Your Common Sense...or Mine?

 If COVID-19 has revealed anything it's how very 

strongly we can disagree!

 ...granting all of us the opportunity to be a little humbler and kinder!

You say that you have common sense and I say you overreact

You think my common sense is strange; I say it is matter of fact

You tell me the right thing to do and I say absolutely NOT

You say more and I say less 

and you say no and I say yes

And we say what a noisy mess of diff’rences we’ve got

Some need to know ahead of time and some just wait and see

Some love white bread with butter; some live meat and gluten free

Variety, the spice of life can cause quite a kerfuffle

Unless we easy up a bit 

and settle down the dust of it

And sometimes just say nothing to save feathers we might ruffle

© Janet Martin


...inspired in part by some feathers strewn about the yard😏

Of Time We Have

Aha, it’s true; we have not always turned the other cheek

And kicked, rather than stooped to help the cast down or the weak

We’ve hurled stones; guilty then of equal or the greater sin

Ah, and we have failed to be kind; oh, where shall I begin

So then it seems to me we all are kindred sister-brother

And none has any merit save to simply love each other

Lest while we point out dust-flecks in a fellow-trav’ler’s eye

We miss the beam protruding from our forehead; my, oh, my

I wish we would remember when our fickle tempers flare

How much we need each other to be kind, and simply care

For in this journey forward not into but through the grave

We have so little time to make the most of time we have

© Janet Martin

Sweet, Sweet, Wonderful Joy

Facebook is filled with people sharing whatever it is that brings joy, 

because there’s something about joy that just makes us want to share it! 

Whether sparked by babies, berries, flowers, birds,bonfires, completed projects,

 birthdays, ice-cream, shiny truck, meals, music, celebrations, scenery, sunrise or set; 

(these just a few of the joys shared in my feed recently) the list is endless. 

I’ve come to the conclusion that joy is just too wonder-full not to share!

Trusty flare of morning sun

Fades the stars, unveils the lea

From the fount where mercies run

Brims fresh Joy waiting to be

Feel the kiss that God bestows

Darling little girl and boy

Beauty gilds myriad woes

Sorrow overflows with joy

Pause to prize the petal-plume

Let wonder its thrill impart

Feel joy’s flower burst to bloom

In the garden of the heart

Taste the moment Mercy grants

Who knows what today may bring

Treasure Pleasure’s song and dance

That only pure joy can sing

Find amidst the thorn, the rose

Pause because who knows how soon

Joy’s paradox must compose

A most mournful, somber tune

Aha, herein lies the shift

From love’s flood of blood-sweat-tears

Comes the precious, priceless gift

Of joy, sweet, sweet joy, my dears

My, what happiness joy fires

By God's kind mercies renewed

Joy, His holy joy inspires

Humble, glorious gratitude

© Janet Martin

A glimpse of some personal joys

of the past few days...

Freshly painted bathroom courtesy of Victoria

Who is the Paint Lady at the local hardware store

and thought some painting experience might be nice...

She chose the colour and chose well.

So refreshing to go from a dark purply-taupe to soft hint of sage green...

peonies popped,

 Garden goodness granting endless salad-creation opportunities...

Garden goodness granting grandchildren wonderlands...

(and no, after all these years garden-dirt still does not taste like chocolate)

Flowers, flowers, flowers...

 lovely laundry day...

Helping hands...after I reassured him it's not scary

and I snagged fleeing Grandsonny to show him what fun he could have

helping to turn Stale Crust Collection into casserole toppers and meatloaf-filler etc...

(this was after a clean-up when Brother informed me that Sister poop-ed, pronounced poopette!

Doesn't that 'ette' add a bit of daintiness to a completely undainty task?!) 😂😁

Grandson is going through a stage where every word ending in -ed is an extra syllable😊

Oh, SO much joy in bein' Gramma!

(there was a time when the word Gramma filled me with apprehension

with its older-age connotation...no more! Gramma or not, time will do its thing!)

NOW, hopefully by the end of today I will be feeling the joy that comes

from a thoroughly cleaned house!

I love our large open windows but dust from tractor-traffic going by

has added an extra unwanted grit-coating to floor and furniture!

And a verse as timely as ever...

When anxiety was great within me,
    your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 94:19

Sinking Ships Without God's 'Quick'

The other day a friend gifted this book to me: (insert a happy jig😊)

...and though most of the layers of his poetry are over my middle-aged

housewife-head, every poem sparks Something...

Beneath our skin base villains vie for vict’ry’s seat of honor, oh

Loud, loud, around the throne they crowd, always eager to overthrow

The virtue of a gentle answer for retaliations, rash

They seek the chink in noble intent; tempt Opinion’s quick backlash

How much is veiled beneath facades; how cool a body can belie

Thought’s bloody battlefield not revealed to the study of the eye

Where jealousy and pride are poised to pounce upon the easy prey

Of Selfish Lust when by enticement Humble Trust is drawn away

The riots that ensue beneath quiet-embossed exterior

Are nothing to be scoffed at where pitiless pirates storm the core

Of barges that ferry a Charge more precious than Want’s gleaming dross

Where, if the Guard is lax, attacks will weaken to the point of loss

The cargo that feet carry beneath very common decoupage

If Mortal is not wary, is subject to scary sabotage

Desire’s treason needs no reason to defraud, trick and mislead

Where beneath skin Will cannot win without God’s ‘Quick’ to intercede

© Janet Martin

Heb.4:12 KJV

For the word of God is quick, and powerful,

 and sharper than any twoedged sword, 

piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, 

and of the joints and marrow, 

and is a discerner of the thoughts 

and intents of the heart.

 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, 

and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, 

but with the flesh the law of sin.

Romans 7:21-25