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Archive for October, 2020

Be Braided

When you see the word “Braid,” what do you think of?

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Those braids appear to be two strong strands twisted together.
(Isn’t she beautiful?)

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Likewise, this rope seems to have two strong strands twisted, right?

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When I used to braid my daughter’s hair, I needed three strands to create the braid.

Today’s devotional made me think about these various braids and contemplate the strength of the three strands. Here was the scripture:

Eccelesiates 4:12

“And though a man might prevail
against one who is alone,
two will withstand him –
a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Katie Minter Jones in “Mornings with Jesus” by Guideposts wrote a devotional based on that scripture. In it she recounted how difficult the days of early marriage were as she and her husband “struggled through difficult times.”

She quoted a friend as saying, “Together we worked hard to get where we are now. It definitely takes two to make a marriage work, and that’s not fifty-fifty. Each person has to give 100%.” Finger pointing and trying to divvy stuff up 50-50 leads to disaster.

One of her lady friends said, “It takes three to make a successful marriage, the husband, the wife, and Jesus.” Each person must give 100% to each other and 100% to Jesus.”

That seems like a tall order! But doing so creates the three strands that make the braid unbreakable. Couples need to walk with Jesus to have a strong marriage.

Here’s my take on what that looks like.

The tie that binds

When our hearts are bound in love around our Lord’s cross, His mercy and grace strengthen our relationship and help us grow closer. As we walk hand in hand, praying and staying together in love, God blesses us. Jesus Christ strengthens us. The Holy Spirit braids our hearts in His love and care. Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian Love. Be braided!

Write your spouse a love letter today and include a prayer.

Here are mine…

Dear Bob,
I am so grateful for your love and for our mutual reliance on Jesus, our Lord. Thank you for praying with me, staying with me, putting Christ first in our lives, and relying on Him during our times of struggle. His sacrificial love is the perfect reminder of how we need to take care of each other. His presence binds us in purpose and braids us with His promises and His peace. Thank you!
Love Forever and Ever, Rockie ;o) <3

Dear God,
Thank you for blessing our marriage and knitting our hearts together. May my blogging friends find that same peace and grace and purpose in life. May they sense Your guidance in their relationships and be braided with You. Amen.
In His Care, Jan

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Let the light of God shine on your relationship,
be central to your lives,
and braid you together with peace and purpose.
God bless you!

See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, Jesus, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships, Sharing

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This and That

Some days we just can’t focus
We move from this to that
We look for life’s chuckles
And invite a friend to chat

Today was one of those days
I gathered stuff for fun
And thought you might enjoy
A random walk when day is done

So come and take a tour with me
And see a few things I enjoyed
You might pick a favorite
Or say which ones annoyed

But hey, not every day is easy
Some days are a deep black hole
Meander with me through this and that
And if you smile, I’ve met my goal!

An ad from the 40’s… we’ve come a long way, Baby!!

I gotcha covered, my friend
I’ll cover your back when you need me
Cuz when you find me sad and hungry
I know I can count on you to feed me!

A little bread and a glass of wine
Heck, that’s all I’ll ask
Take my hand and lead me home
And don’t forget your mask!!

See ya tomorrow.
Have a good Thursday night.

Pray for my grandson, Mike, in Switzerland.
He was diagnosed positive with COVID-19.
He’s getting better… but this pandemic is nothing to fool with!
DO WEAR YOUR MASK
when you’re out in public.

Love,

Hugs,
JanBeek


Category:

friendship, happiness, humor, Life's Challenges, Love, Poetry

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Twelve Ways to Beat the Virus

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In the midst of this pandemic,
With germs spreading far and wide,
We need to be extra cautious –
In TRUST we must abide.

Trusting isn’t foolishness –
It isn’t abandoning MASKS.
Trusting is OBEDIENCE –
Doing what God and SCIENCE asks.

Trusting isn’t carelessness –
It isn’t gathering in bunches.
Trusting is PRAYER and AWARENESS
And listening to our hunches.

This virus is quite deadly –
Unpredictable at best –
So we need to TAKE IT SERIOUSLY,
Don’t give the bug a test!

STEER CLEAR OF CROWDS,
And WASH your HANDS often,
Trust in the Lord and prayer,
While avoiding someone coughin’.

In the midst of this pandemic,
With family and friends in Harm’s Way,
We need to trust the Lord, yes –
But listen to scientists and obey!

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Did you catch the twelve?
I want to make them clear.
Here they are spelled out –
Obey and avoid fear!

Twelve Ways to Keep COVID-19 Away:

1. Be cautious 
2. Trust in Science
3. Trust in God 
4. Pray
5. Obey  
6. Be aware
7. Take it Seriously
8. Wear a Mask
9. Wash Hands Often
10. Avoid Crowds
11. Socially Distance
12. Don't Give the Bug a Test

God Bless You, my friends.
May He keep you safe and healthy.
May we all do our part to help keep this bug at bay!

Please pray for the Zufferey Family
in Switzerland
(my son-in-law’s cousin,
who was our 1980-81
AFS exchange student).
ZuZu, Celia, and Jeremy
all have tested positive.

Pray for all those affected by this nasty bug.
Dear Lord, may they beat it…
And emerge with no lasting side-effects.

Please give them new strength, too.
DeAna

Lord, keep our daughter, DeAna,
in Switzerland
and all her family
safe.

Amen

(From “Best in Europe”
Switzerland
has become one of the worst
in new cases this week.
Pray for that country…
and all those facing this virus.)


Do you have a loved one who is in Harm’s Way
or is suffering from COVID?
Tell me – and I will add his/her name to my prayer list.

Bee well!!
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Faith, Family, God, health, Life and Death, Love, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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I Love Winter!

Cozy
Still October
Should be Autumn
The Snow came Early
Winter.

“Elevenie”
Five Lines
Contains eleven words:
One, Two, Three, Four,
One

Cold
White peaks
Mountains are Beautiful
Looking from Warm Inside
Comfy.

Smart
Found Spot
Best Place Ever
Claimed Pillow at Fireplace
TazE!

Ready
Looking Forward
It’s Holiday Time
Trick or Treat Here
Candy!

October
Loves Orange
Roast the Seeds
Better than the Candy
Jack-o-Lanterns

Visiting
Pumpkin Patches
Enjoy the Fun
Keep Winter at Bay
Halloween 🎃

Clouds
Circle Mountains
Snow Covers Peaks
Can’t Hold Off Winter
Brrrrrr!!

Bundle Up!

Hey!
Yes, YOU!
Thanks for visiting.
I have missed you.
Welcome!

Leave a message and tell me how you’re doing!
Love ya…
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, blessings, contentment, Family, Gratitude, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, pets, Poetry

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What a Week!

Problems
Creep in
Usually they’re unbidden
Happened all week long
Blame

Gifted
With Love
From my Lord
I did move forward
Strength

Possibilities
Are fueled
By firm beliefs
Making hard things easier
Faith

One step at a time
Life is easier with faith
Just follow the Light!

This last one’s a Haiku, but the preceding series of three poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.

I hope you had a good week.
Enjoy your weekend.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow.

BYE!!
BEEEEE Well.

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, Haiku, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, Poetry

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The Power of Friendship

“Celebrating the Power of Friendship” is the title of a month-long focus on a friend’s chosen devotional website. On the site today, it said: “Although we are not currently meeting in person, there is no distance between souls and the bond of friendship we share…”

I feel that bond of friendship with you, my WordPress friends, just as I do with family and friends who have reached out to Bob & me during this past week of death and tribulation. Thank you so much!

I can’t count the billions
Of dollars my friends are worth.
They make living worthwhile;
They fill my life with mirth.

When times are sad and troubling,
They reach out with care and love.
Friends are earthly angels
Sent from heaven above.

My friend sent this card to me;
It came right out of the blue,
When I really needed it the most.
Do your friends do that for you?

I hope you have some friends
Who tromp daily on your heart,
Leaving footprints all over it.
I’m here to tromp on yours. Let’s start!

There is power in such friendships.
They turn dark days into bright.
They listen and they love us, and
They help things turn out right.

Thank you for being the sunshine in my darkest days.

Thanks for popping in.
Thanks for being the friends who watch and sit and read with me.
Wish you could walk and eat with me, too.
Enjoy the kids’ song below. It’s a catchy tune.
It’ll have you singing all day long!!

Have a Fabulous Friday.
I love you!
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, children, Family, friendship, happiness, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another

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Feelings Check-in

Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Got too much on your plate?
Take a step back and regroup –
Don’t bite the “Gotta” bait!!

You don’t “Gotta” do nothing
But eat and breathe and live.
Set aside the burdens and
Sort life with a sieve.

Sift out what is draining,
And give yourself compassion.
Let go what’s upsetting
And let yourself start laughin’.

Yup, go find yerself a sandbox
And sit in it with friends.
Share the stuff that troublin’
And watch how the sadness ends.

And when the sandbox play
Comes to an end, get up
And bid the spiders, bees, and ants
Good-bye while you go and fill your cup.

Have a cup of kindness
With some honey to sweeten it.
Chase those blues right out the door.
Tell your stress you’ve beaten it!

When you look at each day smiling,
There is really no denying it,
You can beat the blues and stressfulness.
Go out fearlessly … Bee a Leo: Lion it!!

Are you feeling overwhelmed?
Got too much on your plate?
Set some aside – and get some rest –
There’s always tomorrow; that’s not too late!

Thanks for popping in!

Have a good night!
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

contentment, friendship, happiness, health, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, peace, Poetry

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Hold On!

What do you need to hold on to?

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At this stage in my life, I don’t need to buy anything else
(except maybe food to sustain Bob & me
and a plane ticket or two to travel
to see our kids when it’s safe to do so)
… but I need to get rid of things instead.

How about you? If you were given this prompt,
“Hold on to your ____,”
how would you fill in the blank?
Ann Kaplow tickled my creative funny bone with her post today:

Day 2886: Hold on to your …

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Ann Koplow

Check it out and see some of the things she identified.
Here are a few things I think I should hold on to:

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Hold on to your umbrella;
Let the wind carry you away.
Hang on and float high
To a joyous, better day.

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Hold on to your future
Let it carry you to the sky,
To days of brighter sunshine.
Let it carry you up high.

Hold on to your faith;
Let it carry you to love.
Let it bring you greater wisdom
And powers from above.

Photo by Alina Vilchenko on Pexels.com

Hang onto your head;
Keep your intellect intact.
Be cautious and discerning;
Know all you hear ain’t fact.

Hold onto your friends,
But remind them to wear masks.
That was Anne Kaplow’s prompt.
Be safe – is all she asks.

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

Hold on to earth’s hope
For a better, safer world.
Be kind to our planet –
Don’t let this virus stay unfurled.

What do your think we should hold on to?

I’m gonna hold on to Bob.
I’m feeling so blessed that he is feeling so much better.
Did I tell you that the afternoon my sis died
was the day he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure?

I’m gonna hold on to our wonderful doctor
who stayed long after her “shift” was over –
and ordered blood work, x-rays, and an EKG,
and stayed til the results came in.
Then she walked us up the stairs to the front door
to see how Bob did with climbing stairs.
Then called the next morning to
check on him and offer encouragement
and an appointment this week
for an echocardiogram.

Yes, I’m gonna hold on to that wonderful doctor!!

And this guy:


We have had so many friends
and family members praying for us.
God is good.
All the time.
He put a song of praise in my heart.
God hears and answers prayer!


Life is looking up.
We’re holding on!
{{{Hugs}}} to you.
You hold on, too.
Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, blessings, blogging, Faith, friendship, God, Gratitude, health, life, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, music, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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Where Will You Spend Eternity?

Today’s sermon message by our guest pastor, Rev. Phil Taylen at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, Montana, focused on the theological basis for our assurance of Eternity in Heaven.

It was timely, especially given the fact that this is the week my only sibling, my sister Sally, went to her eternal home.

If you die today, do you know where you’re going from here?

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Is it Hell or a Black Hole?

My guess is that the choice is pretty clear. I was looking for a picture of a black hole… because some people believe this is it! We’re here and then we’re nowhere. A black hole… that’s where they think they’re going. They don’t believe there is a place called Hell where they will burn in the fires of an afterlife separated from God.

Or is it Heaven?

Rev. Phil Taylen’s sermon was titled, “Soaring with Eagles.” He began with that question, “Where Will You Spend Eternity?” His answer was part of a movement he called “The Evangelism Explosion.” Even though he grew up in the Presbyterian Church, he was ordained by an Evangelical Ministry – and his sermon lecture today definitely got down to the basics!

The Bible

B asic
I nstructions
B efore
L eaving
E arth

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Heaven by Grace

G od’s
R iches
A t
C hrist’s
E xpense

Grace is God’s Unmerited Favor poured out on us.
Grace can’t be earned or deserved.
Heaven is a free gift.

He cited Ephesians 2: 8-9 as further proof of the point he was teaching and preaching:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
Not of works,
lest any man should boast.”

Not By Man

Good works are important, but they will not save us.

I am a sinner.
I can’t save myself.

He cited John 8:24 to prove his message that man cannot save himself:

“Unless you believe that
I am who I claim to be,
you will die in your sins.”

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Only God

God gave us basic instructions to live by before leaving earth.

God is Love.
God is just and righteous.

In the Bible, our instruction book, God told us:

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God. …

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Heaven Through Christ

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Jesus Christ is God.

Faith is Belief

Faith is the Connector.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I don’t see the whole staircase. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son, but I do not believe God will send all the Jews or Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists to Hell because they do not share my belief in Jesus as a part of the Trinity.

I believe God is bigger than religion. I believe God is omnipotent. I believe God knows all people – and He sees them through His eyes, not mine. That may make me a non-believer in some evangelical eyes. But I believe God is more inclusive than we can fathom.

I find enormous comfort in my faith – my belief in our Lord Jesus Christ – and I want to share that comfort and love with all I meet. I believe 2 Cor. 1:3-5 as quoted below:

Do you believe in Christ?

Thanks for visiting today.
Have a Blessed Sunday.
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Jesus, Life and Death, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, sermon notes, truth

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Be An Intrepid Christian!

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An intrepid Christian
Is resolute and fearless,
Has fortitude and endurance,
But is never cheerless!

An intrepid Christian
Is teachable and submissive,
Attentive and humble,
But never repressive.

An intrepid Christian
Is expectant and devout,
Delivers The Word quietly –
But rarely has to shout!

An intrepid Christian
Demonstrates integrity,
Walks the Talk –
But never belittles you or me.

If you believe Donald Trump is a Christian, did you listen to his belittling of Savannah Guthrie after his last Town Hall meeting? Think about the way he insults reporters who are questioning him. Be honest with yourself. Can this man we call our president really be a Christ follower? I am so fed up with his insults to women that I cannot remain quiet any longer. Listen to this!!

If you are an Intrepid Christian,
And you have the right to vote
In the United States of America,
Please listen and take note.

Please help us return to
Decency and civility here.
Help us elect a kind and capable team
And listen to the U.S. cheer!

Don’t forget to vote
if you haven’t already!

PLEASE believe me when I say
The Democrats will not take your guns away.
The Democrats will not let illegal immigrants in
to take all your money and jobs!
The Democrats believe in the Constitution;
They will not destroy it.
They will improve our immigration system,
create safer gun laws,
protect Medicare
and preserve coverage of those with
pre-existing conditions.
Democrats will restore our foreign relations.
The Democrats will not kill all the unborn babies.
The right to control our own bodies
is not synonymous with unwarranted abortion!

As a life-long Christian and Republican
who has become a Democrat recently
(for obvious reasons),
I believe in the Right to Life.
But I also think a woman who carries a baby
because of rape or incest, or a woman
whose life is endangered
has the right to choose.
Don’t you?

Weigh the rhetoric and please believe me…
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
are Intrepid Christians!!

Can’t we just LOVE ONE ANOTHER
and stop hurling insults??

Thanks for visiting.
See ya tomorrow.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Faith, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, relationships, respect, Serving One Another, truth

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