The Way Time Is...

A year ago today hubby had a surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his bladder. 

Thankfully his check-ups to this point show no return of it and we are glad,

but as I recall thinking how I'll be SO relieved when this is behind us (the anxiety etc.and we are!) 

...here we are, a year later where Hope and Trouble have changed their outfits but never leave!

It seems we always have fresh cares to 'cast upon the Lord'!

(1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.)

 “Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you; 

He shall never permit the righteous to be moved” 

(Psalm 55:22)

Be careful; while we wait

For morrow’s bud to bloom

The Way Time Is scatters today

Like petals on a tomb

Be prayerful; while we wait

For gates to ope or close

The Way Time Is never returns

The petal to the rose

Be thankful; while we wait

For days to come or go

For soon The Way Time Is will be

The petal on the snow

© Janet Martin

 

Because We Live In A Fallen World

 

(above photo from the archives to remind us living in an ice-ensconced world to hang in there!)

According to Your faithful love

(though troubles test and try)

Oh Lord, our God make it enough

To know You know the 'why' 

According to sufficient grace

(for You have promised this)

Oh Lord, our God, hold us in place

When all else seems amiss

According to Your perfect peace

Foreign to unbelief

Oh Lord, our God help us release

Our doubt to Mercy's Chief 

According to Your Divine Law

(ah, who can comprehend?)

Oh Lord, our God, fill us with awe

For Love that has no end

Lord, we live in a fallen world
But hope is not deterred
For Love will triumph over all
According to Your Word

Janet Martin

 ...we live in a fallen world so we will have troubles,
 not planned/orchestrated by God but allowed by He whose love will never fail.

Happy Valentine's Day!

A Valentine's Poem for rich and poor,

young and old,

single or wed

Today with all         its wonder waits

Who knows what will     befall   No need to fear;

nothing escapes The Greatest Love of all.  The heart,

 though primed with good intent…Is not a chocolate sweet

Its love is human, bred and bent  With hunger and deceit

But oh, what hope and happiness Instills this mortal glove

Because Someone saw fit to bless…Man’s want

and need with love; the best of this world’s

 treasure-trove can never fill the part

That God intended for His

 love that satisfies

the he-

art

© Janet Martin

We choose the language of wine, chocolate, roses

He, crown of thorns, sop of gall

He, by example showed love suffers crosses

He proved that love conquers all

So when love does not look like we envisioned

With starry-eyed fantasy

Lord, remind us of Love's ultimate mission

Remind us of Calvary

Weight-Bearing Exercise

 I got this new toy to add to a routine that was becoming a little ho-hum...not!

But I got it anyway to keep the old muscles challenged😊

 I was at a quilting today, hosted by my oldest sister.

 She invited aunts and cousins who spent many days gone by together 

but hardly ever see each other anymore!

A precious time was had by all!

We found out that we moms all have this weight-bearing exercise in common!

Bend your knees and bow your head

Trust the Lord with all your heart

Leave your weight of care and dread

With He who sees, ‘not in part’

God is strong when we are weak

So, when fear threatens, hit repeat

 © Janet Martin

We Die A Thousand Deaths, It Seems...

this poem?...when Realization hit a-fresh

how life is filled with daily deaths...

and it is futile to clench the fist 

where what we hold dissolves like mist

and what we cherish will fall prey

to the vast world of yesterday

So, pray the Lord to fix our trust 

Beyond this shadow-land of dust

(or as the case is right now; ice and snow!)

We die a thousand deaths, it seems

In death of days and death of dreams

The glory-tide of morning sweeps

Across time’s shore to phantom deeps

And draws upon its deadly wave

Footsteps that haste toward the grave

Love learns to let go as it clings

To tender ties of frayed heart strings

Where echoes, like coloured balloons

Bob across long-lost afternoons

And wake within this wisp of breath

A tug-of-war-twixt life and death

…where breadwinner and beggar meet

And barter on a common street

Where hunger chimes beneath the skin

Of rich and poor, like next of kin

Where what is will soon fade and lie

Like shadows when dusk dims the sky

…and life, for all its wish and whim

And love for all its verve and vim

Trembles within a fragile frame

That soon returns from whence it came

Where, with the breath of days and dreams

We die a thousand deaths, it seems

© Janet Martin

Mr. Winter Gayle

 Not sure if the fiddle music Victoria was listening to while baking influenced this one?...😉

note; this photo was an 'easier to ask forgiveness than permission' shot:)
I told her I'll remove it if she likes but she has now given me permission to
'not worry about it'!

Third Round of his rumpus within a week!

Take a break already!!

He breaks from his tether; a busker of breeze

Ruffles the feathers of fellers and trees

Without form he storms the earth, reckless and bold

Playing the streets like a fiddle of gold

No crowd kindly gathers; no clapping hurrahs

No nickels tossed with purple knuckles because

He is a wild rolling, bone-chilling bum

Playing the earth like an old tin drum

He is no crooner; he frazzles the fell

Tromping with trombone of highland and dell

Daring the dreamer to dance all alone

Playing the stream like a glass xylophone

Blue-lipped, he must be, but no one can say

He keeps the fans of his music at bay

In his own right, an infamous super-star

He plays the sky like a steel guitar

Mr. Winter Gayle, no one swings wide their door

To hail your carriage or plead an encore

But from windowed bunkers we watch you perform

While you play your number one hit; Winter Storm

© Janet Martin

On Saturday he forgot himself for a while

and played a soft snow-globe serenade...

 simply lovely!