Lisa McCrohan “…so done with war?”
Done with War Aren’t we so weary of war? Aren’t we so tired of old men wanting more power and sending young men and women to fight and die in battle?…
Aren’t we so done with war?
Archive for February, 2022
Just Sing!
While waiting to find
A reason to keep singing
It occurred to me
Don’t need a reason
Just sing because I want to
Let my song cheer me
Don’t need a reason
I sing because I’m happy
Sing because I’m free
Sing to chase away
The troubles that surround us
Help them go away
I love that version
It makes me happy to sing
I’m so happy – YES!
Blind and autistic
He sings, “I Want to See You.”
He opens my heart!
Sing because you can.
Don’t worry if you’re on key
Just open your heart
Sing, Ukrainians
Stand in solidarity
Sing for your freedom
Let’s sing and pray, too
Sing for their liberation
Join hands for freedom
Everyone join in
Sing a song for their freedom
Help the innocents
Sing for their freedom
Pray for peace in the Ukraine
Sing because you can!
Love to all the people of Ukraine
and all those who are helping
to keep them free from foreign rule.
Sing for freedom!
May your Friday be devoted to freedom’s song…
Love to you all…
JanBeek
Count Your Blessings
This is day #3 inside. There is a snow drift behind my car, too high and hard for Bob to shovel it (although he tried… and I yelled at him to STOP the whole time)! I am blessed that we have a car. We have a garage in which to keep it. I have a husband with good intentions (even if they are ill advised for this guy with congestive heart failure). So, yes, I am counting my blessings!
So, Bob finally stopped before he keeled over! I am glad he did so before he fell in the snow and I was unable to lift him up! The pickup is beside that snow drift. It is frozen. It was -20 degrees this morning!! We had in plugged in overnight into something that was supposed to allow it to start today. But that didn’t do it! Even our pickup is not perfect, right? But, I have called the local auto shop and they are sending a mechanic out who will start the pickup (at least I am praying he is able to do so).
It is time for us to get to the post office and see if the forms from the IRS are there. They are forms we need in order to fill out the application for help getting the medicine Bob needs for his heart problem. The form asks for something related to investment income for 2021. It’s time for the company to send us those tax-related forms!
Not true…
If you are fortunate enough
to have enough money
to invest some of it,
you may not always know
what those investments
are worth. It changes
with the winds of time!
But, having time is a gift.
Having enough money to pay someone
to come start your vehicle is a gift.
Having sense enough to stop
and come in out of the cold –
yup, that’s a gift, too.
Having a warm house to come in to –
that’s quite a blessing.
It’s so cold outside that the pipes
in my bathroom froze and I have
no cold water flowing in there.
But, I have warm/hot water!
Now, that’s a real gift!!
What blessings are you counting today?
Tell me one or two of them
so I can thank God
for blessing you, too.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek
and for leaving a comment.
You are a blessing to me!
Stay warm… and have a
Wonderful Wednesday!
Hugs,
Jan ;o)
Happy 2sDay
Today (22-02-2022)
-or 2/22/22 as we record it here –
is a palindrome day,
which is a number or word that can
be read the same way forwards and backwards.
Several commenters were excited
to celebrate their 22nd birthday
on the same date as “Twosday.”
Also, starting at 2:00 pm in Las Vegas
(touted to be the wedding capitol of the world),
222 couples said their wedding vows
in a group ceremony
that ended
at exactly 2:22 pm.
Would you dash to Las Vegas
to be part of such a crowd
for such an important occasion
in your life?
I wouldn’t!
How did you spend your Twosday?
Bob & TazE and I spent ours at home –
snowed in with two foot deep
( appropriate for 2’sday)
snow drifts behind my car
and a pickup that was
unable to start –
Frozen in
-10 degree
temperatures!
Brrr!
We were cozy inside.
How did you spend your 2’sDay?
Love, Joy & Peace
Do you ever doubt your niche?
Yesterday I posted excerpts from
Gottfried’s Banter, a blog whose niche
is humor. No, I wasn’t suggesting
that my blog should try to fit that niche.
Humor like Gottfried’s doesn’t come
naturally to me like it does to him.
No, it’s not numbers,
It’s my purpose that dictates
My niche and my style.
It’s my gifts that spell
The reason for my blogging.
How about your niche?
What’s your intention?
Do you need one hundred one
Questions to find out?
The Art of Blogging,
Cristian Mihai, has questions
Yes, one hundred one!
Check it out
(if you doubt your intentions!!)
Cristian Mihai, The Art of Blogging
My by-line tells you
What my purposes here are:
Love, Joy, Peace and Faith
Add Unity, too
I aim to help us just love
Keep God’s love centered
I aim to inspire
Often I use poetry
As chosen genre
My mind seems to think
In this lovely Haiku form
Yes, five-seven-five
Often my pictures
Feature our diversity:
Yesterday’s children
Not a melting pot
But a colorful salad
Each adds its color
Each adds the beauty
We’d miss if we’re all the same
Call it gratitude
In that attitude
Of gratitude I can find
The peace God gives us
It is peacefulness
That defies understanding
I pass it to you
My purpose is peace
My goal is spreading the joy
And love from Jesus
Some say religion
Is the main focus I have
But it’s more than that
Love, joy, peace, and faith
Are the stepping stones I climb
To find unity
Sometimes religion
Gets in the way of all that
Sometimes it divides
I’ve heard the saying,
“Sunday mornings are the most
Divided of times.”
Some use religion
To ensure their salvation
But Christ is much more
He is more than church
More than denominations
He’s universal
Luke 2:10
And the angel said to them,
“Fear not, for behold,
I bring you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.”
My blog’s main purpose
Is to unite everyone
In a common love
I blog of respect
Blog of the Source of my joy
Blog to inspire you
Blog to encourage
Live in constant hope
Believing in God
There is just one God
You may see Him differently
But we all see Him
We know He’s in us
We know He created us
We see His great works
We know a Big Bang
Didn’t make a butterfly
Nor create the world
So, I aim to lift
All our eyes to see the Lord
As a part of God
Just as I see you
A child of the Creator
We’re born to inspire
That’s my sole purpose
That’s why I am blogging here
Why are you here, Friend?
Can you define it?
Have a blessed day.
Stay warm! It’s 2 degrees, snowy and blowy here!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
Don’t forget to comment below…
Tell me, how do you define your purpose here?
For Love of Gottfried
Humor wins the day
Conversation abounds there
Silly is the Champ
Check it out!
I mean, come on readers,
8,330 followers??
And the conversation flows.
Ya gotta love Gottfried!
Check out his blog site
and today’s post:
https://banterrepublic.blog/2022/02/21/parenting/
In his latest post (the one I sent you a link to up there), Gottfried says:
“Parenthood is the scariest hood you’ll ever go through.“
In that paragraph he said, “I’m convinced that all parents make shit up as they go along. Those who try to use a manual end up with meth addicts.” Does he get a reaction from his readers? You bet! Of course we parents make it up as we go along. Kids are too unpredictable to do otherwise!!
In the next paragraph Gottfried wrote, “Ninety percent of parenting is just thinking about when you can lie down again. The funny thing about kids is they’re the reason we lose it. And they are the reason we hold it together.” He has so much wisdom tucked into his humor. It certainly resonates with me!
“Everyone knows how to raise children except the people who have them,” he wrote. And he ended his comments by saying, “I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” And he quipped, “Folks, I don’t trust children. They’re here to replace us.”
There’s no denying it, folks. Children ARE here to replace us! And Gottfried is here to show us all how to be replaced. Humor is king! Gottfried’s tongue in cheek humor rules. I love him!
If you’re not familiar with his blog, do check it out now. You’ll love him, too!
See ya tomorrow … maybe – – –
I might be too busy reading Gottfried’s humor to post on JanBeek, who knows?
Dressed for Success
Dressing for success
Means a lot of things to me
It’s more than clothing
Dressing for success
Means emerging peacefully
Clothed in righteousness
This lovely woman
Is dressed for certain success
Only needs a smile
Put on compassion
Don the right mood for your heart
Wear love on your sleeve
Put on your hope-pack
Wiggle into shoes of strength
Cinch the belt of truth
Wear armor of grace
And the bonnet of bounty
Trash the coat of wrath
Burn the clodhoppers
Of worry and of anger
Just dress for success
But it’s not the clothing of cloth that counts!
Ephesians 6:14-15
New International Version
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,
with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness
that comes from the gospel of peace.
Eight things to add to that list:
1. I have my health.
2. I have love.
3. I have faith.
4. I have trust in God who hears and answers prayers.
5. I have friends who faithfully join me in prayer.
6. My daughter-in-law, Monika had her gall bladder successfully removed and she is at home recuperating… dressed for comfort.
7. Her feet are fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of faith.
8. I am blessed.
I am dressed for success.
Are you?
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Hugs!
It’s a New Day!
Rick Malone wrote
in his “Spiritual Matters” article,
“There is something very special about the dawn.
The sun seems to climb over the horizon
with open arms, inviting us to share
in the wonderful opportunities of a new day.
Every dawn puts the things of yesterday
in the past and allows us to begin afresh.
The Bible uses this imagery of the dawn
to communicate the reality of new beginnings.
The psalmist teaches us that each new day
should be a source of rejoicing,
for it is a “day that the Lord has made;
and we should rejoice and be glad in it”
(Psalms 118:24).
And Jeremiah tells us
that the mercies of the Lord,
“are new every morning”
(Lamentations 3:23).
Michael Buble’ sang of the new day in his song:
“It’s a New Day.”
Listen and discern his idea of a new day.
Then design your own idea of a new day …
and praise the Lord for each new beginning!
Rick Malone went on in his post
You can find Rick Malone’s
to explain his image of a new day:
“This imagery of the dawn
not only symbolizes new beginnings
for us personally,
it symbolizes a new beginning
for the brokenness of God’s creation.
The bliss of the Garden of Eden
crumbled in the hands of Adam.
Creation now groans under a curse.
But we are given the promise
that at the dawning of the age to come
creation itself will be made new.”
full article at this link:
https://boropulse.com/2018/05/spiritual-matters-dawning-new-day/
We have incredible sunrises
above the Madison Range
that I can see from my home.
I love this time of day.
Below is what the sunrise looked like
from my sanctuary window this morning:
I sent this picture to my friend, Lisa, in North Carolina. We exchange sunrise pictures and prayers for one another most mornings. I apologized for the way my roof line from my sanctuary kind of spoiled the view this morning. She wrote back and sent me a cropped picture of my sunrise saying, “Simply GORGEOUS!!!”
Like most things in life, what we behold is often a matter of perspective, right? When we screen out the distractions and zero in on the positives, we see the true beauty around us, within us, and within others.
Lisa lives near a lake. Often her sunrises and sunsets are reflected in the water, creating a double image. I can look at the gray clouds beyond and expect a rainy, dismal day, or I can focus on the colorful reflections in the lake and anticipate a colorful, joy-filled day (or night) ahead.
Rick Malone explained it this way:
“Each new day is the perpetual promise of new beginnings. It is a new opportunity to turn the disappointments of our lives in a new direction. We can all identify with the failures of life—bad decisions, broken relationships, unfortunate circumstances. But God gives us a continual opportunity to start life fresh every day and put the past in our past. He is the God of new beginnings, the God of new life, the God of forgiveness. He is the God who covers our yesterdays with His grace. And, He is the God who graciously covers our tomorrows with every new dawn He gives us. Every sunrise beckons us: ‘Turn your life away from yourself and to your Maker who loves you.’ “
Psalm 118:24
“This is the day which the Lord has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Above our bed, Bob & I have a painting by Ken Hall. It depicts the sunrise over the Madison Range. On clear mornings, we see this scene out our bedroom, dining room, living room, and sanctuary windows. But, even on fogged in or snowy days when the mountains are hidden and the sun is behind the clouds, we can look at Ken’s painting and thank God for this new day – new dawn – new beginning.
I pray your new day is a blessed one.
I pray you are healthy and happy.
I thank you for your friendship –
and for coming to share your day
with me here on JanBeek.
What are your plans for this new day?
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
God Bless You!
P.S. Please pray for my daughter-in-law, Monika.
She spent most of the day yesterday in the ER.
Today our son, Ty, will take her to the hospital
to find out why the massive headache and the
pain in the area of her gall bladder. Pray for a
clear diagnosis and for healing, please.
Thank you!
Relish Sushi!
It’s hard to beat Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman, Montana for a great sushi meal. This platter was created for Bob & me and our grandson, Nick (and Celine) when they were here last Thanksgiving.
Knowing how much Bob & I relish sushi at Dave’s, our Daughter #2, Laina, sent us a gift certificate for a meal there to celebrate our 60th anniversary. What a thoughtful present! Bozeman is an hour’s drive from Ennis (where we live), so we don’t go there every day – not even every week. But, we had a dental and a doctor’s appointment there yesterday, so we went to Dave’s afterward.
it’s because we are!
Dave’s has a varied menu, a good wine list (that’s what I chose – a house white – while Bob had a cold and refreshing beer), great service, and a friendly, lively ambiance. We are blessed to have this restaurant in our part of the world. Laina told me she was hungry for sushi after she saw our photos, but she doesn’t have a sushi place in the Baltimore area that’s as good as this one in Bozeman!
When my California grandkids were little, I used to take them to lunch every Wednesday while I gave their mom (who home-schooled all four of them) a break. Sushi was one of their favorite places to go… and they called those orange fish eggs “Poppies” because they popped in their mouths when they ate them. I always think of Sam, Hope, Jordan & Faith when I eat sushi rolls with “poppies” on them! This one was as yummy as it looks!
My sister, Sally, used to love to take my grandkids (her nieces & nephews) to lunch, too. It was Jordan’s choice to go to sushi. Sam always liked Burger King! (Don’t ask me why he’s looking so serious in this photo! He’s usually more like that picture upper left where he is smiling big with his sister, Hope)
Bob & I are both particularly fond of sushi. He was not a fan initially… and would order some kind of rice bowl instead (Dave’s does have other choices). However, as the years have gone by, he has become wiser! Ah yes, he loved our lunch at Dave’s yesterday as much as I did!
Bob chose the mango.
He liked mine better!
Hah! So did I.
Thank you, Laina, for your very tasty,
and very thoughtful gift!
So, my WP friends, tell me,
do you relish sushi?
Do you have a good restaurant in your area
where you can go and celebrate
a special occasion like we did?
What is your favorite choice of meal?
See ya tomorrow (God willing).
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
The Gift of Love
Love is a gift from God.
Love is an action word.
Bob Goff wrote a book:
“Love Does” – have you heard?
Have you heard the Word
That tells us how to love?
It’s in Corinthians 13 –
Instructions from above.
In her post today, Caralyn of “Beauty Beyond Bones” explained her thoughts on the subject of the Source of our love. She remarked about the newest Time Magazine featuring a cover photo of Jesus. The caption, “Who Do You Say that I Am?” caused her to give us a wonderful Valentine’s Day answer:
Caralyn wrote:
“You are my best friend.
The source and foundation of my recovery.
You are my hope in hard times,
my gratitude in the good,
my comfort in fear,
my joy in the everyday,
my courage and fortitude.
You are the fullness of my heart.
You are the grace
running through my veins.
You are my everything.”
https://wordpress.com/post/35023548/25969
(Hopefully this link will take you to
Caralyn’s post today:
A God Wink Valentine)
In my devotional time with In Touch, the daily readings by Charles Stanley, the subject of love was linked to our faith. Yes, it is within all things – because all things were made by our Creator – made with love and care! But the reflection on today’s scripture reminded us that “… accepting God’s love is a matter of faith. Even when you can’t feel it, believe it.“
1 John 4:7-10
“7 Dear friends,
let us love one another,
for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves
has been born of God
and knows God.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God,
because God is love.
9 This is how God showed his love among us:
He sent his one and only Son into the world
that we might live through him.
10 This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us
and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice
for our sins.”
Love is a gift from God.
We can do nothing to earn it –
But it is ours to share!
Charles Stanley wrote:
“No one is worthy of God’s grace and mercy…
To consider yourself beyond the reach of grace
is to trample on the Son’s sufficient sacrifice
and the Father’s generous gift.”
Wear your love on your sleeve.
Radiate love with each smile.
Let love stay behind when you leave –
It’s renewable – it’s your style!
and please don’t break it!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
