Unfailing Love (Worship Hymn)

Happy Easter!

Christ Arose

His Love Cannot Fail

The Scarlet Purple Robe

The joy of God and man has been fulfilled; praise He

Who satisfied salvation's plan and won the victory

Death and hell overthrown; no power could prevail

To thwart the will of He whose love and mercy cannot fail

Come, join the worship hymn that nevermore will cease

Hail He who clothes all who believe in righteousness and peace

The hope of man abides; Christ's sorrow, not in vain

He who bore our suffering; He who took up our pain

He who was pierced and crushed for our iniquity

Through his wounds we are healed; Praise He who sets death's captives free

Though hatred sought to scorn His glory with a cross

His glory increased all the more beneath love's albatross 

The love of God transcends the schemes of Satan's vice

He gave His Son to be sin's everlasting sacrifice 

Ah, what more do we need than love, mighty to save

Than He who broke the curse of Adam's seed and robbed the grave

Come, join the worship hymn lest the stones start to sing

Exalt the Name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Lord and King 

Janet Martin

Rom.8:31-39

God’s Everlasting Love

31 What then shall we say to these things? 

If God is for us, who can be against us? 

32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, 

how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, 

who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 

Shall tribulation, 

or distress, 

or persecution, 

or famine, 

or nakedness, 

or peril, 

or sword? 

36 As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;

We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,

 nor angels nor principalities nor powers, 

nor things present nor things to come, 

39 nor height nor depth, 

nor any other created thing, 

shall be able to separate us from the love of God 

which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Remembrance Hymn

 

Lead Me to Calvary

Oh, let me not forget

To let hope intercede

For He who died to pay sin’s debt

Has met my greatest need

And let me keep in mind

With every breath I take

The mercies of a God so kind

Who suffered for my sake

Then, when troubles befall

Forbid, I should despair

But with unshaken faith recall

God’s love beyond compare

The love that did not shirk

The cross, nor fled its dread

But endured till the finished work

Had crushed the serpent’s head

Nothing I wrought could win

The grace that I received

That saved me from the wage of sin 

The hour I believed

Oh, let me not forget

The cross that Jesus bore

On my behalf, to seal the ‘Yet’

Of life forevermore

Then, let no dearer laud

My fleeting frame entice

Than to be, for the love of God

A living sacrifice

© Janet Martin

Romans 12:1

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters,

 in view of God’s mercy,

 to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, 

holy and pleasing to God—

this is your true and proper worship.

Veiled Glory

Judge not, by outer countenance the merit of the goal...

The above picture from

The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes was my first introduction

as a child, to the sorrowful images of the Greatest Love Story!

John 12:27-28

Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?

 ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? 

No, it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour.

  Father, glorify Your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven:

 “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Glorify Thy Name

Judge not, by outer countenance the merit of the goal

One facet of a circumstance does not reveal the whole

The Saviour of the soul could see beyond salvation’s price

Beyond the awful cost as He became sin’s sacrifice

While gaping throngs reviled and railed and jeered what appeared loss

The darkness of the hour veiled the glory of the cross

Love’s agony of grief and pain in mingled passion poured

Redemption’s unrelenting gain and glory of the Lord

Fret not the trouble that this world can never overcome

But look to where God’s love unfurled the hope of Christendom

Beyond the gory cross, the empty grave, beyond death’s toll

The glory of the resurrected Saviour of the soul

© Janet Martin

John 12:44-50

Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only,

 but in the one who sent me. 

45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.

 46 I have come into the world as a light,

 so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

47 “If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, 

I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 

48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; 

the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day.

 49 For I did not speak on my own, 

but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.

 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life.

 So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.”

Gift of Today...

It is futile to wish for 'lost' time.

But each Today is a fresh opportunity

to make the most of moments in reach!

It was such a delight to join my mom and sister

on a lunch date at the Sterre Café  where my sister works

to surprise her on her birthday!

Happy Birthday Lucy💓

The gift that tumbles from God’s grace to man’s embrace each morn

Settles so briefly within reach, before its lease is borne

Beyond our fingertips; the only remnant of its shroud

Is what we did with it while opportunity allowed

‘Each day passes but once’ but, each day grants mercy renewed

The best we can accomplish starts with hearts of gratitude

To He who is the Giver; then with holy, humble vim

To turn the gift He gives us into gifts of praise for Him

Today is the substance whereby a lifetime is composed

And no one knows how near we are to today’s last door closed

So, while we can let’s make the most of opportunities

To turn today into a gift of precious memories

Let's love each other well today before it is too late

A lifetime is too fleeting to desecrate it with hate

So let's live as if today was the final chance we had

To take this day the Lord has made to rejoice and be glad

© Janet Martin

Ps.118:24

This is the day the Lord has made;

 We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Ps.90:12

So teach us to number our days, 

That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Other interesting tidbits of today...

We are having roast beef dinner tonight.

My sister-in-law came home from the hospital today!

Mourning dove siesta...

 

I Like (or, So Much to Love)

A riot of snowflakes tumbling from welkin reservoirs... 

It feels SO good to get up and want to stay in the upright position 

after a few mornings of lying down again as soon as I was up...

thankfully the worst of the bug only lasted a few days! 

Still in slow motion, but at least I'm in motion!😅

There really is no end to a poem like this...

I began this poem after reading Brenda's post on Friday morning, HERE

before I was 'under the weather'.

The first line inspired by these little guys...

Thatch matted metamorphosis of finches turning gold...

Icicle-brickled eaves...

Because granddaughter is going to celebrate her birthday this year

 with her other set of Grandparents (in Nova Scotia!) 

we had an early celebration planned for Sunday but needed to cancel it. 😪

However, Granddaughter's/grandchildren's (well, everyone's)

 disappointment was cheered a little

 after being told she would still get her gift.

They did an outdoor 'deck drop-by'...

When they were ready to leave youngest Grandson came to me

 for his regular goodbye hug and kiss.

 When I told him gramma is sick, and better to skip hugs today 

he didn't move but just stood there with his arms held up 😂💗

gazing expectantly with his big blue eyes,

 so of course he got a big tried-not-to-breathe-on-him hug 

and a kiss on his hat 😂

Bird entertainment...

Robins.

Things I Like...

Thatch matted metamorphosis of finches turning gold

British accents; a patchwork quilt, laughter of young and old

The pleasure of an afternoon when to-do lists are tossed

Blush hush of dusk. Pale crescent moon. Babies. Dawn, dipped in frost

Old books that smell like years gone by; that stoke nostalgia’s kiss

Warm mug to wrap chilled hands around while lost in coffee-bliss

Nature's quieter pose, before spring flings ajar bud-doors

A riot of snowflakes tumbling from welkin reservoirs

Impromptu lunch date with dear mom and dad, while life allows

And cherishing them more and more as time its touch endows

Epiphanies while sipping tea with comrades, battle-scarred

(there is no ‘small talk’ when love trusts enough to low'r its guard)

An immense sense of gratitude no poem can curtail

A little lad, mud puddle glad where paper boats set sail

Flowers to give or to receive. April showers. Family

Enchanting lands of make-believe beneath the willow tree

A hand in hand stroll with a child. Icicle-brickled eaves

Worship hymns. Wisdom. Lilacs. Field full of hand-stooked sheaves

Autumn leaves. Winding backroads. Woodland trails. Old bridges. Trains

Thunderstorms. Horses running free with waving tails and manes

Gardens. Meadows. Babbling brooks. Bare feet and Butterflies

Spring peepers. Innocence. Lamplight. Old apple trees. Sunrise

Bible stories and Birthday cakes. Lakes, silver in the sun

Puppies. Long stretchy skirts. Winter rainbows. Workout done

Raindrop plip-plop. The humble joy of health after flu bug

Littlest grandson who won’t leave without a Gramma-hug

Bird entertainment. Robins. Rail fence. Tulips. Daffodils

A freshly cleaned or painted room. Vista of rolling hills

Window sills with flowers. Mother-in-law’s geraniums

Sea-song. Beach walks. Flip-flops. August. Crickets. Dahlias. Ripe plums

Poem-a-day-challenge, God’s glory that heavens declare

Grape arbors. Campfire cooking. Wisteria. Fix of fresh air

Lines filled with flapping laundry. 

Shadow-art on countryside

Scent of summer’s rain-tamed dust or fresh-mown hay. 

Bike ride

Music. 

Forget-me-nots. 

Mercies, too manifold to name

Sisters. 

Hot-cross buns. 

Easter. 

Hope through He from whence we came...

© Janet Martin

I wanted to mention more but the poem was getting too long;

little fists full of first dandelion bouquets

rosy faces framed in woolly hoods

a warm handshake

the meeting of eyes... no words needed

wild-flowered meadow

crisp apple (or, apple crisp!)

mellow, yellow pear

pussy willows

picnics

sap buckets brimming,

wood smoke curlicues,

neatly piled wood stacks,

cellar full of canning=thankful satisfaction

cookbooks,

supper soup,

weathered buildings,

front porches,

front doors,

and so much more

bee-butts, (their bodies  shamelessly burrowed in bloom-bells,)

zinnias, 

watering cans,

ivy,

wind-chimes,

snowmen,

okay, I will stop

Thank-you God, for filling this world with so much to delight us...

Ps.40:5

Many, Lord my God,
    are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.

Heaven, Upside Down or Such Is Love

Such is life, we often say, as plans change 

and carefully arranged schedules run awry!

Sometimes love pours a cup of tea, ‘with milk and honey, dear?’...

As I finished this poem I returned and traded the word 'life' for 'love';

 it was originally going to be a 'such is life' poem because

 this was a week rife with changed plans...but

as the poem evolved so did the realization the 'such is life'

 is often more aptly expressed  'such is love!'

The ultimate plan of Love, for man's redemption

God fulfilled at Calvary!

Love appeared in that hour, to have lost!

Heb.2:10

For it was fitting for Him, 

for whom are all things 

and by whom are all things, 

in bringing many sons to glory, 

to make the captain of their salvation 

perfect 

through sufferings.

Isa.53:10-11

Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush Him

and to cause Him to suffer;

and when His soul is made a guilt offering,g

He will see His offspring, 

He will prolong His days,

and the good pleasure of the LORD 

will prosper in His hand.

11After the anguish of His soul,

He will see the light of lifeh 

and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant 

will justify many,

and He will bear their iniquities.

Alas! And Did My Saviour Bleed?

Sometimes what first looks like love’s loss is Heaven, upside down...

Love suffers long and is kind...1 Cor. 13:4

Oh, if only love more often,

 suffered longer 

and was kinder

 how much more lovely,

and much less broken

 this world would be!

Sometimes we find it, sometimes not; such is love’s want-list, hon

Sometimes love is a little tot that keeps us on the run

Sometimes it caters to our plan but often not, it seems

…love’s give and take twixt God and man far outmaneuvers dreams

Sometimes love is a graceful glide, a ballet’s perfect hurt

But oft it is a wild slide to home-base; face down, in dirt

Sometimes love pours a cup of tea, ‘with milk and honey, dear?’

But oft it startles you and me with sudden, bitter tear

Sometimes love's havens that we seek must first weather love's gale

Sometimes love’s kiss upon the cheek is crushed in love’s travail

Sometimes love's payoff that we thought should bear visible fruit/loot

Gets lost; often love’s prize is not a made-to-measure suit

Sometimes, we would forget to pray; I think love's push and shove

Must be God’s higher thought and way to teach us ‘such is love’

Whoever does not bear love’s cross is not fit for love’s crown

Sometimes what first looks like love’s loss is Heaven, upside down

© Janet Martin

Here Is Love, Vast As The Ocean...

Of (Fleeting) Time and Place

I'm currently working at painting and preparing a vacant bedroom

as a spare bedroom (aka grandchildren's sleepover room😊😉💓)

Two coats of primer later, Matt's old room colour, 

the colour of a basketball, is simply a memory!

painted during the boyhood basketball phase of his life;

 a phase long overtaken by more pressing matters, (like mortgages,😅)

Proof of the fleeting POOF!! 

of stages and ages, interests and passions!

Reminding us to build on the eternal 

rather than the temporal because...

 ...the things which are seen are temporary, 

 the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Cor.4:18

I finished listening to this book yesterday as I painted...

God's Smuggler

The book is filled with profound thoughts and experiences 

but the one below, near the end of the book

made me put down my brush and jot it down!

Starkly relevant for the age we are in...

(When, after gaining access to a country through great effort and pains,

 he (Brother Andrew) proceeded to hand out Bibles, but no one seemed interested)

And he was struck with this revelation-

'Persecution was an enemy the church had met and mastered many times.

Indifference could prove to be a far more dangerous foe!'

**

Pray, we do not slip into indifference, 

but live, deeply aware that we are all 

on a very impending verge... of  eternity

***

Jude 1:3-4

Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share,

 I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith

 entrusted once for all to the saints. 

4For certain men have crept in among you unnoticed—

ungodly ones who were designated long ago for condemnation. 

They turn the grace of our God into a license for immorality, 

and they deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

***

 

The blessings we enjoy

The heartaches we endure

Grievances that annoy

Dreams loosed from the mind’s moor

The ups and downs we face

The fights twixt faith and fear

Are all hallmarks of time and place

And temporary, dear

Love’s holy exercise

Of hold-and-letting-go

Of glad hellos and hard goodbyes

Of retrospect’s slideshow

Of choice, for better-worse

And not all it appears

Of consequence we bless or curse

With laughter or with tears

Pleasure’s brief blitz of bliss

Suffering’s griefs and pains

All pass way; the genesis

To all that yet remains

Of everlasting gain

Or everlasting loss

These moments in the sun and rain

Are but bridges we cross

That lead away from This

Brief encounter with grace

Where soul alone transcends What Is

Of fleeting Time and Place

The fool rejects this truth

The wise take heed and pray

Because death is the living proof

Of this world’s little stay

Then, while we can, prepare

To meet Thy God, before

We step from time’s fleet thoroughfare

Into Forevermore

© Janet Martin

Why We (Believers) May Go Forth With Joy Each Day

 Because only the blood of Christ can wash us white as snow...

Isa.1:18

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:

 though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; 

though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

May we, believers, rejoice every day

as we reflect on God's goodness and mercy,

but all the more as we approach Easter season,

and meditate on what it cost God to purchase

 the gift of salvation, and what it means for all who

believe and receive it!

Hallelujah! Praise the name of Jesus!

 ...and you are to give him the name Jesus, 

because he will save his people from their sins.” Matt.1:21

Because goodness and mercy follow us our whole life through

Because God never forsakes us, because His word is true

We may go forth with joy each day, because, though all else fails

Nothing can sway God's promises; His steadfast word prevails

Because greater is He in us than this world’s greatest threat

Because, though all armies amass, our God is greater yet

We may go forth with heart content in what The Lord has done;

For redemption’s requirement, God gave his only Son

Because only the blood of Christ can wash us white as snow

Because God rich in mercy sacrificed himself to show

How much He loves us; thus, we may go forth in victory

Armed with the power of the cross; ‘not I but Christ in me’

Because the love and word of God abide, faithful and true

And everlasting; faith will not fear what mere man can do

Because, not man, but God is bringing us through everything

We may go forth with singing, because He is Lord and King

© Janet Martin

Jesus Saves!