Of Glint and Fray

It is impossible 

to return

to undo 

or redo

what we would do

differently 

if given the chance

All we can do

is the best 

we can do

with what we hold

today...

This💖💖💖 (do you remember those dream-sweet play-days?)💘

Lots of little flash-back moments as the tots of today

dust off the toys of yesterday

and fill them with starry-eyed pleasures once again,

as the little hands that used to play with them are now 

juggling the demands and responsibilities

of growing up

Timeless thrills...

The beginning...

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; 

and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Eccles.1:14

The conclusion...

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter:

 Fear God and keep his commandments, 

for this is the duty of all mankind.

Eccles.12:13

Ah, life the way it used to be

Gleams like a summer, sun-kissed sea

Cupped in a sigh, a memory

A vault of yesterdays

Whilst look, the dark above us dims

Like brook-song, morning’s skyline brims

A canticle of hopes-whims-hymns

Shimmers on untouched trays

…with friendship waiting to be made

With Duty’s common promenade

With Poetry’s awed escapade

With high five and low blow

With mercy and sufficient grace

With smile upon a loved one’s face

With hand to hold and dream to chase

With wonderment and woe

…with turning older, tick by tock

Yet, learning not to watch the clock

But rather where and how we walk

While Time is on our side

To try to taste full flavors of

The subtle nuances of love

And to never get quite enough

Of moments not yet tried

While dust to dust and ash to ash

Waits to reduce its starry splash

And slow the feet that dance and dash

Through childhood’s greenest green

Until they too gaze at a sea

Cupped in a sigh, a memory

Of life the way it used to be

Before the years between

Ah, life the way it used to be

Is juxtaposed with you and me

And present opportunity

To tint the glint and fray

That tunes the tide that ebbs and flows

With echo-molded mementos

That wash in pictures we compose

With what we hold today 

© Janet Martin

Word-Girded

Dear fellow-friend, fellow-trav'ler

I pray for us today

That we would search and trust God's word

To show and lead the way

Eph.6:13-17

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, 

that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, 

and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, 

having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

  above all, taking the shield of faith 

with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

  And take the helmet of salvation, 

and the sword of the Spirit, 

which is the word of God;

And here it is, all the above in One!

and all other books ever written

cannot take the place of This one, 

the Eternal Word of God...

'Heaven and earth will pass away, 

but my words will never pass away.'

Matt. 24:35

By Thy word, Lord, not mind's logic,

Let the lens that we look through

Slay doubt’s deathly and demonic

Misconceptions about You

Shine Thy word, a lamp to our feet

And a light unto life's path

Let salvation’s message repeat

Man's redemption from Thy wrath

When temptation tries and teases

We are more than conquerors

If we put our faith in Jesus

Man’s divine deliverer

In this world we will have trouble

Sorrow is love’s compromise

Time is like a bobbing bubble

Cupping an eternal prize

By Thy Word, Lord, let love's witness

Be honest and undefiled

Lead us in paths of righteousness

Thou, our/my Father, I/we, Thy Child

Thou, the Author of salvation

Knew our best would be inept

By Thy blood-bought invitation

We are saved if we accept

By Thy Word, Lord, not sight’s onus

Let faith’s mind be stayed on Thee

Let the perfect peace You promise

Be our cry of victory

© Janet Martin

(this post was first written in first person, me/my

then I prayed for my family and changed it to we/our,

then I prayed for my extended family (you)

and in the end it became a poem for all of us!!🙏💖)

For Better or For Worse Love's Fool-proof Evidence

There is only one fool-proof instruction manual for love:

God's Word, The Holy Bible

There is only one perfect example of love:

God's Son, Jesus

There is only one name above every name:

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place

and gave Him the name above all names,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Phil.2:9-11

...for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men,

1 Kings 8:39

...for the Lord searches all hearts, 

and understands every intent of the thoughts.

1 Chron.28:9

...for God sees not as man sees, 

for man looks at the outward appearance, 

but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Sam.16:7

(A perk of not finishing a morning post till tot is in for an afternoon nap?

some lunch snapshots.😊)

Pots and pans can help us cook up quite a visually-appealing lunch-feast!

(I am always astonished at how a mountain of spinach

disappears when cooked)

This medley of stir-fried onion, green and red sweet peppers,

 celery, carrot and spinach

 topped with a scoop of quinoa, 

a splash of soy sauce

and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds was yummy!

For the first time I cooked un-gummy quinoa

thanks to this post;

How to cook perfect quinoa

😋

Besides pots-and-pans feasts,

Thoughts of man can cook up quite a feast too!

Whether with mind or mouth, 

we become what we regularly feast on.

For better of for worse God knows the intent of the heart

He sees beneath façade of skin that clothes the counterpart

Of longing’s smart and rebel pride,

Of cupid’s dart and dreams denied

His tender gaze beholds the ways of mortal’s mental art

We soon expose, in spite of clothes the thought-guests that we host

The ilk of word and deed soon shows what God/gods we love the most

By what we boast and what we crave

By who we toast astride the grave

By how one lives the Now grace gives; Heaven or earth-engrossed

When circumstance upsets The Plan, when tolerance is tried

When song and dance of fellowman obstructs the prudent stride

For better or for worse God knows

Whether we bless or curse want’s woes

Without a word the heart is heard and seen; nowhere to hide

The intent of the heart becomes tomorrow’s testaments

A catalyst of sacred crumbs scattering recompense

Where, someday we will give account

For seeds that spill from fleeting fount

To strew behind, from heart and mind, love’s fool-proof evidence

© Janet Martin

Bard's Ballroom

 A poem is a chalice full of vintage joy to share...

To sweep across a parchment ballroom floor with twirls of ink

To hear a ballad wafting over dusk-worlds washed in pink

To sense a composition stirring as night and morn merge

To feel the turquoise ocean of devotion reel and surge

To smile because an isle of hours flowers on the air

Waiting for whispers to unveil a picture hanging there

A teddy-bear, a tot, a garden, a twilight tableau

The green sheen of first blossom or dazzle of sun-kissed snow

To dance upon a page like raindrops on a dusty street

To let the music of a moment sweep us off our feet

To follow the lead of a lyric not prehended yet

To revel in the pleasure of a poem-silhouette

To bear the heady rush of syllables, still wild and free

Waiting to wear the breathless blush of new-born poetry

To hunger and thirst as if we could burst with want of ways

To tame the taunt to frame fraught font to perfect turn of phrase

To search with humble honor for the crown-jewel of verse

To stress the beauty of the blessing, not to curse the curse

To siphon from the silt of seasons, lilting gilt of time

To trace the face of echoes and to etch them into rhyme

To bring with utmost fervor, fervent offering of laud

To splay upon each paper-altar pure worship to God

To never let less-noble ruses steal its claim to fame

But strive without excuses to exalt the Giver’s name

A poem is a chalice full of vintage joy to share

It is a pauper’s palace, a ballad, a hymn, a prayer

A solace to come home to, or enchanting getaway

A lens that we can peer through to rediscover today

To make us more aware of what we else might overlook

To waken us to love and other mercies we mistook

To take us by the heart and lead us where we would not see

Without a parchment ballroom floor, footwork of poetry

© Janet Martin

Beautiful Pause...

Mystery guest (ID help welcome!)

A bird expert has suggested that it looks like 

a female Brown-headed Cowbird!

Thank-you!

Mourning Dove

Downy Woodpecker

Juncos 

Goldfinch and chickadee

The nuthatch wouldn't sit still long enough

for me to get a clear shot...

...and the cardinal got away before I could get a photo!

A feathered flurry of delight

Brings laughter to an afternoon

Soft-pillowed in billows of white

As music notes in nature’s tune

Are muffled by the gale that sweeps

Across the countryside and lane

Where summer songs wait, sound asleep

Beneath a snowflake counterpane

…and it is beautiful to pause

To ‘look at the birds of the air’

And feel a bit better because

Of Who bestows to them, kind care

And to remember what He said,

'Are you not of more worth than they?'

And trust Him for our daily bread

And every other come-what-may

© Janet Martin

Matt.10:31

Do not fear therefore; 

you are of more value than many sparrows.

...then, just as I finished posting I looked up

and lo and behold, I espied a flash of red!

Mr. Cardinal was back

(a bit of a rarity at our feeders)

 but all I could capture

 was the top of his head and few tail-feathers😅

oh, and the nuthatch seems more relaxed this morning too😊

One of the first country songs I recall from my early teen years!

There's a Bluebird on my Windowsill Wilf Carter

 

God Sees The Little Sparrow Fall

(one of the first songs I learned as a child)

His Eye Is on the Sparrow

Worthy of Worship

Still, new each morning, mercy pours

until its seas immerse Infinity...

(different days, different colours,

Same Giver, same mercies)

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

12 As far as the east is from the west,

So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children,

So the Lord pities those who fear Him.

Ps.103: 11-13

The above scripture is part of today's Daily Bread Devotion

The song below helps me to start the day off on the right note...

(the scripture and this song helped inspire today's poem)

We are so broken, our best so flawed, but we serve a great God..

compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.

Psalm 103: 8

He is worthy of all our praise!

Is He Worthy?

He does not hold a grudge or keep account of sins confessed

He is a righteous judge; all who fear Him are richly blessed

He knows that we are dust and with a father’s pity, cares

About the stutters we entrust to Him in wordless prayers

He, the good Shepherd; He the want of His flock satisfies

His rod and staff thwart prideful taunts of wolves in sheep’s disguise

He keeps His promises no matter what appears to be

Though some may dare to jest and mock Mercy’s authority

Still, new each morning, mercy pours until its seas immerse

Infinity, and sweep hope’s shores groaning with Eden’s curse

Where, by the sweat of our brow, we work our bread to win

But by the blood of Christ He broke the damning curse of sin

He, bruised for our transgression, crushed for our iniquities

Bore for our redemption, the punishment that brought us peace

He forgives our debts as we forgive our debtors, then

Pray we forgive and forget in the name of Him, amen

He, the same yesterday, today, forever; love’s embrace

Is patient with the way we are; sinners needing His grace

His goodness does not falter, His truth does not shift or sway

Then praise Him from the altar of the gift we call Today

He, who is faithful, just and holy, comforting and kind

His hope, an anchor for the soul, He breaks the chains that bind

He sets us free, if we believe, from death and hell unfurled

The inheritance we receive by faith transcends this world

Where we will see Him face to face, moved by love’s scars engraved

To fill eternity with praise; by His grace we were saved

© Janet Martin

Look at the birds of the air; 

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

 and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Matt.6:26

Hope; Worth the Wait

Romans 8:20-21

For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will,

but because of the One who subjected it, in hope

that h the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay 

and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

Rom.8:24-25

For in this hope we were saved.

But hope that is seen is no hope at all.

Who hopes for what they already have?

25But if we hope for what we do not yet have,

we wait for it patiently.

I just had a text from someone saying they are looking forward to dinner

and I said I hope its worth the wait.😅

Hope, living hope, is worth the wait for its reward!

Hallelujah!

Oh, how wearying and discouraging life's cares would be

without hope for what is as yet, unseen!

Hope delights love’s wearied caring

Hope excites us with God’s Word

Hope ignites within our bearing

The light of faith undeterred

Hope replenishes pure purpose

Fixes our eyes on He

Who suffered hope's gruesome purchase-

Price He paid at Calvary

Hope defeats dread’s unseen vial

Hope repeats God’s promises

Hope sweetens the bitter trial

Hope beats odds of 'lucky guess'

Hope is patient in the waiting

Of a prize death will fulfill

Above doubt’s noisy debating

Hope abides, peaceful and still

Hope consoles despair with courage

Lifts our why-bent sighs to He

Who crowns faith’s cross with advantage

Of the grave’s sure victory

Hope is worth time's troubled tolling 

Hope is worth its priceless weight/wait

Hope is but faith's prayer-tide rolling

Like an ocean through death's gate  

© Janet Martin

Titus 3:7

so that, having been justified by His grace, 

we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for 

and the certainty of what we do not see.

If All We Had Was What We See....

Lots to tickle visual taste-buds this morning!

Thank-you God, for earth's beauty buffet

to tickle with delight the likes of us,

who far too often forget to thank You!

Great are the works of the LORD; 

they are pondered by all who delight in them.

Psalm 111:2

How hard and hurt-full life would be

If all we had was what we see

If hope could not transcend time’s toll

If the grave was its cheerless goal

If love was something we could buy

And stuff enough to satisfy

If this old crate of skin and bone

Full of debate and grin and groan

Was the pinnacle of a man

And height of mercy’s master plan

And all we had was what we see

How very futile life would be

© Janet Martin