In October

In the field corn harvest dwindles brittle whispers, row by row

In the garden silence kindles marigold-ember's brave glow

In the gaudy, tranquil woodland, treetop-tapers flare and dim

In expanding canning cellars, bins, boxes and jar-shelves brim

In the heart a bumbling, humbling, ecstatic Thanksgiving Hymn

In the orchard apple-orbs gleam, luring raptured touch-and-taste

Urging ladder-laden pickers to heave-ho with holy haste

Where fruit-dappled topiaries flaunt  sweet-taunting red and gold

Where chill winds tweak cheeks with cherries and turn tender fingers cold

Where happiness is more merry than one heart can dearly hold

In the kitchen pots, bowls, baskets, laugh with blessing-overflow

Filled with final favors rescued from forecasts of frost or snow 

In the air aromas mingle; nutmeg, ginger, cumin, cloves

Wafting, like color-glints captured from fall-flavored bosc and groves

Cinnamon-caramel-tipped/dipped foliage, pumpkin and squash treasure-troves

In the morning mist and frost kissed vistas of hill, rill and vale

Gleam like amber cider poured from heaven to earth's silver grail

In dusk’s blue-blush, stark-dark dying a soulful dirge seems to sound

For autumn days flying, lying, leaf-shaped on the listless ground

For the star-blind dreamer sighing for fortunes, ever unfound

In October we walk slower down the leaf-embellished street

Scuffling through the fallen bowers, like lamplight beneath our feet

In October we take cover under sparser canopies

Everybody is a lover of October's wooing trees

In October pain and pleasure runs us through like wind-tossed seas 

© Janet Martin

The 'snooze-button update' below is yesterday's news

 because this was supposed to be yesterday's post

but yesterday ran out of hours before it was up.

Because yesterday was an extra-early-start with an extra-late end

 I allowed myself an extra-hour of sleep this morning😊

hitting snooze to my heart's content😂

Hitting-snooze-button accountability- 

I forgot to post my snooze-button accountability yesterday; I hit snooze😔

so last night I decided maybe if set my alarm clock for 6:15 instead of 5:45

 I would be more apt to take my wake-up call/jolt a little more seriously, 

so I did that, and you know what?!!

I was wide awake before the alarm-clock could shock me from slumber-land

so-o-o, up I did'st get!

No snooze-button today😂

It's Not What But Who You Know...

Do you know He who delights us with awe, indescribable

Gold and crimson candelabras splashed on vistas, autumnal...

Heavens, wild with glints of glory where faith waits sight's recompense

Earth’s sin-ruined Eden roaring with Relentless Evidence...

This quote “It’s not what you know but who you know”

was mentioned the other day during my Old Stone Farm House visit;

in regard, to how good connections can be invaluable when undertaking a project!

It's so beneficial to know 'the right person who knows the right person for the job' etc.!

When Jesus came to this earth He was fully human and fully God

and no matter who we know, no matter how great and talented

and helpful, it never can compare to knowing He

 who gifts and grants our abilities and talents,

and who worked the greatest work of all; our soul-salvation!

Do you know Him; 

the Saviour of the soul,

the King of kings 

and Lord of Lords?

Do you long to know Him better?

I do, and we can, each time we open His Word

and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to us!

Eph.1:17-21

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,

 the glorious Father, may give you (us) the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation,

 so that you (we) may know him better. 

18 I pray that the eyes of your (our) heart/s may be enlightened 

in order that you (we) may know the hope to which he has called you, (us)

the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. 

That power is the same as the mighty strength 

20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead 

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 

21 far above all rule and authority, 

power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, 

not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

“THAT'S MY KING!” EXTENDED VERSION - S. M LOCKRIDGE 1970's

John 1:1 ESV

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,

and we have seen his glory,

glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Do you know the One who orders earth’s four-season carousel

He who rends night’s starry heavens with daybreak, unstoppable

He who instills seed-sized kernels with bounty of harvest-hymn

He who created and knows us with a love that will not dim

Do you know He who delights us with awe, indescribable

Gold and crimson candelabras splashed on vistas, autumnal

Heavens, wild with glints of glory where faith waits sight's recompense

Earth’s sin-ruined Eden roaring with Relentless Evidence

Do you know He who so loved us that He bore the sinner’s rod

He who paid our debt with His blood; the begotten Son of God

He who shattered Satan’s scheming, bridging death and hell’s dark rift

The Light of the world who longs for all to receive His grace-gift

Do you know the One who grants us strength beyond all human scope

He who is to every mortal, unchanging, immortal hope

He whose mercy none can fathom, whose compassion none can drain

He whose loving kindness forgives, over and over again

Do You know Him; I AM, who is without beginning or end

Builder and Ruler of Zion desires to be our Friend

He who stuns the eye with seeing and the ear with nature’s lay

He who melts hard hearts, embittered by the troubles of the day

Do you know Him, love Him, trust Him, fear , revere, His Holy Word

To You long to know Him better with devotion undeterred

Do you fix your eyes on a prize beyond this brief, (grief) broken world

For someday on clouds of Heaven, all will see I AM unfurled

© Janet Martin

It was one of those so-beautiful-it-hurt sunrises ...

Praise Him Praise Hymn

 

Yesterday I enjoyed the sheer delight of being a guest 

at the beautiful home of someone who was a friend,

mainly online, as we connected through mutual loves and interests.

As she took myself and two more guests on a tour through her home, 

filled with so many loving and thoughtful touches that spoke 

so completely to my domestic, love-of-old-things soul...

I felt a little like I was in heaven-on-earth...so happy!

Photos used with permission

The loving hospitality of the hostess

And the face-to-face fellowship of friends was the crowning joy.

Now she is a friend, beyond a computer-screen connection💖

She blogs  here- at Homespun Musings

(Through her latest post  you too

can be a guest of sorts in her beautiful home!)

Yesterday's comfortable visit contrasts sharply with

the love spoken of in my Scripture reading today-Isa. 53;

the ending of that chapter steals my breath every time!!

(and makes me weep for joy to think through Christ alone

my hope, my home in heaven with Him has been secured!)

Yet it pleased the Lord to [q]bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

11 [r]He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,

For He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,

And He shall divide the [s]spoil with the strong,

Because He poured out His soul unto death,

And He was numbered with the transgressors,

And He bore the sin of many,

And made intercession for the transgressors.

With whatever fills our day, hands, arms, let's praise Him!!

because someday, because of Calvary, all believers

will enjoy face to face fellowship with Him,

though now we see through a glass darkly, then face to face

Praise He, whose relentless goodness is enough to satisfy

He whose tender, loving kindness never dwindles its supply

He whose judgments, just and righteous, ever point to Calvary

He whose agony delights us with the hope that sets us free

Praise the Author of salvation with a broom, a spade, a cart

Praise the Father of creation with a glad and humbled heart

Praise Him for His Word that never lies and never leads astray

He who moves faith’s prayers through frontlines that no enemy can stay

Praise The One who never gives us more than He can help us bear

He whose faithfulness delivers us from evil’s cunning snare

Praise Him with a limp, a stumble, with a flying leap of faith

With croak or voice of an angel, Praise the Lord with every breath

Praise Him in the thick of labor with motives of love alone

Love for God first, then our neighbor, love that makes Satan’s ranks groan

Praise He who, scorned and rejected by His own, disowned, despised

Bore death to be resurrected; for our peace He was chastised

Praise Him with devotion’s stutters; who can worship’s wonder spell?

He who draws us from sin’s gutters and saves us from death and hell

Never leaves us or forsakes us; He, well-versed with grief and loss

For His righteous pleasure breaks us in the shadow of the cross/into the shape of the cross

Breaks the pride that authors error, for the sake of faith’s increase

Takes the fear that authors terror that salvation turns to peace

Then wherever, with whatever tool of trade we wage and wield

Praise the Lord, now and forever, for by His stripes we are healed

© Janet Martin

Hitting-snooze-button accountability-I hit snooze, more than once!!😟

What Kind of Morning-Person Are You?

(whole precious page below)

I wish I was a 'don't-hit-snooze!' morning person, but I'm not.

I tell myself hitting snooze helps prepare me 

to crawl out of that big, black hole of cozy oblivion,

 but it is in reality a bit of a lazy habit I intend to break! 

Keep me accountable, okay??😅💓

Also I am a 'coffee-before-talky-please' person

which I have no inclination to change...

Another gorgeous day well on its way...

'God, guide and keep'🙏

Across dawn’s slumber-heavy world alarm clocks buzz and beep

As drowsy bodies are uncurled and startled from sweet sleep

Some hit new day’s ground running, others stumble to a cup

Of fresh brewed tea or java, yawning, stretching, waking up

Some celebrate cognizance with verbose vigor, some groan

Some at best, muster unintelligible monotone

Some leap like fleet gazelles, while others hit snooze and deflate

For ten more minutes before it is time to acclimate

…to ‘night is done!! awake, awake, it’s time to rise and shine’

For today is a-wasting like a flower on time’s vine

Dreamlands jolt to reality beneath unfolding skies

Where duty calls and bumper-to-bumper traffic replies

Blink-blink, morning turns pink, as slumber’s blanket dissipates

Some sing for joy, some suffer pain and sorrow’s testing weights🙏🙏😥

Some exercise, some wise in their own eyes don’t think to pray

Some do; but all share in the common ground we call Today

© Janet Martin

This hymn, learned  when I was a child,

helped to shape a lifelong, holy habit!!

Did You Think To Pray?

Lyrics by Mary A. Kidder

1. Ere you left your room this morning,
   Did you think to pray?
   In the name of Christ our Savior,
   Did you sue for loving favor,
   As a shield today?
   • Refrain:
     Oh, how praying rests the weary!
     Prayer will change the night to day;
     So when life seems dark and dreary,
     Don’t forget to pray.
2. When you met with great temptation,
   Did you think to pray?
   By His dying love and merit,
   Did you claim the Holy Spirit
   As your guide and stay?
3. When your heart was filled with anger,
   Did you think to pray?
   Did you plead for grace, my brother,
   That you might forgive another
   Who had crossed your way?
4. When sore trials came upon you,
   Did you think to pray?
   When your soul was bowed in sorrow,
   Balm of Gilead did you borrow
   At the gates of day?

As regular visitors may guess, I am reading

the beautiful book of Isaiah right now!

Today's reading included this portion-

Ephemeral and Eternal

Gal.6:7-10

7Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked.

 Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.

  8The one who sows to please his flesh, 

from the flesh will reap destruction; 

but the one who sows to please the Spirit, 

from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

9Let us not grow weary in well-doing, 

for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 

10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone,

 and especially to the family of faith.

Saturday was filled with harvest-season thrills!

(weather turned out drier than expected)

...and it's because of the on-coming generation that what we sow is so crucial;

they will be reaping some of that harvest!!

We cannot ever fully know

Where-when fruit grows from seeds we strew

Or how far-reaching is the flow

Of words we say and deeds we do

Eternal and ephemeral

The potent ink of moment-font

Unfathomable potential

For kinder thought and meeker want

…and humbler thanks for lessons learned

That teach a sweeter contentment

As moment-to-moment is turned

Into lifetimes composed and spent

Ah, we can never fully see

Where moments, as they slip through choice

Will root and sprout into a tree

As fruit of fallen seed gives voice

Then, pray for purer, truer love

For nobler goals than earth can boast

For what God grants is quite enough

To serve Him to the uttermost

As much as lies within us then

We ought to try each day to dwell

Peaceably with our fellowmen

Because of seeds that soon will tell

…how well we loved each other while

Moments tumbled through touch to meld

To Bygone’s everlasting isle

Of moments once so briefly held

© Janet Martin

Until we make our peace with God we cannot truly make peace with each other~

Yesterday, the service leader opened the service 

with prayer for this broken world

which we all have our own broken part in!

How comforting to be able to gather freely

and open God's word together to grow in

the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom.12:18

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, 

live peaceably with all men.

Isa.26:3

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: 

because he trusteth in thee.

Isa.48:22

“There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.”

My, my, how the wicked wreak havoc

where peace could/would otherwise be!

We remember those who are suffering today,

especially in war-torn countries!

Living Love-song

Three lively youngsters are arriving shortly so their mom and dad

can have a little reprieve to celebrate 10 years of marriage.

Plans for a weekend getaway, due to life's unexpected curves,

were altered to a day-getaway!

p-s-s-st!! Due to cool, rainy weather I see another intense

memory-game on the horizon ...

..with two little players who

have no qualms about sneaking a peek if necessary😂💕

Here is a little hymn/prayer to the Keeper of our days,

who, through all of life's ups and downs

reminds us over and over 'Fear not'.

To the Keeper of our days may we live/lift a hymn of praise

May our meditations be pleasing, oh God, unto Thee

May our labors great and small magnify Thee, Lord of all

Thou who dost behold the heart of we who see, but in part

Guard our thought and guide our feet until face to face, we meet

Until dust reclaims it due and trust beholds all things new

May our utter longing be to live a love-song for Thee

© Janet Martin

 

🙏 as we pray for so many torn from their

earthly homes...

A Living Prayer

Autumn Awe-Awareness

A few glimpses,

at what sends Autumn's awe-meter over the top...

Thank-you, Lord

Awareness is fine-tuned to how the wind is winnowing the bough

Of supple sigh and so we try to linger longer in the Now

We loiter under arbors where we look up-up to stare and stare

At nature’s oh-so-fine design of leaf-motifs on sheafs of air

We seek out orchard-bowers bent with harvest’s rosy remanent

And feel earth’s pull; intangible mingling of gladness and lament

We polish Reason’s silver spoon and see a picnic afternoon

Beckoning, so we smile and go to steep our souls in Autumn’s boon

Of sunrise and set snared aloft in little leaf-mirrors soon doffed

Of nature’s wreath lowered beneath footsteps that fall, muffled and soft

Of treetops shedding threads, red-gold; autumn’s raiment is hard to hold

Of hearts that break with delight’s ache, of winds that tug, sassy and bold

Of dawn, rushing yon eastward rim where mercy’s renewed favors brim

To frameless sweeps where nameless deeps flood earth with heaven’s worship hymn

To rekindle the simple thrill from pumpkins perched on porch and sill

Or leaves tossed wild to long-lost child that romps and runs from hill to hill

© Janet Martin