Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Chance to Dance...?



God is a Perfect Dance-partner. 
With His arms around us He'll catch us when we fall, every time!

Looks like we'll be dancin' the Salsa for a day or two😏


Wings of wonder
Weight of woe
Which will be the ‘way we go’?
Trust or worry
Faith or fear
It is up to us, my dear
Circumstance
Is but The Chance
To drag our feet,
Or dance

© Janet Martin



Serious Cause For Hope or Fear


 Man looks on the outside (and some of what we see is perfect in all its imperfection)
 The Lord looks at the heart 1 Sam.16:7
(and some of what he sees is perfect because of His perfection)


Lord, you see deep down inside
Every hurt, fear, hunger, pride
Insecurity, despair
Every evil tempter’s dare
Idle whim, lofty ideal
How we think and how we feel
What we harbour, forgive, prize
Who we worship/idolize
Loneliness, remorse, regret,
Secret sorrow, weakness, yet
You never waver a bit
Loving us in spite of it

Knowing every little lie
Every selfish tear and sigh
Every battle, every foe
Every single want and woe
Every trip, slip, stumble, fall
Rendered in Thought’s hallowed hall
You see hearts tender or hard
Ignorance, hate, disregard,
Love, compassion, sympathy
Thankfulness, humility
Every foible and mistake
Still You will never forsake

Lord, you behold naked truth
Who could stand, aged and youth
For nothing is hid from you
All we think or say and do
Lord, if thou wert Judge alone
Who could bear life’s care and groan
If Love laid no bridge betwixt
Joy and hope could not exist
There would be no steppingstone
To the prayer-room at Your throne
Lord, You see inside, tis true
Pray You see a bit of You

© Janet Martin

I couldn't sleep last night for a while...(Tormentor and Teacher at odds)
until I focused on the fact that we see only the outside 
but the Lord knows the heart
(for better or worse)
and loves and forgives us all!
As far as the east is from the west so far does He remove our sins from us!
All we need to do is call on Him!




" as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
  As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.  
For he knows our frame;
    he remembers that we are dust...

Ps.103:12-14 ESV




Monday, August 27, 2018

On Kissing Golden Curls and Such

The death of John McCain has fired some fresh for/against political-debate
for some people who enjoy such things.
 "personally", I told hubby on the onset of another such-flavored conversation,
 "I prefer the gentle world of kissing golden curls and such"
(before they have to brave the battle where Bible-based truths and politics war..)
(plus, I just don't have the energy for such discussions after a day of kissing-holding-scolding😊)
When Grandson wanted to get dressed the other morning
I told him he may take his pj's off...
I laughed til I cried as round and round he went trying to pull his foot free...and it would not!

Ah, moments like these make so worthy-the-earthy as well!



Kissing golden curls with love
Fitting small hands into these
Laughing at the antics of
Pirates sailing green-grass seas…
Shores a-buzz with honey-bees

Moments full of joys of boys
Trucks and bugs and hugs times ten
Never mind the mess, the noise
Can’t rewind today again
Soon life turns boys into men

Peek into a petal-porch
Marvel at the color-world
Caught inside a teeny torch
Where the bitty bud uncurled
Glimpse of mighty God unfurled

Kiss those curls, boo-boos and such
Do not fret the Yet, my dear
Life is like a Maestro’s touch
Composing ballads of Year
With the notes of Now and Here

Stop to watch a cloud drift by
Talk to butterflies, walk slow
Peek-a-boo and hush, don’t cry
Kiss those golden curls, for oh
Willing winds of change do blow

© Janet Martin









Knowing Full-well...(what makes worthy the earthy)


This is a case where the previous poem fired another...

 Reading Hebrews 12, verse one, led to reading Hebrews 12 verse two, 
which led to writing this poem...(based on Phil.2)
(I guess tomato-picking is one poem later than I thought it would be😏)


Pondering The Promise of Eternal Life 
and He who authored it, and how, 
Sure does make worthy, earthly strife
and sure does make Holy the Now!
(Knowing full-well Hell's triumph but for death upon a cross!)


The Author and the Finisher of faith endured the cross
Thus, all we bear of this world’s care…He wore its sorrow too
In very nature, God, He donned a robe of mortal cloth
Knowing full well the horrors of the vale He would pass through

Knowing full-well the pain and rejection that He must bear
Knowing full-well, hell would prevail without His sacrifice
Knowing full-well His Deity, yet left Heaven to wear
A crown of thorns, a cross, knowing full-well sin’s awful price

Knowing full-well how many would be saved and justified
Knowing full-well the agony before Triumph is wrought
Knowing full-well the wrath of God would-must be satisfied

Knowing full-well sin’s debt could not be paid by bull-ram’s blood
Knowing full-well his Father’s will and all it would entail
Knowing full well, He, King of kings would be the Lamb of God
Knowing full-well that once for all His Death would rend the veil

Knowing full-well that Final Sacrifice for sin was made
And living sacrifice will be the price believers pay
Knowing full-well that through His love our debt of guilt is paid
Knowing full well the full reward in Heaven some sweet day

© Janet Martin

A Gift From God

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:7



Heaven's joy-bells must be clanging overtime these days...
Again yesterday we attended a baptism-service; this time our niece and some of her friends! 
I was struck anew by how, with all the differences that may be visible on the outside 
due to culture, denominations, etc 
The Invisible is the same; the only name whereby we can be saved; 
(Salvation is found in no one else, 
for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
Acts 4:12)
Everyone baptized in every service we have attended 
in four different settings over the past few months were baptized in
the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; 
(Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Matt.28:19)

so what is Baptism? A visible declaration of an invisible transformation when we
repent and obey the command to then be baptized!
(Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38)

What a gift! The power within us to fight temptation and run this race with perseverance!



Now sin no longer reigns
Where grace, not law is Chief
And faith in Jesus breaks the chains
That binds blind unbelief

Not visibly transformed
Yet oh, somewhere within
Mercy’s miracle is performed
Redeemed from curse of sin

Now the Old Man is dead
And buried in the Past
The New Man rises in his stead
And holds Faith’s promise fast

Where we no longer sin
So that grace may abound
But trust the blood that makes us clean
Where Time is Holy Ground

And grace not some cliché
Tossed lightly to and fro
But grace alone atones for aye
And washes white as snow

Through grace no one can boast
Or mortal works applaud
But glorify Hope’s Uttermost
Grace is a gift from God

© Janet Martin

  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—   
not by works, so that no one can boast.
Eph.2:8-9


 The above version of this hymn written by William Cowper (pub.1772) 
skips a few gorgeous stanzas...
  1. There is a fountain filled with blood,
    Drawn from Immanuel’s veins,
    And sinners plunged beneath that flood
    Lose all their guilty stains:
    Lose all their guilty stains,
    Lose all their guilty stains;
    And sinners plunged beneath that flood
    Lose all their guilty stains.
  2. The dying thief rejoiced to see
    That fountain in His day;
    And there have I, though vile as he,
    Washed all my sins away:
    Washed all my sins away,
    Washed all my sins away;
    And there have I, though vile as he,
    Washed all my sins away.
  3. Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
    Shall never lose its pow’r,
    Till all the ransomed church of God
    Are safe, to sin no more:
    Are safe, to sin no more,
    Are safe, to sin no more;
    Till all the ransomed church of God
    Are safe, to sin no more.
  4. E’er since by faith I saw the stream
    Thy flowing wounds supply,
    Redeeming love has been my theme,
    And shall be till I die:
    And shall be till I die,
    And shall be till I die;
    Redeeming love has been my theme,
    And shall be till I die.
  5. When this poor, lisping, stamm’ring tongue
    Lies silent in the grave,
    Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
    I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save:
    I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save,
    I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save;
    Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
    I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save.