Longing To...

We all reveled in the brief warmth and bit of sun yesterday;

before heavy thunderstorms moved in and temps nose-dived!

On Saturday I saw a few tractors in fields and thought
maybe this is the beginning of the end of the spring that would not be!
but this morning optimism takes another hit while
 we pray that farmers can keep their cool/faith and patience!

 This morning (because its a holiday here) I could

'linger longer at the brook that took so long to sing' (see below)

 last year above...this year below

 Last year above...this year below

 Last year above...this year below

 Last year above...this year below

 last year above...this year below

We are all longing to...

To wade through leas where green grass gleams and ripples in the sun

To be a little more carefree where barefoot children run

To make the most of idle time, sprawled beneath sapphire deep

Or take an afternoon to climb a flower-studded steep

Or linger longer at the brook that took so long to sing

While we were waiting for the melody that we call spring

And shivered in our sugar-coated platitudes and such

Where it seemed somehow summer’s harbinger had lost its touch

© Janet Martin

Lift Your Heart To Heaven

 When we feel falsely accused, when we feel misused, abused,

we should lift our hurt to Heaven

because He was hurt too, by and for us!

"A new command I give you: Love one another. 

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this all men will know that you are My disciples, 

if you love one another.”

John 13:34-35

Lift your heart of hurt to heaven

Child of He who loves us so

Praise Him for our sins forgiven

Trust for what we do not know

Let go of resentment’s treason

Turn the other cheek and pray

Do not heed revenge’s reason

Ask Jesus to lead the way

Ask Him to help you be meeker

Than the one who hurt you so

Not to be a vengeance-seeker

Or to return blow for blow

Jesus bore false accusation

But He answered not a word

Lift your heart of hurt to Heaven

Let love heal what hatred stirred

Let love suffer long, my precious

Forgiveness heals evil’s ills

Let love counter words malicious

With the love Jesus instills

Lift your heart of hurt to Heaven

All we suffer, so did He

Praise Him for our sins forgiven

And thank Him for Calvary

© Janet Martin

Setting Such As This...

Gorgeous evening...

Within a setting such as this

Where all the wonder of life is

Where little girls wear pretty curls

And little lads are mischievous

Where twilight flings a gleaming spread

Across earth’s grand four-season bed

Where silhouette of tree is set

Like black ink-art on gold and red

Where thought is torn twixt now and then

Where no one can return again

Save but to trace the phantom face

Or place in fond ‘remember when’

Where we all grow too old too soon

And we are all drawn to the moon

Like moth to flame or guilt to blame

Where longing is an age-old tune

Where we all need someone to love

Where nothing we have is enough

To please us much without the touch

Or fellowship of words like ‘us’

Within the setting that we’ve got

No matter what our load or lot

How sad to miss the life that is

Lost in a world of what is not

© Janet Martin

Because Beauty Really Is In The Eye Of The Beholder...

 What do you see?

For all this spring has not been, it has been a bird-lover's paradise!

We are enjoying a rainbow of feathered flurry!
Here are a few shots from the past 24 hours...

Above; male Baltimore oriole...below; female

 Above; killdeer sitting on a nest in our garden;
lucky for her there has been no tilling or planting activity so far to disturb her!
Below; Rose-breasted Grosbeak

 above; ruby-breasted nuthatch...below gold finches

 above; bluejay...I really wish I could have gotten a shot of the flock of approx. 8!!!
below; mourning dove all in a huff because of the newcomer(the grosbeak:)

 and this small bird below is an immature female oriole! 

(who new, birds have immature females too. 😅 )

My pics are not perfect due to shooting through a screen and tot-smudges on the window and a camera that has trouble focusing but you get a bit of an idea what fun we are having!

There are many varieties of sparrows visiting as well!

below a blurry shot of a chipping sparrow (or a song-sparrow?)

We all came and looked and saw

Criticism found the flaw

Love found hope and beauty’s bloom

Misery saw trouble loom

Thankfulness sang joyfully

Self-pity cried ‘woe is me’

Fear saw the approaching night

Faith was awe-struck by the light

Greed saw little to amaze

Worshipers were filled with praise

© Janet Martin