The Truth About Things

This poem was inspired partly by this morning's Bible Love Note

and partly by spending a few hours yesterday burning

brush picked up and raked form the yard...

'At death all Things will turn to dust and ash'

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: 

and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Eccles.12:7

Truth does not shift its weight from foot to foot

Or like a shadow; it is absolute

The precedence of God no one outranks

Man’s part is to obey and give Him thanks

This keeps the heart from becoming enslaved

To the futility of Things, the ‘old man’ craved

Truth teaches us to value what we ought

Lest in the quest for wealth, Truth is forgot

Only treasures in heaven will not rust

All else at death will turn to ash and dust

Naked we came and naked we will leave

Beware, lest snare of Satan doth deceive

The grave is the cadaver’s final splash

At death all Things will turn to dust and ash

© Janet Martin

 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, 

where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 

20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 

where moth and rust do not destroy,

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.…

Matt.6:19-21

On that note I am about to leave to buy some things,

Because some Things serve a sweet cause such as

 a gift for Grand-daughter's second birthday!

Last year store-lockdowns and Covid restrictions

 kept her first birthday a rather low-key

celebration. no gifts, no party!

This year hopefully we will celebrate with renewed awareness and thankfulness

 of the preciousness of words like 'together' and 'hello'

and 'have a piece of cake'!

From The Hull of Broken Darkness

This is more than transformation pouring from night’s broken pod

More than blush rush of creation; morning is the voice of God

We who trust the tender Shepherd know there is no need to fear

By His Shadow we are covered no matter what, He is near

Never alone, what a promise as we hope and watch and pray

From the hull of broken darkness pours far more than light of day

Lift your eyes above the chaos that afflicts this slip of sod

From the hull of broken darkness pours the faithfulness of God

© Janet Martin

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—

From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to [a]be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your [b]keeper;

The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall [c]preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

8 The Lord shall preserve[d] your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

Today's Challenge...(of what we do for who and why)

We were challenged at the end of Sunday morning's message 

to live in obedience to God, as taught through his Word, 

for the purpose, not of holding us back from our calling

but fulfilling it; giving God all honour and glory

Another day breaks

...and with it God's grace

and replies, soon left behind

Lord, help us to be vigilant,

and diligent

and kind

We wake, make plans, follow the lead

Of beck and call of want and need

Where what we do for who and why

Determines where our passions lie

Where what inspires/fires boast

Bears witness to who we love most

Where how and if and what we pray

Conveys much more than words may say

Where the hidden man of the heart

Plays a very important part

Because as time moves us along

The ‘hidden’ is not hid for long

But shows himself in how we live

In what we keep, in what we give

In gratitude and attitude

Where Rebel Self must be subdued

Where pray our utter goal would be

The soul’s accountability

And therefore, to renounce control

And pray that faith would make us whole

As with Mary’s humility

We reply, ‘be it unto me’

To glorify the One who gave

Himself, man’s selfish soul to save

So, death and hell will not prevail

When from time’s strait the soul sets sail

To meet love’s author, face to face

To reckon what we did with grace

Where what we do, for who and why

Proves who we seek to glorify…

Lord, pray that what we say and do

Today will bring glory to You

Amen

© Janet Martin

Do you not know that you are the temple of God

 and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

If anyone [b]defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.

 For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

1 Cor.3:16-17

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