Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for May, 2020

Free to Do, Free to Bee…

Thank you, Guideposts, for your inspirational daily messages. On this Memorial Day that is so different from those past, I am grateful for the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom.

Free to Live and Build

I am grateful for the freedom to live in this beautiful place in Montana where the robins sing, build their nests, lay their eggs, and feed their babies right outside my dining room window! I’m free to just bee… free to do nothing but sit and watch today… if that’s my choice!

I see that wall to the north of my dining room table. The window there leads to our bedroom.
I watched Rita and Robbie, the robin duo, build the nest and lay the eggs. Fifteen days later, they hatched!
Now Rita Robin brings worms to the babies.
They are hungry little robins, begging for more.
Rita Robin leaves… and Robbie Robin comes to feed them next! Robins mate for life. It is such fun to watch them take turns caring for the nest. Rarely is it left uncovered like this these days.

Free to Bee… Free to Recover…

I found this beautiful, stunned bird sitting on the front porch this morning. Is it a wren? It’s really tiny. Even when TazE (our Boston Terrier) went out to sniff at it, it didn’t move. It was free to just bee… bee still for a while. A half hour later, it was recovered – and thankfully flew away. Free to recover. Free to fly.


Free to Marvel

As I sit here and watch the robins take turns in the nest, I am eternally grateful to those service men and women who gave their lives that I might enjoy the peace I have today. Peace to sit here and marvel at nature. Free to enjoy the peace, and to FaceTime with my daughters across the continent and across the Atlantic.

De & Laina

Peace to watch Bob head off with a neighbor to fish the Madison today.

I hope he is free to catch a big one, like my friend Susan Phillips did this week… and then free to catch and release so someone else can be free to have the thrill of catching this beauty! Our Madison River has a “Catch & Release” policy because the trout all are natives… no “planting” allowed. It’s a world-class fly-fishing mecca!!

The pristine Madison River in Madison County, Montana

What are you free to do today?
Tell me about it.
And what are you most grateful for?

Bee grateful
You are free…
Free to
Bee silly…
Free to just Bee!

See ya tomorrow.
Have a Meaningful, Peaceful Monday.

Category:

Animals, blessings, children, contentment, Family, Fishing, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, holidays, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, nature, peace, relationships, Serving One Another

Tagged with:

The Earth Heals Me

I am so grateful for the stars and wind,

The trees and birds sing to me.

The sunshine and nature comfort me.

And I listen to the earth’s words of comfort.

I trust the words the earth speaks to me.

My ears hear the voice of God in the

  • stars
  • wind
  • trees
  • birds
  • sunshine, and
  • nature

Let God tell you, “You are not alone.”
Let God gently hold you.
Let God listen to your pain and sing your worries away.
Let God remove the darkness.
Remember, He accepts you as you are.
God is nature. He created the earth and you.
You are never alone.

God bless you, dear friends.
Listen to His healing words of love and let Him hold you.
Have a beautiful Sunday evening/night.
I’ll see you tomorrow.

Love and virtual hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, blessings, contentment, Faith, flowers, friendship, God, health, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, nature, peace, Poetry, prayer, trees

Tagged with:

You: Kind, Smart, Important

Yes, you is!!
And you is well, too.
Hooray!!
You is smart like a fox!

Thank you, Paul Holdorf, for your beautiful photography.

Yup. you is so smart –
And you is intelligent –
You make a difference!

You is courageous –
And you is adventuresome –
You is goin’ places!

You is not perfect
But you know perfect moments,
And you make them count!

So now bee grateful
For all that you know you is –
And go change the world!

You is gonna tell
How is you gonna do that…
Tell me one thing NOW!!

Category:

Belief, blessings, Giving, Gratitude, Haiku, humor, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, peace, Poetry, Serving One Another

Tagged with:

Must We Die for Freedom?

History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an American holiday. This Memorial Day weekend feels very different from years past. Even though we are not having lock-down, stay-at-home orders in Montana, still most of us don’t feel free to have a large gathering with a picnic potluck as we usually do. We need to find new ways of honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

Memorial Day is this Monday, May 25th, a day for us in the USA to honor the men and women who died while serving in the United States Military. It was originally known as Decoration Day after the tradition of decorating soldiers’ graves with flowers. Women in Pennsylvania began this practice as early as 1864 following the end of the Civil War. Soon other states and cities did the same.

Waterloo, New York, held an annual community-wide event beginning in 1866. This led the town to be recognized as the birthplace of Memorial Day by the federal government in 1966. Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1971. In 2000, Congress passed a resolution, urging Americans to set aside 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day “to observe a national moment of remembrance to honor the men and women of the United States military who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.” 

Thank you, Shutterstock, for this image.

Do You?

Do you celebrate Memorial Day? If so, how are my fellow Americans planning on celebrating Memorial Day this year?

I’m curious: How do those of you in other countries remember the people in your nation who have served in your military (or do you)?

Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.com

Wonderful Dream

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful dream-come-true to have us all just love one another? No fences, no walls, no borders, no nation against nation… just one world, unified, working in tandem for a better life for everyone?

Wouldn’t it be a dream-come-true if we all felt a sense of freedom without anyone having to die to maintain it?

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful dream if everyone stopped hoarding and just shared generously? Share toilet paper! Share the Good News! Share LOVE!

… a pet, and toilet paper
and a lotta LOVE!

Our military generously give their ALL.
The least we can do is give them a day of Gratitude for their service…
and a dream that one day we will all live as ONE,
end all wars, and live in PEACE!

God bless you, my dear Blogging family.
I pray that you have a peace-filled weekend.
I’ll see you tomorrow.

Hugs, JanBeek

Wait, don’t leave until you comment!!
Tell me about how you honor your military
or tell me about your dreams for ONE WORLD of LOVE!

Category:

Giving, Gratitude, holidays, Life and Death, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

Tagged with:

Who is Great, Generous & Giving?

youtu.be/icCdjsjVFGw

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, learning, life, Love, teaching

Tagged with:

10 Ways to Bee Open to God

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Listening to God
Is a daily endeavor
It takes intention
His Words are clever

God speaks through Jesus
Jesus, His Holy Son
And He speaks through the Spirit
The Holy Spirit, that’s the One!

Listening to God
Takes a willing heart
It takes a willing spirit
Here’s the way to start:

  1. Bee still
  2. Bee open
  3. Bee teachable
  4. Bee attentive
  5. Bee humble
  6. Bee submissive
  7. Bee expectant
  8. Bee responsive
  9. Bee-lieve
  10. Bee-ware… and aware!
Yes, #1 on the list is “Bee Still!”
Bee silent – listen – and JUST LOVE!

Isaiah 50:4

“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,

    to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

    wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”

Does the Lord “waken your ear” each morning to listen? Every morning my friend, Lisa, who lives across the continent from me – over on the east coast – sends me a picture of where she is and assures me that she has me in prayers. Her pictures show me a scene so different from my own.

Each One Has Their Own Way

In our different environments, each of us is listening and praying. Each of us in our own way. We are open to God’s word – and open to whatever message He has for our day. We share special prayers for one another. It is a beautiful way to start each day.

Do you have a special friend who helps you to Bee more open, teachable, and attentive?

Do you have a system for Beeing more expectant and responsive?

If so, I’d love to have you share with me ways you are open to hearing God speak to you each day.

Photo by Keilah Gepte on Pexels.com

Through His Word and through music, God speaks to me most clearly. How about you? Which of those ten “Bees” are most helpful to you when you want to tune in to God’s voice?

Have a Fabulous Friday, my friends.
Bee well!
See ya later.
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, friendship, God, Jesus, Love, music, Poetry, prayer

Tagged with:

Help! Get Me Outta Here!

My friend, Doris sends me chuckles each day.
They help keep me looking at life’s lighter side.
I thought I’d share a few with you this evening.
x


x


x
Don’t laugh about my stomach.
It’s no laughing matter!
Read on, I’ll tell you why…


My buddy, Doris, who send me these is a friend who graduated from high school with me in Turlock, CA back in 1957!

We go back to the Stone Age together!

She lives in Texas part of the year.
These billboards came from a place in Austin, TX called “El Arroyo.”
She said that translates to “The Ditch.”
Do you know Spanish? Is she right??

Go ahead and laugh, my friends. I am told it’s good for what ails ya.

By the way, what’s ailin’ ya?? Read on… I’ll share what ails me. (Ya, I know you may not want to know, but I’ll share anyway!)

Do you have a COVID-19 funny bone you can share with me? I already laughed at these. I need a new one.

I have a hernia that may need removing. That’s not as bad as a kidney stone! But that’s what ails me. Day before yesterday I had an ultrasound to be sure it’s JUST a hernia. Yesterday I had a CAT scan to see that lump more clearly. Today the doc called to schedule an appointment with a doctor who will interpret all these tests. He’s not available til June. Oh well… it’s probably nothing… but I pass this along to you asking for your prayers and a laugh. OKAY?

Pass a laugh along, will ya??

And have a good, restful night.

I‘ll see ya tomorrow.
Virtual Hugs,
JanBeek

These are my friends, Chuck & Caroline.
Come back tomorrow.
I’ll show you the house they are building.
It’s just down the hill from our house.
Oh man! I love this couple of friends sooo much!

OKAY, I’m outta here for tonight.
Have a good sleep!

Category:

friendship, health, humor, Love, relationships

Tagged with:

Walking & Talking

Shirley, Cherrie & Jeannie

Walking and talking

Are two wonderful pastimes

Love the connections

Montana skies

Whether clouds or clear

Getting out is good for you

Exercise today!

I’m in close quarters!

When in close quarters

Don’t forget to wear a mask

Stay safe and healthy!

See ya later!

Category:

friendship, Haiku, health, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Montana, nature, relationships

Tagged with:

Wordless Wednesday

Category:

Love

I Love Good Art

“Good art is as close as people get to overcoming mortality.”
Nick J. Wood

Photo by Fiona Art on Pexels.com

How do we recognize “Good Art”?

Nick J. Wood wrote on his WordPress blog, Artfully Bridging The Ages — The Nature Of Art,
“… although the styles of expression change, it is the way it (art) touches the inner-self, the part normally obscured by mundane routine that confirms it as having artistic value.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Architecture is art as much as creating sculptures or painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I believe “good art” preserves history in a myriad of ways.

Photo by TravelingTart on Pexels.com

Sewing is an art. I have a quilt hand-sewn by Bob’s mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother in 1933. Talk about history preserved!

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com

Photography definitely is an art. The way it preserves history is evident.

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Yes, art takes on many forms; and artists come in every color, age and size. Who decides if you are an artist or not?

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Is poetry an art? Nick J. Wood posted this video on his blog. I love the poem and the voice recording it. Listen! You’ll love it, too.

How about gardening? Is it an art? Ask my friends, Lexi Sundell or Nancy Smrka, with their greenhouses… They’ll tell you! Ask Bob as he tends our spring flowers.

What about cooking? Yes, they call it “culinary arts” for a reason! My son-in-law, Andre’ is a chef who creates the most delicious, artistic plates imaginable. (This isn’t one of his… but you get the idea)

Music is an art, too. Through their gift of song and instrument, musical artists live on long after they have left this earth. Karen Carpenter died young. She suffered from anorexia. But she has overcome mortality – her voice lives forever in my heart.

Karen Carpenter
“How Could Anyone Mean More to Me than You?”
“One Love”

I love good art –
art in all its many forms.
And I love artists.
They are so predictable …

Hah! Don’t be fooled. This is a cute little cartoon/meme, but with artists being as diverse as they are, believe me, they are ANYTHING but predictable!

Here is an artist I love. He has a special spot in my heart. He and his wife, Lexi paint, garden, make jewelry, and create art by their very existence. Bernie Sundell is one of the first persons we met when we moved here. He helped Bob select and buy and go to Idaho Falls to buy his drift boat. He tutored him on rowing and casting and catching fish on the Madison and he painted a fabulous picture of Bob that hangs in our dining room. Here’s artist, fisherman, friend Bernie:

And here is the painting of Bob on the Madison River.
Bernie created it after one of their memorable outings.
It’s a beautiful rainbow trout –
but here it’s only catch and release!
Toss it back in, Bob!

Can you see why this painting
touches my “inner self”?
Bob & Bernie will live immortally in it!

Do you have a favorite form of art?
A favorite artist?
Do you create art?
Tell me about it.

Have a Terrific Tuesday.
See ya later.
JanBeek

Category:

art, Fishing, flowers, food, friendship, Love, Montana, photography, relationships

Tagged with: