Showing posts with label Charlie Pride. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Charlie Pride. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

A Prayer (as I prepare to face the day)

Oh! The precious, purifying, perplexing,
pressing, peace-pursuing, power-instilling
cross in prayer...

 

Above, Aug. 6 devotion from My Utmost For His Highest
by Oswald Chambers

Some days, for some reason it takes more discipline
 to corral a galloping stampede of thoughts , duties and desires, into quiet prayer...
This morning I struggled to find new words for old pleas of well-worn repetition!
Then I remembered 'he knows my needs before I ask'
better than I do, and supplies them!
He understands what it takes to fortify my fumbling stutters of faith 
Hallelujah and thank You, Lord



Ps.90:14
Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,
that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

 In Jesus' Name, I Pray


Our Father, who art in Heaven
Ever hallowed by Thy name
By Thy grace I am forgiven
Free from guilt’s defeat and shame
Today, Lord, I pray, remind me
Of the love that will not fail
For Thy light, before, behind me
For Thy purpose to prevail

For protection and direction
For Thy Word within my heart
To perfect my meditation
For, how wonderful Thou art
For more faith and not more answers
For Thy rod, lest my feet slip
For more love toward my neighbor
For Thy armor to equip

For gladness for Thy salvation
To satisfy all my days
Lead me not into temptation
But anoint each breath with praise
Grant me strength for toil’s demanding
Yet, make me weak so I lean
Not upon my understanding
But upon Thy arm unseen

Let Thy law be my desire
Let Thy Word be my delight
Let Thy promises inspire
Hope no trial can requite
Let Thy goodness full of mercy
Follow me through all my days
Let me be hungry and thirsty
For Thy righteousness, always

Satisfy my 'poor in spirit'
With Thy everlasting love
When I cry, O Lord, You hear it
Let this knowledge be enough
To instill me with Thy comfort
To cast all my cares on Thee
Till we gather at a banquet
In Heaven’s eternity

Lord, my Lord, so many wander
Like lost sheep, hearts hard and numb
Pray, before Thou bidst them yonder
They will hear Thy voice, and ‘come’
To still waters and green pastures
To the joy faith will receive
Freed from sin’s death-cursed disaster
As they repent and believe

Lord, by Thy humble example
Pray, may all who follow You
Not cause another to stumble
By the things we say and do
But by the grace Thou hast given
Let faith, hope, and love proclaim
Our Father, who art in heaven
Ever hallowed be Thy Name

For Thine is the kingdom,
The power and glory
Forever and ever,
Amen

© Janet Martin

Matt.6:5-13
And when you pray, you shall not be like the [b]hypocrites.
 For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets,
 that they may be seen by men. 
Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 
6But you, when you pray, go into your room, 
and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place;
 and your Father who sees in secret will reward you [c]openly.
  7And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. 
For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8“Therefore do not be like them. 
For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
  9In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
[d]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 
Amen.


Friday, January 6, 2023

Of Real-Time Poetry (and learning to read it)

The end of the old year and the beginning of the new 
have seen very little sunshine in our area!
 Celebrating happiness in today's post! 
Hopefully, it will be like a splash of sunshine in spite of the weather!


The 7-day forecast coming up has yellow in it. yay!


I want to be impacted by the thunder of the clock

I want to be distracted by fallen leaves on the walk 



This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

The hard-pressed quest for happiness can sometimes overlook
The day’s unbridled loveliness in Real Time’s poem-book
Of beauty borne on loved one’s voice, of gladness turned to prayer
Of cherishing the charge of choice with conscientious care

Of birthday boy, wild with pure joy of turning sweet, sweet six
Still unbothered by life’s employ of moment-metered tricks
And diehard quests for happiness where happiness runs free
In the strange font of noise and mess of Real Time poetry

Of little girl who tugs the hand of honored smiles run wild 
(Surely there is nothing so grand as hand-in-hand-with-child)
Where Real-Time poetry can mete no sweeter happiness
Than tugs and hugs and dancing feet and pretty princess dress

Time’s wizened ways, where yesterdays accumulate, become
A surreal haze charged with displays of Real-Time’s soldered Sum
Where change mingled with changelessness teaches us as we age
In hard-pressed quests for happiness, to treasure every page/stage

The changelessness of change adapts to every size and shape
And draws dreamland’s fantastic mats out from beneath rapt gape
Reminding us not to get caught up in fond fantasy
Lest we miss the momentous jot of Real-Time Poetry

The quest for happiness is like a thief that steals the show
While buds turn into leaf and hold turns into letting go
While happiness fills coffers with lyrics that spill and brim
When love becomes the author and when life becomes a hymn

Happiness makes the most of now and here’s imperfect ‘yes’
It takes in stride both smile and tear with humbled thankfulness
Not overcome with yearning for what simply cannot be
Happiness is in learning to read Real-time Poetry

I want to be impacted by the thunder of the clock
I want to be distracted by fallen leaves on the walk 
I wanted be dumfounded no matter which way I look
By poetry unbounded in life's Real-Time Poem Book

© Janet Martin

I learned the first song as a little girl at school!







 







Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Light of Eternity


 Gorgeous break of day...
May we proceed in the Light of eternity!
John 12:46
I am come a light into the world, 
that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.

As we navigate nuances of what has never been
As we exchange what we bear witness to, for the Unseen
As we begin another day on life’s highway, pray we
Proceed with conscience keen in the light of eternity

As we face what is waiting let the grace of God instill
More than futile debating, but dependence on His will
The taper of today is like a candle on the sea
A sallow halo hinged to the light of eternity

As we draw closer to the shore where only souls dismount
And we approach the solemn bar where we will give account
Help us, oh God to trek this sod with awed solemnity
Until hope’s flame is snuffed by the Light of eternity
  

© Janet Martin






Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Contentment is like a Sweater...

It seems over and over we need to learn and relearn to adapt, then re-adapt, 
to plan then re-plan as circumstance changes 'dance-steps'...
Lord, teach us how in all of this 
to be content.
(written as a reminder when contentment's feathers get a little ruffled and yanked)



Contentment is like a sweater
Cashmere-soft in its embrace
Bigger than the grind we weather
Or the hopes and dreams we chase

Contentment is like heart-laughter
The secret to happiness
Its essence lingers long after
Hold-and- hug cools its caress

Contentment is like a flower
With a bloom that never dies
Splash of colour cheers each hour
Priceless, modest pleasure-prize

Contentment is heaven's rhythm
On earth's rocking-chair of life 
While we bounce and bump unbidden
While want bears the carving knife

Contentment is like home-fires
Warming us while wild winds brood
Satisfying heart’s desires
With genuine gratitude

© Janet Martin

...and now?
I must be content to scrub the porridge pot
because the oatmeal soundly burned 
while I 'purred' about contentment😏 


...and a song I thought of us I called up to Victoria to
'rise and shine and start another hard-work day!'



Thursday, October 17, 2019

Perfect Timing


 Sometimes the thing that is most prayer-consuming seems to fall on deaf ears.
My devotions the past few days, in perfect timing 
remind us they do not!



Sometimes we seek but cannot find
We knock but no one opes the door
Then we who are answer-inclined
Wonder what we are praying for

The hardest part, for you and I
When waiting is misunderstood
Is to believe that God’s reply
Is always working for our good

The scope of God we can perceive
Is but a glimpse at very best
Hope is the courage to believe
While faith is enduring the test

Then keep on seeking; knock once more
Yield self to God, then pray and pray
The answer we are waiting for
Is His perfect timing away

© Janet Martin






Wednesday, October 16, 2019

If We But Ask

No matter how much we brace ourselves for what we might face we are fitted only as we need it!
Sometimes it's comforting to visualize His nail-scarred Hand 
reaching down to hold our so-small hand as we reach up...
It's also comforting to visualize those same hands 
enfolding the rebel/prodigal/atheist as we pray!
(For we still live in the day of grace)



The Hand that lowers twilight’s bars
Then fades yon fathoms filled with stars
As daybreak like a weightless tide
Unfolds the muffled countryside
That tells the season by the shell
That cloaks the woodland, field and dell
And steals the wand’ring, wond’ring gaze
With nature’s invincible ways

That Hand that grants the benison
Whereby plant and harvest is done
That guides the earth’s orbit of teal
That spins upon The Potter’s wheel
That shapes with rise and set of sun
The legacy where said-and-done
When we are stripped down to bare clod
Are too small to shake fists at God

The Hand that weathers mortal glove
By the sheer joy and grief of love
That lends all that He gives and takes
In this go-round of sacred stakes
And instills shoal of dust-to-dust
With soul’s indelible Must
Where none, with rebel set of heart
Can shuck That which sets us apart

This Hand that does not slip or fail
That tunes the wind that fills the sail
That vexes vanity’s intent
And perplexes want’s prideful bent
Has scars left there by hate fulfilled
As He made Heaven possible
This Hand that fits us for trust’s task
Will hold our hand, if we but ask

© Janet Martin


For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
 Do not fear; I will help you.
Isa.41:13