Deliberate Surrender

Why is it so hard sometimes,

To trust the Hand

that lights the sun,

that paints the earth,

that fills the oceans

And directs the firmaments

That instructs the lightning

and feeds the wild

that stirs the seed

and topples mountains

And cares for me?

© Janet Martin

I watched this little wood-pecker today...

as God provided its needs.

On Suffering

Some are given painful sorrows to bear

Visible burdens of grief

Some carry great crosses deep in their hearts

Where God alone can see

© Janet

 Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey toward it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.
Samuel Smiles

Of Valleys and Fathers

I have not walked in your valley
Nor you in mine
But it is the same grace and mercy
That brings the sunshine
Your valley may be longer and darker
Mine may be still yet to come
But it is the very same Father
That leads all of His children Home

Janet Martin

Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. Psalms 23

Whispers of Hell

When fiendish winds crackle

And seep through the walls

When anger, resentment

Hang like smoke in the halls

When kindness and patience

Have been snuffed by the flame

Of cold self-indulgence

Indifference and blame
When silence replaces
The echo of laughter
And jealousy graces
The once love-lit rafter

When all that is given

From our gracious Lord

As a foretaste of Heaven

Is crassly ignored

When prayer is neglected

And His Word as well

Then glimpses of Heaven

Become whispers of Hell

© Janet Martin

We all have bad days, but God forbid they out-number the good...

and God forbid we should seek hope without Him~

 But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”Joshua 24:15

Behind the Gray...

After almost a week of gray...

 We are ready for this! I felt Mozart's Requiem as the sun broke through! Click the wheel on the mouse on link
.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi8vJ_lMxQI&feature=related

And when at last the clouds pass by

There is no violent shudder

Or grand announcement from the sky

To shout that it is over

The shroud that clothes the lofty spire

In dull and leaden silence

With obscure breath from heaven’s choir

Dissolves in glorious brilliance

© Janet Martin

...and so it is with life.

Behind every cloud is the Son.

  LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory in the heavens.Ps. 8:1

Comrades

Slip not your hand in mine to lead

Or with intent to tether

But if you would a comrade be

Then let us walk together

Hold me close, not to restrain

Or as affection’s duty

But may our hearts and hands remain

United in love’s beauty

Slip not your hand in mine to lead

Or with intent to follow

But side by side, together we

Will face life’s mantled hollow

© Janet Martin

Definition of comrade:

1. A companion who shares one's activities or is a fellow member of an organization.
2. A fellow soldier or serviceman.

Ethereal Pastures

 I took this photo one morning last summer, across the field behind our house...

They leave

Not all at once

And never entirely

But, from wide-eyed

And apprehensive

Kindergarten child

To the 'standing eye-to-eye child'

They begin leaving

And continue

To leave us

Subtly, swiftly

Moments dissolve

Into years, gathering behind us

In an ethereal mist.

These precious,

Oh so precious

Pieces of ourselves
Are leaving

And sometimes in the happy

Bustle of life

We forget

They are leaving

But only a little at a time

And never

Entirely or

Forever

© Janet Martin

I was thinking these thoughts as I heard our oldest daughter, Emily

leaving early this morning…and my mind wandered through ethereal past.

Where does it go…time? and suddenly I am excited to drink in the present moment

before it too slips away to ethereal pastures.

Then Laurie’s comments at RGMIT which most parents can

relate to, really tied into my thoughts.

Laurie’s prompt: Use the words ethereal

Emily reminded me that she will be twenty in 4 mos.
Twenty years pass incredibly fast!
It reminded me of a Kenny Roger's song... 

Tea Time

It’s that dip in the day

When afternoon slips away

But it is not quite yet eve

When the sharp-tongued wind

Slouches low behind

Another day slowly taking leave

This is cup’o tea hour

This is ‘stop, smell the flower’

This is dream anything that you please

Tangle your thought with mine

No, I really don’t mind

The way that you whisper and tease

I’ll just close my eyes

In a brief paradise

Flavored with hot chamomile

In that dip in the day

As we slip away

And do nothing for a little while

© J~

Even if its just 5 minutes…STOP! Close your eyes

Smell the flowers, or the cookies,
 whatever it is you like to smell ;))

Prayer-lets

It is a frightening thing to live…

…in tomorrow

God, teach me to live fully in today.

I didn’t know what to do

So I prayed

Without prayer

I had nothing

And with it:

I have everything

God bless our home…

…and those without

If I followed Your footprints, Jesus

Would I really choose to go?

The Son of Man had nowhere to lay His head.

The mind is a gathering place

For thought vast as an ocean

God, fill it with Your goodness

And purest devotion

Janet~

Universal Quest

 

image source: wikipedia

What spurs the soldier onward?

Or the miner in jaws of dirt

What drives the laborer forward?

What adds true worth to our work?

What calls the wayward drifter?

Or the sailor out of the storm

What is this universal quest?

Why, it’s one small syllable-

Home

© Janet Martin

No Other Word Like It

There is no other word quite like it

No matter where our feet may roam

There is no other word that will leave the heart stirred

Like four humble curves spelling home

The world has much wonder to offer

Of foothills and kingdoms to poem

But one square of sod holds the whisper of God

It’s the dear little box we call home

Here lies the spoil of tender-sweet toil

Here is love’s hearth, safe and warm

Here is the cup that family fills up

In a wee little haven called home

Here is a door always open

A solace from life’s heartless storm

The old kitchen chairs glow with laughter and prayers

In a humble respite called home

Here is a poor man’s palace

Here is the small child’s nest

Here is the awning of simple belonging

Here is forgiveness and rest

There is no other place quite like it

Wherever on earth we may roam

None can compare to the brick-mortar square
Of beautiful home sweet home

Janet~

"Home is the most beautiful word there is"

Laura Ingalls~

I found the wall-hanging at our local dollar-store.
Beautiful words at a bargain:) H-m-m-m-m...
can one really put a price on beautiful words...like 'home' and 'family'?
May we never take these wonderful blessing for granted
and may we always give them our utter-best!