With All That God Makes Possible...

 10 years ago it snowed at the end of October!

Happy final golden weekend of October, 2023

In autumn poetry tugs at the heart at every turn

awakening in us the same awe as it did in poets of old...

Psalm 8

 O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

You have set Your glory

above the heavens.

2From the mouths of children and infants

You have ordained praiseb

on account of Your adversaries,

to silence the enemy and avenger.

3When I behold Your heavens,

the work of Your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which You have set in place—

4what is man that You are mindful of him,

or the son of man that You care for him?

5You made him a little lower than the angels;c

You crowned him with glory and honor.

6You made him ruler of the works of Your hands;

You have placed everything under his feet:d

7all sheep and oxen,

and even the beasts of the field,

8the birds of the air and the fish of the sea,

all that swim the paths of the seas.

9O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

If at all possible, allow yourself to pause from pressing care

To rest beneath the golden bough slowly but surely growing bare...

Look at the birds and breathe a prayer of thankfulness to He who tends

The creatures of land, sea and air with mercy’s gracious dividends...

If at all possible, delight in simple sight-and-sound of Leaf

Indulge desire’s appetite with wonders, momentous and brief...

If at all possible, allow yourself to pause from pressing care

To rest beneath the golden bough slowly but surely growing bare

Take time to hum a humble hymn of hope, happiness, peace and love

To take note of the gifts that brim from autumn’s dimming treasure trove

Look at the birds and breathe a prayer of thankfulness to He who tends

The creatures of land, sea and air with mercy’s gracious dividends

Now and then commit to ignore the rigid edict of tick-tock

Enjoy falls fading hues before they strew the yard and street and walk

If at all possible, delight in simple sight-and-sound of Leaf

Indulge desire’s appetite with wonders, momentous and brief

Enjoy the view, autumn-dawn pure; of no two days ever the same

Drawing us to our Farewell Tour back to the Hand from whence we came

Explore moments shucked from a sheaf that spills its grief in russet snow

As soft, the earth is tucked beneath a counterpane of Afterglow

If at all possible, allow Autumn’s glory to steal your breath

Before the gold and scarlet bough bears the stark evidence of death

Oh Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your great name in all the earth

From age to age, You light the wick that kindles worship's awestruck birth

For no mortal can grasp Your ways and thoughts, but should wholly contend 

With all that You make possible, to praise and praise You without end 

© Janet Martin

Explore moments shucked from a sheaf that spills its grief in russet snow

As soft, the earth is tucked beneath a counterpane of Afterglow...

If at all possible, allow Autumn’s glory to steal your breath...

Before the gold and scarlet bough bears the stark evidence of death...

Autumn Joys

 

A few snap-shots from the past few days that helped inspire this poem

The plush hush-hush of feet through leaves...

The plush hush-hush of feet through leaves

The stillness of fields shucked of sheaves

The way the wind through woodland weaves

A canopy of blue

The hurry-scurry, frisky squirrel

The leaf-cartwheel, the boy and girl

Imitating the lilt and twirl

Of treetop’s dwindling hue

Rain-rendered decoupage, wet-cold

Lanes and sidewalks paved with leaf-gold

A little mittened hand to hold

Or steaming cup ‘o joe

Gladness so profound the heart leaps

With praise for squash and pumpkin heaps

And all goodness man plants then reaps

As by God’s grace we go

The five-star bliss of five-star dreams

For five-star supper’s five-star beams

Of five-star happiness that gleams

In loved one’s smiles and eyes

Warmth of homecooked simplicity

And precious love of family

Kindles a thankful-as-can-be

Masterpiece-paradise

The undulating rise and fall

As landscapes pen a madrigal

That needs no words to say it all

Yet leaves spectators awed

By nature’s color-symphony

Spilling across the dimming lea

An autumn song we throng to see

Whose composer is God

© Janet Martin

Rain-rendered decoupage, wet-cold...

Lanes and sidewalks paved with leaf-gold...

Bat Not Thine Eye Lash at Thy Guilt...or, Earnest Plea

Reading through the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah kindles

much sober reflection and speechless awe

for the sure judgment and the abounding love and mercy of God

Bat not thine eye lash at thy guilt

Brush not at sin, like lint on sleeves

Shrug not thy shoulders at blood spilt

To save everyone who believes

Rush not, bold-faced, into the day

Without reckoning He who grants

The morn its light; bow down and pray

For temptation’s deliverance

Mock not, nor take in vain the Name

Above all names; but chastely fear

The One, whereby prophets proclaim

‘Look up, redemption draweth near’

Let not imagination rule

In rebel disobedience

Refuse the logic of the fool

Approach today with reverence

Lest, poorly and blindly content

With pomp and show of Noble Thought

Thy deathless soul reaps hell’s lament/torment

Because God called but ‘you would not’

The gods of this world cannot hear

Thy futile prayers when troubles groan

Fall on thy knees, repent, revere

The God of gods and God alone

Do not deceive thyself, but pray

For faith, to tremble at His Word

For love, devoted to obey

He whose decrees are undeterred

Bat not thy eye at the grave rift

Each soul must ford ‘neath death’s cold knife

Repent, believe, receive God’s gift

Forgiveness and eternal life

© Janet Martin

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Panning For Autumn Gold or Because of Farewell's Winning Ways

 I want to learn the fine art of panning for autumn-gold...

To marvel at grand frescos etched on ceilings of thin air

Before time’s hand runs fingers through treetops silent and bare...

I want to learn the fine art of panning for autumn-gold

I want to try to taste more wonder than a heart can hold

I want to be tuned to the imminence of letting go

Because the winning way of farewell hides in each hello

I want to linger longer in a leaf-lit afternoon

To steep senses in flickers of woodland’s lofty festoon

To marvel at grand frescos etched on ceilings of thin air

Before time’s hand runs fingers through treetops silent and bare

I want to plan a dinner-date beneath fall’s canopy

Serenaded by minstrels tall and stately as can be

To discover the treasure in the fine measure of Now

And not postpone the pleasure of the fleeting autumn bough

I want to make the most of what no sleight of can tame

To try each flying live-learn-love, where Past has staked it claim

To take more precious time to pause where Was is always chief

Where winsome, winning ways of farewell fret in every leaf

© Janet Martin

I want to plan a dinner-date beneath fall’s canopy

Serenaded by minstrels tall and stately as can be...

To Keep Want's Wish-list Undeterred

This may look like a common to-do list, 

but there is an underlying wish-list/prayer

that, in all I (we) do,

to be a (broken, mended, scarred and chipped)

vessel God's love pours through...

Dear Lord,

Not one step do I want to dare

To take outside Thy tender care

Nor do I want to boast, save in

Thy Son, who broke the curse of sin

Let me not treasure any Thing

Above my Savior's suffering

Who, on the cross of Calvary

Bore atonement’s price tag for me

Let me pursue no fonder goal

Than the dwelling place of my soul

And let me crave nothing above

A heart, through which You pour Your love

...to kindle delight in Your Word

To keep Want’s wish-list undeterred

Desiring that in all I do

Your Light of 'Christ in me', shines through

That, 'thanks to God who always leads'

Your faithful triumph intercedes

For I am nothing on my own

Then, let me live for You alone

Amen

© Janet Martin

Let your light so shine before men, 

that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matt.5:16

Outdoor chores are taking priority these day!

Yesterday I pulled the sunflowers, prepping the garden for the neighbor to haul fertilizer,

 aka manure 😉on it whenever he is ready!

But, not wanting to discard of this beautiful, bountiful buffet for the birds 

the fence offers a perfect prop for non-stop feeding and

viewing pleasure!

Sometimes my husband calls to see what I am working on..

He wondered, this morning, where today's poem-inspiration came from.

Partly from this devotion in my Utmost for His Highest...

Of First Glances

If all was as pure as fall-morning's delight when earth is dipped in frost

First glance could indulge its appetite without ever weighing the cost

But Guile preys on First Glance, it seems, to captivate its prey

 Then test the quests that Want esteems with very subtle sway

 For all is not pure as fall-morn's delight, when earth is dipped in frost

Where first glance indulges its appetite without ever weighing the cost

At first glance, Guile seems to tick the right boxes

A fine façade can play tricks on the eye

But oh, my dear, be on guard for sly foxes

Tickling Thought’s tendrils of reason awry

Study the fruit of the tree, trace its branches

Past the entrancing sigh of wind through leaves

Past the impressions offered to first glances

Past the distraction attraction achieves

Guile, though it smiles, is still, just a smooth-talker

Sin, clothed in lamb’s wool does not make it pure

Vice, masquerading as Nice, is a mocker

Tempting gullible first glance with its lure

…that seems at First-Glance to tick the right boxes

Making us second guess That Still Small Voice

Whispering, ‘Oh! be aware of sly foxes

Teasing Thought’s tendrils of reason to Choice

© Janet Martin

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food 

and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, 

she took some and ate it. 

Gen.3:6

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, 

our vineyards that are in bloom.

Song of Solomon 2:15

What are the “little foxes that spoil the vine”? CQ Kids

 

In October

In the field corn harvest dwindles brittle whispers, row by row

In the garden silence kindles marigold-ember's brave glow

In the gaudy, tranquil woodland, treetop-tapers flare and dim

In expanding canning cellars, bins, boxes and jar-shelves brim

In the heart a bumbling, humbling, ecstatic Thanksgiving Hymn

In the orchard apple-orbs gleam, luring raptured touch-and-taste

Urging ladder-laden pickers to heave-ho with holy haste

Where fruit-dappled topiaries flaunt  sweet-taunting red and gold

Where chill winds tweak cheeks with cherries and turn tender fingers cold

Where happiness is more merry than one heart can dearly hold

In the kitchen pots, bowls, baskets, laugh with blessing-overflow

Filled with final favors rescued from forecasts of frost or snow 

In the air aromas mingle; nutmeg, ginger, cumin, cloves

Wafting, like color-glints captured from fall-flavored bosc and groves

Cinnamon-caramel-tipped/dipped foliage, pumpkin and squash treasure-troves

In the morning mist and frost kissed vistas of hill, rill and vale

Gleam like amber cider poured from heaven to earth's silver grail

In dusk’s blue-blush, stark-dark dying a soulful dirge seems to sound

For autumn days flying, lying, leaf-shaped on the listless ground

For the star-blind dreamer sighing for fortunes, ever unfound

In October we walk slower down the leaf-embellished street

Scuffling through the fallen bowers, like lamplight beneath our feet

In October we take cover under sparser canopies

Everybody is a lover of October's wooing trees

In October pain and pleasure runs us through like wind-tossed seas 

© Janet Martin

The 'snooze-button update' below is yesterday's news

 because this was supposed to be yesterday's post

but yesterday ran out of hours before it was up.

Because yesterday was an extra-early-start with an extra-late end

 I allowed myself an extra-hour of sleep this morning😊

hitting snooze to my heart's content😂

Hitting-snooze-button accountability- 

I forgot to post my snooze-button accountability yesterday; I hit snooze😔

so last night I decided maybe if set my alarm clock for 6:15 instead of 5:45

 I would be more apt to take my wake-up call/jolt a little more seriously, 

so I did that, and you know what?!!

I was wide awake before the alarm-clock could shock me from slumber-land

so-o-o, up I did'st get!

No snooze-button today😂