Beneath the Shadow of the Cross

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the LORD, “You are my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.” 

Psalm 91:1-2 

Oft-times when praying,
after thanking God for His gift of salvation and His faithfulness
I can get caught up in a long list of cares and needs,
some my own and some my fellow-travelers.

I want to learn to get caught up in worshiping Him and praising him a little more as well.

Lord, let me think a little more

Of love, more precious far than gold

As morning flings ajar its door

And mercy breaks night’s starry mold

Let worship be my chief delight

In spite of living’s certain loss

Lord, keep me by your faithful Light

Beneath the shadow of the cross

The cross, from whence Love, blood-red fell

To purchase pardon for mankind

And victory o’er death and hell

When we have left this life behind

Then let hope’s wonderment eclipse

The weight of sorrow’s albatross

And keep faith’s footing firmly fixed

Beneath the shadow of the cross

Let hurt and heartache’s honing knife

Keen hunger for your Living Word

And as we break the Bread of Life

May awestruck gratitude be stirred

That You, Love’s Perfect Offering

Held nothing back for mankind’s cause

So death cannot inject its sting

Beneath the shadow of the cross

Lord, let me think a little more

Upon your awful sacrifice

Then let me return, as it were

To stand beneath Redemption’s price

And feel the fathoms of Your grace

Dissolve and absolve Eden’s curse

And let me glory in my place

Beneath the shadow of the cross

© Janet Martin

 O death, where is thy sting? 

O grave, where is thy victory?

 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Cor.15:55-57

Of Live-and-Learning's Page/Wage...

 I snapped this quickie-photo as I was heading out this morning...

...when I returned home the day was done!

Today was the funeral of the man from our church family
who passed away unexpectedly and I mentioned here on Monday.

 We all live in a world where none of us knows what a day, much less an hour holds!

This should surely cause us to touch down on dawn's blank page

many expressions of kindness and sympathy!

I began this poem this morning but was unable to finish it before I needed to leave...

Day dawns and splays beneath our touch the likeness of an empty page

And who knows what will spill from mortal quill where mercy sets the stage

But He who authorizes and bestows the breath and breadth of It

Grants confidence and courage as we pause and talk to Him a bit

How heartily an hour can devour seasons blink by blink

And where the page was bare it wears invisible, permanent ink

But while we earn the stars and scars of live-and-learning’s hard-fought wage

God never grants a second chance on anything but a fresh page

Now what we, once upon our youth thought we could outrun or outsmart

Pays homage to the age-old truth that mellows our mind and heart

And fills us with meek gratitude, and attitudes of sympathy

For we, kinda like family, all face what only God can see

Day dawns and splays beneath our touch what live-laugh-love will soon estrange

The platform for our such-and-such is subject to plan’s sudden change

Where we could all be terrified by What If’s wild-flung avenue

Without God’s promise verified; ‘My peace I leave and give to You’

© Janet Martin

 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27

Making the Most of Opportunity

I take a lot of good-natured ribbing when it comes to poetry,(which is fair)
 teased, depending on what is happening that likely I'm coming up with a poem...
I wish it was that easy😊😉 

...but on the other hand, everything I do is poem-fodder, perhaps, Lord willing!

Last night was my turn to bring a meal to alpha and someone teased me that maybe this will be the topic for the next poem...in a way it is, but not because of the food, but rather the people who came out to eat before doing the next lesson in alpha on their journey to Bethlehem/discovering Jesus!

What is Alpha? below is the introductory video to the course...

 

What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? 

 To whom will you run for help? 

Where will you leave your riches?

Isa.10:3

The love of God is beckoning; oh loved one, do you hear

Because the day of reckoning is drawing ever near

Where we will meet the One whose hands are Calvary engraved

Who came not to condemn the world but that we may be saved

The Hope of God is imploring; oh, hopeless sinner, heed

For the cost of ignoring Him is terrible indeed

Ah, who can bear to meet Him, middle-step and unprepared

Too late to seek redemption when the soul from flesh is bared

The grace of God is pleading still, lest graceless death is Chief

Come, only Jesus can fulfill the Bulwark of Belief

Then haste, the way the shepherds did when angels hailed Christ's birth

To taste firsthand the wonder of Heaven come down to earth

The mercy of God moans and groans where moments hide His face

The One whose blood atones extends time’s steppingstones of grace

Until the breadth of moments yields unto eternity

The love-hope-grace-mercy of God grants opportunity

© Janet Martin

If you are interested in taking the alpha course google it to find one near you.
If you would like details on the one offered at WBC please contact me or WBC.

Anyone, everyone welcome!

Joy-fix

I started writing this poem yesterday morning when dawn burst into bloom like a coral flower!

This morning's 'flower' is wet and gray😀 

...but then Victoria and I decided it might be the last Monday of the season 

to get in a nice fall-colour hike, so off we went!

When we got back since it was election day in Canada we went to vote,

before Grand-sonny arrived to 'help' Grandma with some outdoor fall chores...

...by the time these were finished it was almost dark.

When I returned to the poem this morning I was thinking about how thankful I am that we can 

fix our hope and joy on more than election outcomes!

(we will continue to pray for our leaders in government...
and do our best to be up-building citizens!)

Beauty breaks yon bower

Black of night unfolds

Morning is a flower

Bursting ancient molds

As waking elation

Glimpses He who grants

A kind invitation

To The Cosmic Dance

…where we, when forgiven

Through Jesus, God’s Son

Will inherit Heaven

After earth is done

By no self-wrought merit

Salvation, a gift

Father, Son and Spirit

Bridge damnation’s rift

Beauty breaks yon bower

Grace ignites hope’s flare

None can thwart the power

Of penitent prayer

While the seasons sally

One above Time’s toll

Stays the Divine Rally

Twixt Godhead and soul

…where we with kind courage

Trek this fleck of sod

Not in feckless forage

But with trust in God

For our joy is Jesus

Through Him we proceed

Where Perfect Love bids us

To follow His lead

© Janet Martin

our call to endurance is found in Hebrews 2:1-3

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race set out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.…