I am posting my poetry at anotherporch.blogspot.com

This blog is giving me trouble both to load and to post so I am posting all poems on my other blog. Thank-you for visiting. Feel free to read and share.
To God be the glory!

You Love Me

For every vile deceitful thing I am

You love me

For ever doubtful thought of shame

You love me

I offer up my anger and my grief

In tender mercy You behold my unbelief

And You love me

For ever step I walk in Judas’ shoes

You love me

For every tender blessing I refuse

You love me

In recompense for my complaint and greed

Your endless grace provides my humble need

As You love me

For every deed of foolish ignorance

You love me

For every blatant wasted, second chance

You love me

Mercy, compassion, like an ocean roll

To wash the sin-stain from my wretched soul

For You love me

© Janet Martin

 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, 

that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

I Know

I do not know…

before the sun

cajoles the western sky

what will befall,

but this I know

the Lord keeps you and I

I do not know 

what waits beyond

the dark and distant hill

but this I know

before me goes

a Father's perfect will

and this I know

the unknown waits

and I, a shell of dust

can simply place

my hand in His

and in His wisdom trust

© Janet Martin

 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and do not lean on your own understanding...Prov. 3:5

Awesome Acknowledgements

Oh God, who can paint on an infinite nothing?

Has ever a man brushed his thought on the air?

Who on this earth can arrange the vast heavens?

Or shift nebulosity with naught but a stare?

Who can design, from the seed its fulfillment?

Man can do nothing but what you allot

The fruit of the field, of forest and garden

Blooms by the measure of Creator’s thought

Who teaches the bud of flower to open?

Or tells the tree its season to leaf?

Has ever a man plucked the rain from the heavens?

Or ordered the wind’s velocity to cease?

How fearful the greatness of our dependence

But for a God who loves us so much

That not one pebble escapes His vigilance

Hope and forgiveness exudes every touch

…and He who arranges the colors of heaven

Or stuns man’s babble to quieted awe

Seeks ultimately, intimately, the best for His children

For in Heaven and earth there is none like God

© Janet Martin

No one is like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is mighty in power. Jer. 10:6

We gathered there...some on the bluff, others down on the beach
each with our own version of  'watching the sun set...'

Thursday Thoughts~

 He walks on water...the Keeper of the storm

Even the wind and the waves obey Him

...how much more then, ought we?

It is only when we come to the end of ourselves

That God can begin…

For all the good it does not do

Sometimes she wonders

What might have been?

Salty tears

A great heart-cleanser

To love is not the same
as being 'in love'
 

Though duty may shorten its leash

It cannot keep the sun from smiling

Or nature from spilling its art

Through my window; nor can it quell

In the busyness of toil

The music of love in my heart

Come sunlight or shadow

Come high tide or low

God IS; ever changeless

Wherever we go

The Rock of Ages is Ageless

I cannot see the way ahead

Its portend or its girth

So I will put my faith instead

In God of Heaven and earth

He leads me

..Sometimes I am too stubborn to follow

He guides me

…sometimes I am too blinded by self to see

He loves me

…sometimes I forget just how much

Until I remember Calvary

Some friends flutter by

Like a butterfly

…and some are a fly in life’s butter

Some stick, not like honey in your hair

But closer than a brother

 Janet~

Softly Touching our Hand

Gold fingers reach from a cloak gently softening

Over serene valley, blue-brimming with mist

Into the meadow, where its humble offering

Is threaded with diamonds of dew-silver kiss

The brook winds its sash across spring's emerald garment

Through pastoral wood-lot and out to the sea

Forgotten ponds burst with songs of the season

Turquoise-jade patches on earth’s rugged knee

Gentle breeze rouses the bird from its slumber

Nature’s choristers fill somnolent space

As over the earth spreads a heavenly wonder

Of unmarred perfection; a new day of grace

Yester's red sun, as it slipped from our visage

Tugged with it the day, into history’s embrace

Now it rises again; yet is not encumbered

With past’s soiled attempts; but a new day of grace

And we turn to the Master-piece dazzling the acre

Where grace has allowed us a dot on time’s sands

Thankfulness rushes through our hearts like pure water

As a new day of mercy softly touches our hands

© Janet Martin

It is not difficult to see His beauty on a morning like this…

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Ps. 118:24

Trouble Me Not...

Trouble me not; oh fear of tomorrow

Unknown is the visage of future intent

Trouble me not; oh yesterday’s sorrow

Firm is the seal on a moment when spent

Trouble me not; oh guilt that would haunt me

But for the Hands bearing scars in my stead

Trouble me not; though failure would taunt me

But for the Hope as my pardon flows red

Trouble me not; restless oceans of longing

Vain are the futile endeavors of dust

But oh, what fulfillment and peace in belonging

To He in whom we can affix our trust

Trouble me not; Lord, I plead for Your presence

To conquer the demons that quake ‘neath Your gaze

When I am weak God, Your strength is perfected

As I relinquish my will to Your ways

© Janet Martin

 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, 

for my power is made perfect in weakness. 

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, 

so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  2 Cor. 12:9

Because of Him

Because of the grace and the love He has shown

Because of His word that will not pass away

We have a foundation of rare, precious Stone

A blueprint for living as we build day by day

Because of His absolute forgiveness of sin

We are set free from the burden of guilt

No condemnation remains deep within

Redemption impartial flows in His life-blood spilt

Because of His infinite mercy and care

Hope will sustain us in spite of travail

We have a Father who does not despair

His way is perfect; His love will not fail

© Janet Martin

Let no man deceive himself.

If any man among you seems to be wise in this world

let him become a fool that he may be wise.

for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

For it is written: He takes the wise in their own craftiness. 1 Cor. 3:18-19

Do Not Despair

Do not despair

Though grief and care

May bleed our laughter dry

And mortal pain

May seek to drain

The well-spring in our eye

Do not give up

Though pleasure’s cup

Is cracked or sadly scarred

There is an ear

Bent close to hear

The groaning of the heart

Do not dismay

A fairer day

Awaits beyond the vale

As step by step

He lifts us up

In arms that never fail

© Janet Martin

 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isa. 41:10

The Unknown

 

 

The unknown; an inevitable strait

All voyages pass through

There is no one who can escape

This ethereal avenue

We stand upon life’s open deck

And sail the roving sea

Only our Captain can predict

What the Unknown will be

Fear not the waves beneath the calm

Fear not the stormy gale

The Captain holds within His palm

The ocean and the sail

© Janet Martin

 

 http://www.esvbible.org/Psalm+139/

Our understanding at best, O God

Is inadequate and trite

On our own each breath a fraud

And every moment, night

Our perception without Your Spirit

Is blinded ignorance

And Death, O death, how I would fear it

But for deliverance

Your mercy, hope and love fulfills

Your changeless eye of grace

The tempter wears ten-thousand ills

Deceiving human race

Our understanding will ever be

Only what God imbues

Therefore but by His grace go we

On earth-bound avenues

Beyond these briefest stance of Time

Our eyes will see anew

As we behold Love, pure, sublime

Oh God, as we see you

© Janet Martin

Behold the Lamb of God

which takes away the sins of the world. John 1:29

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose" -- Jim Elliot

Royal Wedding

Behold: look yonder

See what breaks the ramparts of the sky

As golden thunder

Sends the stars in showers from on high

Behold; who comes

In royalty on heaven’s mercy seat

With angel legions at his side

Winged creatures at His feet

Behold; what sounds

What fills the air with roar of rushing water?

And who descends

With glory rare in search of Zion’s daughter?

Behold; behold

It is the Lord. Behold the Bridegroom comes

As hallelujah fills the air

His bride is coming home

Behold the Love

He sees her there in linens bright and clean

Behold the blood

That cleansed Her where vile sin-stains once had been

Behold the song

That rends the earth; behold the great I AM

‘Blessed are those invited to

The wedding of the Lamb’

© Janet Martin

Then a voice came from the throne, saying:
"Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both great and small!"

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
"Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)

9 Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."

Rev. 19: 5-9