December's Fleeting Greeting

The final month that makes a year greets us as we awake 

Where tides of tick-tock disappear like ripples on a lake 

And makes us take a longer look where leaf-song bursts and fades 

And sweeps up youngsters in a book of childhood’s yesterdays 

The door that gapes beneath the tolling of a shapeless bell 

Invites us through; hearty handshakes always precede farewell 

Where ‘hello dear December’ like a twinkle in time’s eye 

Is soon snuffed like an ember on a hearth of years gone by 

We all start off so small in the Wherewithal of Today 

The Hand of time soon draws us all from carefree hours at play 

As January soon gives way to June and June to fall 

Until we too are stooped and gray that started off so small 

Hope lights the candlestick that sits in windows of the soul 

Without it we are all quick to lose sight of Goodnight’s Goal 

December carves through ages, turns back pages of thin air 

Until we find the manger and the Christ-child lying there 

© Janet Martin

Found an oldie wee Sing Christmas cassette when I was fall cleaning the other week

Love this song! 

Wind Through The Olive Trees

And one more brand new song for your listening/worshipping wonder/pleasure

How Low Was Our Redeemer Brought

November's Exodus (a farewell mosaic)

November exits like a white frosted cake!

Oops! wrong photo!

This is the cake Victoria baked on Saturday!

THIS is November's exodus!

Tonight, the wind raids woodlands stripping leaves that hung aloof 

Ice-pebbles dash black windowpanes and tap-dance on the roof 

And where we had commiserated with earth's brooding bars 

We sense the lowering of lintels laden with white stars 

As if nature was waiting for November’s cheerio 

To deck the halls of hills and fields and boulevards with snow 

Tonight, we sense a keener, meaner tone to After Dark 

We shiver. Gone the melody of leaf-laughter and lark 

The maniacs that hide and bide their time in lofty meads 

Crawl from their sanctuaries and shake out their featherbeds 

They rattle sky-high rafters over countryside and town 

Until earth’s sweeps are swaddled in sheets of soft eiderdown 

The river, a black sateen serpent slithers through the dell 

December holds the door and bids November fond farewell 

Adios until next year; may the days till your return 

Unfold and spill like flowers into Bygone’s phantom urn 

And may the echoes wafting in the wake of morrows met 

Be as pure as the snowflake’s swirling, twirling pirouette 

Tonight we put the kettle on and sip sweet, minty tea

We set sail on book-schooners to lands far, across the sea

We snuggle beneath blankets and count cozy blessings, oh

And thank God for each beauty that earth can never outgrow

Tonight the poet duels with the fuel of a poem 

Tonight the tug of farewell tangles with the hug of home

© Janet Martin 

Tonight we set sail on book-schooners...

The R&R of Prayer (Replenishing Relationship or Request-Result?)

Be still and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

sunset and moonrise happened simultaneously the other night...

This past Sunday morning our speaker challenged us 

to consider what our motive is when we pray; 

Is it result-driven or relationship-driven? 

(confession!! I was thoroughly convicted!)

I Will wait for You-Praise and Harmony

In Need-Praise and Harmony

Oh God, I must confess my sin of emptiness and woe 

When Your reply frustrates my ‘I’ with 'why' or 'when' or 'no' 

Sometimes my prayer is more about results rather than You 

When I allow despair and doubt to dictate Point of View 

Help me to learn to be more still and know that You are God 

Forgive me; my interpretation of Your will is flawed 

How deceitful and wicked is my heart; You fully know 

I grasp a microscopic part of the grace You bestow

The hollows and the holes of human nature gape and plead 

Where only fellowship with God consoles our greatest need 

God, help me to be meeker in my effort to depend 

And be a humble seeker not of answers, but a Friend

Oh glorious Creator, we see but a glimpse of You

Greater than rolling sea, four-season-lea and yonder blue 

The universe is but the outer fringe of who You are

How faint the whisper that we hear, hinged to Your thund'ring pow'r

Then help me Lord, to trust in You with all my heart and mind

My understanding is confused by perception, sight-blind

Forgive me when I put stock in matters seized by my hands

Forgive me when I balk at what obedience demands 

God, you are not a God who lives in temples mortal-made

How often I forget who gives us Invisible aid 

Then teach me how to pray through so much more than words I speak

And let relationship with You be the first thing I seek

 

© Janet Martin 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, 

and all these things shall be added to you.

Matt. 6:33

Down the Road, So Thankful Then...

Inspired by my friend's comment about the effort it takes to get a family photo done!

She said' Surely we'll be thankful to have them, down the road!'

Her words impacted me with the thought of how often struggle and effort is

for something 'down the road we will be thankful for'!

For all the times we didn’t take the easy way, for where it led 

And suffered loss for Jesus’ sake to look after the poor instead 

And did not follow after what indulges pleasure’s endless thirst 

Because it did not imitate the example that Christ set first 

For all the ways we failed, yet did not fall prey to the doubter’s lies 

But confessed our sin and then once more pursued the Runner’s Prize 

And threw off all that hindered us; the sin that easily besets 

Fixing our eyes on faith’s Author and Perfecter, and not regrets 

For all the times ‘Thy will be done’ required surrender’s hard parts 

And sacrifices no one knew but He who knows our heart of hearts 

Way down the road (or near at hand, ah, who can tell) when we look back 

So thankful then, for all the times He kept us through the foe’s attack 

So thankful then for hope that did not make ashamed the love whereby 

God poured his Holy Spirit into us in trustworthy supply 

So thankful then to hear Him say ‘well done’ as humbly, joyfully 

We worship evermore the One who said, I draw all men to Me 

© Janet Martin 

(this next little poem also inspired by another friend's remark a few days ago

about trusting the Author and Perfecter of our faith...

and I realized often

The author is easy to accept/trust, but oh, 

the Perfecter; we cannot begin to fathom His ways!

The Author of our faith we gladly acknowledge is God 

But the Perfecter, this is where He tests the faith we laud 

The Author we embrace and hail the grace whereby we go 

The Perfecter; His ways we do not understand or know 

The Author gave His Son to save us from just judgment’s wrath 

The Perfecter (or finisher) tries words with Real Life’s path 

Where both blessing and hardship play a very vital part 

In proving through response who is the Lord God of the heart 

© Janet Martin 

Does our faith dare to utter the prayer of Habakkuk in Habakkuk 3? 

v.2  Lord, I have heard of your fame; 

 I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.

Repeat them in our day,

in our time make them known;

in wrath remember mercy...

v 16 I heard and my heart pounded, 

my lips quivered at the sound; 

decay crept into my bones, 

and my legs trembled. 

Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity 

to come on the nation invading us. 

17 Though the fig tree does not bud 

and there are no grapes on the vines, 

though the olive crop fails 

and the fields produce no food, 

though there are no sheep in the pen 

and no cattle in the stalls, 

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, 

I will be joyful in God my Savior. 

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; 

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, 

he enables me to tread on the heights. 

Approaching Advent...

Your eyes saw my unformed body; 

 all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:16

Is there Room in your Heart?

(one of my favorite advent hymns!)

All the World Awaits...

Miracle of Love

No matter what we dread or fear, crave or anticipate 

Or hate or love, or wish or wonder or doubt or debate 

No matter what we have and hold or lose, bind or set free 

All of our days were written down before one came to be 

Naked we came into this world; naked we will return 

No matter what we boast or brave or crave or learn or earn 

Each morn, like a banner unfurled, advances certainly 

The Doorway to another world beyond the one we see 

No matter what or how or where one thing we cannot change 

The One who saw us ere we were and nothing can estrange 

No matter who we think we are, we are his workmanship 

Created for good works in He who will aid and equip 

He saves us by his grace, not works, lest anyone should boast 

Without faith it is impossible to please Love’s Uttermost 

No matter where life takes us it is no surprise to He 

Who ordained all our days before one of them came to be 

For we who have believed (ah, mortal’s most wonderful state) 

Do not despair but look beyond earth’s grave-studded dirt-gate 

To Bethlehem, to Calvary, to Triumph’s empty tomb 

To He who knew us when we were still in our mother’s womb 

© Janet Martin 

A Picture Hides A Thousand Words

While I was arranging my advent center-piece

the dried black beans I soaked overnight boiled over. 

(every so often I soak a bunch, then cook and freeze them)

It doesn't seem to matter how big a pot I use they will boil over 

into a black mess on the stove!

It's just ridiculous how much foam they create!

So, as serene as the centerpiece appears, all by itself

it sits among the mess and hub-bub of life

and the smell of burnt bean-water in the burner😆

Reminded me of the drama of taking family-photos

which for us is not an annual event!

First there's the, 'what shall I WEAR?!!

To the 'you're not wearing That, are you?! 

to Mom, does this look okay?

 to 'how's my hair?'

 to, mom's hesitant query to the nonchalant one; are you...ready??? 

and the not-hesitant 'yup'!.

SO much more than meets the eye goes into The Family Photo!

But. It . Happened.

Thanks to a nice November Sunday

and super photographer Brittany Ruppert 

for all her amazing farm animal noises which kept

children and adults distracted/relaxed/laughing/smiling!

(the reason Victoria is just about dying of laughter on every photo)😂😂

A picture hides a thousand words 

Behind its tidy guiles 

Is so much more than seen or heard 

In polished, paper smiles 

A picture only snares a glimpse 

We siphon from the mess 

To capture from the chaos, glints 

Of arranged happiness 

Oh, Brant 'Johnny' dear, don’t cross your eyes 

Quick, click the shutter please 

Where, fingers crossed, we snare a prize 

Midst disharmonic ‘c-h-e-e-e-se’ 

A photo (do not be deceived) 

By that which visage meets/metes 

For meek, sweet stance is oft achieved 

Through threats or promised treats 

Now everybody, one-two-three 

Oh no! I laughed-blinked-sneezed 

And ho, he thinks I didn’t see 

What Mister Kissed-her squeezed 

I’m thankful for the memento 

Of precious photograph 

I’m thankful that they only show 

The quiet, composed half 

I’m thankful for the keepsakes of 

Seasons soon turned to Was 

While time steals days but never love 

In spite of all it does 

I’m thankful for the sweet half-lie 

In tidy, pretty pose 

Of so much more than meets the eye 

…unless you are a rose 

I'm thankful for moments that smiled

Midst life's rough-tumble ways 

As we capture for morrow's child

Snapshots of Good Old Days

© Janet Martin 

For Kids and Parents (of all ages)

We make laundry, 

Lots of messes 

Happiness’s 

Finest parts 

We make parents 

Laugh and lament 

We melt popsicles 

And hearts 

We make Ordinary 

Sacred

We make headaches ...

We are loud 

We make parents 

Lose their patience 

We make parents 

Feel so proud 

We make dishes 

And the wishes 

Of mommies 

And daddies come true 

We make noise 

And joys 

And sorrows 

Cause that's what 

Girls and boys do 

We make sticky 

Hugs and kisses 

We make adults 

Children too 

We make everything 

So worth it 

With soft, chubby, 

‘I wuv/love you’ 

Did I mention 

We make messes 

We make parents 

Find their knees 

While we make 

Best Happiness-es 

While we make 

Best Memories 

© Janet Martin 

I wrote this with one on my lap 

Squeezing me with hugs and kisses and one 

Beside me who, after I read 

Part of the poem 

pleaded non-stop 

‘ple-e-e-se may I have a melty popsicle? 

I love melty popsicles, ple-e-e-e-ase! 

Sometimes ya’ just gotta 

Strike while the iron is hot! 

Now let’s see if we have any popsicles! 

Yes!

So they had those while I posted this,

then Little boy climbed back up on my chair

 put his arms around my neck and right now he

is hiccupping loudly in my ear😍😂😇

(must be that popsicle:)

Lessons Easier Said than Done

 

This is nothing new; the uncertainty of the times we are in!

God bless you as we learn together

to trust and lean more completely on Him!

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

2 Cor.6:1-2

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.

 For he says,

“In the time of my favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you.”[a]

I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, 

now is the day of salvation.

Learning to lean longer, stronger through meeker relinquishment 

Learning to let weakness be the catalyst to Super-strength 

Learning to be less of me so that there can be more of You 

Are all lessons that are so much easier to say than do 

Learning to listen rather than pour out my heart’s misery 

Learning to be still and know that you are Graced Sufficiency 

Learning to let go while holding on to You, unfailing One 

Are lessons far easier said than wholly, holy, humbly done 

Learning to trust without knowing what lies near or far ahead 

Learning to rest in the promises You gave to us instead 

Learning to live each day like it could be life’s severing tie 

Are lessons far easier to say than do, but we should try 

© Janet Martin