Not Only For The Gifts...

 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

and comes down from the Father of lights, 

with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

James 1:17 NKJV

Not only for the gifts, dear Lord

Though mercy-tides abound

With blessing no wealth could afford

If owed by buck or pound

We thank Thee, not just for the gift

But for the Giver too

With humble gratitude we lift

Our utter praise to You

For what, oh Lord, is man that Thou

Maker of Heav’n and earth

Shouldst ever so freely endow

Mortal with mercy’s worth

Then, greater than the gifted Thing

Though we are humbly awed

Is He who gives; and thus we sing

Our praise to Thee, oh God

© Janet Martin

Psalm 96

 Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
² Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

⁴ For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    he is to be feared above all gods.
⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and glory are in his sanctuary.

⁷ Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
⁸ Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the Lord in the splendor of his^[a] holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
    The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.

¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

The Awe of What Yet Waits...(or The Forwardness of Time)

 Yesterday, at the close of our worship service our pianist thanked God

not only for what He has done but for what He is going to do!

Isn't that an amazing Anticipation to start a new week on...

the hope and assurance of what He yet will do!

The forwardness of time is something none of us can overpow’r

And who of us can force the bud or pull its petal into flow’r

The finer things of love and life are not its passions we pursue

But rather the peace He will tender as we surrender anew

The ether tulle that tints the crepuscule that snuffs the dimming day

Soon dons the brush that spawns the blush that yawns the hush of night away

To kindle in the dwindling barge a charge that sparks the sacred toll

Where time’s sliver of light we see is but eternity’s keyhole

The say and do of me and you in time’s grand scheme may seem minute

But ho! The seeds of words and deeds will without fail unveil its fruit

And what seemed of small recompense when falling from our hands or lips

Becomes the bedrock or the bog whereby somebody stands or slips

The way we are can scar a soul without the holiness of God

He grants the grace that makes us whole in spite of holes in our façade

Where without Him the forwardness of time is a grim enterprise

Because it leaves us without hope when death has cut us down to size

The forwardness of time does not return us to yester’s despair

Its ladder that we climb is anchored in God’s everlasting care

Where all that he has done does not exhaust the mercy dawn makes new

But ushers with the rising sun the awe of what He yet will do

© Janet Martin

"Oh God, will you give me the song to share today?"

I prayed before I clicked Youtube 

And the song below was the first 'suggestion'!!

perfect.

No better words to start a day or week on!

Thank-you Lord!

 

A friend sent me this song today after reading this post.

Suddenly It Is Saturday

A lot of weathered hopes will be rolled forward

to be repeated this coming week, Lord willing

especially as we pray for those in and beside sick-beds!

Between the folds of gold and gray

Another week is rolled away

With ups and downs and grins and frowns

Suddenly it is Saturday

The bloom that popped the bud last week

Has dropped her petal on earth’s cheek

Each hour felled and freed to meld

With what we held but could not keep

Ho, ho, Time’s rough-and-tumble pace

Would be a rat-race, (but for grace)

So on we press with humble ‘yes’

Prayer in the heart, smile on the face

While mile on mile through come-what-may

With smiles we smile and prayers we pray

With hope and trust, midst may and must

Suddenly it is Saturday

The dust that settles at our feet

Where want and wonderment compete

Arrange with ease the memories

Of love’s mementos, bittersweet

Dear Lord, so rich in mercy, guide

Until we cross this time tossed-tide

That files its ways through Saturdays

Until we reach The Other Side

© Janet Martin

 ...And lead us not into temptation, 

but deliver us from the evil one.'

Matt.6:13

The Full Gamut...of Love

 For all the reluctance that some letting go sparks

there is always a whole gamut of new thrills waiting to be

held, if ever so briefly!

So then love and let go;

Life is sure to bestow

Fresh wonder-filled hellos

To buoy and to bless

A flowerful ‘oh my’

Cloud-pontoons drifting by

June yielding to July’s

Imminent happiness

A school-boy with a pup,

Sun-sparkly buttercup

A mug to refill up

With daybreak’s favourite brew

Innocence of a child,

Vagabond blooms run wild

And duty’s march beguiled

By beauty’s howdy-dee-do

Oatmeal cookie, mint tea,

A good book’s company

Slow teal song of the sea

Melting over bare feet

Smiles to hold back love’s tears

Where don’t-blink balladeers

Dance on what disappears

Like amber fields of wheat

Miss Mischief, halo-crowned

Small sorrows, laughter drowned

Leaf-lays that kinda sound

Like far-off waterfalls

Big shoes and little lads

(The wake-up call for dads)

An afternoon of ‘glads’

That deck sweet summer’s halls

The almost supper hour

The leaning shadow-tow’r

The promise of a flow’r

From earth’s bud-laden trove

Un-expectation’s bans

In sudden change of plans

The Faithfulness that spans

The full gamut of love

© Janet Martin

Barter

by Sara Teasdale 1884-1933

Life has loveliness to sell,
   All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder in a cup.

 Life has loveliness to sell, 

 Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
   Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

 Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstacy
Give all you have been, or could be.