The Beauty of the Bitter (or Burnt;-)

 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
    who daily bears our burdens. 

 Our God is a God who saves;
    from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Psalm 68:19-20 

I was looking for a beginning for today's post (Thursday-what's-for-supper)

and when I read this quote that my friend Bren L shared today on her FB post

it set thought's wheels in motion:

"Reflect on your present blessings 

of which every man has many, 

not on your past misfortunes, 

of which all men have some." 

~ Charles Dickens

...When the door bell rings and you answer

and a neighbor hands you a box of Christmas treats along

with best wishes for a blessed Christmas,

is that not one of life's sweetest happiness-es?

 (even before you taste the goodies in the box?!😋😊)

 Does it not make worth burning the first batch of white sauce

you were cooking for supper's green bean casserole

'cause you've been sweetly distracted by treats?!

but then, in the glow that can only come from love/friendship we try again...

melt butter, stir in a few tbsp. of flour, 

then whisk light cream or milk into it until it's a smooth, white sauce, not too thick, not too thin

 pour over green beans, canned or frozen,

Top with shredded cheese...

...and crushed cornflakes tossed with a bit 'o melted butter

Bake at 350 till bubbly...

We served it with Christmas coleslaw;

red and green thinly sliced cabbage, red onion, 

bit of chopped romaine lettuce, red cranberries and toasted sunflower seeds. 

Toss with your favorite vinaigrette dressing. 

...and chicken-pasta-casserole left from lunch;

cooked pasta tossed with chopped cooked chicken breast, 

cream of mushroom soup and cheese.

Imagine if what heaped our plates was all pudding and cake

If consequence would not follow the choices that we make

Imagine if our wish and whim were granted on the spot

And we would never have to work or wait for what we’ve got

Imagine if the bitter never did reveal the sweet

Or wake in us most sacred awe for bread we break and eat

Imagine if destruction was not the first-fruit of pride

How greedy we would be, never thankful or satisfied

Imagine if the plans we made played out beneath our touch

And hope would not be honed by broken dreams and hearts and such

If we would never taste the sting of meek trust’s bitter tears

Then we would waste the would-be sweetness turning days to years

Because the bitter makes sweeter the blessings that we count

It keens our sense to sparkles soft-spilling from Mercy’s fount

Imagine if we did not need each other constantly

How cold, covetous, ungrateful and lonely we would be

© Janet Martin

some more hand-delivered sweetness from friends yesterday afternoon...

This morning's breakfast from the treat-box above is an annual anticipated treat! 

Surely life's bitter parts would be too hard to bear

but for its sweetness-es kindly tucked between!

Here's to being somebody's sweetness today!

Victoria just became mine as she walked into the kitchen dressed for work💝

Reflection's of The Reason For The Season

Snagged some writing time (between dishes) while these munchkins napped...

 (Blurred to respect privacy of non-family members)

This poem was written to refocus on what's important

instead of on what's not done yet!

Let the love of Jesus kindle kindness to each one we meet

Let the joy of Jesus anchor us where cares and prayers compete

Let the hope of Jesus shield our hearts and minds from despair’s woe

Let the peace of Jesus keep us from returning blow for blow

Let the light of Jesus banish doom and gloom with mercy's grace

Let the truth of Jesus vanquish doubt without a shadow's trace

Let the remembrance of Jesus birth in us a song renewed

As the Reason for the season fills our hearts with gratitude

© Janet Martin

It Simply Takes a Spark...

 You are the light of the world.

 A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  

Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.

 Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  

 In the same way, let your light shine before others,

 that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

 Matt 5:14-16

Oh, isn’t it amazing

It simply takes a spark

A tiny candle blazing

To pierce the dark

And eyes turn to its Beacon

However small or large

A lighthouse on life’s ocean

For mortal barge

 Ah, pure and perfect halo

Sweet hope-anointed ray

Like a light in the window

To show the way

Then let Love be within us

A pure and gentle flame  

To shine the light of Jesus

And praise His name

© Janet Martin

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

 He was with God in the beginning.  

 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  

 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  

 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:1-5 

Worth It All...

I commented to someone this morning how the eagerness and excitement
of the Sunday School children 

(looking forward to dressing up like people of old on that First Christmas)

makes 'it' (the extra effort etc.) so worth it all!

My thoughts suddenly flashed to our Heavenly Father looking upon His children,

where many mourn and suffer more than laugh

yet oh, how He knows it was/will be worth it all!

(Now if we are (His) children, then we are heirs--

heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ,

 if indeed we share in his sufferings 

in order that we may also share in his glory. Rom.8:17)

click this link for the story behind the above song

Then when we bow our hearts and heads and whisper ‘I believe’

When we say ‘not my will but thine’, His purpose to achieve

When we count it all joy to bear life’s trials for His sake

Knowing that perseverance comes through trying of our faith

When we without miserly bent give more than ‘just enough’

And trust in what-so state we are to be content and love

When hope that does not make ashamed makes worth the tender toll

Where His grace is sufficient for the carriage/courage of the soul

And when He sees trust prove belief until we Hear Him call

And we stand face to face, both weeping ‘it was worth it all’

Then we will touch His scars as He wipes final tears away

As He receives the glory for the price He had to pay

…then, when we do not understand His perfect reasoning

We ought to come to Bethlehem and bow before the King

And there behold the Lamb of God who came to take away

The sins of this world so that we may dwell with Him for aye

© Janet Martin

 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, 

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23:6

What You Cannot Know (through no fault of your own)

'You didn’t know me then', I sometimes say to my now grown children

 when we talk about something I used to do before they were born, 

such as drive to work at 4:00 a.m. on slippery wintery roads.

 All they know me as is mom who looks after a family’s practical needs!

 (my sis texted me this afternoon about these pages above

and more but you'll have to buy or borrow the book for the rest)😀

The Shape of a Year by Jean Hersey

I think because we have the same mother and we both have daughters

we relate to certain parts of this book on a very mutual level! 

One of my top ten favs ever!

My dear, you cannot understand (by no fault of your own)

How much your mother’s heart expands to hold children full-grown

Or how the girl she was is still a part of who she is

(no matter what changes because Time keeps its promises)

The heart you cannot fathom until you are old as she

Will always still be learning how to hold while setting free

Twixt yester’s child and today’s woman, man her love is torn

Where thankfulness and longing spar in whispers heaven-borne

Yes, she’s been disappointed at love’s disappointments, oh

At how the future is nothing like she dreamed long ago

As God so rich in mercy grants breath-stealing more or less

And teaches her to look closer at ‘what is happiness’

I did not understand back then (through no fault of my own)

How oft my mother’s heart landed before her Father’s throne

Or how once upon long ago my mother used to be

A barefoot maiden filled with dreams foot-loose and fancy-free

Before the call and cares of life joined love and motherhood

And still through all the joy and strife she knew that it is good

How all we did not understand is what waited to be

Sweet thrills of surprise at age-old, newfound discovery

…she waits for passion to become astonished at time’s way

No one can seize the pendulum that dictates night and day

But as the heart expands to hold what soon is left behind

The girl she was will remind her to be patient and kind

© Janet Martin