Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for September, 2019

Yes, I Salvaged the Cake!

One of my blogging friends asked,
Did you salvage that cake?

The Shortcut Syndrome

Yes, I was able to cut off the burned parts,
Turn it over on a cake plate,
and frost it with whipping cream.
And it was delicious!

Thanks for reassuring me.
Even the worst of our mistakes
Can turn out OK,

IF we don’t give up!

But, the best solution is
Read the fine print to begin with!

Have a great Monday evening.
.
We’re headed to visit our dear neighbors
Who are here for the summer
and then leave in the fall –
headed for warmer weather.

Chickens!!

Photo by Moon Bhuyan on Pexels.com
Photo by PhotoMIX Ltd. on Pexels.com

Only kidding…
You’re not chicken for leaving in winter…
But we will sure miss all our “Snowbirds!”

5 guys - Mt. Baldy
Four of these five guys head for warmer climate in winter.
Only Bob – on the left – the guy in shorts –
the one who thinks it’s warm
when others are cold-
will remain!

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And both of my girlfriends here will leave.
Penny, on the right, is the one
we are saying farewell to tonight.

 

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Oh, but I can’t cry.
I need to count my blessings.
Better to have ’em part of the year
rather than not at all.
.
And thanks, Mrs Hen, for the egg whites.
Without them I couldn’t have made that
angelfood cake!

eggs in the metal basket
.

See ya tomorrow, my blogging friends.
pexels-photo-207962
Sure glad you’re not leaving me!

Category:

food, friendship, Love, Travel

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Beeing Brave

Learning to Bee Brave

According to this

New post on The Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally
Day 2478: Learning how to be braveby Ann Koplow

According to that post by Ann Kaplow, learning how to be brave includes:

  • following good role models,
  • feeling the fear and doing it anyway,
  • letting go of harsh judgments,
  • having faith in your process,
  • accepting all your feelings,
  • being kind to yourself and others,
  • carrying supportive people in your heart and mind,
  • committing to the here and now,
  • learning from everything, and
  • telling your story authentically.
Looking to the Son for Bravery

For me,  

learning to be brave also includes daily asking God to free me from:

  • cowardice in the face of danger
  • weakness, knowing His power is at hand
  • anxiety about tomorrow,
  • bitterness toward anyone,
  • laziness from work,
  • failure before opportunity, and
  • doubt, when His assurances are mine.

For you,

  • looking within for the courage that’s there,
  • looking up for the support that’s yours, and
  • stepping out in faith … will start you on the path

To the Success You Seek

man in red crew neck sweatshirt photography
achievement activity adolescent arms

Step out in faith today.
Accomplish more than you dreamed possible.
What’s one of those goals you intend to bravely tackle?

 

I sent a Happy 30th Anniversary card

off to our son and daughter-in-law today.

Some goals don’t take courage at all;

they just take getting off your butt and doing ’em.

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Happy Anniversary, Ty & Monika.
I know you are bravely tackling several tasks today.
Just putting one foot in front of the other takes courage some days.

Bee  pexels-photo-460961.jpeg Brave!

Go for it!

red and white ribbon

See ya later.

Category:

Faith, God, Life's Challenges, Love

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How Can I Keep From Singing?

 

Sermon Notes from the message
inspired by Colossians 3:12-17
“How Can I Keep from Singing?”
Delivered by Rev. Steve Hundley
today in McAllister, Montana
at our
Little White Church in the Meadow

McAllister Church

Why did God create this world?
We’ve given Him nothing but trouble.
It was enough that He created Adam,
Then the trouble seemed to double!

But Adam alone could not sing
In God’s perfect harmony.
He needed Eve and crickets, too.
Needed birds and waterfalls, and me!

Nature is awash with lovely sound –
Whipporwill and tree frogs sing.
I hear coyotes howling in the dark.
God made lovely sounds in everything.

God must have needed all those notes
From all Creation as they raise
Their voices in glory to Him.
He created us all to give Him praise.

If we don’t sing, we’re as good as dead!
Throughout history songs are recorded.
“Hallelujah” sang the angels on high.
We can read the songs the Psalms reported.

However, when we destroy the habitat
Of animals who sing and swing in trees,
Or the homes of God’s loving people,
We silence songs such as these.

grayscale photo of people raising hands

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

How can we keep from singing?
How can we assure the continued song?
We must keep God’s creation alive
And praise our Lord as we sing along.

 

Join the birds, crickets, Joey and Rory
In beautiful songs of praise and love.
Join hands and hearts and keep alive
The melodies from God above.

Amen!

Our service in that little white church
was filled today with music and merriment.
Sing along with us as we have a great time
with “Daddy Sang Bass” (… Mama Sang Tenor).
Betcha can’t keep from singing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA9jf-bm2As

Have a blessed rest of your Sunday…

woman playing ukulele

Keep on singin’ –
-ya hear?

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, music, Poetry

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The Shortcut Syndrome

Shortcuts

angelfood cake

Shortcuts rarely give
The results we so desire
Often disastrous

Disaster Unaware

I didn’t realize when I put the angelfood cake batter in the angelfood cake pan that I had taken a shortcut. But, I guess not fully reading the instructions is a shortcut to getting the batter made and the cake put into the oven.

If you live at the 5,000 ft. level and the fine print on the box says “high altitude instructions,” you should probably take time to read them. Otherwise, look at what happened… it overflowed the pan and the top became way too crusty. Do you think it still is salvageable?

Bible Lesson on Shortcuts

Interestingly, my Bible Study lesson from In Touch Ministries yesterday morning dealt with this very subject!!

Devo- shortcutting

You’d think I’d learn, wouldn’t you? Impatience … rushing to get things done… multi-tasking … all are part of that “Shortcut Syndrome.” Not a good idea!

Read the Fine Print

The fine print below the ordinary cake instructions told me that people who are at 3500 to 6500 ft. need to add 1/3 cup of cornstarch into the dry cake mix. And it told me to beat the batter 3 minutes instead of only 1 minute on medium. Uh, I think that would have made a big difference. Ya think?

The lesson for Abram and Sarai had some fine print, too. “You are going to have a son,” was the bold print message. The fine print said, “But, hey you 80 year old bare woman, you gotta wait another ten years!” (or was she 89 waiting for her 99th year?) Whatever it was… it was wierd! And for good reason, the couple became impatient.

Disastrous Results

Taking things into our own hands, rushing God’s perfect timing, skipping the whispers and the fine print… those all result in disastrous outcomes.

But you’ve never been guilty of that, have you?

Hah!

Read the fine print!
brown book page
See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Bible Lessons, food, God, Haiku, learning, life, Life's Challenges, Love, Poetry

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Intimate Relationships

Intimate Relationships

Haiku x3

Need intimacy
More than need food or water
No touch means no life

z -intimate relationship-thoughts

Thought relationships
Are important for your health
Nothing beats a hug
.

Make peace in your head
Express that peace in actions
Live intimately

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Children express intimacy freely. Their heartfelt hugs are genuine. They are unabashedly affectionate and loving. At what point in our lives do we lose that? Can we get it back? Should we?

The premise of my blog is that the world would be a better place if we could just love one another. Real love. Agape love. I care more about you than I do myself kind of love. I’m in this to GIVE and not to count the cost or worry about what I can get.

The Way to Love.jpg

So run your finger
Over the heart of my soul
Find the crack and pour
HUGS
SMILES
LAUGHTER
LOVE

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Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Pexels.com

Ready?
Set!

red and white ribbon

GO!!
Just do it!

See ya tomorrow

Category:

children, friendship, Giving, Haiku, happiness, Love, peace, Poetry

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Sharing Sunshine

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Thank God

 

Click on this link for a cheery message today:
https://passcodelove.com/2019/09/05/wake-up-sunshine

I read the blog whose link I posted above – and it brought sunshine to me on this gloomy, gray Friday morning. I hope it brightens your day, too. It is so true… we can’t rely on outward circumstances to bring us our joy. The door opens inward!

z -Door opens inward.jpg

When things look cloudy and gray
Just turn your focus away
From the things that are dark and gloomy
Let joy spring from your heart today.

Life IS an amazing journey
It DOES all begin and end with LOVE
So open the door to your heart’s love
And let JOY bring you strength from above.

strong person.jpg

You may be facing some darkness
Your skies may be cloudy and gray
But they don’t have to dampen your spirits
Let the Son shine in to brighten your day.

free-from-suffering-1

Have a bright and beautiful Friday.
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See ya later!

Category:

blessings, blogging, God, Gratitude, happiness, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, Poetry, prayer, writing

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Montana Sunset

Montana Sunset
from Virginia City Hill

VC Firetruck tour8

Virginia City, Montana

Last night I was invited to join 16 other friends on an old firetruck tour of our nearby “Ghost Town” – old mining town – still our Madison County capitol – Virginia City.

The tour began around 7:45 pm. The driver spoke non-stop into his microphone and gave us a history of this town where gold brought 60,000 people to live and mine in the period from 1863 to around the beginning of 1900.

Sunset over the Tobacco Root Range

We watched the sun set as we listened to the fascinating stories of the Old West.

IMG_8620

Headed through the little one main road town on Highway 287, we passed the old courthouse, built in 1876, still beautiful and useful today.

VC Firetruck tour3

Heading up the hill, we passed the welcome sign, acknowledging that VC has been “Resisting change since 1863.”

VC Firetruck tour4

About 200 people call this home year-round … maybe double that number in the summertime. But, it’s a great tourist trap. Check it out on your AAA brochures! They give it 5 stars, I think.

VC Firetruck tour5

There are plenty of old homes on Main Street (287) and the street just above it. Don’t miss Elling House and the old stone Episcopal Church a couple blocks up the hill. Also, the old Opera House, with its great Vaudevillle type performances, at the west end of town is a must see!

VC Firetruck tour9

The sky kept getting prettier and prettier!

VC Firetruck tour10

We stopped at the top of Virginia City Hill by an old cemetery for some appetizers at about 8:45 pm…

VC Firetruck tour15

…and continued to admire the sunset.

VC Firetruck tour12

It was dazzling!

And as the sliver of a moon began to shine in a darkening sky, we headed home.

VC Firetruck tour14 moon

I hope you had a lovely Wednesday evening, too.

Have a great Thursday!
Just love one another…

red and white ribbon
See ya later!

Category:

learning, Love, Montana, nature, photography, Travel

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Be Like a Tree

Be Like a Tree

Be Like a Tree

Today is Wordless Wednesday,
but I could not help myself.
I saw this and decided
it is too good to keep to myself.

I can “Be Like a Tree”
while I remain “wordless.”

Keep Growing, dear friends.

Goodbye August

Keep Facing the Son!

pexels-photo-887349-2

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

flowers, learning, life, Love, mental health

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Wordless Wednesday

My daughter’s hike in Switzerland
Yup, wow!

Category:

Love

Universal Responsibility

With the flooding in the Bahamas and the hurricane Dorian threatening the east coast of the USA, our sense of responsibility for one another is heightened.

Our friends – people, animals, all – need us.

What can we do to help?

ground group growth hands

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Lock arms with your neighbor. Decide together on some course of action.

hand-children-child-child-s-hand-159827.jpeg

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Reach out across color and ideologies and countries and oceans. Reach out to others with a pure heart and a love for all God’s creations.

man hugging american pit bull terrier puppy close up photo

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Don’t be timid. Take a clue from our animal kingdom. Reach out in love to those near you… … and those far away.

boy wearing blue shirt sitting on swing

Photo by Git Stephen Gitau on Pexels.com

Find the need… a universal need… that you can do something about…

 
man sits on hammock while eating

Photo by Denniz Futalan on Pexels.com

And just do it!

How far can your arm reach today? Stretch out and test it!! Do you have an idea about something you can do? Share it!
opened left palm

Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com

pexels-photo-887349-2 See ya tomorrow. JanBeek

 

Category:

Animals, friendship, Giving, Life's Challenges, Love, Serving One Another, Sharing

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