Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for February, 2024

Enjoyable Job

Today’s prompt was: Do you enjoy your job?

“Enjoyable Job” – hah! For some that’s an oxymoron! But not for me. My job (as an educator for over 30 years) was mostly enjoyable! 👌🏽

I submit that I would be lying if I said I enjoyed my job every day! Some days, as a teacher, I didn’t have enough corners in the classroom to separate the trouble-makers! Then after 24 years in the classroom, I changed my job to educating teachers… and mentoring parents. That’s what principals do as effective administrators! Some days I didn’t have the patience I needed in order to enjoy the role of principal when it came to disciplining a recalcitrant teacher or suspending a troublesome, disruptive student and helping the parent know how to follow-through at home.

My job now is to take care of my hubby and our home – and to house-train our new puppy, Owen.

Owen and Bob

Do I enjoy those jobs? Not always! I’d be lying if I said wiping up “mistakes” always is enjoyable. But, do I feel blessed to have them both? You bet!

Every job is a blessing!

“Enjoyable” is not always the most important definition for an important, successful job. How do you define it?

Owen is our new Boston Terrier. Seven months old, born on my birthday last July 24, he is an 8 lb. bundle of energy. Our home is new territory for him. He was part of a kennel litter of seven in Springfield, MO. Being in a home with snow covering the outside areas is new to him. My job is to teach him to be a reliable family member. Teach him to walk on snow. Teach him to signal us when he needs out!

His jobs are to learn how to live inside, how to play with his new parents, how to communicate with us, where to “go” and where not to. His favorite spot is my lap! I’m learning to “read” his needs. It’s a challenging, but rewarding job!

Meet Owen!

Sweet pup! You are bringing such joy into our family!

What are your current jobs? Don’t try to convince me that they’re always “enjoyable” 🤪 !!

Hugs to you,

JanBeek

Category:

Animals, blessings, Family, Life's Challenges, Love, pets

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He’s Here!!

Who’s here?

And how’s that an answer to this prompt?

What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

Owen Leo Beekman, born on my birthday July 24, seven months old today. A seven pound bundle of joy!

He came in the Puppy Van from Springfield, Missouri

What a gift!

Bob & I lost our last Boston a year ago. The house has been void of that particular joy since then! But Owen is bringing such happiness already!!

Since his arrival yesterday, his ears are up, he’s settling in, he’s learning his outside place to “go” and he’s snuggling gleefully in Bob’s lap or mine!

What a joy-filled duo!

But, having a pup in the house is also challenging, you know? He changes your routine to his. He says, “Don’t be gone too long!”

He’s happy in his crate

But he loves lap time best! And he hasn’t tried out his bed with blanket yet. This is only the end of his first 24 hours with us. Owen has a lot to learn … and a lot to teach us!

He didn’t eat or drink anything yesterday

But today, he chowed down and drank generously. Yay!

He’ll “bee” happy in his new jacket with the snow predicted here next week!

See what a perfect little guy he is?

What a sweetheart!

How long has it been since you had a new puppy or kitty in your home?

What “challenge” are you facing in the next six months that will ultimately bring you joy?

Joy comes in many forms. But, it’s out there for you. And it’s in your heart ❤️ and home if you just recognize it, welcome it, and embrace it.

He’s here!! Yay!!! 😀

Category:

Love

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The Best Gift

Daily writing prompt
Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received.
View all responses

The best gift of all
Jesus gave to us one day
With His sacrifice

It’s eternal life
Promised by His life and death
Free for those who thirst

“Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it,
and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:24 

2 Corinthians 9:15

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

Gifts come wrapped with bows
Must be untied and unwrapped
You’re the receiver

Even God’s own Son
Won’t come and break in your door
You must open it

Revelation 3:20

American Standard Version
Behold, I stand at the door and knock:
if any man hear my voice and open the door,
I will come in to him,
and will sup with him,
and he with me.

Accept your best gift
Untie the bow; Open door
Accept faith with joy

Return the favor
By the joy you radiate
Your gift back to Him!

God Bless You!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Giving, God, Haiku, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Poetry, Promises

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Take & Spread Joy!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit
you may abound in hope.”

– Romans 15:13

One of the devotionals I read every day is from “The Upper Room,” a book of daily devotionals printed every other month, and a gift many churches provide for their members and guests. In today’s message, the topic was “Words of Love.”

I can think of no better way to “Take & Spread Joy” than to speak and read and hear WORDS OF LOVE. How about you?

“Pleasant words are like honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul
and health to the body.”

Proverbs 16:24

In the Upper Room,
the thought for today is:
“With God’s help,
I will speak words
that build others up.”

The Upper Room devotional reminded me that
“Words carry weight.
How we use them
deeply impacts
the people around us.”

But, I am aware that my words
also deeply impact me!
I can speak words of love to myself…
or I can speak disparaging words
that discourage me!

The devotional ended with this prayer:
“Loving God,
we pray that You
will empower us
to speak love and life
to those around us.
Give us compassionate
and encouraging words.”

My word for 2024, some of you may recall, is the acronym SIFT.
The T stands for “Take time to think” (and pray) before I speak or act.
I carry that “T” thought with me every day.
And I hope you, too, will be inspired to
use compassionate and encouraging words
directed at yourself as well as others.

Your caring and thoughtful words
will lift your spirits
as they lift the hearts of all you meet.

Take and spread joy!

Love to you,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, happiness, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, optimism, prayer, relationships

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Bringing Joy

Yesterday morning
I had an amazing experience
at our local nursing home.
The Madison Valley 4-H Club
joined forces with the Ennis Arts Association
to bring joy to our local nursing home residents.

Each resident was paired with a youngster
and an Art Association member
as they created art on tiles that will be
combined to create barn quilts …
You’ll have to see the
finished products
to understand.
Do you know what I mean by barn quilts?

In the meantime,
just enjoy the delight
shared by children
and the seniors.
You can’t help but smile,
right?

The children brought smiles to all our faces.
So precious!!

It is following the weekend
of Valentine’s Day.
Many of the resident’s doors
were decorated for the holiday.

Walking through the residence put a smile on my face.
You’re smiling, too, aren’t you?

As the parents came to pick up some of their 4-H’ers,
they often stopped at the entry to admire the birds
in the beautiful aviary there.
One of the residents delighted in telling them
all about the various species

You know there is nothing like children to bring joy!
What a gift their presence was to our seniors!
I’m so glad I was able to be a part of this
delightful experience!

Stay tuned for a future post
when I show you what the
Art Association members
were able to do
with those individual tiles!
I can hardly wait to see it myself!

What can you do
to bring joy
to someone today?

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Love

Feeling Loved

Love is an Open Door

I found this post in my “Drafts” folder. I thought I’d already posted it.

I guess WP was waiting for this 2nd day of Lent when we’re spending 40 days preparing our hearts for the greatest love ever told: Jesus’ death on the cross for our redemption.

Back when I started this post, we were being wined & dined – loving and being loved.

That’s during some of our travels last month in CA. Here we were in San Clemente … cool ocean air … warm family fun!

Bob & I loved being with friend Bob and our son’s father-in-law, Darrell.

There had been high tides that washed away sand. They were replacing it ingeniously!

Before coming to southern CA beaches, we spent glorious, loving time with dear friends, Jim & Terry in Paso Robles. Ah, feeling love all around!

The warmth of their love was matched by the warmth of their home and beautiful fireplace.

Church on Sunday in Paso Robles was filled with the love of people singing and praising God and seeking to return His love in tangible ways.

The cover of the Sunday bulletin

As we continued our road trip through California for another week, soaking in the love and hospitality of family & friends, I reached out in prayer for you, praying you, too, can FEEL love every day, every hour, every minute. You ARE loved!

I hope you are having a love-filled week!

Necklace is a love gift from Terry. Thank you, sweet “Soul Sister!”

Feel the love!

Hugs,

JanBeek

Category:

blessings, contentment, Family, friendship, God, happiness, holidays, Love, relationships, Travel

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An Open Door

Photo by Dmitry Zvolskiy on Pexels.com

Happy Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day, my friends!
Today’s writing prompt from JetPack
asked for a suggested title
for a biography should there be one written about me.

Daily writing prompt
If there was a biography about you, what would the title be?
View all responses

One of my devotionals this morning was about “A Closed Door.”
It used this scripture as a prompt for the commentary:

Matthew 6:6
“But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door
and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father
who sees you in secret will reward you.”

There may be a need for some people to pray behind a closed door,
but my favorite prayer room is up my circle staircase in our entryway
to my cozy 12’x12′ “Sanctuary” where I am never alone.
The Holy Spirit is alive and well up there…
and the front door in that entryway
always is open for you to come and join me.
My life is An Open Door – an open book!
If you’ve followed my blog for awhile,
you know I am quite a transparent person.
I have nothing to hide!
And my Father is not “in secret.”
He has an open door for you, too!
Go – and sit with His heart –
and Let Him into yours!!
Open up your heart and let the Son shine in!!

If you have time, and if you can,
click on this delightful children’s song below
It will make you smile.
It’s guaranteed to make you want to sing along,
and open up your heart…
the door to heart can remain open
without fear
if the Son shines there!

“An Open Door – a biography about Jan Beekman“
Waiting to “bee” written – someday – hah!

Meantime,
let me share openly with you about
this little light of mine
that I always try to shine.

1 Corinthians 15:14

“Let all that you do be done in love.”

Today is Ash Wednesday when we begin a 40 day period of waiting with love for Easter (Lent). It is a time to reflect on the great gift of eternal life that Jesus made possible through His life and death and resurrection. May we celebrate Lent with the same fervor that we acknowledge February 14th each year as Valentine’s Day! 

My dear friends, Lee & Loleta, know how to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style.
And Bob & I celebrated Valentine’s Day early in 1962
by using that red & white, hearts & flowers theme
for our wedding.

Here we are 62 years later:

Yup, still celebrating our love…
with an open door to our hearts and our home.

Today we’ll get a cross of ashes on our foreheads
that will symbolize our devotion to the One
who brought us together and whose mercy and grace
has kept us together all these years.

Yes, He prays with us
He stays with us
His heart is an open door
Mine is, too.
Is yours?

I pray that it is!!

Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Ash Wednesday!

I send my love your way,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, happiness, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, prayer, relationships

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The T in SIFT

My word for 2024 is SIFT. It is an acronym for:
S = Simplify
I = Inventory & Itemize (to facilitate simplifying)
F = Focus on the present
T = Take Time to Think (before speaking or acting)

Yes, health is about what you’re eating, thinking, and saying,
but it also is about what you are doing. So, my friends, let’s SIFT!
Let’s simplify our lives by eliminating the “stuff” we don’t need
and organizing the things we decide to keep. Let’s focus on the present
and take time not just to think before speaking or acting, but also
TAKE TIME TO PRAY as we sift through each day’s possibilities.

Today was what some call “Fat Tuesday.” The day before Lent, a season
of 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter. It culminates at Easter
when Jesus gave up His life for us all. So, some folks “give up” something
as a remembrance of and in honor of Christ’s ultimate giving. “Fat Tuesday”
is a silly idea… to overindulge in that thing the day before you give it up for
forty days!

Overindulgence is not a Biblical concept! I hope you didn’t buy in to it!!
It is diametrically opposed to the idea of Lent … a time of fasting and
praying leading up to Easter.

a woman wearing purple and gold mask
Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

Matthew 6:16-18 

“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

So, join me, my friends, during this special season. Let’s simplify.
Let’s take inventory and prioritize. Let’s focus on the now, and
let’s take time to think and to pray before we speak or act.
Let’s decide what we want to “give up” for 40 days to remember Jesus’ sacrifice.
Let’s give this Lenten season the time and attention Christ deserves.

Are you with me?
I hope so!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, God, holidays, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, prayer

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The “F” in Sift

Today’s prompt asked me to
“Write about [my] dream home” –
but I’m gonna branch out
and write about my
“Dream Life.”
And how my
Word for 2024
“SIFT”
fits into that picture.

S = Simplify
I = Inventory and Itemize in order to prioritize
F = FOCUS
That’s the word for today… FOCUS on the present!

Here’s my present for today… for yesterday… for everyday…
my dear sweet husband, Bob, with whom I have been
married for 62 years TODAY!
He’s what makes my home
a “Dream Home.”
He’s what makes my life
a “Dream Life.”

Today my FOCUS is on how blessed I am
to have the gift of Bob!

That smile is because of our wonderful years together
and the opportunity to celebrate the occasion of our anniversary
with church friends at fellowship today and with another dear couple
at a special dinner last night. Ah, my “Dream Life” is not something
I take for granted. Believe me!

Today at church fellowship hour

Last night at a special dinner with friends:

The dinner was our gift to one another…
but my gift to Bob is coming.
It’s a surprise!
I’m waiting for the right time to tell him!!

This is Happy Bob a couple years ago
with our Boston Terrier, TazE.
We’ve always had Bostons in our
“Dream Home” wherever we were living
all these 62 years… but TazE died a year ago.

There’s a part of Bob’s personality
that is locked into his relationship
with a playful pup.
I miss that part of Bob
as much as I miss
the companionship of a pet.
I decided I need to FOCUS on
how to fix that problem!!
Sooooo….

Meet Owen!!!
He is my surprise for Bob!
He shares my birthday:
July 24th!
He will arrive sometime here
in the next couple of weeks!
Our “Dream Home” will be complete again!
And our “Dream Life” will resume!
Don’t you think I have chosen well?

Or do you think Owen
will complicate
rather than
simplify
our lives?
Hmmm??

Pups really do require a lot of care!
But what dream can you think of that doesn’t?
FOCUS on the love!
Stay tuned!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, blessings, Family, happiness, Love, pets, relationships

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The “I” in SIFT

I was reminded today that I promised
to explain the meaning of each letter in SIFT,
my word for 2024.
I posted an explanation of the “S” meaning to simplify,
but then my life got complicated!

I neglected WordPress for a week or so
and then wrote about my desire
to eliminate negativity in my world.
I used Bob Goff as a perfect example
of someone who exudes
POSITIVITY!
Thank you, dear friends,
for the positive comments
you left on that post!

Now, on to that “I” in SIFT.
To simplify my life, I need to
Inventory
and
Identify
what is
Important
and what is not.

So, as I attempt to simplify my life,
I question the need for all this stuff!!
Finding honest answers
to all that questioning takes
wisdom!
That’s my word for today!!

… and I need to add to that,
“If it’s yours and you don’t need it,
GET RID OF IT!”

When you experience a challenge
(like trying to simplify your life)
and you’re not sure what to do,
stop what you are doing
and ask God for guidance,
seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit,
and then WAIT to hear the answer.

It’s easy to get distracted
(like I did on this SIFT acronym),
but the task of simplifying
requires that “I” message:
Itemize and inventory,
determine what’s important,
in an effort to prioritize
and ultimately simplify.

It’s a work in progress.
Are you trying to simplify your life?
How are you doing?

God bless you – and me –
and, please Lord,
give us wisdom!

Love,

JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, contentment, Faith, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love

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