The Willow trees in our back yard were only saplings when we moved here
nine years ago. They are extremely fast-growing trees which are now at
least thirty feet tall. As I sat in their shade, I observed the wide
splits in the bark. The old years growth sheds away as the tree expands.
Eventually it falls away back into the soil. We are like trees. Those
who grow the most continue to shed things they no longer need; negative
attitudes, hurts, ideas, stereotypes, resentment, and bitterness, etc.
Some are trapped in their own bark unwilling to let go and change for
the better. How are you at shedding your bark?
Growth brings expansion
Stretching us //sometimes to our limit
Breaking us out of our comfort zone.
Growth causes cracks in our perception
Finding, perhaps there are other ways
Of thinking or feeling that may be different.
Growth brings change
Change is often painful
Forcing us to cast off old ways of thinking;
To have growth, we will have to change.
With change comes new strength;
New strength moves us beyond the present;
Fulfills our dreams for today…
Knowing tomorrow, we will again
Expand, stretch, and shed our bark.
Today at church our guest minister was Dan Hollard, a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Bozeman, Montana. Our pastor for the past 25+ years has been Rev. Jean Johnson. Jean is on disability leave right now … in a rehab facility in Great Falls, MT.
Pray for Jean
Join me in prayer for Rev. Jean Johnson’s release from pain and ability to enjoy a well-deserved retirement.
Sunday Surprises
Meantime, it’s a surprise each Sunday to see who is in the pulpit and to hear a different kind of message. Today’s message was titled, “Spirit of Peace.” I think Dan Hollard must have spent some time in Africa, because he put on an authentic African accent and told us the story of Ubuntu (Oooo-boon-too).
He based his message on the scripture of Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
Here’s what I heard through my filter and took away this morning:
There was a woman in Africa named Dorothy
Who embodied the spirit of Ubuntu
She was all about community and humanity.
Her kitchen was open to all … she’d welcome you.
She lived the spirit of Matthew 25:
If you see someone naked, clothe them.
If you see someone hungry, feed them.
We’re all one; you should never loathe them!
Dorothy was like a mother to all
Who entered her village; she’d invite
The hungry and poor to dine in her kitchen.
The sense of community was pure delight.
Like Nelson Mandela who invited his captors
To enjoy his inauguration feast,
Dorothy welcomed one and all –
Didn’t label anyone as one of the “least.”
Instead she lived a life that demonstrated
“I am who I am because of who we are.”
She knew “We are all connected.”
Her love lifted all people to “par.”
Everywhere in the world what we need
Is more Dorothys who live out Matthew 25.
Regardless of religion or color or creed,
We need Ubuntu to spread far and wide.
We must fill our world with love and joy.
We must fill the world with God’s peace.
We must feed the hungry and show respect
And love to all. Come and join my feast!
Shalom!
Ubuntu! Have a Matthew 25 Sunday. “I am because we are.” We are all connected. See you tomorrow.
Today was the annual parade of homes
in Ennis, Montana.
It was a fundraiser for our local Madison Valley Med Center.
As a MVMC volunteer, I was hostess
all morning at one of the homes.
I lucked out because this was a marvelous,
gorgeous place to spend the morning.
Let me share some of the views with you.
Maybe you will get some decorting ideas.
The design from the outside is quite square and modern. But once you step inside the front door, you see an early 1800s chair – inherited from the owner’s great-grandparents – and brought here in the early 1900’s from Germany.
You know you’re in for a treat when you see the art work on the walls and the other family heirlooms dotted throughout.
The owners’ almost life-sized painting in the entry gives you a clue to their vibrant personalities. And the dog by the hearth shows you their hearts of warmth and love.
Keep going, and look out. The house seems to be floating on Lake Ennis. There are no guard rails on the deck to interrupt your view of the lake.
The window to the right of this continues the spectacular view.
Step outside and dream awhile.
Sit in the hammock and read a good book.
Choose a chair and we’ll tell each other tales of the last 24″ trout we caught in that lake.
Wait for the next fisherman to drift by.
Back out the front door, join me for a swim in the exercise pool in the guest house. You can rent it for a couple of nights and really enjoy this Montana wonderland.
To your right is the bedroom with a small kitchenette and the bathroom. Do you feel like you could stay here awhile – no problem?
I hated to leave, but life must go on. Hope you enjoyed the house tour. Oh, can’t leave wihout going back into the main house to thank the owners for their hospitality. Don’t you love this kitchen?
All this – and nice people, too.
What a great way to spend a day, huh?
Every first and third Friday our Madison County Writers’ Group meets in Ennis, Montana. We may have just two participants, or we could have eight or ten. Last February during our third Friday meeting, there were just two of us. I recently came across my notes from that meeting.
We begin our meeting each time with a prompt we draw from a bag. Anyone can add prompts to the bag at any time. On this particular Friday, Steve drew the prompt, “Writer’s Block.” We had ten or fifteen minutes to write on that prompt and then share with one another what we had written.
I decided to write a Haiku. It ended up as a 5 stanza poem… each stanza a syllabic count of 5-7-5 syllables. What would you have written with the prompt “Writer’s Block”?
Let me share mine with you.
Writer’s Block can trap You and me in wordless haze Floating in nothing
Nothingness can hold You and me in dilemma Pen in hand stands still
Stillness can reveal Treasures in the quietness You just can’t force it
Forcefulness is great If you adamantly feel Thoughts begin to swirl
Swirling thoughts spin out With contemplation and ease The Block disappears
We had so much fun sharing our ideas on Writer’s Block that we decided to draw another prompt. This one was “Words.” We gave ourselves another ten minutes.
This time since I was on a roll with the Haiku rhythm, I wrote a 3 stanza poem. Sharing it later with my husband, Bob, he asked, “What determines if your Haiku is going to be one stanza or 3 or 5?”
“You write what you have to say,” I told him. “When you have said it, you stop. The thoughts dictate the length.”
Here’s what I wrote to the prompt, WORDS:
When words just fail me, I sit back and dream awhile. Dreams don’t have to speak.
When dreams are wordless, My imagination spins – Motivating scenes.
Let pictures emerge. Print them on your mind and soul. Eventually: WORDS!
These kinds of dreams come to us as writers, but they come to painters and potters and musicians as well. It’s a capacity of the human brain that needs to be cultivated.
A productive life is one that can get beyond writers block, can use words to express inner feelings, and can listen with heart to the unspoken words of those around them.
I hope you are a proponent of the kind of arts education that promotes such critical thinking. Let your curious mind fly free.
Be a wise consumer of words and thoughts and dreams! Do you have a Writers’ Group? If so, tell me about it. If not, think about forming one. It’s such fun to share your creative thoughts with others face to face, not just on WordPress.
Yesterday Bob & I took our ATV, our dog, our lunches, and our stamina on a ride with friends up to the top of Mt Baldy in the Tobacco Root Mountains. From my sanctuary window, I can see the snow-topped mountain off to the north-west of us.
Mt. Baldy out my sanctuary window
Hard for you to see, with the sunlight reflections on the glass, but it’s out there through the angels in the distance… the tallest of the snow capped mountains.
What does all that have to do with thoughtfulness? Well, without the help of our friends, we wouldn’t have ventured up there!
First of all, some of the trails were really, really rocky and rough. We wouldn’t chance it alone!
Rocky trail up to Mt Baldy
Secondly, I could not have made that climb up from the trail where we left the ATVs without the help of my buddies!
Jan, Caroline & Penny on top!
With kind thoughtfulness, they each took one of my arms and climbed with me. They stopped to rest when my breathing got to panting instead. God bless ‘em!
View from Mt. Baldy’s top
At the 10,788 ft. level, the view was spectacular and the air coming off the snow on the peaks beside us was crisp and fresh.
I hope you’re as blessed as we are to have such thoughtful friends!
Rex in top of Mt. Baldy
Our buddy/neighbor/guide was Rex, who (with his wife, Penny) led the way. We’d have been lost without him!
Bob, Jan & TazE
Have a thoughtful day, my friends.
Who can you help with his/her climb today?
Last Sunday’s “Do the Math”
sermon topic was
“In Search of the Uncluttered Life.”
It was inspired by the passage in Luke 12:32-40 and delivered
by Rev. Steve Hundley at our Madison Valley Presbyterian Church.
You’ll see why I named it, “Do the Math” … Read on!
“Things are in the saddle
And they ride mankind.” *
They are the stuff of storage –
The things that tie and bind.
.
We are the generation
Who invented the garage sale.
We’re buried in acquisitions
That make us stress and wail.
.
Many wealthy and blessed people
Complain about all they’ve got.
They live in an “If Only” state –
Sometimes wishing away what they’ve bought.
.
Life is hard, whether rich or poor.
Jesus says, “Sell your possessions
And give…” and be ever-ready
For my return. Release your obsessions.
.
Jesus asked what seems unreal.
We can’t be ready 24-7.
But, we don’t want to be asleep
And miss the only bus to Heaven!
.
The scripture seems to expect
Too much of us … be ever ready!
Jesus doesn’t ask us to be sleepless.
He asks us to be loving, trusting, steady.
.
He asks us to unclutter
Our lives from stuff and worry.
He asks us to replace distractions,
The things that make us rush and scurry.
.
Set aside the stressful things
That keep us from feeling God’s love.
Be ready to receive the riches
That God pours on us from above.
.
Look for God’s presence today.
Set your eyes on the eagles and clouds.
Be amazed by God’s creation;
Set aside the clutter and crowds.
.
Be surprised by the daily joy
God places in your path.
Add peace and subtract the stress.
Think about it; do the math!
.
* A quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Steve Hundley’s Pastoral Prayer:
This is Your world, O Lord,
that glows with the radiance
of mountain wild flowers
and towering trees,
with the warmth of human
compassion and kindness.
.
Yet there is another world
that is Yours as well:
a world of brokenness
and barrenness,
of sickness and isolation,
of suffering and lonliness.
.
We thank You, O God,
that You are Lord,
over not only this beautiful world,
but also its brokenness.
Remind us that it was
this broken world that
Christ died to redeem…
that it is to this broken world
that the Cross reaches out its arms.
.
Receive us, we pray,
from the darker and needier side
of our existence this morning.
Let the hurt and resentment
in us be taken up
into Your love and acceptance.
.
Let our lonliness be swallowed up
by Your Presence with us here.
Let our illness be touched
by Your healing power,
and our troubled spirits
by Your peace.
.
Turn our personal worlds
of suffering and confusion
into the world of Christ,
where all things are seen
differently in the Light
of His wonderful face.
.
Grant that the conversation
of our own worlds
will enable us to care
about the worlds of others –
the poor, the hungry,
the broken-spirited,
the sick, the dying,
the disenfranchised,
the imprisoned, or those
just seeking a better life.
.
Save us from thinking that
the beautiful world we live in
is ours, or that the broken
and lonely world we live in
is the only one there is.
.
Keep ever before us,
the Cross of Christ,
by which these two worlds
are united,
and the Spirit of the Resurrection,
in which we are promised
that the beautiful world
will outlast the broken one.
.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord
we pray.
And all God’s people said, Amen!
Thanks for joining me here at WordPress and reading the sermon notes and prayer. I hope they spoke to your heart.
They certainly spoke to mine! See ya tomorrow. JanBeek
Today was a perfect day to take Lucille
(Our ATV with a red head who is a Ball),
And go up into the mountains –
Up on Mt. Baldy, more than 10,000 feet tall!
On our way up to Mt. Baldy (10K ft ahead of us)
Lucille is a trooper with Bob at the wheel.
TazE loves riding with us on the mountain trails.
Some of the roads are so rough, I cringe,
But I am happy to have an “Oh My!” bar instead of wails.
Hang tight to the “Oh My!” bar. Secure TazE with her leash.TazE crowded me as she leaned out the window of Lucille
Going with friends makes it extra fun;
Five guys and three gals in five 4-wheelers.
The area in the Tobacco Root Mountains
Is full of rough terrain, rocks and squealers.
Me (Jan) with Caroline & PennyBob, Rex, Gene, BW and Chuck
The views from up on top of Baldy
Are breathtaking to be sure.
The sky was a little hazy today,
But the air was clean and pure.
Gene, with a recent new knee, made the rigorous climb
from our ATVs to the top of the mountain
(a steeper climb than it looks here!)
We were above the snow level
Where the clouds seem so close
We felt like we could touch them.
I have more pictures than I can post!
Our lovely, protected setting for lunch on top of Mt. BaldyThe view from my lunch spotDilapidated old mining building
Over my right shoulder a dilapidated mine
Indicated that people once lived and worked
In this place miles from civilization –
For gold, lead, silver and copper – no one shirked.
Old mining site on Mt. Baldy
Old mines dotted the trail as we headed down.
I wished those old beams and rocks could talk.
They would have wonderful stories to tell –
Lived through many a death and untold shocks.
Jan in Bob’s fishing cap
On down the mountain on rocky trails,
We were careful to not tip over the edge.
The paths were narrow with no side rails –
I held TazE and tried not to look at the ledge!
Bob driving Lucille – in a rocky spot with a wider ledge than mostBob, Jan, TazE – top of Mt. BaldyOld mine on Mt. BaldyEnnis Lake from the Tobacco Roots to the Madison Range
We tried to stay in view of the Polaris
Traveling on the trail in our lead,
But we didn’t want to be too close
To eat his dust as he picked up speed.
That’s our Madison Valley and Ennis Lake
In the middle of this view.
As we headed back, the sun was warmer
And we wished we could share this trip with YOU!
Thank you for visiting JanBeek
Come back soon for more adventures and inspiration.
Why Reblog? Well, Don is my 600th follower!! I want to honor him and his blog and invite you to see his work. I love his photography. I think you will, too. Thanks, Don, for visiting and following JanBeek!!
Gear DOES Matter
One of the best ways to improve your photography? Buy gear. Yes,
that’s right. Buy gear. You are a photographer. It is your passion
(hopefully!) so why not buy gear?
Gear motivates, inspires and allows you to realise your vision.
I would recommend though, buying gear only if you really need it. Buy second-hand gear off eBay or Gumtree (Australia). Cameras, lenses, flashes and bags are tools- if you need them, buy them.
Some will make you a better photographer because you will be able to
capture what you envisage. Some purchases will be duds. Avoid the duds.
Don’t make impulse buys. Research the hell out of each purchase to
guarantee you get a good bargain and you know why you are getting that new piece of equipment.
I have only just bought my first speedlight flash with softbox and
umbrella. Continuous lights served me well for a long time, and I still
use them, but they are limiting when it comes to travelling and I needed
stronger, directional lights, so I bought a cheap but highly regarded
flash- a Godox flash. I didn’t by a Nikon one at four-times the price
with less features. I shopped around, weighted up options, put it off
until I felt limited in my photography.
Same with lenses. I bought a Tamron 90mm 1:1 Macro lens. My other
lenses, a 50mm and 28mm, I bought second hand off eBay. I mostly
photograph people, still life and flowers- 90mm becomes the most useful
lens. I shoot a few landscapes, so a second hand 28mm suits me well.
It has to be justified.
If you are struggling to achieve a look with your equipment, then it is time to buy gear. The sad thing is, I see so many photographers buying gear thinking it will make them a better photographer. It wont.
But having gear, suitable for what you want to create, will make you a better photographer.
Buying the right gear will elevate your photography. And no, there
are no affiliate links here. I never recommend gear, because what is
good for me, may not be suitable for you.
