Mercy's Manifestation

1 John 4:9-10

This is how God’s love was revealed among us: 

God sent His one and only Son into the world,

 ...so that we might live through Him. 

 And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us 

and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

***

An angel gilds earth's sashes and lintels with gold-glazed white

She stokes yesterday's ashes coaxing from cold hearths, daylight...

An angel gilds earth's sashes and lintels with gold-glazed white

She stokes yesterday's ashes coaxing from cold hearths, daylight

Its Source no Else-force swindles; redemption rolls like a sea

From the Hand that rekindles virgin opportunity

This world, where woe and wonder war, where hope and heartache merge

Where Much is inclined to want More, is balanced on the verge

Of what sight perceives, but in part; Faith's dark glass cast between

The passages we learn by heart, and pastures, Heaven-green 

Each morning Bygone's bower bends with what yet waits to be

Mercy's manifestation rends the veil of history

With blessing beyond mortal ken, as traffic of clad souls

Rushes dawn's showcase once again with sacred 'fishing-poles'

Behold the banner of God's grace, each new day testifies 

Behold what manner of great love erases darkened skies 

Behold, divine delight unfurled from Favour's faithful Hand

An angel's wing wakens the world and morning sweeps the land

Janet Martin 

Lam.3:21-26

21 This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“Therefore I hope in Him!”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the Lord.

Star of the East

A few more gems from Slim Whitman...

There's a Song in the Air

Long Ago there Was Born...

Bittersweet Ballad

Ps.19:14

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, 

be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Christmas season stirs reflection.

As I reflect on another year where sorrow and joy

 clashed, again and again, the word 'bittersweet'

seems to have taken a deeper, more sacred root in the soil

of hope, 

trust...

 and gratitude!

Before it is too late to say 

'I love you' by our words and deeds

Let's take a fresh look at today

And make the most of moment-seeds...

Moment-seeds may appear as commonplace

as shoveling snow

or loads of laundry,

but as we take a closer look at the

'who' and the 'why' of them

they steal our breath!!

With changes that each year unfolds

Where birth and death's charges compete

Love and longing's uncharted holds

Compose a ballad, bittersweet

Between a world of yesterdays

And morrows, life's moments untwist

In sunshine golds and storm cloud grays

Years melt away like morning mist

 

...while making us more humble stewards

Of  Today's gardens-vineyards-fields 

To gather love's grains, grapes and gourds

With gratitude for what soon yields

...to scenes of once-upon-today

The heart, a gallery that gleams

With buds that bloom and fall away

Like petal-fray on rushing streams

...pushed by relentless winds of change

Where hold and letting go compete

In tangos of embrace-estrange 

To time's bold ballad, bittersweet

Before it is too late to say 

'I love you' by our words and deeds

Let's take a fresh look at today

And make the most of moment-seeds 

...so when the bud unfolds to bloom

Upon the tomb of yesteryears

The bitter-sweetness of its plume

Will stir a hymn of smiles and tears 

Janet Martin 

Wonderful Merciful Savior- Selah 

An Advent Reveille

 

Sometimes when daybreak kindles the eastward horizon

in flaming appeal, (like yesterday morning!!) 

it rushes the air like a celestial reveille,

beckoning us to rise and 'shine' !

Do not grow weary in love’s dues bearing eternal worth

Continue to tell the Good News of the Messiah’s birth

Continue to proclaim the Name, commanding prophecy

Tell the world of Jesus who came to set sin’s captive free

The ‘last days’ prophets long foretold, on that first Christmas morn

Began to fulfill and unfold when Jesus Christ was born

Jesus, knowing the dreadful price of His sinless blood shed

Came to become sin’s final sacrifice and crush Death’s head

Then pray, do not cease to proclaim He who conquered the grave

Salvation knows no other Name; Jesus, mighty to save

Stepped from His divine station to suffer redemption’s rod

To be the hope of nations, to fulfill the will of God

Then do not faint, but hail the Name of Jesus every morn

Good tidings of great joy proclaim; a Savior has been born

For God so loves the world, He gave His only Son to be

Sin’s off’ring once for all, to save and set condemned souls free

Joy to the world, the Prince of Peace is trustworthy and true

Someday the wars of earth will cease and all will be made new

Till then, continue to proclaim the angel’s hymn. Extol

The Good News; JESUS is His Name, the Savior of the soul

Janet Martin

Acts 3:18-26

But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, 

that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out,

 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 

20 and that He may send [c]Jesus Christ, who was [d]preached to you before, 

21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, 

which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since [e]the world began. 

22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you

 a Prophet like me from your brethren. 

Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 

23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet 

shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 

24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, 

as many as have spoken, have also [f]foretold these days. 

25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers,

 saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 

26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, 

sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

Dear Lucy, Like a Priceless Souvenir

These days, (Christmas season) when I am asked how I'm doing 

(regarding the sorrow of missing Lucy)

I've come to realize the raw edge of grief has faded into a tender, deep, deep ache,

that, by the grace of God, I will treasure like a priceless souvenir, as long as I live...

Dear Lucy, As Time goes by...

The raw edge of love’s heartache fades

And in its tender stead

An anguish of longing invades

The place where angels tread

To comfort us as we recall

Your voice, your smile, your touch

To gather up the tears that fall

As we miss you so much

While seasons roll across the land

As if nothing has changed

As we learn to weather time’s hand

With part of us estranged

The heart begins to reconcile

The void that will remain

To ache for your voice, touch and smile

Until we meet again

…and though the raw edge of grief fades

Beneath love’s brave façade

An anguish of longing invades

The place where we find God

He helps us treasure every tear

Each thought of you imparts

A precious, priceless souvenir

To harbour in our hearts

Time takes it toll and always will

For better-worse, it flies

And draws us all along until

It severs earthly ties

Where, pray we each leave in life’s wake

Of hold-to-letting go

The souvenir of love’s heartache

In all who miss/love us so

Janet Martin

In The Gladness For God's Goodness...

Psalm 5:3

In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice; 

at daybreak I lay my plea before You and wait in expectation.

Psalm 119:147

I rise before dawn and cry for help;

 in Your word I have put my hope.

In the gladness for God’s goodness, grief finds joy, and worry, peace

Longing finds sweeter contentment as counted blessings increase

Hope is more than optimism; like a rose that does not fade

Goodness and mercy unfold the bud of this day He has made

In the morning, He will hear us as we lift each humble plea

All day long His goodness cheers us as we wait expectantly

In the comfort of each promise, He turns despair to delight

In the beauty of creation God gratifies faith with sight

In the gladness of good tidings of great joy for all mankind

Jesus, Author of salvation beckons all to seek and find

Sin’s eternal absolution, hope which cannot be dismayed

Because of love’s restitution, through the debt that Jesus paid

Hark! The herald angel’s message of great reason to rejoice

Lucid as the light of morning, the sheep know the Shepherd’s voice

Step by step He goes before us; bids us cast on Him each care

In the gladness for His goodness life becomes a living prayer

Janet Martin

Ps.118:24

This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 19:8
The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart;

 the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.

Psalm 97:11
Light shines on the righteous,

 gladness on the upright in heart.

Psalm 119:130
The unfolding of Your words gives light;

 it informs the simple.

Praise God For Man's First Christmas Gift

Acts 2:38-41

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you

in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,

 and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, 

even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, 

Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:

This morning in majestic splendour, the heavens declared the glory of God 

and proclaimed the work of His hands...(Ps.19:1)

The God whose love gave us His Son, Jesus, so all who believe in Him

will not perish but have eternal life! (John 3:16)

The God who calls all of us to worship, 

not the created, but the Creator! (Rom.1:25)

All who beheld, worshipped one or the other!

Does His work not rouse a hymn of gladness for love's greatest work/gift of all?!!

Praise God for man's first Christmas gift; Jesus, Emmanuel

For the good tidings of great joy, which Is for all people

For promises of old fulfilled; for God's goodness unfurled

In the very first Christmas gift; the Saviour of the world 

Praise God for man's first Christmas joy, uncomprehend when 

Shepherds hastened to see the Baby boy at Bethlehem

Believing without understanding what the angels told

As the ancient redemption promise began to unfold 

Praise God for man's first Christmas hymn; glory to God on high

And on earth peace, goodwill to men,  rang from the midnight sky

 With a message of hope for all who believe in His name

Praise God for the first Christmas gift that faith alone can claim

Praise God for the first Christmas Day; the day of Jesus' birth

 The King of kings and Lord of lords stepped from His throne, to earth 

Praise Him for joy and peace because He conquered death and hell

Praise God for man's first Christmas gift; Jesus, Emmanuel 

Janet Martin

Jesus, Messiah 

Dare to be a Reckless Spender...(when it comes to love)

There is no end to opportunities to love,

to be generous and thoughtful.

We cannot help everyone but we can all help someone!

Who will be our 'someone' today?

I asked my grandson if he would be my 'someone' today

and he said 'yes'😊💝)

This poem was written as a reminder to myself.

('reckless' in this poem does not mean thoughtless disregard,

 but rather a trustful generosity!)

God knows the heart.

Yesterday morning's message to our congregation included a verse

most sobering and most comforting!

1 Sam.16:7

 For the LORD does not see as man sees;

 for man looks at the outward appearance,

 but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Dare to be a reckless spender when it comes to love

Revel in the promised splendor Heaven waits to prove

Test the measure of the treasure of God’s buffering

Discover hope’s holy pleasure in love’s suffering

Dare to be a cheerful giver; let Love’s Author lead

Pray for true love to deliver us from doubt and greed

Trust the Keeper of love’s coffer from which blessings brim

With each gift love bestows, offer each gift back to Him

Dare to test depths and heights, ample; blaze uncharted trails

Modeling a bold example, for love never fails

Strive to be a ready vessel run through with Enough

Live to let reliance chisel diamonds from faith’s rough

Dare to take the name of Jesus into every choice

Take the precious Name that frees us from Discontent's voice 

Let the power and the glory of God satisfy

Let the ink that writes love's story stir rev'rent reply    

Dare to be a reckless spender when it comes to love

Draw from unplumbed wells of tender mercies from above

Aware of the priceless Presence of nail-scarred Release 

Dare to let love be the essence of hope, joy and peace 

Janet Martin

Haloed Ground

 

John 16:33

These things I have spoken to you, 

that in Me you may have peace.

 In the world you will have tribulation;

 but be of good cheer, 

I have overcome the world.”

Oh, the joy of those moments when, like an epiphany

 the message in the treasured age-old 'Christmas Story'

 opens our eyes anew, to wonders as we ponder the

mysteries of God's love...

As we follow the example of Joseph and trust God's word

though we don't understand the beginning from the end!

The Birth of Jesus Matt.1:18-21 BSB

(Isaiah 7:10–16; Luke 2:1–7)

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: 

His mother Mary was pledged in marriage to Joseph, but before they came together, 

she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

  19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man 

and was unwilling to disgrace her publicly, he resolved to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had pondered these things, 

an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,

 “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, 

for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 

21She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus,d 

because He will save His people from their sins.”

In this world we will have trouble

But we are not doomed to loss

In the dark and hurting rubble

Of life’s trouble, stands the cross

In this world we will have sorrow

But we are not doomed to tears

Faith today is hope tomorrow

In life’s sorrow, Mercy cheers/hears

In this world we will have trials

Dreamlands turned to battlegrounds

But in spite of dream-denials

In life’s trials, grace abounds

In this world we will have testing

High-fives tumbled/humbled by low blows

This is not God’s cruel jesting

In life’s testing, wisdom grows

In this world we will have dark vales

As we walk by faith, not sight

 Love holds a Lamp that never fails

In life’s dark vales, shines His Light

In this world we will have sadness

But, behold hope's haloed ground

God's peace cheers the soul with gladness

In life's sadness, joy is found

 

Janet Martin

Carrie Underwood - Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Official Audio Video)

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee By Henry van Dyke and Beethoven Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee God of glory Lord of love Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee Opening to the sun above Melt the clouds of sin and sadness Drive the dark of doubt away Giver of immortal gladness Fill us with the light of day All Thy works with joy surround Thee Earth and heaven reflect Thy rays Stars and angels sing around Thee Center of unbroken praise Field and forest, vale and mountain Flowery meadow, flashing sea Singing bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee Thou art giving and forgiving Ever blessing, ever blessed Wellspring of the joy of living Ocean depth of happy rest Thou our Father Christ our Brother All who live in love are Thine Teach us how to love each other Lift us to the joy divine Mortals, join the happy chorus Which the morning stars began Father love is reigning o'er us Brother love binds man to man Ever singing, march we onward Victors in the midst of strife Joyful music leads us sunward In the triumph song of life Melt the clouds of sin and sadness Drive the dark of doubt away Giver of immortal gladness Fill us with the light of day