Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for May, 2023

Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies

Arrived home yesterday
after a long weekend
traveling to a family wedding
in California.

Memorial Day…
A day to remember
those in the military
who died to keep us free.

Big Skies in Montana

O Beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain …
(well, not grain, but lovely amber) …
Home sweet home!

For purple mountain majesty…

Above the fruited plain…

California has miles of grape vineyards…
(Talk about a “fruited plain!)

Switzerland has miles of vineyards, too.
This is where our daughter, De, lives in Valais, Switzerland.
All the mountainsides there on the sunny side
are terraced with vineyards!

(We, in America, are not the only
Land of the Free!)

Back home again, we are so grateful
we live in one of the “Lands of the Free!”

America, America,
God shed His grace on Thee!

Thank you to all our veterans
and all the men & women
who died to keep us free.

May God bless them all
as they receive their reward
in heavenly eternity!

1959

This is what Bob looked like when I first met him
(actually I had known him a year before he joined the army).
Anyway, I am grateful that he survived those years in the service.
I am thankful we survived a very stressful trip
to CA and back this weekend…
More about that in the next post.


God bless Bob
and all those who
serve(d) our country.

In the midst of Pentecost Sunday,
baptisms and weddings,
picnics, and travel plans,
may we not forget the real reason
for the three day weekend!

Rest in Peace, dear ones!
God bless you all!
Happy Memorial Day!

Love to you,
and hugs, too…
JanBeek

Leave a Legacy

Today’s WordPress/JetPack prompt was:

What is the legacy you want to leave behind?

L oving

E thical

G racious

A ttentive

C ompassionate

Y ummy

If I could leave a legacy that exemplified these six words, I’d die happy!

First, I want folks to say, “She loved the Lord with all her heart ❤️ and she sincerely loved her family and friends.” 🥰

(Yes, my family is a huge part of my legacy… they will live on and on … and hopefully exemplify the values I hold so dear!)

Additionally, may they say, “She was ethical and lived a life of integrity. Trying to avoid hypocrisy, Jan lived to show her faith on her sleeve, striving to behave in a way that would be pleasing to God.”

Gracious living means extending to others the undeserved love and forgiveness, the acceptance, inclusion, and hospitality that we received daily from the Lord. May they say, “She was gracious.”

I hope my legacy includes the idea of attentiveness to others, attentiveness to the details of the responsibilities assumed, and daily attention to prayer and Bible Study. I happily shared those with others. A desired part of my legacy would include, “Jan was attentive.”

Daily I asked God to help me shine His compassion through me to others. My heart reached out regularly to family, friends, former students, neighbors, and others in need. Strangers were just “friends I hadn’t met yet.” I would like my legacy to include, “She was compassionate.”

Yummy? It’s not that I want to be considered yummy, it is that I love to cook. As part of my legacy, may I be remembered as someone who delighted in preparing yummy meals for Bob and for guests in our home. May I be remembered as someone whose greatest joy was in serving others.

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

Hebrews 13:2
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

When I leave this earth and join the heavenly angels,
I am counting on seeing all those saints who went on before me…
And we’ll feast on heavenly food and feed the scraps to
all my Boston Terriers who’ll be there at the pearly gates to greet me.


Yes, you’re in my life for a reason. Thanks for showing up on my blog!

Love,
JanBeek

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

Open Hands

If your hands are full of “stuff” –
God can’t fill them anew.
Open your hands, my friends,
And let God renew you!

No need to decorate them
Or worry about their size
Just turn ’em over and
Ask for something wise

“Get wisdom;
get insight;
do not forget,
and do not turn away
from the words of my mouth… “
– Proverbs 4:5 

It is an understatement to say
that wisdom is a worthwhile pursuit.

woman wearing red hat and sunglasses
Photo by Nashua Volquez-Young on Pexels.com
We’re never too old to learn
A thing or two each day
Open your hands and receive
God’s message – It won’t lead you astray
person holding opened book
Photo by Eduardo Braga on Pexels.com

In his book, Ever Faithful,
David Jeremiah was inspired
by Psalm 145:16
when He wrote
about hand gestures:

“Hand gestures can communicate
our innermost thoughts and emotions.
Clenched fists reveal anger.
White knuckles and trembling
are usually the result of fear and nervousness.
We close our hands around things
we want to hold on to
and open them to receive and give gifts.”

My friends, Ed and Maria, open their hands to receive each others love and close them around each other to hang on to the one they love. Bob & I do the same!

David Jeremiah went on in his devotional to say,
God’s generosity is described in Psalm 145:15

You open Your hand
and satisfy the desire
of every living thing.”

It might be the prayer
For a miracle to receive
Or could be something simple
You just have to believe

Believe that when you open
Your hands to receive gifts
God will fill them with wonders –
With gifts that your heart lifts

Open hands are a symbol
Of giving – giving our all
And knowing in the process
We’ll be standing tall

As a humble giver,
Know what you give comes back
And God knows your needs
He will fill your every lack

David Jeremiah went on to remind us,
“If we overlook God’s generosity,
or find ourselves in the midst
of a painful season,
it’s easy for a mindset
of scarcity to take over.
We become afraid of losing
what we have, and
our hearts’ stance becomes one of
grasping as we seek to control
our circumstances.”

Grasp all the love you can get
Then open your hands to give
It all away – every single bit
Because it’s refillable as long as you live

Bob’s hands are open to receive his “just desserts”!!
Are yours open, too?

I pray for your hands to be filled
Filled to overflowing
Filled with love to give away
Love that’s alive and showing!

God Bless you!
Have a “Open Handed Day!”
Will you?

Love,
JanBeek

Plans to Prosper You

Who has plans to prosper you?
You do??
Who else?

white paper with note
Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

Jeremiah 29:11

11 “For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you,”
saith the Lord,
“thoughts of peace,
and not of evil,
to give you an expected end.”

God promises to give us hope and a future.
Grace gives me a chance to clean up today’s messes and try again.
Be ready for that prosperous, expected end!

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

Sprinkle the salt of peace.
Express
the joy of happiness.
Smile
and
let the love of
the One who wants only
to prosper you
shine forth!

three wooden signage in a tree close up photography
Photo by Maria Gulyaeva on Pexels.com

Guidepost’s Mornings With Jesus
challenged its readers yesterday to
“Thank Jesus for seasoning you
with His grace”
– and
“Write down specific ways
He has prospered you so
you can be salt and light
in the world today.”

sunflowers and a card
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

What blessings come to mind for you today?

God provided blue skies.
He sent rain to clear the haze.
The grass is greening
and the flowers are blooming.

I can’t make these things happen…
Only God can control the seasons.
He sends the sun by day
and the moon by night.
These are blessings
I don’t take for granted.

What are some of the specific ways
God has prospered you recently?

I am blessed by your visit here today.
Thank you for following
JanBeek.

I am gratified by the
new followers who have joined us recently.

I send my love & hugs your way.

Tenacity

two brown bears on grass field
Photo by Francisco Cornellana Castells on Pexels.com

On this day after Mother’s Day,
I was enchanted by this video
of a Mama Bear and her cub.
The parenting style astounded me!

I hope you can see it when you click on the link beow:

fb.watch/ky20qiVPmf/

This is “Tenacity Personified”.
Watching it is “Patience Personified”.
Mama Bear is “Confident Parenting” personified.

Would I have been that confident?

Would I have had the tenacity
to hang in there long enough
to let my child succeed
on his/her own?

Nope, probably not!

I’d no doubt have rushed down to rescue.

How about you?

Have a Marvelous Monday!

Love,
JanBeek

This picture of us was taken yesterday on Mother’s Day by our friend Ted. He is a 95-year-old retired photographer who is temporarily at the Manor Nursing Home recovering from a broken back. It’s good of Bob, don’t you think? Usually when I get a picture of him smiling, his eyes are closed! Thank you, Ted!

All About Mom

She was witty
She was strong
She worked hard
All day long

She was cranky
She was smart
She always finished
Whatever she’d start

She was pretty
She was neat
She was clever
But not too sweet

She was never
Without an opinion
Expressing ideas
Was her dominion

She loved Lodge
And organization
Any laziness
Was her frustration

She loved poetry
And crooning songs
Her eye was tuned
To finding wrongs

She loved her girls
With all her heart
I know that more
Now that we’re apart

She always boasted
Behind our back
Whatever we needed
We’d never lack

She was a guide
She was no saint
A perfect mom
No, that she ain’t

But would I trade her
For another mother?
My heavens, NO!
I want no other

MOM!!


If you were to write a poem
or sing a song about your mom,
what would you have to say?

Here’s a beautiful tribute
to a mom from her three sons.
I love it! I dedicate it to my
dear children, Ty (his wife, Monika) & De,
and to my other daughter, Laina.
Thank you for being such great parents!!

Happy Mother’s Day
to all my blogging friends.

I hope your day is wonderful!

Love,
JanBeek

Duh!

What public figure do you disagree with the most?

From my Christian perspective, this prompt is a no brainer for anyone in the USA with a moral bone in his/her body. But I have good Christian friends who disagree with me, so why open the gap and create more divisiveness?

Let Justice reign!

Can we disagree and still love one another?

Let peace and unity be our goal.

Amen? Hugs to you from … JanBeek ❤️🙏🏽🥰

Just One Day

Today’s JetPack prompt was:

What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?

Just one perfect day
That’s all I’d actually need
To find a home for every dog

Just one perfect day
Find homes by some tennis courts
Make all dogs happy

Just one perfect day
Find homes for all the children
No need for orphanages

Just one perfect day
A universal wiper
Eliminate war


Oh, there’s so much more
I would love to accomplish
In one perfect day



With the perfect job
I would wipe away all tears
In a perfect world

What job would you like?

Let’s sign up for that perfect job…
for just one day!

Hugs,
JanBeek

Love Lifted Me

These happy singers lift me up … Do you feel the love?

Nay-Sayers

Share a wisp of love
In a world of nay-sayers
Let love lift you up

Our nay-sayer world
Filled with hate and divisions
Needs the love you share

Do not be afraid
To be a Pollyanna
Look on the bright side

Every issue has
A rotten and a dark side
Flip over the coin

Look on the bright side
The Truth is in the BS
A pony’s in there

landscape sunset field dust
Photo by Vladimir Srajber on Pexels.com

Beneath all the crap
Lives the Word and the actions
We should emulate

Let hope lift you up
Take shovel and start digging
Find the love in there

Fertilize your life
With sincerity and grace
Uncover the love

This song was recorded in 1961, the year Bob & I were engaged, the year I graduated from college. Love indeed made the world go round. We were married in 1962 and I left the west coast of the USA for the first time and moved to Germany with Bob (who was stationed in the army there). My world became bigger… filled with new love!

Let love uplift you
Let love make your world sweeter
Eliminate crap!

Uncover pony
Rest in God’s peaceful pasture
Send nay-sayers out

John 10:9  

“I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved
and
will go in
and out
and
find pasture.”

Love lifted me up!
I heard His voice and heeded
You can do that, too

Share a wisp of love
In a world of nay-sayers
Let love lift you up




Be a Yes-Sayer – share your love!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Come on over for some chicken enchiladas!

Don’t these personify love?

See ya tomorrow.

Hugs,
JanBeek

Peace Thru Prayer, Music, & Service

I LOVE the Jehovah Shalom Acapella sextet. They are phenomenal. Their musicianship, range, uplifting song selections, tone, and delightful facial expressions give me a smile and a sense of peace that lasts all day! I pray for all of them… and their ability to continue to bless us with their music. Do you know them?

I have a smile, a kind word, and a poem of encouragement to share with you. I shared it with the Madison Valley Woman’s Club today. I hope it inspired many to also “Find Peace.”

May this poem, this music, and my prayers for you bring you a sense of inner peace that allows to you to let His light shine brightly through you!

I Can Find Peace

I can find peace
It’s here in my heart
Living in trust
Is a good place to start

I can find peace
In stillness and prayer
Don’t need to go far
Peacefulness is there

Find peace in the world
Find oneness with all
Find joy and contentment
No need for a wall

Peace in relationships
Peace from above
Just radiate inner peace
And reach out in love

Jan Beekman – poet
woman meditating on rock
Photo by Felipe Borges on Pexels.com

Among the poems that my mom collected and saved each week in 1938-1940 from Newman, California’s “West Side Index” was this lovely poem to reinforce the way we each can find peace and pass it on:

Little Things

Somebody did a kindly deed,
It helped you all the day.
Do it again, for somebody else,
Who, needy, passes your way.

Somebody said a kindly word;
Say it again, for you
May brighten somebody else’s load
By the word that brightened you.

Somebody smiled a cheerful smile;
It made the day seem bright.
It was only a little thing you say,
But those little things have might.

Those little things – are they little things?
Just think how the whole long day
An unkind word or slighting tone
Has hidden the sun away.


Margaret Kinsella – poet

smiling women in old fashioned clothing looking at gift in park
Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

At our Madison Valley Woman’s Club meeting today, the ladies shared plants of basil and rosemary, gifts of one sort and other, with one another. New officers were installed. A budget for the coming year was adopted. The organization owns and operates the Nearly New here in Ennis. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization that earns “big bucks” by selling “Twice in the Closet” clothing, books, kitchen ware, jewelry, etc. Hats off to all those who donate their goods and services to the Nearly New! The second-hand shop is run totally by volunteer labor. The majority of their profits are given back to the community in the form of scholarships to graduating high school seniors, monthly monetary support to the local library, and countless other worthy community organizations (such as the nursing home, the community pre-school, senior and youth services, etc.). They budgeted $163,000 to be given away in the coming fiscal year.

There is an enormous sense of peace & community pride that comes with the collaborative efforts of the club’s more than 150 members working together all year to make these kinds of profits possible. Our town of Ennis, MT has a population of just a little over 1,000 residents. So, you can just imagine what a gift this club is not just to Ennis, but to the entire Madison County and to the state. Hats off to all those dedicated volunteers!

Luke 6:38

“Give, and it will be given to you.
Good measure,
pressed down,
shaken together,
running over,
will be put into your lap.
For with the measure you use
it will be measured back to you.”

Give the best you got!
May the peace of Christ be with you and your loved ones
as you give generously of your time, talents, and resources.

Remember, your cup is not
half full or half empty,
It is overflowing…
and it is refillable!

God bless you this day and every day!
Hugs,
JanBeek

See ya tomorrow!
Have a great weekend.

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