Precious, Ordinary Days...

 Often hubby asks when I call him at night

'what did you do today'

or he will call during the day and ask, 'what were you doing'

and my reply more often than not will be something like

'I was downstairs putting wood on the fire', or 'I am getting lunch for tot/tots

or I was upstairs putting laundry away, 

I was doing dishes, sweeping the floor, tidying up, cooking supper,

(well, you get the idea)

and often I marvel at how what sounds so mundane when spoken

can still steal one's breath so completely 

by the beauty of being able to do these things!

Oh, what a gift to be able to live precious, ordinary days! 

No matter how repetitive they feel,

like going round and round the yard while pulling a sled,

still no two rounds are ever exactly the same!

We were chuckling/puzzling at the haste with which Little Man devoured first course 

until we realized what was sitting next to him...

two cookies disappeared before we could say 'whoa!'

Ah, precious ordinary days

They weave their way through heart and soul

With footprints that no one can trace

Save on the air where echoes toll

Ah, precious ordinary days

They sweep through us with grin and groan

Then meld into a misty maze

Paved with a haze of precious stone

Ah, precious, ordinary days

They seem so common at first glance

But steal our breath with changeless ways

Of Time and its persistent stance

…a fine mingling of hope and dread

Runs through us as we sense time’s ways

Soft-tugging on the sacred thread

Of precious, ordinary days

© Janet Martin

Little Girl was kept quite busy trying to hold/protect her playthings 

from a rambunctious little boy😉 

 ...and then little Princess woke from her nap...

 Sometimes, in the morning when I sense an onslaught of sticki-mess and noise 

I pray something similar to Psalm 90:12

"teach me to cherish my days so I may gain a heart of patience and tenderness"

'Dance' Lessons

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, 

who have been called according to his purpose.

Rom.8:28

 I'm hoping today's moves include cookie-cutters!

Dawn’s rise-and-shine rehearsals toward farewell’s rest-in-peace

Grants dances that can leave us breathless in its twist-and-turn

The Choreographer of have-and-hold’s hug-and-release

Surprises us with steps we never dreamed that we could learn

Time’s what-once-was with ways nonplussed composes quite a tune

While what-now-is tests physical and mental want-and-will

Today’s moves we must master wait to waltz us ‘cross a room

That soon will ring with echoes where our tears and laughter spill

...and we should try to trust Love’s lead, rather than understand

His choreography for His glory, not yours and mine

Thus, often contrary to the performances we planned

But always for our good He unfolds each dance-move's design

© Janet Martin

Give Thanks and Don't Annoy The Cook

 

What happens when you layer this in the crockpot?
(chicken or any meat of your preference, rice, (or quinoa) corn, onion,
jalapeno or sweet peppers, canned tomatoes,
 beans ( kidney, pinto or black) and cheese on top)

Filling for wraps! Serve with sour cream and salsa or spicy Thai Sauce

... a bit of thinly sliced cabbage for greenery in the wrap adds filler and cuts back on carbs!

Yes, there were raised eye-brows when I suggested this
but the fresh greens in the store are pretty pricey right now
so we just don't always have them on hand!

Give thanks where dusk has drawn dark shutters over land and sea

Where what was new this morning decks the halls of history

Give thanks where supper hour beckons us to grab a seat

As we all have in common what the cook has prepped to eat

Give thanks with humble homage to the One who grants us This

Give thanks for appetites even when something tastes amiss

Give thanks and do not grumble at your share of daily bread

*And don’t annoy the cook or you might wear it on your head

© Janet Martin

Thankfully my family does not grumble when it comes to meals.

They know better than to open the door to a pep-talk about appreciation

and the less-fortunate!😀 

 Oh! and purple room I was painting a week ago is now 'cream' room!

Wonder of Wonders...

Does the oldest love story ever fill you with newfound wonder?!

Wonder of wonders oft told and retold

Love’s oldest story that never grows old

Jesus left glory and became a man

For the fulfillment of salvation’s plan

Mercy of mercies, where can we begin

To spell the sorrows that suffered for sin

Spotless Perfection became sin for us

Mankind’s salvation through one Name, Jesus

Jesus, oh, Jesus Redeemer and Friend

Wonder of wonders that will never end

Mercy of mercies, you loved us so well

That you left Heaven to save us from hell

© Janet Martin

Phil.2:5-8

 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
    he humbled himself
    by becoming obedient to death—
        even death on a cross!

Adoration Anthem

O holy night what sacred hope Love’s sympathy allowed

Come to redeem with His own blood a lost, unholy crowd

Where sacrifice of bulls and rams would never satisfy

And none amongst the Shepherd’s lambs could ever justify

O Lamb of God who knew no sin left heaven to become

The pure and perfect offering for He was God’s own Son

And though the Father knew the awful price that He would pay

He saw, after death’s sacrifice glad Resurrection Day

...there His wrath was appeased; love looked beyond the suffering

He beheld the accomplishment of life that death would bring

Of many sons and daughters to glory, victorious

Because the blood of Jesus cleanses from unrighteousness

O holy dread, where Bethlehem welcomed Calvary’s Lamb

O manger-bed thy diadem was Yaweh’s Son, I AM

O come then, one and all, where once for all Life dashed death’s sting

Salvation’s pioneer perfected through His suffering

Then let hearts leap for joy and love be bowed with tenderness

Let we who this true hope employ be filled with happiness 

And let us reason together of grace whereby we go

For though our sins were scarlet now we are washed white as snow

O holy night, what sacred joy love’s sympathy allowed

On earth Peace and goodwill to man, prone to be vile and proud

And when this life is over, death has no dominion then

If we believe we will receive eternal life. Amen

© Janet Martin

 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, 

now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, 

so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.  

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, 

for whom and through whom all things exist, 

to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.  

For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. 

So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 

Heb.2:9-11