Under The Umbrella of God's Care

Today's poem was partly inspired by my morning prayer as I asked God to please spread

His care like an umbrella over me and the kiddos that others entrust to my care...

The verge of what will be soon merges with all that has been

Whether valleys shadowed with death or pleasant pastures green...

While the kiddos play or 'help'...

... I sometimes find things to putter about with...

Pinch me! I feel like I just bedded down the gardens,

and though this may be a bit premature, (because yes,

 I do see the snowflakes in next week's forecast)

I just can't resist the urge to merge with garden-dirt a bit

(because the neighbors got a dog, we sorta did too😀)

(Yesterday morning while I was working in the kitchen I heard a clatter in the laundry room.

apparently the back door did not latch properly

after I hung out the laundry and this dog made himself at home without knocking😂

Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, 

and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. 

This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.

Eccles.2:24

Ah, here we are, not very far from learning’s next affair

But always underneath the kind umbrella of God’s care

Because showers of blessing come in every shape and size

Some welcomed with wide open arms, some hard to recognize

We never know what waits to show its face with smile or tear

But oh, the more we trust, the less each of us has to fear

God, we are prone to groan beneath the weight of ‘what might be’

Help us to learn to lean on you with faith’s humility

The gold of beaming rampart unfolds like a work of art

From the grail of God’s mercy to the cup of human heart

Where, here we are, not very far from Love's unfailing Hand

All that we need to do is reach and He will help us stand

The verge of what will be soon merges with all that has been

Whether valleys shadowed with death or pleasant pastures green

We kick the dust of want and must; it rises but to fall

God's grace spreads like an umbrella over one and all

© Janet Martin

The gold of gleaming rampart 

unfolds like a work of art...

Morning Meditation for Soul-feet

 

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

More, oh Lord, than light of morning

To be a lamp to our feet

More than blush and gold adorning

Where light and shadow compete

Where the way is wrought with pitfalls

That the sun cannot expose

As its east to west unravels

The path to life’s curtain-close

More, oh Lord, than resurrection

Of the orb that melts the dark

Pointing in the one direction

That will never miss its mark

Let your word, be like a beacon

And a lamp unto our feet

Let it light the way of reason

Ere death’s solemn gaze we meet

More, oh Lord, than light of heavens

Over each step to preside

Futile is yon molten lantern

Mortal’s deathless crux to guide

Thus, oh Lord, let your Word ever

Be a light unto our way

For Thy Word, oh Lord, will never

Lead the feet of souls astray

© Janet Martin

Is There On Earth Any More Appealing Hymn?

The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof;

 the world, and they that dwell therein.

Psalm 24:1

This Is My Father's World

Is there on earth any more appealing hymn

Than the one that heralds the return of spring?

Is there a more welcome, sweeter melody

Than the robin’s cheery tir-a-tir-a-lee

Than the goldfinch, dapper in bright, yellow duds

Trees and bushes bursting with laughter-filled buds

Showers slipping earthward, washing landscapes clean

Rolling from blue heavens, a threshold of green

Than we, kissed by sunshine’s friendly howdy-do

Counting age-old blessings as if they were new

Peering like schoolchildren, out to yonder clime

Tossed by zephyrs peeling, ‘almost recess time’

Teasing bees from slumber, then the butterfly

Drawing from the garden, snow-white lullaby

Rousing in the farmer, vigor’s vim renewed

Spring is like a charmer, waking gratitude

Gratitude for seasons running through a hand

That created nature to heed his command

While we, glad with reasons that never grow old

Fling open stiff windows long closed to the cold

Hailing hope’s revival akin to the joy

Of welcoming home prodigal girl or boy

Like a celebration as wondrous rebirth

Ushers transformation to both hearts and earth

Comforting the ruddy, winter-weary reed

With a gentle study of pods run to seed

Probing autumn’s castoffs, tucked into the sod

Being kindly whispered back to life by God

He deserves the glory as hearts and buds brim

Is there on earth any more appealing Hymn?

© Janet Martin

Song of Solomon 2:11

For, lo, the winter is past...

Spring and Morning Rhapsody

Like a golden chariot rolling from yon shore

Laughter lobs a lariat snaring winter's roar

According to the calendar winter is past!

Happy, happy spring!

This morning I heard my first robin of the season

heralding the break of day

and the return of spring-summer-fall!

Is there on earth any more pleasant hymn

than the one that heralds the return of spring?!

Noah Builds an Altar
…21When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, 

“Never again will I curse the ground because of man, 

even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth.

 And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done.

 22As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest,

 cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.”

Genesis 8: 21-22

Evidence is throbbing

Over land and sea

Renewed promise lobbing

Mercy’s melody

Heaven’s hallelujah

Draws away the dark

Through God’s vow to Noah

Morning meets its mark

Like a golden chariot

Rolling from yon shore

Laughter lobs a lariat

Snaring winter’s roar

God honours His promise

Beneath Mercy’s wing

Covenanted onus

Always returns spring

From bud-brimming bowers

Like a leaping lamb

Harbinger of flowers

Hoists Hope’s oriflamme

Kindling hallelujah-

Sacrifice of praise

As we thank Jehovah

For His faithful ways

Like a rush of petals

Generations pass

Dust we stir soon settles

On man’s days of grass

With both grace and warning

Mercy spreads His Wing

Always bringing morning

Always bringing spring

Look, the ink of ages

Signs love’s legacy

Winter’s hoary pages

Melt to history

Tuning hallelujahs

With renewed delight

For spring is upon us

After winter’s night

Come, let's heap fresh altars

With offerings of praise

God's word never falters

Nor His perfect ways

Bow with thankful hearts, thus

Mercy will not fail

Light pierces the darkness

Spring rends winter's veil

© Janet Martin

Fringe-Hinge

 

Do you feel it;

The sense of Impending Infinity?

Do you hear it?

How dusk is the hinge on an unfathomable door

And This but the fringe of So Much More

Temporal, so temporary, Eternal, eternity

Yet the two are intertwined very, very intricately

Moments but breath-by-breath tokens preceding forevermore

Where final exhale flings open an unfathomable door

Such a blip of time to ponder what no one can comprehend

Life is no paperback novel; this is serious, my friend

Who knows when we will be ushered from the temporal to see

How what seemed so temporary will impact eternity

© Janet Martin

Peering Down the Habit-hole

Today we are taking a moment to peer down the rabbit, oops, habit hole!

(I'm blaming all the 'bunny-bobbles' around the bird-feeders

and yard for ferhuddling/befuddling me!) 😂 

(although habits are a bit like rabbits; they breed new ones😉)

Habit Definition: (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior 

such as 'her habit of taking a morning walk'.

 2a : an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly

 or completely involuntary such as 'she got up early from force of habit.'

The older I become, the more it dawns on me 

what a potent part habits play in who we become!

Wise to train/bend the limb in the right direction while it is green!

So true the adage; Old habits die hard

Some habits are shaped by necessity;

Others by apathy

Better to get in the habit of counting mercies

rather than misgivings!

A great day is a grateful day!

On my lots-of-tots days my habit of morning blog-post 

(unless it all comes together quickly),

 is now an afternoon nap-time post!

We enjoyed a gorgeous daybreak!

the colors as crisp as the air!

Habits are things we say and do often without much thought

Yet crucial in shaping who we become, like it or not

They tune the tone of grin and groan from the moment we wake

And set down crucial steppingstones to paths of life we take

As strengths or weaknesses imbue the elemental flux

Of word and deed soon turned into character’s vital crux

Habits can settle into mettle of response with ease

They wave no flag of caution to warn of deficiencies

As they seep into attitudes that benefit or taint

With either gratitude or rude and critical complaint

Therefore, we ought to hone habits with care for we become

For better or for worse, blessing or curse of habit’s sum

Ah, holy role of habits, what a potent part you play

A little bit like subtle fingers fashioning the clay

Where what is hidden in the heart has ways of showing through

By how habit accommodates the ways of say-and-do

To weave with ribbons of reply, wise, foolish, cruel or kind 

Life's everlasting legacy each of us leaves behind 

© Janet Martin

So here's a word of encouragement

to honing healthy habits

such as:

Pray before touching down on new day

Read God's word to keep faith's focus undeterred

It is wise to exercise

Eat good food for health-wealth

Chew words well before spitting them out

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12

Our Greatest Awe of All

 Today's Daily Bread Bible reading is one of my favorite passages of scripture;

Eph.2:4-10

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 

 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

 (by grace you have been saved), 

 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 

 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace

 in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

 For by grace you have been saved through faith, 

and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 

 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, 

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Marvelous Grace

The wonders of creation, too manifold to tell

Still pale when in comparison to Living Water’s well

A worldwide invitation to come, to taste and see

The wonders of salvation through grace that sets us free

Where no more condemnation awaits all who believe

In He who paid our pardon, so mortal may receive

Redemption, thus exemption from death’s inherent doom

The hour of repentance, the flower of the tomb

Where the grave has no power, because of Calvary

Where Jesus became our scapegoat and victory

Where all who come to Jesus, He will not turn away

He gave His life to free us from Debt we could not pay

Then come, taste and behold through faith, Mercy's miracle 

The wonders of salvation, our greatest awe of all

© Janet Martin

From Wonder's Treasure Trove...

Do you ever wonder, when you get up

what wonders will fill you with wonder today?

And isn't it wonderful how wonder always take us by surprise?!

Beneath...

or above

Wonder spills its treasure trove!

Wonder is delight’s amazement, worship’s outpouring, unflawed

Wonder is that perfect moment as we forget all but God

As we marvel at the beauty of an unexpected ‘gift’

That surprises Ordinary and gives commonplace a lift

Wonder is awe’s perfect pleasure, making the meek mortal glad

From a trove of priceless treasure spills a thrilling myriad

Cheering creature-care with comfort as God captures our gaze

Composing from thrumming heart-strings a hymn of rapturous praise

Wonder sweeps away gray shadows from the deeps beneath our skin

Granting, at least for the moment, happiness without chagrin

Stealing our breath with sudden, sweet glimpses of paradise

As we taste the crumbs that scatter from a Table in the skies

© Janet Martin

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works 

Which You have done; 

And Your thoughts toward us 

Cannot be recounted to You in order; 

If I would declare and speak of them, 

They are more than can be numbered.

Psalm 40:5