Lead Me In Paths of Righteousness (For Thy Name's Sake)

What, for you, kindles the cry of the first verse in the chapter below?

The good times or the hard times?

The answered prayers or the unanswered prayers?

Worship or want or need?

Or all the above?

If life's trials and seemingly unanswered prayers

 serve no other purpose than to bid us call upon the Lord,

they have served purpose enough!

Ps. 141:1-4

I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me.

Hear my voice when I call to You.

2May my prayer be set before You like incense;

my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.

3Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;

keep watch at the door of my lips.

4Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thing

or take part in works of wickedness

with men who do iniquity;

let me not feast on their delicacies...

Read the rest of David's prayer HERE BSB

or HERE NKJV...

Ps.23:3

He restores my soul; 

He leads me in the paths of righteousness 

For His name’s sake.

This prayer began this morning (until Grandsonny arrived)  and ended

while dinner is cooking/baking....

 and darkness is falling, a bit early

because of the falling snow...

Dear Heavenly Father,

Sometimes the snares that seek to veer me from Thy paths of righteousness

Seem not to be as they appear; disguised as 'harmless happiness'

Then, help me give more earnest heed to hide Thy word within my heart

To equip me with Thy sound creed to thwart Deception's subtle dart 

Sometimes life's disappointments stir a hunger nothing satisfies 

Lord, let not sight my walk deter, but keep me fixed upon faith's prize 

And guard me from doubt's shifting sea/plea in a world where skeptics increase  

Lord, help me stay my mind on Thee; thus, keeping me in perfect peace

This world is not my home, oh Lord; keep me from falling prey to goals

Dull to Thy Word's double-edged sword that cuts to the quick of man's souls 

Lead me in paths of righteousness; no matter what the cost may be

For Thy name's sake, direct my step lest I wander away from Thee 

Sometimes what seems unanswered prayers bids me to examine my heart 

To test the spirit of my cares, to study the important part

To see if there is any wicked way in me still unconfessed

That you are searching out to see if it is Thee that I love best 

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen

Janet Martin

A Place of Pure Enchantment Gleams...

A photo colour-feast on today's post because

Today is a rather colorless day in southern Ontario,

one of those days when the sky and landscape are monochromatic...

Morning...

Afternoon...

So here's a little reminder at the almost halfway point of January

(and didn't we just get here in a blink?!!)

of what is waiting beyond a few more month-blinks!

A place where zephyrs tug and tease

Tendrils from buds and smiles from lips

And garden-rooms as winter slips

Into a vault of memories

A place of pure enchantment gleams

Beyond landscapes tucked beneath snows

Where winter’s boisterous brood bestows

A frosty air to balmy dreams

A place where apple blossoms blush

And fragrant lilac plumes unfold

And earth is drenched in heaven’s gold

And lively with spring’s planting rush

And heaven is a pasture, blue

Dotted with clouds, like flocks of sheep

And earth’s green pastures run knee-deep

With nature’s verdant, freshest hue

A green-gold-blue-blush-purple mirth

Emerges to grace every home

Rather than earth-sky monochrome

Of snow-laden heavens and earth

Where brooks like shiny sashes swirl

Through wood nooks, meadowlands, and sing

A rippling canticle of spring

As winter’s loosened grip unfurls

A place where zephyrs tug and tease

Tendrils from buds and smiles from lips

And garden-rooms as winter slips

Into a vault of memories

Janet Martin

I get a little colour-hungry this time of year

so to satisfy my craving I read 'colorful' 

books like those that travel through places like Italy...

This travel inspired last night's supper!

Below, dried oregano, fresh-chopped garlic salt and pepper and bread crumbs.

Rub between hands till thoroughly mixed and sprinkle on olive-oil spritzed tomatoes.

Bake at 350 till bubbly.

Both the dish above and below can be topped with 

fresh grated black pepper and parmesan before serving. 

Want extra-yummy extra topping? 

Fresh-made bacon bits!

Modern-day Miracle

It doesn’t all get fixed and made right until the very end.

 Until then? It is hard, and He is with us.

Dorcas Smucker~ Presence and Presents~

Author of Notes From The Sparrow's Nest

Below Devotion from Pathways to His Presence 

by Charles Stanley

SO many people I love are being tried by hard circumstances, 

common to this broken, sin-cursed world,

but difficult as ever!

The Miracle-worker of old is the Miracle-worker of today!!

Oh pray that we call on Him until we hear Him say

'Son/daughter, Thy faith has made thee whole.

Go in peace...' Mark 5:34

It is not often up to us

To pick and choose the hues of life

The path of day-to-day runs thus;

Through golds and grays of joy and strife

The unpredictability

Of what we can see, but in part

Invites us universally 

To trust in God with all our heart

For circumstances rise and fall

Poverty and prosperity

Both contend with the beck and call

Of love's accountability 

We pick and choose hues of reply;

Whether we will acknowledge He

In all our ways, who knows the 'why'

That He withholds from you and me 

Today's Altar of Sacrifice

Invites us to believe in God

Who paid pardon's ultimate price

And sheds His saving love abroad

...where, though it is not up to us

To choose the ups and downs that spill

The path of joy and peace is thus;

To hope in God and trust His will

Because until we shed the part

That cradles the immortal soul

To trust the Lord with all our heart

Will prove the faith that makes us whole 

What age-old joy, to go in peace

Because 'Thy faith has made thee whole'

What modern-day miracle, this;

To rest in God's perfect control

Lord, bid obedience begin

With godly fear, humble and true

The miracle You work within

Starts with my/our faith and trust in You

Janet Martin

For each of life's let-downs there is  a 'look up'!

Rom.5:1-5

Therefore being justified by faith, 

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 2By whom also we have access by faith

 into this grace wherein we stand, 

and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

 3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: 

knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

 4And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

 5And hope maketh not ashamed; 

because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts 

by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, 

whose confidence is in Him. 

 He is like a tree planted by the waters 

that sends out its roots toward the stream. 

It does not fear when the heat comes, 

and its leaves are always green. 

It does not worry in a year of drought,

 nor does it cease to produce fruit.

Prov.3:5-10

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall [b]direct your paths.

7Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and depart from evil.

8It will be health to your [c]flesh,

And strength[d] to your bones.

9Honor the Lord with your possessions,

And with the firstfruits of all your increase;

10So your barns will be filled with plenty,

And your vats will overflow with new wine.

I know I've shared this hymn many times,

partly because it is a fav. 

I love the picture the words paint,

resting in the cleft of the Rock!

Sweetly Resting (In the Rifted Rock)

A Little 'Let's' Lyric

Let's be generous and sharing

Cheering someone on their way

By a simple act of caring

Make a fellow-trav'ler's day...

This afternoon, (thanks to my sister and brother-in-law's generosity)

I enjoyed a most delightful treat

because they shared their dessert-auction purchase 

and raffle-ticket prize Sat. night's stag and doe!

Egg cheese and coffee from freshly ground locally-sourced coffee beans!

Thank--you BIL Mike for the egg cheese. It was SCRUMPTIOUS

and thank-you sister Marlene for the bag of 

Boundary Roasting Co. coffee beans! SO good.

Let's not grumble but be grateful

Let's be glad for God is good

Let's be loving and not hateful

When we are misunderstood

Let's be generous and sharing

Cheering someone on their way

By a simple act of caring

Make a fellow-trav'ler's day 

When our hearts are weighed with anguish

Let's get down on our knees

God's compassion does not languish

As He tends to our pleas

Let's cast every care upon Him

As He beckons us to do

As He teaches us to trust Him

In each valley we pass through

Let's be patient, kind and humble

Let's be careful in our thought 

Let's be sorry when we stumble

Accidentally or not 

Let's get along and not bicker

Let's be honest but not rude

Let's become a whole lot quicker

To breathe prayers of gratitude 

Let's make a positive diff'rence

And not yield to vengeful taunts 

Let's make the most of life's moments

For we pass this way but once

Janet Martin

Romans 13:12 b - 

LET US cast off the works of darkness 

and LET US put on the armor of light.

Romans 13:13 -

 LET US walk honestly, as in the day;

 not in rioting and drunkenness, 

not in chambering and wantonness,

 not in strife and envying.

Romans 14:13 - 

LET US not therefore judge one another any more; 

but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block 

or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Romans 14:19 -

 LET US therefore follow after the things which make for peace, 

and things wherewith one may edify another.

2 Corinthians 7:1 b - 

Let US cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,

 perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Galatians 5:25 - 

If we live in the Spirit, 

LET US also walk in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:26 -

 LET US not be desirous of vain glory,

 provoking one another, 

envying one another.

Galatians 6:9 - 

LET US not be weary in well doing:

 for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:10 - 

LET US do good unto all men, 

especially unto them of the household of faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2 - 

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, 

LET US lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, 

and LET US run with patience the race that is set before us,

 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; 

who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, and is set down

 at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 John 4:7 - 

Beloved, LET US love one another: for love is of God; 

and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Love's Impending Recompense...

The older we grow the more we come to know

loss is not something to be feared, 

but something to be expected and respected;

our respect proven by how we live and love today!

I lost my sister Lucy suddenly in an accident on Sept.17, 2024.

Right now we are losing dear dad slowly to dementia,

(heartbreaking!!!) 💔💔🙏

and we, his family treasure like never before, the cognizance still there

such as still knowing his children and his expressed appreciation

when we visit, shake his hand, etc. 

Such as his reverence for holy things and his love for God and His Word!

Both sudden and drawn out losses are filled

with love's grief and profound lessons and reminders!

Loss leaves behind a kind of ache

Like an indelible keepsake

Of days and years that once looked much

Like Today’s fleeting taste and touch

Loss leaves behind a kind of sense

Of love’s impending recompense

Like a wave that is bound to break

Across the grave of give and take

Loss leaves behind a kind of Door

We do not haste through as before

But having been reminded through

Loss, we pause to take in the view

…and with mindful approach to Now

Loss coaches us to humbly bow

Before the Giver of today

And trust Him for each come-what-may

…where/for loss is bound to leave behind

In hope and heartache intertwined

A kinder, keener kindred sense

Of love’s impending recompense

…of scenes that wane, soon strewn to waft

In the wake of what far too oft

We overlook until we find

Hearts filled with what loss leaves/left behind

Janet Martin

Rom.5:15-18

15Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

  16Live in harmony with one another. 

Do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. 

Do not be conceited.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

 Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. 

18If it is possible on your part, 

live at peace with everyone.

To Be or Not To Be...Content

The Unknown groans with highs and lows...

it is up to each one of us to choose 

whether we will be content in whatever state we are!

Phil.4:11

Not that I speak in regard to need, 

for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:

Revelation 2:10

Do not fear what you are about to suffer...

Be faithful even unto death, 

and I will give you the crown of life.

The birds can be so happy one minute then...

...along comes this troublesome trial to a bird's life!

and all is a flurry of feathers as they flee to the safety of bushes

When trouble comes we can choose to be a frantic flurry of feathers

or Be still and know that He (God) is (still) God.

 Ps.46:10

To be or not to be, (regardless of lessons God grants)

Content to house the trinity of faith and hope and love

To not be tossed about by winds of change and circumstance

That foster fear and doubt; not peace this world knows nothing of

To be or not to be, (in spite of fresh, popular trends)

Convinced of what is right because God really did so say

Not being double-minded, to please beloved peers and friends

But by God’s commands guided to humbly trust and obey

To be or not to be (because faith’s prize comes with a price)

Wary of logic that seems wise but its way leads to death

To trust the Lord with all our heart, not Reason’s ready vice

To do our willing part to serve Him with each gifted breath

To be or not to be (no matter what the cost demands)

Content, for God grants liberally according to His will

To prove faith, whether built on solid rock or sinking sands

To believe He who pardons guilt and bids the storm be still

To be or not to be (whatever tests both smile and frown)

Content, without controversy, because God’s Word is true

To all who love His appearing He has reserved a crown

To let this be faith’s cheering quest is the best we can do

The Unknown groans with highs and lows and everyone must choose

Either the comfort God bestows, or this world's cheerless chase

Thus, till this little life is spent we accept or refuse

To be, or not to be content in the peace of God's grace

Janet Martin

I'd rather have Jesus by Jim Reeves with Lyrics

Epiphany of the (Seeming) Commonplace

This passage in yesterday's devotion was the perfect gift 

for someone near and dear to me

facing a vale of shadows...

Isa.43:1-3

But now, this is what the Lord says—

he who created you, Jacob,

he who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

 When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

 For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

All around us the seeming Commonplace 

spills from a fount of redeeming grace!

 A few glimpses of yesterday and today's un-commonplace

A new favourite tea thanks to a Christmas gift!

Sipping while enjoying another snow-capped morning...

The eyes that open to behold the break of day, blue-gray, blush-gold

Or the beloved presence of the people whom we dearly love

(off to school)

To be…to be stunned by the grace and beauty of The Commonplace

The task that moves the mobile hand, the feet that function when we stand

The eyes that open to behold the break of day, blue-gray, blush-gold

Or the beloved presence of the people whom we dearly love

To be, though ineffably flawed, a sacred masterpiece of God

Each breath, a shimmer spilling rife from He who fills the rill of life

And rushes mortality through with Immortal, none can undo

His goodness never wanes or fails no matter what vexes or ails

To let The Commonplace confound, stirred by a symphony of sound

The birds, the breeze, the merchant cry of toil until life’s rill runs dry

But until then to pay kind heed to instruments of word and deed

And with motherly love embrace the holy, seeming Commonplace

To be beholden to faith’s Charge to trust God with cares small and large

To don the warmly woven shrouds, to brave the bite of brumal clouds

Or to meet round a table where heads bow in sweet and humble prayer

As gladness overflows heart-banks as thought is overcome with thanks

As logic is utterly awed as we consider man and God

And how the beauty of the earth does not depend on human worth

(For how bereft beauty would be if it was up to you and me)

But Beauty smiles in every face that celebrates the Commonplace

The canvas of the heavens stretched from skyline-to-skyline, mauve-etched

The music of four season’s worth of wonder, melting want with mirth

The wealth of five senses designed to enrich the most mundane grind

Anoints the seeming Commonplace with the oil of gladness; God’s grace

…so when the Commonplace is tried with precious hopes and dreams denied

The Giver of the font and fray of unframed prints that fall away

Day after day, does not forget His promises, but cups each Yet

In hands, scarred with the price of grace that sanctifies The Commonplace

The sacred, solemn Commonplace, the seemingly meaningless chase

In the light of God’s beck and call is never Commonplace at all

Then mind the corner where you are for, we serve He who lights each star

He who grants each new day of grace is anything but Commonplace

Lord, forgive me, when faith is frail and yields to fear and doubt's travail 

Lord, let love’s pow'r be undeterred through the Truth of your changeless Word

Lord, let Thy perfect peace transform and take The Commonplace by storm

And let pure worship’s hymn resound; 'this place we stand is holy ground’

This joy, this grief , this day brand-new, this warm handshake and how-are-you

This hardship-ordered change of pace is anything but Commonplace

If we look past the part we see (the gasp before eternity) 

And recognize each grin and groan is a back-to-God steppingstone

Janet Martin 

The Ongoing Quandary of Poetry (to write or not to write)

 

Yesterday one of my lovely and thoughtful friends gifted me with a beautiful book

 of a poem-a-day for a year, written by a local man I know of, though do not know personally. 

In the first poem entitled To Write or Not to Write he tugged a tender chord in my own heart 

as he battled with the desire to be a good steward of a calling from the One who weaves us together

 in our mother’s womb, without appearing as if we think we have all the answers!

 ‘Yet not to write would build up tension’ he writes. 

Every writer/poet/lyricist knows that tension!!

So, we continue to seek courage and guidance from God 

and forgiveness and patience from fellowman in this labour of love called Poetry. 

Thank you, Elo Bowman, for having the courage to compile a book 

and encourage fellow poets and fellow-pioneers in/of an age called Today!

Thank-you Paula, for thinking of me when you saw this book!💝

Poetry is personal.

Poetry is pieces of a heart pressed to page

Poetry is prayer bared.

Poetry is pictures snared in script.

Poetry is a cup of tea, but not for all.

Poetry is a tangle of pain and pleasure;

A tango of trial and triumph

A lyric of love and longing

A hymn of heartache and hope;

A hope that somewhere someone was drawn a little closer

To the Giver of every good and perfect gift, 

and thus to Him...

To our One true, good and gracious God be the glory

for every groan grappled

and lilt lassoed,

forever and ever.

Amen!

If poetry was nothing more than fondness for tempo and rhyme

Methinks that ink could ill afford its very precious claim on Time

If by narcissistic grit alone we captured thoughts to press to page

How fickle then the font we hone, how futile the words we engage

Poetry is a warring tug, an ocean borne deep in the soul

The tenure of a tender hug that throbs where unpenned poems roll

The pleasure in Love’s laughing eyes as an elusive wink is snared

The sorrow of summer’s spent prize, life’s ups and downs suffered and shared

Poetry is a battle fought on fields only ink can estrange

A war-cry as want weeps for naught because of what it cannot change

A flicker fanned to sentiment as whispers brave the naked eye

As both critique and compliment are sparked where passion’s embers lie

Poetry is faith over fear; no sneer can quench quixotic sighs

The song and dance of smile and tear, reverberates in creature cries

And should confidantes be denied or should no fellow-friend be found

Poetry reaches far and wide to gather us on common ground

Darling, Twilight is closing in and morrow grants no guarantee

The tide that ebbs and flows within rushes like a vast poem-sea

A fearful and wonderful deep, to dredge once more if God so wills

And by the kindness of His keep to trust Him for the ink that spills

For poetry is a like a voice crying in word-world’s wilderness

And the poet must master choice with Awe’s conscientious finesse

Because poetry will outlive the hand that bares ballad to light

Therefore, it behooves us to give earnest heed to the lines we write

Janet Martin

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above,

 coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,

 who does not change like shifting shadows.