The New Year Waits..........

It waits for us in shrouds of mist
Its bowers hid from view
The old year, sadly, fondly kissed
Now sleeps beyond the blue
And in its stead a new year gleams
On hope’s translucent spires
Upon its wings we sense new dreams
New visions and desires

The disappointed tears we’ve wept
Now sleep beneath the sod
Yesterday’s failures are swept
Into the arms of God
As lovingly He wipes away
Our folly; every trace
And gives to us a brand new day
A gift of love and grace

The old year rests in history
With myriads before
Ahead we see but mystery
A vague, yet open door
On its threshold now we stand
Between the old and new
One thing remains; God’s faithful hand
To gently guide us through

Janet Martin~

Now all has been heard;
Here is the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgement
including every hidden thing
whether it is good or evil. Eccles. 12:13-14

Art Display...........

If God should spread across the sky
For all man to behold
Each moment of our year gone by
In pictures bright and bold
And if we stood to gaze upon
This cosmic gallery
To witness all the things we’ve done
I wonder what we’d see…….

Janet~

Who then, is the faithful and wise servant? Matt. 24:45

There Is Coming a Day....

There is coming a day
When we all shall see
The Son of man
In his Majesty
Though now we are bound
To the cusp of this sod
There is coming a day
When we will meet God

There is coming a day
When each burden we bear
Will vanish away
As we meet Him in the air
The pain in each limb
The tear in our eye
Will grow faint and dim
As we meet Him in the sky

There is coming a day
No man knows the Hour
When every eye shall see
Him in glory and power
Mountains will tremble
The stars fall like rain
As we look up to behold
The Son of Man

There is coming a day
From which no one can flee
As we pass from this earth
To eternity
There is coming a day
When we’ll bow on this sod
And the whole earth will know
That He is God

Janet Martin~

So you must be ready
Because the Son of Man will come
In an hour when you do not
Expect Him. Matt. 24:44

Broken Things.....

The broken bloom cannot be mended
The broken heart will bear the mark
A broken mind is often stranded
Somewhere…..somewhere in the dark
A broken promise leaves its carnage
On a shore of grief and tears
Broken lives; what hopeless visage
Wrought with helplessness and fears

But there is One who heals the broken
There is One who can restore
What is now a useless token
Can be filled with hope once more
Life is full of broken offerings
But He’ll take each shard and fear
Fill each broken bowl with blessing
Count the dark and doleful tear

Broken things cannot be mended
By the carnal mind of shame
God can heal the broken-hearted
If we call upon His name
We may hoard our broken plunder
Be the lord of its domain
Or call upon the Hand of wonder
He will make us whole again

Janet Martin~



He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted….Luke 4:18

Morning Conversation.....

This morning as I talked to you
I told you how much I loved you
I shared my worry and my fear
Of love and life, of the past year
And how in the year that looms ahead
There may be mountains that I dread
You never really said a word
But that’s okay, I know you heard

This morning as I talked to you
The sun breathed on deeper blue
And all the sullen shades of gray
Began to softly melt away
I asked if you would walk with me…
It’s easier that way, you see
And though I cannot see you here
I know the truth, that You are near

Janet Martin~

I will never leave you or forsake you……Heb.13:5

Observation of a Bethlehem Teen.......

Man, you are not gonna believe what I saw last night!
It was the coolest and strangest sight……….
I was just kinda hangin’ out, you know?
When I noticed an unusual kind of…..glow!!!!
It came from the sky just above the stable
Behind the inn owned by my cousin Jabel
I stood there and watched as the glow became brighter
So I decided to go and see if the barn was on fire!!!
Man! I was telling the guys what I saw this morning
And they said that I was ‘possessed’ or something
But I give you my word; I was sharp as a shrink
I hadn’t consumed even one tiny drink!!!
So I took off a-running as fast as I dared
I thought someone might stop me, but nobody cared
There were so many people in town you see
Since Caesar Augustus passed a degree
That we all pay taxes; so the crowds were insane
There were no vacancies anywhere, in any inn
So, I got to the stable and hid out of sight
Well, tried to; that star was incredibly bright
It bathed the roofs and the street below
In what felt like a sacred kind of glow
I stood on my toes and peered over the wall
At first all I saw was a cattle stall
Some cows and oxen, a few sheep maybe
Then, suddenly I heard the cry of a baby!!!!
Wow, my heart began beating, like…… wild!!!
The LAST thing I expected was a new-born child
I didn’t recognize the huddle of strangers
But WHOA, there was the baby, lying in the manger!!!!
Beside Him his mother gazed tenderly
Why, she looked like she was younger than me!
And his dad looked like a regular guy…….
But kneeling at the foot of the manger, oh my!!!
I think they were shepherds, rough-shod and crude
Big red noses, one real ugly dude
But they were gazing in awe at this the little guy
Man, it was beautiful, I wanted to cry
And I just could not believe what I was seeing
It was surreal, like another Being
Was standing there, hidden among the sheep
It almost seemed normal to see those rough dudes weep!
I wish someone believed me, sometimes it seems
Like the left-overs of one of those almost real dreams
Yet, totally different, I know what I saw
My heart still races, I tremble in awe
How can I explain what I don’t understand
Something totally awesome, unbelievably GRAND!!!!
I wonder where he is, will I ever see Him
I never dreamed this could happen in Bethlehem……….

Janet Martin~

...and they came with haste and found
Mary and Joseph and the Babe,
lying in a manger....Luke 2:16

The Light of the World Has Come

Over each hill-top laden with snow
Over the sea where the warm winds blow
Over the palm tree, the fir and the pine
From horizon to horizon line
A wonderful message rings from heaven’s dome
The Light of the world has come

Into the gloom of a sin-laden heart
Into a world that was doomed from the start
Doomed since the Garden and that first sin
Groaning in darkness without and within
Into the spirit, down-cast and numb
The Light of the world has come

Piercing the veil of loss and despair
A Savior has come for each man everywhere
He who formed mountains and the rose so red
Is lying in Bethlehem’s manger-bed
Shout the glad news to each heart and each home
The Light of the world has come

Janet Martin~

That was the true Light which gives light
To every man was coming into the world…..

We have seen His glory,
The glory of the One and Only…..John 1:9-14

For God so loved the world that he gave
His One and Only Son
That whosoever believes on Him should not perish
But have eternal Life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the
World, but to save the world through Him….

….this is the verdict; Light has come into the world. John 3:16-19

Finding CHRISTmas

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Some say it’s in the presents
Beneath the Christmas tree
Some like the decorations
So beautiful to see
Some say they find the spirit
As the snowflakes tumble down
And some claim they can hear it
When old Santa comes to town

Some say that Christmas lies within
The heart if it believes…..
Some find it in the ever-green
Or fancy, festive wreaths
Some prefer the carols we sing
And some poinsettias red
But we know Christmas is a King
Laid in a manger-bed

Yes, we know Christ is CHRISTmas
There is no other way
If you do not know Jesus
Then it’s ‘happy holiday’
For it cannot be CHRISTmas
If we take the ‘Christ’ away
And only in His precious name
Will we find CHRISTmas Day

His name is Jesus, Christ the Lord
The bright and morning Star
Wonderful, and Counselor
Both now and evermore
Mighty God and Prince of Peace
Everlasting King
This is the Christ of CHRISTmas
Oh, let the heavens ring

…and praise His name, the King of kings
Oh, never let it cease
The blood which our salvation brings
Lies in this Prince of Peace
Oh, praise his name for this is He
Who takes our sin away
And thus to all who will believe
IT SHALL BE CHRISTMAS DAY!!!!!!

Janet Martin~

We trust in the living God,
Who is the Savior of all men,
Specially those who believe. 1 Tim.4:10

(Names of Jesus….. ISA. 9:6)

This Jesus......

Who is this one called Jesus
Who is this name we hear?
Is He simply Christmas
The baby-child so dear
Is He that wee tradition
Within a manger-bed
A nice little addition
To all the green and red

Who is this one called Jesus
Which angels did proclaim
Is He the one who frees us
From hopelessness and shame?
Is He the one who brings to life
We who are dead in sin?
Or is He simply a wee Baby
Born in Bethlehem?

Who is this One called Jesus
Oh, what a Child is this?
That God above would give us
His holy righteousness
Who is this One called Jesus
Oh do You know the One
Who loved us so; He gave us
His one and only Son?

Oh do You know this Jesus
Not simply a wee babe
But on his perfect shoulders
Our every sin is laid
Oh, do you know this Jesus
With thorns upon his head
Or is He simply ‘Christmas’
In a wee manger bed?

Janet Martin~

Away in a manger
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head……..

I'm Not That Old....Yet

….but I’ve lived long enough to see
This world is full of misery
The fruit of sin has bleak reward
And life is dark without the Lord
I’ve live long enough to know
That youth is like the melting snow
A brief and dashing interlude
Before the spirit is subdued
As somberly life’s truth we see
This world is full of misery

I’m not that old …..yet
But I’ve lived long enough to learn
The spirit will forever yearn
Until it looks to God above
And drinks of His abundant love
Oh, I’ve lived long enough to see
This world is full of misery
But greater far the love of God
Man’s hope upon this sin-cursed sod

I’m not that young….yes, I’ll admit
I wish I were….sometimes, a bit
But then I look around and see
This world of grief and misery
And with each step I realize
I’m one step closer to the skies
Closer to eternity
And freedom from life’s misery

Janet Martin~

But thanks be to God.
He gives us victory
Through our Lord Jesus Christ….1 Cor.15:57

Simply This.....

I do not ask for very much
This morning as I pray
But simply that I feel Your touch
Kindly direct my way
I do not ask for riches grand
Or things to call my own
But simply this; to hold Your hand
I cannot walk alone

Janet Martin~

The Lord is My Shepherd,
I shall not want...Ps.23:1

Such a Night......

It was such a night tonight
Crisp, serene and still
The moonlight shed her cloak of white
On every slope and hill
Each barren limb, was clearly sketched
Upon the pristine snow
The world, a charcoal drawing etched
Within the moonlight’s glow

As I stood in this silent hour
It seemed that I could hear
The message of an angel choir
Upon a midnight clear
Peace and hope and love shone down
In grand and silent glory
As I recalled the angel’s song
And Love’s amazing story

It was such a night tonight
Within its tranquil glow
It seemed that I could glimpse a sight
Of one night long ago
As angels to the shepherds came
With glad tidings unfurled
A child is born in Bethlehem
A Savior for the world

Janet Martin~

It came upon the midnight clear
The glorious song of old.....