Friends Family Neighbors Such helpful folks Loving compassionate and kind Grateful
Feeling blessed!
Birthday Now 85 Starting year 86 Celebrating with great friends Happiness
Helpers Barbecuing hamburgers Helped to setup Also stayed to cleanup Angels
Happiness Beautiful days Shared with friends Sadness: these smokey skies Surviving
Presents Their presence In my life I feel so blessed Grateful
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
May your future be bright, your birthdays be joyous, and your life be a blessing! Thank you, Lord, for my friends here as well as all myblogging friends.
My muse has been asleep My muse has been absent I’ve been in a funk My muse just up and went
Ever since my pup died I can’t seem to get inspired In all the world’s turmoil I think my muse expired
But then I looked around To see how I am blessed I told my weary self that This is just a test
He’s my Muse!
Ah-hah! He never left me It was I who strayed away Return to Faith’s assurance And “Bee a Light” today!
I looked back at days gone by To a time when I felt fine And found a helpful poem I’m adopting today as mine.
It was inspired by His Word I read the Bible every day Now I must remember to apply The Words God has to say!
2 Corinthians 4:6 a
For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness…”
I Can Let My Light Shine (Written in December 2023)
In a world filled with war and hate I can shine a light of love from me In a world filled with animosity and division I can shine a light of unity
In a world filled with hopelessness and despair I can lift the lamp of hopefulness In a world filled with fear and worry I can shine the joy of faithfulness
I can “bee” a light in the darkness Because the love of Christ shines through The grim shadows of despair And that Light also is in you
As a wonderful God-created child You are part of a magnificent whole So let that Spirit buried in you Shine forth from your blessed soul
Your light shines from the Creator Just as mine sparkles brightly, too So fill this world with the light of love Let’s let love’s light shine from me and you!
Amen
My Muse is alive and well. God Bless You! Yours is, too!! Let it shine!!!
Today I am passing on a message about Tragic, Divisive Politics in the USA from a pastor in North Carolina. He said it better than I could. I am weighing in because, I fear that this election season will only become more hostile unless we all do something. Don’t just sit back and wring your hands and shake your head. Pray!And speak up! Reach out in love and understanding. It is my prayer that we, as Christians, of any political belief, can stand firm as an antidote to that violence and hostility.
Pastor Ben Marsh wrote:
“I am sure some of you are shaken by the news of the attempted assassination of the former President Trump. These times are not unprecedented in American history. Some in our church can recall the attempt on President Reagan or the death of President Kennedy. We know that political violence always waits around the corner like the crouching lion of sin that Cain did not resist.
What marks our uniquely Christian response right now is the following, which I hope you will practice in the coming days and months:
1. A commitment to peace. The people of God uniquely understand that human kingdoms rise and fall but the Kingdom of Heaven alone is eternal. Knowing this, we are called to be a unique people of peace, filled with trust in the Lord’s plans. As our Lord said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Violent rhetoric is inseparable from violent actions, so I urge you to be a people whose language is seasoned with peace.
2. A focus on the Kingdom of heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven, which means our partisan commitments (as Democrats or Republicans or Libertarians or…) always take a backseat to our identification as followers of Jesus. Jesus had no political party and has no rivals for power in his kingdom! He alone is seated on the throne. To him alone will we swear allegiance for all eternity and from him alone will come all blessings.
3. A recommitment to the gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ alone is our Hope in this life and the next. No policy or politician can satisfy eternal or temporal needs. In Christ alone is our hope and sure salvation. He alone gives us his Holy Spirit by which we live day to day. He is the just Judge and the righteous sacrifice. He alone has defeated death. The Church has seen political violence from the first days. They saw emperors assassinated and they saw political parties come and go. They saw kingdoms rise and fall. Still for 2,000 years they have held forth the reality that Jesus is our Savior and our hope. He alone is our peace. I urge you to speak the name of Jesus before the name of anyone else and to lift up all your cares and concerns in these days to Jesus.
Beloved, I’m grateful that this assassination attempt was unsuccessful. I do not think it will be the last time we see that sort of violence in American politics, at least not as long as partisans and tv talking heads carry on in their mission to whip people into fear and anxiety. I urge you to resist that same crouching lion that faced Cain, and to hear the word of the Lord to Cain who said “if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” In Christ we have conquered sin and death itself. Stand firm then brothers and sisters in the unshakable hope of the glorious Majesty of Jesus Christ.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We’re looking to thee Lord to direct our paths. It has been a miserable two weeks in the Beekman household. First Bob picked up a bug on some path somewhere, and then a few days later, the bug very generously crossed my path. We tested for COVID, but it was negative, so we did a little research. Here’s what we discovered:
Meet Mr. Paraflu! What is parainfluenza?
Parainfluenza is a broad term that healthcare providers use to describe human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) — a group of infectious organisms (pathogens). Parainfluenza viruses cause many types of lower and upper respiratory illnesses. Respiratory illnesses cause mild to serious symptoms, like sore throat, cough and shortness of breath.
Nasty bug attack Caused us to lay low eight days We’re vulnerable
For those under five And us folks in our eighties, Paraflu attacks
The symptoms linger A terrible hacking cough Listlessness, fatigue
In others’ interest, Hunker down and stay at home Hydrate and get rest
Bye bye nasty bug We missed the July 4th fun But we have survived
Now go and begone Let our health return to us Keep our loved ones safe
Trusting in the Lord And not leaning on my own Understanding’s hard
Devotionals help To keep a wise perspective “How to Walk Wisely”
In the midst of our paraflu aches and pains, we turned to the Lord in prayer, and God gave us 6 tips about how to “Walk Wisely.” Today’s In Touch devotional had this to say:
“Living committed to the Lord calls for following His wisdom. Here are six attitudes necessary for a Christ-centered lifestyle:
1. Determination. Walking in wisdom doesn’t happen automatically. We must wholeheartedly pursue righteous living. 2. Focus. To stay on the path of God’s will, we must fix out attention on His Word. As we meditate on Scripture, our mind will align with Christ’s. 3. Sensitivity to the Spirit. With determination to live a holy life and close attention to Scripture, we become more sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. 4. Trust. At times the Lord’s choice for us doesn’t appear sensible. Trusting in His perfect wisdom is necessary if we’re to walk according to His plan. 5. Courage. Some things God requires may cause us to react with fear. As our trust in Him deepens, our courage will grow, and we’ll discover the joy of embracing His choice for us. 6. Perseverance. By depending on God, we can persist and choose wisely no matter how long our challenges last.
Walking in wisdom requires that we practice a few basics: Know God, trust Him, and obey. Is this your pattern for living? Remember, a lifetime of godliness develops one choice at a time.”
In Touch Ministries, Inc. Many thanks to Founder: Charles Stanley and President C Phillip Bowen
Thank You, God, for our return to health. Bee well, my friends. May this nasty paraflu bug pass you by!
