Secret To True Success

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. 

Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 

 not looking to your own interests 

but each of you to the interests of the others.

Phil.2:3-4

The photo below is my dad, taken a few weeks ago in his wood-shop.

He is a living example of someone always willing to help someone else!

When he's not helping someone you will find him here.

When we do not view our labour 

Simply as living-to-earn 

But as ways to love our neighbour 

We find joy at ev’ry turn 

When love, rather than work’s wages 

Kindles the fire within 

Time will never waste its ages 

As it roars through our skin 

Then we find with humble wonder 

The secret to true success 

As we collect giving’s plunder 

Love’s kind profit; happiness 

When we live to make a living 

Over loving humankind 

Toil will be an endless striving 

For Something we cannot find 

© Janet Martin

Here is a photo of the wooden clothes dryers he makes and

sells a lot of...

This is size Lg. 48" wide- 65.00

small size is 36" wide and priced at 50.00

Dear Fall

 

I refuse to weep while flowers climb the arbor...

...fringe the fence

I refuse to weep while flowers 

Climb the arbor, fringe the fence 

Not yet felled by eager hours 

Composing reminiscence 

Bind the wounds of sweet surrender 

With the petals that remain 

Till the north wind of November 

Snuffs the remnant gleam with rain 

Wrap the coral wash of morning 

Around wishes not fulfilled 

Turn my head to plumes adorning 

Rooms that death has not yet stilled 

Drive me wild with wonder’s gladness 

Pure and guiltless ecstasy 

Where nature ignores the madness 

Of troubled humanity 

Rouse the minstrels in green maples 

Playing preludes to a show 

Of astonishing ensembles 

Autumn’s color-crescendo 

Take my hand and draw me gently 

From fond summer’s fading street 

Lest I stumble accidentally 

Over blooms strewn at my feet 

© Janet Martin

 

Little Women of Yesteryear

(my personal favorite version of Little Women is the one made in 1949)

Time always feels much older after dark 

After we pass the mark of middle age 

(though secretly we still feel like Jo March 

Behind the veil that falls o’er twilight’s stage) 

To hide the tears that love and longing spark 

Because some things no elements can cage 

Though we no longer hunger to embark 

On voyages that could turn back the page 

Still, we might dare to share half-openly 

Impressions outlined like shadows of ink 

Not brave enough to bare for all to see 

The letting go of places that we think 

Where what remains of what will be, will be 

In spite of what time seals in gold and pink 

Like envelopes containing poetry 

Collected in a vault beyond dusk’s brink 

…where Time always feels older when the cloth 

Of dusk is drawn across earth’s windowpane 

And all is dark save far-off silver froth 

Of stars to make us feel half-young again 

Where let’s admit it, you and I are both 

Jo March inside, unwilling to abstain 

From agonies half-pleasing and half-wroth 

And far too complicated to explain 

Maybe there is a lane where Laurie waits 

But we are far too old to go and see 

Lest while we roam the dark of night abates 

So we submit to sensibility 

And walk sedately with our wedded mates 

Acting ever so very properly 

No swinging or leaping o’er garden gates 

As we put on the person of Marmee

© Janet Martin 

By God's Grace

 Not by seasons of the land...

not by labour of our hand...

...not by tides that ebb and flow

Not by seasons of the land

Not by labor of our hand

Not by tides that ebb and flow

By the grace of God, we go

Not by merit of self-worth

Not by beauty of the earth

Not by status, creed or race

One and all live by God’s grace

© Janet Martin

2 Corinthians 12:9 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, 

for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, 

so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Faith-Factor

Master, The Tempest Is Raging

I love this song for these days where we

are tossed on the waves of unrest wrought by politics, Covid etc.

Fear and worry are not the same as legitimate concern...

Legitimate concern drives us before the Lord where faith renews its strength

And He draws us like Peter, from slipping beneath dark waves of fear and despair

When faith is fixed it leaves no room for dark shadows of doubt 

But ‘we of little faith’ find much to stew and fret about 

For it does not come naturally to trust with all our hearts 

Fear is a constant enemy with swift, venomous darts 

Where all things work to our good for those who love the Lord 

And faith, when held to like we should leaves no room for discord 

But with gentle humility bids us do all we can 

To live in peaceful harmony with our fellowman 

For faith, when it is fixed upon the promises of God 

Is not influenced or undone by circumstance’s rod 

But, in the middle of the storm that tosses us about 

Faith hears God whisper, ‘here I AM, oh, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ 

© Janet Martin 

Matthew 8:26
"You of little faith," Jesus replied, "why are you so afraid?" 

Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, 

and it was perfectly calm.

Matt.14:31

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, 

and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

On Learning The Greatest Command

Who are we going to do something extra-special for today

to say 'you are loved'

My, how much we fret and suffer 

For our own selfish cause 

When we could just love each other 

And through love, fulfill all laws 

My, how much we want and worry 

Futile fear and fretting cursed 

When we could just trust and worship 

He who loves and loved us first 

© Janet Martin

Matt.22:36-40

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Morning Prayer

 

Oh, how I love this season of mist and mellow fruitfulness...John Keats

Lead us Lord, through miles still mantled in the mists of The Unknown 

Grant Thy grace to make us thankful and Thy strength to be our own 

Whet the appetite of longing, not for plunder of this world 

But for riches of a kingdom in eternity unfurled 

Guard us from a fear of people with a rev’rent fear for Thee 

Excuses we make are feeble; fix our eyes on Calvary 

Where there is no condemnation if we repent and believe 

Lead us not into temptation where its promises deceive 

Remind us we are forgiven; not duty, but honour-bound 

As we serve the Lord of heaven and earth from time’s holy ground 

Help us to be kind and humble as we love our fellowman 

Not given to thankless grumbling, help us do the best we can 

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen 

© Janet Martin

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; 

In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.

Psalm 5:3

In Jesus Name I Pray- Charlie Pride

The More That We Are Thankful

Today our new neighbour is getting married!

I'm so thankful for the beautiful weather!

Due to drastically reduced guest-attendant numbers, due to Covid-restrictions

we are invited to a drive-through receiving line to give them personal congratulations.

Judging from the smile on his face this morning

the restrictions are not putting a damper on his joy and excitement💓

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, 

whose mind is stayed on thee: 

because he trusteth in thee.

Isa.26:3

The more that we are thankful

And count life’s simple joys

The less we become rankled

By discontentment’s ploys

The more that we are thankful

For what God’s goodness grants

The less reason to grumble

About the circumstance

The more that we are thankful

The more we seem to find

To make our goals more humble

And make our souls more kind

The more that we are thankful

The less we fear and fret

As we worship the Giver

And not the things we get

© Janet Martin

(In case you wonder why this sudden poem influx...

I have scads of scribbles I'm trying to decipher/salvage

from pages filled while waiting for our new computer.)