

While surely heaven’s angels wept

With perfect grief and joy

© Janet Martin

Joy to the World (Christmas is Far More Than Just a Happy Holiday)

How shallow a happy holiday is compared to the Christmas Celebration

of God's gift to humanity when the fullness of time had come!

This post is inspired in part by Luke 15...

Gal.3:4-5

But when the fullness of the time had come, 

God sent forth His Son, born[a] of a woman, born under the law, 

5 to redeem those who were under the law, 

that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Hallelujah!

This week's advent theme is Joy...

Joy can seem a hard-fought battle when we focus on what we see without

The world groans with oppression,

with havoc and loss through natural disasters,

with sickness and sorrow,

but, Jesus is still the true light,

Still joy unspeakable

because He is the living hope for humankind...

Though you have not seen him, you love him;

and even though you do not see him now,

you believe in him and are filled

with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

1 Pet.1:8

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee-Chris Tomlin

Joy Has Dawned

Castles built on the sand cannot withstand life’s stormy cares

Thus, nations disregarding God, (fools, unfaith-flawed) will fall

The One who came to save us and to make us sons and heirs

Is still the Rock of Ages and the Godhead over all

He is not mocked; He who suffered and died to set us free

(Though some may scoff and buffer fear and doubt with foolish pride)

He, to his own a stranger on the earth, left majesty

Laid in a lowly manger at his birth, then crucified

All hail the True Light of the world has come, the Son of God

 Pierces the dark. A star unfurled in sympathy and grace

When all creation groaned beneath oppression's brutal rod

Jesus obeyed His Father and atoned the human race 

He fulfilled mercy’s masterplan, afflicted and despised

King of kings, rejected by man and acquainted with grief

Like a lamb to the slaughter led, eyes esteemed Him chastised

Not knowing yet that His blood shed hope’s bedrock of belief

Then let’s make Christmas more than just a Happy Holiday

Let’s worship and adore the Reason for this season’s joy

Jesus, is mankind’s Saviour still, hope’s confidence and stay

No death-fated dominion will with hate God’s love destroy

Like a banner, let’s lift the name of Jesus above all

And praise Him for the love that came to seek and save the lost

Though He could see the awful price and sorrow of God's call

He saw beyond the sacrifice and deemed us worth the cost

He welcomes home each prodigal and meets us with arms wide

He works in us the miracle of righteousness and peace

By gift of grace the soul is saved and sinner justified

Praise Jesus for the cross He braved, with songs that never cease

© Janet Martin

 'leap for joy, for great is the reward in Heaven'.

Luke 6:23

After hearing that the remaining missionaries that were taken hostage in Haiti exactly two months ago were released today I wept for joy! Pure joy! Praise the Lord!

The Great Undoing...

Child-caring inevitably has some very hairy moments!

right? moms and all other child caregivers😅

And now and then in those wearying moments we are

tempted to say 'I can't do this!!!"

but then along come those moments that just melt our hearts

as joy trickles from our eyes in sweet surprise!

A reminder that in all of life, with the high comes the low and vise-versa!

When my grandaughter's 'pleath?' is accommodated with yes 

she is as sweet as sweet could possibly ever imagine being!

but if 'ple-e-e-ath' ith anthsered with 'no' the thweet thmile can turn upthide-down in a wink

and rather astonishing unpleasantness can ensue😂

I uthed the lithp(lisp) becauthe right she steals my heart with hers.

Yesterday, except for one incident that partly inspired this train of thought,

it was pure sweetness💖💖💖

Helping gramma with the dishes...

(and wearing an apron that I wore when I was her size...)

Teatime on the deck in mid-December!!

(she prefers pouring it to drinking it)😂

Trying to find 'auntie' Matt's shirts on the clothes line... 

(yes, she calls him auntie Matt)😁😂😅

The tapestry that moments weave achieves its work of art

By intertwining joy and grief from looms within the heart

Where subtle shuttles whir and bind time’s threads of gray and gold

Into a picture designed for retrospect to behold

Where we begin to learn, in warp and weft of lows and highs

That grin and groan and twist, turn into Beauty’s sweet surprise

...as startled senses waken to time’s ever-changing sway

Yesterday overtaken by the colours of today

Bidding us, with each gifted fray to always keep in mind

Swift, swift the tendrils of today with past are intertwined

And, never in life’s kiss and cuss should we forget The Whole

The shuttle that weaves This undoes the shroud around the soul

© Janet Martin

Delighted with a whole 'new angle' on playing house

Of Highs and Lows (aka as Life's Arpeggio)

Life is full of highs and lows...

High; a wonderful time at a ladies Christmas brunch on Saturday morning

Low; extremely high winds on Saturday afternoon destroyed our play-center/swing-set

this loss is small in scale compared to the destruction of the tornadoes in Kentucky

but its disappointing all the same!

Another glorious sunrise!

'The highs and lows of life compose a soulful melody

The deeps that spawn lavender dawn are steeped in mystery'

The highs and lows of life compose a soulful melody

The deeps that spawn lavender dawn are steeped in mystery

Life’s gain and loss an albatross of mingled joy and strife

As seasons surge and moments merge into a song of life

The stroke is swift that snuffs the gift from morning’s gleaming wick

The string that tunes spring afternoons is soon cut to the quick

And a new page becomes the stage for faith’s arpeggio

Where He who grants its song and dance will never let us go

Look up; the cup that overflows with highs and lows is held

With utter care and God knows where and how each drop will meld

Like notes, into the rush and woo of holding and release

Each rise and fall and beck and call part of life's Masterpiece

© Janet Martin

...and in our lows we are reminded in Luke 12:22-31

Do Not Worry

22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, 

what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 

23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 

24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn;

 yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 

25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life[b]?

 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

27 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. 

Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 

28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, 

and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,

 how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 

29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 

30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, 

and your Father knows that you need them. 

31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

tots looking at the birds...

'They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn;

 yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! '

Have a wonder-full day!

Priceless Provision...

Visiting the dentist that I have had a long-standing 

Or rephrase, a long tipped almost upside-down relationship with

is NOT the way I would choose to start the week 

but I am very thankful for him nonetheless😅😂

This morning I couldn't help but laugh out loud when he asked me

if I'm feeling numb yet? Oxy moron?

Visiting the dentist always allows lots of time to reflect!

The eastward edge of earth and sky gives birth to break of day...

(to we who remain)

We know it will be so for nothing can dawn’s courser’s sway

How beautiful the funeral service message of comfort was yesterday

to the family and friends of my Uncle Ernie Frey

In closing the minister reiterated the wonderful comfort in the knowledge

 that though we mourn it is not without hope

because God did provide a way that defeated death

and leads to life eternal.

Oh, what a blessed hope and joy for all who believe!

So, though this year for many, Christmas is marked with sorrow

for those who believe it remains a season of everlasting joy as well!

The Child in the manger 

became man's redemption on the cross at Calvary!

Now, that's a Tree worth revering,

a joy worth shouting!

From it hung the Light of the World

in time's darkest hour!

Hallelujah, what a Saviour!

The quote below is from a book of Peter Marshall messages...

The eastward edge of earth and sky gives birth to break of day

We know it will be so for nothing can dawn’s courser’s sway

Just as we know the west will showcase sunset’s artistry

Faith fixes eyes upon a prize it knows but cannot see

This is the day the Lord has made with hope and grace renewed

Time’s march, far more than stiff-starched moment-soldiers, season-hued

It is a footpath to an aftermath by breath concealed

And only when life ceases, then the rest will be revealed

God does not leave grief comfortless when death collects its due

If we believe then we receive Hope’s anchor, firm and true

Though storms may toss with loss, the power of the cross abides

Faith dearly clings through sufferings to the hope God provides

The Faithful One who gave His Son to pay the sinner’s debt

Will never fail though dark the vale of sorrows that beset

God, through His Son, knew love had won, though it appeared He died

The triumph of faith, hope and love was on death’s other side

© Janet Martin

Luke 12:31-32

But seek [f]the kingdom of God, 

and all these things shall be added to you.

 “Do not fear, little flock, 

for it is your Father’s good pleasure

 to give you the kingdom. 

Jesus, Son of God

Haloed Ground

Dusk’s halo crowns the dimming day

Earth draped in a luxurious shawl

Embellished where blue shadows fall

In patterns pressed like applique 

As twilight dons a hallowed air

And day that was is gently drawn

To gossamer worlds of bygone

In ambience akin to prayer

Leaving behind a kind of sense

That grants no answer as we peer

Down corridors of yesteryear

...of Time hinged to Something Immense

© Janet Martin