The God of Ages Reigns...Merry Christmas

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

The God of ages reigns

Though fear may bid us doubt

Mankind admits again, again

What nature-legions shout

All living things must die

This is the way of dust

The God of ages does not lie

Therefore in Him we trust

He placed within man’s flesh

An ageless soul; aha

No mind can outwit Heaven’s best

Nor thwart love’s sacred law

...and love alone will prove

The God of ages reigns 

No dark is too deep to be moved

Nor guilt greater than grace

 

The God of ages reigns

What Bethlehem first heard

Though centuries have passed remains

Unchanged; His living Word

© Janet Martin

Have you become familiar with Him?

May we never lose love's wonder

but like shepherds, ah may we

bow in worship at the manger

of hope in humility!

For no pen can fully tell it

and no page can fully hold

what the heart is fully feeling

as love's wonder breaks thought's mold

Let us ponder 

the wonder

and worship

 the Savior

 as we celebrate His coming to earth, today!

J~  Merry Christmas!

 

Within the Hush of Morning swells a Song...A Christmas Sonnet of Hope

Within the hush of morning swells a song

Like heavens-bells from citadels above

The Light that breaks the darkest dark has come

As earth receives the majesty of Love

Now hearts that hunger may hunger no more

And cups that once were empty overflow

This is the day of Jesus Christ the Lord

As earth receives the majesty of hope

God gave His only Son so we may live

He died beneath redemption’s blood-stained rod

A Mercy- Gift to all who will believe

As hearts receive the majesty of God

Within the hush of morning swells a song

For heaven’s bells cannot be silent long

© Janet Martin


  ^...For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son,with whom I am well pleased,”  we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.  And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,  knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.  For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Pet. 1: 16-21

I Wish You a Blessed Christmas...

Whether you live on a broad, bustling street

And whether your house is tidy or neat

Or whether your cottage is tucked between

Earth’s quiet folds of white, gold or green

Whether your dwelling is teeny or grand

Neighbor to neighbor, I shake your hand

And wish you a Blessed Christmas

Whether we share common views or not

There are common bonds that we all have got

Of being human, of learning to know

Of love’s tender holding and hard letting go

So wherever and who ever, whether far or near

Friend to friend, I extend love’s cheer

And wish you a Blessed Christmas

From my house to yours, wherever you are

I wish you the Light of that First Christmas Star

I wish you the love of Christmas’s First-born

The hope that abides since that first Christmas morn

For we are all kindred in God’s loving care

So, brothers and sisters, wherever we are

I wish you a Blessed Christmas

© Janet Martin

Though I would rather feel and hear

And see you face to face

Instead of always meeting here

Somewhere in cyber-space

I’d like to take this time to say

I love you dearly anyway

And though we’ve never really met

Like friends and neighbors do, still, yet

I’m glad for all the times we meet

Through touch of word on cyber-street

Thank-you to each of you who visits this porch.

May God bless you with hope, joy and peace this Christmas and New Year in waiting.

 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord...Luke 2:1011

Today's Christmas Re-run...because some things simply don't seem to change

When did it all begin

This season of remembering

The birth of Jesus Christ the King

When did it all begin?

When did it all begin?

This season of profuse shopping

Of gift- giving and receiving

When did it all begin?

When did this love that Jesus brought

Become a sort of seasonal thought

Instead of a lifestyle that He taught?

When did it all begin?

…this eating, drinking, let’s be merry

Deck the halls, gulp eggnog, sherry

Mistletoe and holly-berry

When did it all begin?

When did it all begin?

When did hope, joy and peace

Turn into cooking and shopping
And weary emptiness?

Ah, where does it begin?

Does this season impart

Its celebration in my house

 Or humbly in my heart?

© Janet Martin

Ever-new

Dawn threads through wooden harps

And spreads its music sheets

Across the dark where grace imparts

New anthems to Time’s streets

From Heaven’s breath-veiled Gate

New mercies God bestows

Then let His praises saturate

Our wanting, wishing woes

Behold, in robes of gold

Or folds of grays and blues

New orchestral madrigals roll

To ancient avenues

And we of mortal choir

Are behooved to agree

That none but God can tune earth’s sod

With newness faithfully

© Janet Martin

So, after being on the phone for quite a while with a very patient tech-support worker walking me through resetting things we hopefully have found the solution to the internet-connectivity problems we had...