Never Again...

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,

2 Cor.4:16-17

 

Keep on…

With push and pull

And give and take

And joy’s heartache

And hope and trust

After the pain

Of try again

After this main

Of dust to dust

Out trust will see

Mortality

Exchanged

Forever

Never then

Will we return

To teach or learn

Or beg or earn

Ever again

© Janet Martin

Sweet-Sweet July

Oh, the melody as

July slides its blue-sky bow

over supple strings 

Sweet, sweet July

Forever-sky

Of bluest blue

Tints sleepless sea

It draws our feet

To tread a street

Of sun-drenched sand

And wave washed free-

Dom; overhead

Our gaze is spread

With pergola

Of green-leaf glade

That spills a pool

Shady and cool

For book and tea

Or lemonade

As shiver of

Yon poplar grove

Beneath the bow

Of barely-breeze

Quivers where noon

Drips from a spoon

Like honey

To sweet memories

While bloom-bells brim

With bee and velvet

Vim; a hymn

...earth’s ebbing toll

Slips from stoked stems

Like petal-gems

Their weightless weight

Tugs at the soul

Because we know

The ebb and flow

That tunes the tide

Of sweet July

Surges, recedes

A splurge that bleeds

Gold, purple reeds

Into goodbye

© Janet Martin

Beneath Blue Skies...and latest update on Dave

 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
            For His compassions never fail.

      They are new every morning;
            Great is Your faithfulness.

      “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,
            “Therefore I have hope in Him.”

      The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
            To the person who seeks Him.

... For if He causes grief,
            Then He will have compassion
            According to His abundant lovingkindness.

      For He does not afflict willingly
            Or grieve the sons of men.

 Lam.3:22-25&32-33

Beneath blue skies and green-swept rise

And fall of all we have to bear

Of care and such, the touch of much

Ado becomes the sum of where

We were to where we are; the jar

Of starry deep and mist-kissed morn

On well-worn Way pours out New Day

...a tray heaped with Mercies reborn

As smiles and sighs, hellos, goodbyes

And second tries fill love’s lament

Beneath blue skies, green summer's rise

Will fall to fall, and Season spent

© Janet Martin

 This morning's update from Karen;

Hi everyone,

I am glad to report another awesome day. He walked again and sat up in his chair, They also took him down for x-rays today to see if we can find out why he can't move his right arm. Ultrasound later in the week.

Also the Dr said that he can have the oxygen mask off. They will keep an eye on him tonight to make sure his level stay high enough when he is sleeping. 

Please keep praying!

and thank-you. 

Renascence of Spirit

Wishing you a wonder-full day!

You have enclosed me behind and before,
            And laid Your hand upon me.

      Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
            It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

 Ps.139:5-6

Its archive harbors hunger

That wends its age-old way

From night to day where Wonder

Is never held at bay

The one who seeks will find it

It kindles star-straked Yon

With eons sealed behind it

It breaks dark bars with dawn

And spills its mercy-shower

Across the mist-kissed lea

And fills the bud with flower

And pilots Poetry

No one too poor to wear it

The wealth that Wonder brings

A renaissance of spirit

It gladdens common kings

And wakens in worn Being

With Hope and nothing more

A whole new way of seeing

What we have seen before

© Janet Martin

 Last evening's Update from Dave's wife Karen; 

(To new-comers; I'm keeping readers updated on a journey that began here)

Hello everyone,

When I arrived at the hospital Dave said he already walked the halls this morning. A little later the physiotherapist came in again, took him for another walk and then got him to sit in his chair to have lunch. After lunch he got back into bed. Soon his parents came down for a visit. Wasn't long after his parent came he was just so tired that he had a rest while we visited for bit and then I went to the family room to put my feet up while mom and dad stayed with him until he woke up and they came and got me.

Later in the evening Josh and Krista came to pick me up. 

Another good day and his pain is under control so that really helps.

Thank-you SO much for your continued prayers!

Perfect Form...(and latest Dave update)

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Cor.13:1

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
1 Cor.13:7

Dave and Karen, through love will endure...but it definitely comes with the unexpected challenges
that being human is sure to bring...
Yesterday we went to visit Dave and seeing him sweat it out just to sit for a while or tremble as he reached for a cup of water was hard! Finally he was ready to lie down and after he was comfortable Dave's wife went out to pick up lunch and we stayed.
Jim, beneath Dave's instruction tried to situate the TV without a glare so Dave could watch the Bluejays game, so Jim "pulled it closer, no, back a little, now tilt it down, not quite so much, can you pull it back just a little"...and so forth til Dave said 'good!' and relaxed. Karen came breezing back into the room, pushed the TV aside (completely unaware of what had just taken place) pulled the hospital table to his bed so she could sit and eat her lunch(way past lunch time) Dave never said a word, but his look did!
It will take much patience as recovery begins.
Please pray for both of them to be able to cope!

Thank-you Lord, for zoom-lens!

Love takes on many forms

A tender touch

A servant’s smile

A side-by-side

Push through life’s storms

And sacrifice though wants beguile

But never spiteful words

Or rude

Or quick, flippant reply

For love is kind,

Patient and true

Thus it behooves both you and I

…when we are prone to

Flick that blade

Of hate or cruelty or spite

To think of Jesus,

How He stood

In our place that dreadful night

…and how He, meek

Unjustly tried

Retaliated with ‘forgive’

His love so great,

For us He died

So we, through His pardon may live

Love takes on many forms

A warrior’s grit

With servant’s bow

And hands scarred with

The proof of it

That love makes possible somehow

© Janet Martin

this morning's update from Karen


Good Morning dear, faithful, praying friends,
I am glad to report another good day for Dave. He sat up in his chair for over an hour and half and walked to his sink in his room and back. He was much stronger on his feet today because he kinda dragged his walker today, where other days he was putting all his weight on it.

It is so great to his see his improvements these past couple of days, but I know I have to prepare myself that one of the days again will not be so good. Dave, Joshua and the Dr. all say that he will have some good days followed by some bad ones so l know I have to be ready for that again.
So, please continue to pray for him. People are wondering where he will go for Rehab. We don’t know yet; where ever a bed comes available, either Freeport, Guelph or Cambridge. With the long weekend I can't see that happening until Tuesday or later.
Last night I also got another good night sleep with helps me to stay strong. I even got to enjoy the fireworks in Drayton with my good friend Shelia. Dave asked his nurse if she thinks he will be able to see any fireworks and she thought maybe he would.
Praise God for all the healing that has taken place in Dave already, with all the prayers going up. Hope everyone had good Canadian 150th celebrations cause we did. Dave got a Canada Flag on this lunch tray and Canada Day cupcake with a coffee which he enjoyed on his supper tray.
David just started drinking coffee again so that also is a sign that he is feeling better. For anyone that knows Dave, knows he likes his coffee. He didn’t want a coffee until Friday. So we are counting the ups taking place and counting on your prayers to help us through the downs! Thank-you!