Like Sea-song...

 

Time rushes through heart doors and rolls like sea-song into memories

It roars through dreams where nothing seems to faze the toll it takes with ease

It grins and thins blue-sky July like pigment on a painter’s tray

While a collection of impressions, like blown bubbles, wafts away

And draws us nearer to that place we all approach with every breath

The grace of where we are is scarred with mementos of life and death

Magnificence of innocence soon stripped of luster of first leaf

How soon we start to recognize the bloom of every bud is brief

Ah, today does not bat an eye as it marches through you and me

Turning the future into past, cast in ethereal imagery

As, what was once so riveting and all-encompassing becomes

A trail of seasons scattered like flower petals and cookie crumbs

Where, while time rushes through us like sea-song that rolls across the shore

The older that we get we pause to hear its music more and more

© Janet Martin

Someday, Dearly Beloved

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were spent scrubbing and painting

the house our son bought and moved into on Saturday.

At first, the key he gave me, no matter how hard I tried did not work.

I was on my way back home when he called again and said, 'try the back door.

It's got to work in one of the doors!!'

 It did. In the back door...the first time I tried for some reason it didn't.

Then, finally the deadbolt gave way and I stepped over the threshold...

into his house. ..

where the first order of business was to cover the pinky-red paint in the kitchen! 

The key episode evoked a picture 

of a deadbolt in all of us 

that with our last breath will release

as we step through a door,

 over a threshold...

into eternity!

Our first 'order of business' will be meeting our Creator 

who loved us so much He gave His only begotten Son

to pay our way into Heaven, to break sin's curse through

His death and resurrection!

Salvation through Jesus is the only key that will unlock Heaven's Door!

Do you believe this?

Are you ready if the inner deadbolt releases today?

John 10:1-10

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, 

I am the door of the sheep. 

8 All who ever came [a]before Me are thieves and robbers,

 but the sheep did not hear them. 

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, 

and will go in and out and find pasture.

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

 I have come that they may have life, 

and that they may have it more abundantly.

***

Someday, dearly beloved, the chimes of Time will cease

Its clime of hope and grace will fall like a leaf from a tree

The deadbolt that holds earth’s exodus at bay will release

As the soul sheds its cloak of dust for all eternity

What serious business this; the trek from here to There

What sacred undertaking is the living of today

Far more than what we eat and where we go and what we wear

But rather who we fear and worship, honour and obey

Someday, dearly beloved, the fight of faith will end

And nothing will take precedence before the throne of He

Who on the clouds of heaven in great glory will descend

And the whole world will mourn as we behold His majesty

No shadow of a doubt survives His countenance

The Word from the beginning, through whom everything was made

Will still the chimes of Time; only the gift salvation grants

Will conquer death and hell; eternal life is no charade

What serious business this; the choosing of our Lord/lord

Heaven or hell, no in-between, hangs in the balance, oh

Someday, dearly beloved, Choice will receive its just reward

Of either everlasting joy or everlasting woe

Someday, dearly beloved, Today will disappear

  And all that matters then are riches money cannot buy 

The wealth of this world, fickle, like the trickle of a tear 

 Just things that thieves break in and steal, and greed's slaves justify 

Someday, dearly beloved, the chimes of Time will cease

Its clime of hope and grace will fall like a leaf from a tree

The deadbolt that held earth’s exodus at bay will release

As the soul sheds its cloak of dust for all eternity

© Janet Martin

Fear Versus Love...or, both?!!

When raising children we sometimes refer to the term 'healthy fear'

aka respect for mom and dad's expectations and rules!!

Sometimes dire consequence for disobedience are needed to refresh

'healthy fear'!

 this pleasant moment below was followed up a few hours later by a text...

'please pray for me'

as she grappled with challenges of mothering and disciplining...

 

How often our Heavenly Father also parents/disciplines His children

as we learn to listen/obey...

Today's poem touches on

an inexhaustible topic, 'the fear of the Lord, no fear in love, fear not...'

summed up in one verse...

Eccles. 12:13

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God, and keep his commandments:

for this is the whole duty of man.

Job 28:20

“From where then does wisdom come?

And where is the place of understanding?

Job 28:28

And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord,

that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"

***

Where is true wisdom Lord,

And righteousness and peace?

How can we know the way to go?

Where does blessing increase?

And where does love begin?

And how is it defined?

How can we purge want’s tainted urge

From heart and soul and mind?

…to seek the things we ought

Ah, where do we begin?

To walk the way we ought, today

Equipped to withstand sin

Oh Lord, forgive my sin

Your kind mercy renew

Open faith’s eyes to recognize

The holiness of You

Then Lord, increase my fear

So blessing may increase

The blessing of goodness and love

And righteousness and peace

Through humble reverence

Refine devotion’s claim

So we may shine with light divine

To glorify Thy name

To know the difference

Twixt fear of God and man

And to pursue with purpose true

The Master of love’s plan

© Janet Martin

The Fear of God-Charles Stanley

"when you turn your back on God you're turning your back on your only hope,

the One who loves you, cares for you and wants the best for you, but

He will not make you follow Him, 

not make you love Him, 

not make you obey Him..."

Excerpt from above message

Below, a-skimming-the-surface of scriptures on the fearing/loving God...

Deut.13:4

You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him,

and keep His commandments and obey His voice;

you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.

Proverbs 3:7

Be not wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 8:13

To fear the LORD is to hate evil;

I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.

Proverbs 14:26-27

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,

And His children will have a place of refuge.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life

, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 16:6

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged:

and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

As a father pities (has compassion on) his children,

So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

Ps.103:13

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children’s children,

Ps.103:17

The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever;

the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous.

Psalm 19:9

The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Psalm 34:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Prov.9:10

Psalm 111:10

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding.

Luke 1:50

His mercy extends to those who fear Him,

from generation to generation.

Luke 23:40

But the other criminal rebuked him.

“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?

Lu 12:5

But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear:

Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell;

yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Ac 9:31

Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria,

and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord,

and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

2Co 5:11

Therefore knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men,

but we are made manifest to God;

and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.

Eph 5:21

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

His praise endures forever!

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,

but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Mal.3:16

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another,

And the LORD listened and heard them;

So a book of remembrance was written before Him

For those who fear the LORD

And who meditate on His name.

Contemplating Enough Love...

Contemplating how much is enough love for He who loves us with all He has! 

1 John 3:1

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, 

that we should be called children of God!

 Therefore the world does not know us, 

because it did not know Him.

I Love You, Lord...

Not enough to live aware of Higher Power that exists

Not enough to talk of love when deed does not acknowledge it

Not enough, one day a week to give a pious nod to He

Who leaves ninety-nine sheep to seek one who is lost…one was me

Not enough to make the most of what we boast and plan and dream

Yet in turn holding the Giver of life in modest esteem

He who from and through and unto are all things, be glorified

He who left His throne in Heaven for a cross on which he died

Hallelujah, what a Saviour! God gave his best for man’s worst

Not enough to say we love Him but refuse to put Him first

Not enough, a ten-percent-of-what-is-mine-mine to suffice

Not enough until we lie on the altar of sacrifice

Not enough ‘til we seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness

Heart and soul and mind resigned to His will with devoted ‘yes’

Until we no longer worry about what morrow might bring

Not enough until we love enough to give/leave our all to Him

© Janet Martin

No matter what we do, the most commonplace task becomes sacred

when rendered for Christ!

Yes, even picking potato bugs! 😅

Joy-Health (Or, The More We Trust...)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the LORD and shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

Prov.3:5-8

The joy that trusting God imparts

Is health to our bones and hearts

Love beckons faith to taste and see

The grace that sets our spirits free

To soar beyond the dread and fear

Of doom and gloom’s leaden veneer

To green pastures and waters still

To rest in the peace of God’s will

Rather than wrestling futilely 

And fretting about what might be

Oh God, instill in me/us anew

The sweet, sweet peace of trusting You

Shield us from trying to be wise

In the logic of our own eyes  

Then, underestimate Your Hand

Because we cannot understand 

But with rev'rent humility

Help us to place our trust in Thee

So through the power of Your word

Our faith and hope are undeterred

...as You satisfy bones and hearts

With health, that trusting You imparts

For no matter what we pass through

Nothing can sever us from You

No height or depth or breadth transcends

Your love upon which faith depends

As joy unspeakable applauds

You, God above all other gods

Who, though we have not seen You yet

The more we trust, the less we fret 

© Janet Martin

I was going to pick a few favorite verses

 from a precious Psalm,  Psalm 37

but every single verse is a stunner!!

This Psalm brims with hopeful truths I need to reread often 

because I am forgetful! (then prone to become fretful)

1. Do not fret because of those who are evil

or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,

your vindication like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the Lord

and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when people succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,

but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;

though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land

and enjoy peace and prosperity.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword

and bend the bow

to bring down the poor and needy,

to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have

than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,

but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,

and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;

in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:

Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,

they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,

but the righteous give generously;

22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,

but those he curses will be destroyed.

23 The Lord makes firm the steps

of the one who delights in him;

24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,

for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

26 They are always generous and lend freely;

their children will be a blessing.[b]

27 Turn from evil and do good;

then you will dwell in the land forever.

28 For the Lord loves the just

and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];

the offspring of the wicked will perish.

29 The righteous will inherit the land

and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,

and their tongues speak what is just.

31 The law of their God is in their hearts;

their feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,

intent on putting them to death;

33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked

or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Hope in the Lord and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man

flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,

36 but he soon passed away and was no more;

though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;

a future awaits those who seek peace.[d]

38 But all sinners will be destroyed;

there will be no future[e] for the wicked.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;

he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

Psalm 37, Wait Patiently (a new musical setting)

Boon of New Today

Psalm 40:16

Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee:

let such as love thy salvation say continually,

The LORD be magnified.

Above the boon of New Today

A slice of moon slip-slips away

Time’s primed pronouncements of decay

Presents us with love’s latest charge

Where so much worse and better waits

To rush dawn’s diamond-studded gates

…a big balloon that dusk deflates

but now is like a gleaming barge

...bearing us to new highs and lows

Where farewells, disguised as hellos

Untether high-fives and low-blows

Like loosed petals that glim and glance

And settle where the dust we stirred

Is cast in Past and echo-blurred

Swept up in a tide, undeterred

In the better and worse life grants

Where much enchants and much offends

Where kindness always makes amends

And life is short, so let’s be friends

Before the boon of new Today

Is swaddled beneath shadow-shawls

And lost, save in the fond footfalls

As thought retraces steps through halls

That showcase what has slipped away

© Janet Martin

A Little Piece of Life...

In every flare and fizzle of future turning to past...

In every stolen breath kindled by innocence run rife...

In every curlicue capturing colors, echo-cast...

In every snared doggerel lives a a little piece of life  

(Grandchildren are the most wonderfully wearying creatures in the world!!)😅💖

Sometimes as another beloved June 'bites the dust' an intense

ink-storm is roused inducing another attempt to tame Time into Poem

***

Poetry is much more than ink finagled into art

Much more than oratory chants or dance of lilt and rhyme

In every poem wafts a wisp of the troubadour’s heart

In every lyric lives a little kiss from Father Time

In every sigh, a tie that binds the bard to fellowmen

In every line a memento of mortal’s common bond

In every tender tempest roused by pictures from a pen

A friendly sense of kinship on a journey to Beyond

In every ebb and flow of wonder-hunger satisfied

In every surge of season-dust wrangled to parchment shores

In every turn of page that feels akin to eventide

Something far more than meets the eye appeases and implores

Ah, Poetry is more than glint and gleam of ink-cajole

In every throb of empathy where love and longing meld

It tunes us to a toll that rattles the cage of the soul

To Cord that will be severed and to Frond that will be felled

In every touch that tugs within where hope and despair wars

In ever scene that stirs a fond and sentimental tear

In every finite reach of thought humbled by heaven’s stars

Poetry hones us to the holiness of now and here

The meeting place of angst and awe and all points in between

Startling ‘aha’ epiphanies that trial and error earn

Tremble in every surge of poetry’s syllabic mien

To remind us since time began, ah, such is live-and-learn

In every flare and fizzle of future turning to past

In every stolen breath kindled by innocence run rife

In every curlicue capturing colors, echo-cast

In every snared doggerel lives a a little piece of life  

© Janet Martin

Happy Canada Day

A few links below to previous Canada Day poems!

They reiterate concerns becoming more dire 

and freedom becoming more dear with each year!!

Happy Canada Day!

O, Canada 

Prayer For Canada (or From Shore to Shore)

Somber Celebration-Happy Canada Day

O Canada, glorious and Free (oh, North America)

O True North, How long Will You Be Strong and Free?

Lamentations 3:40

Let us examine and probe our ways,

And let us return to the Lord.

Isaiah 55:7

Let the wicked forsake his way

And the unrighteous man his thoughts;

And let him return to the Lord,

And He will have compassion on him,

And to our God,

For He will abundantly pardon.