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Archive for the ‘Animals’ Category

Calling All Sinners!!

Calling All Sinners!!
Yup, my friends – that’s me.
Yesterday I really screwed up;
Of course, not intentionally.

We sinners never mean to
Cross over the kindness line
Into lack of compassion.
We don’t commit sin by design!

Photo by Mati Mango on Pexels.com

So when we sinners mess up,
As God knows we always do,
How do we learn to forgive ourselves?
Does this happen, my friend, to you?

Yesterday’s “Today in the Word”
by the Moody Bible Institute,
dealt with this subject
right when I needed it most.
The scripture for the day was:

“For I have not come
to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:13

let go let god note
Photo by Tara Winstead on Pexels.com

What do I need to let go of?
What did I do that was so bad?
I made Bob feel like a burden
Instead of making him feel glad.

I was mad that he left me
At the church without a word.
He was that mad that I left him.
Now, isn’t that absurd?

It’s all about communication.
Yes, I know, he should have said
“Hey Honey, let’s go home now,”
But he just left instead.

gazelles
Photo by Bas van Brandwijk on Pexels.com

Yup, we butted heads over
The slightest misunderstanding.
I found another way home.
Oops… that was a crash landing!

He’d only gone to the post office
And then he came back to get me.
I didn’t know where he had gone
And his absence really upset me.

Earlier he had wanted some help
On a simple music interpretation task.
I was in the middle of something else
And irritably made him sorry he’d asked.

Today we’re back to talking
In civilian tones to each other.
Yesterday’s behind us; we’ll forget
How we rankled one another.

But making peace ain’t easy
When you’ve crossed the kindness line.
We hate to admit we’re wrong.
But repentance helps us align.

Align our will to our loving call
To be responsive to each need
Expressed by those around us.
That’s our call, our mission. Agreed?

“Let love be genuine,
Abhor what is evil;
Hold fast to what is good.”

Romans 12:9

Photo by La Miko on Pexels.com

In my devotional yesterday, “All God’s Creatures” by Guideposts,
the writer, Jerusha Agen, reminded me of the importance
that unconditional love be exhibited. She wrote about
“Simon’s Love” telling about a cat who acted like a dog.

Jerusha’s favorite pet had died.
It was the first time in her life
She was without a dog to cuddle.
But her cat took away the strife.

Her cat started acting like a dog,
Meeting her at the door when she got home,
And sitting in her lap to comfort her.
Letting her brush him with a comb!

Her cat, Simon, knew to mourn with her.
Simon seemed to know what she needed.
In grief, Jerushah had been neglecting him,
But Simon forgave that sin; with joy conceded.

Photo by Tomas Ryant on Pexels.com

“Rejoice and mourn with others,
According to what they need,”
Jerusha wrote to her readers.
Ask Bob for forgiveness – with speed!

I’ll ask God to help me be more
Loving and responsive to Bob.
Help me with my impatience, Lord.
Help me show genuine love to my heart-throb!

1959

Here’s my heart-throb when I met him
He was in the army at the time.
Happy Veteran’s Day on Saturday.
Ours is a long-term love sublime.

That doesn’t mean we don’t argue
Or make each other mad at times.
But, God tells us sinners to forgive…
Just as He does – ALWAYS, not just sometimes!

You can probably relate to my “Faux Pas” –
You’ve probably blundered some, too.
But, God is calling us sinners:
Let love fill the dog-shaped void in you!

Let forgiveness be your guiding star,
Since we all forget to be compassionate – ’tis true.
I’ll look for ways to show love like Simon.
And God’s calling you, my dear sinner, too!!

God bless You!

Love,
JanBeek

Can you just kiss and make up, too??!!

sign texture abstract vintage
Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Something Good

Something wonderful
Something good
All God’s blessings
Not always understood

Keeping eyes open
For ways we are blessed
Sometimes they come to us
In difficult tests

brown and white bear plush toy
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The blog I accidentally deleted
Explained how this teddy bear
With all its bandaged boo-boos
Hid triumphant scars under there

Something good happens
When healing of wounds is complete
I hope something good happens
Today to you and those you meet

Storm clouds may come and gather
You might anticipate a growing storm
But God will send you rainbows
And the sun to keep you warm

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Pexels.com

God will send you beauty
In the skies and on the land
Look for His surprises everywhere
Many of them really are quite grand

It’s hunting season here in Montana
So the deer and antelope are convinced
If they come here to our yard
They’re protected as if they’re fenced

Something good happened here today
The doe and the buck stuck around
I enjoyed their company – you would, too
Shhh… don’t scare them. Don’t make a sound!

They see me; they hear my steps
Off they go – but they’ll return
Good things happen here
You’re safe, my friends. Come and learn!

photo of a deer midair
Photo by Filip Nasaly on Pexels.com

What can we learn from our animals?
Go where you’re protected and free
I’ll watch out for your best interests
And I bet you’ll watch out for me

God has blessed you, I know
What’s something good
that happened to you today?
Did you thank God for it? (I knew you would!)

Love,
JanBeek


I’ve always loved the song,
“Something Beautiful.”
If you have time,
click on it here
and enjoy this beautiful music.

It’s “Something Good” for you today!!

News About Honeybees

Yes, I often write about honeybees.
Why?
Well, if you have been a JanBeek follower for any time at all,
you know that my hubby, Bob, is a retired beekeeper.
Not just a hobbyist, but a full-time bee guy
with as many as 2,000 hives
back in the late 1980’s & ’90s and early 2000’s.

Even after retiring here to Montana, he worked for several years with local beekeeping hobbyist, John White. Bees are a part of Bob’s DNA! His dad was a beekeeper and his brother was, too. Now he has three nephews and a grand-nephew keeping bees big time.

So, it was no surprise to me when I received an e-mail today from someone wanting me to post on the topic of honeybees again. She sent me a letter and asked me to put it on my blog. I’m happy to do so. Here it is:

“Hi Jan,

I hope your day is going well!

I came across your website and noticed you shared a lot of information on beekeeping. I thought our guide could be helpful for your readers. 

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the world by commercial gardeners. However, many pesticides – including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides – harm pollinators and other beneficial insects. 

To help educate those in the farming and gardening industries about this toxic chemical, we’ve created a comprehensive guide with organic, and homemade; and a second guide with agricultural alternatives. please take a look:

drugwatch.com/roundup/glyphosate/
drugwatch.com/roundup/cancer/

I thought these guides would be beneficial to share with your community. Would you consider adding that as resources to your website https://janbeek.blog/tag/honeybees/ to inform people about this critical matter better?

I appreciate your time and look forward to your response. Have a great day!”

Nicole Nunez (She / Her) | Outreach Coordinator

1 S. Orange Ave. Ste. 201  |  Orlando, FL 32801  

So, let’s all do our part to protect
our honeybees,
our trees,
and our fresh water,
okay?
What do you say?

Hugs to you on this Fabulous Friday.
I hope you’re staying warm.
It’s 15 degrees outside my Ennis home
– and snowing.

Oh my what a difference a week can make.
Take a look:

Oh my, those images are too large to show the total difference.
I need to learn how to post them smaller,
but I was trying that side-by-side feature.
It’s kinda neat… you can see more of each image
by using the middle arrows to slide it left or right.
Anyway, you get the idea…

Bee Warm!
And bee good to those bees!!

Sending lotsa love your way,
JanBeek

Cricket

My fellow blogger
Parted with her dog today
Lived a long fourteen

I have had to part
With more than one furry friend
It’s never easy

Send condolences
To my grieving friend, Rachel
Today’s a tough one

Farewell to Cricket
But only for a short time
We’ll all meet again!

Check out Rachel’s blog here…

Cricket’s Last Weeks

rachelmankowitz

Rest in peace, Cricket.
When I get to the pearly gates,
I will expect to see my furry friends
who have gone on before me
Jumping with glee to meet me.
If not, I’ll keep moving on
Cuz I’ll know I haven’t reached
The right gate yet!!

Happy TazE

Every day we miss our pup
She was a darling Boston
Was great company

Going for trail rides
Was just not the same without
Her cheerful presence.

Can you sympathize with Rachel today?
Click on her blog and leave a note.
I know she’ll appreciate it.
That’s what our WP community does…
We reach out to support and comfort one another.
Right?

See ya tomorrow.
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek

Rest in Peace!!

October Memories

Happy October to you, my friends!
May this month of changing colors
Find you healthy, happy, and looking forward
To the joy this season brings your way.

I decided today to look back at
Some of past October’s joys.
Fun to reminisce and search memories;
Don’t you agree? Those colors add noise!

Trees of green turn and shout out red,
Spreading their joy to all.
May we, likewise, determine
To spread our joy this fall.

These trees are near our home;
Every fall they decorate the course
Where golfers enjoy the coolness
And we celebrate nature’s Source.

We may not be able this year
To follow our friends up on trails
Where the fall colors blaze;
But we’ll follow along on all their details.

We’ll remember fondly our rides
With friends who also had pups –
Like our TazE (who’s in heaven now) –
Their love filled our cups.

The plant outside my window
Is reminding me daily of the cold
That is right around the corner…
The colorful changes never seem old.

Galatians 4:10

“You observe days and months and seasons and years.”

Observe the blessings
of the changing season
Knowing every change
Is for a very good reason.

Everywhere we look these days
We see the signs of the changing season.
It is a beautiful time of year –
And we welcome it to breeze in!

We’d welcome you to breeze in, too.
Come visit the 2Beeks in Montana state…
Even on the coldest of days, we enjoy
Sharing ice cream with you; It’s never too late!

Happy Autumn Hugs
from
JanBeek
(and the ice cream loving Beekster)

5 Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

I posted this two days ago…
before I was bit by a nasty 24-hr. flu bug.
Felt like I was hit by a diesel truck!
My birthday “Flu By” yesterday.
Today this blog sits in “Jet Pack”
saying it wasn’t posted.
I know it was…
some of you responded.
But, it’s not letting me
respond to your comments.
So, here it is again
…maybe a little different;
(JetPack didn’t keep my latest revisions…
siiiiigh!)


I’ve discovered
there are many more ways
to lower your blood pressure
than there are ways to raise it!


Those of you who read my last few blogs
know I had a bout with increased blood pressure
that went up to over 200/80.
Dangerously high!

Well, it’s going down.
Soon it’ll be back to normal.
Besides meds, here are five ways
I have found that are very helpful:

1. Relax. Stay in my pj’s and robe til noon.

2. Spend quiet time in a special spot.
Pray.
Read my Bible.
Meditate on a favorite scripture or poem.

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26

So many friends/family
prayed for my health yesterday
as the Flu Bug hit me like a diesel truck!
God is good… He answered. Today I feel much better!

3. Latch on to your favorite friend
and accept the invitation
of other friends to go
and do something fun together.
(Thank God I got to do that
before the diesel truck hit!)

4. Hug a dog …
and the friends who brought the dog along
while we all went out on their ATV,
four-wheeling up into the mountains
to a beautiful lake.

Off we go…

Beautiful scenes along the way…

Wonderful fields of wildflowers…

Gorgeous SureShot Lake

Zeke is such an intelligent, sweet dog!
He loves riding in the canoe.

I rode in the canoe, too!!
What a beautiful get-away!
(Can’t get that picture to post here…
You can just imagine it!)

Oh, and the fifth way to lower your blood pressure?

5. Get a good night’s sleep after enjoying a beautiful sunset.

Do you have some ideas
for how to lower your blood pressure
if it’s too high
or how to keep it at a normal range?

Let me hear from you.

Thanks for visiting JanBeek
I send my love and appreciation for you.

Expressing Gratitude

Today’s prompt was:
How do you express your gratitude?

Whenever I feel grateful
Which is certainly most of the time
I cheerfully, freely express it
Often in cards I write in rhyme

I’m grateful for the animals
That come and rest in our space
But when they eat branches or flowers
I shoo them off – give them chase!

I thank God for our sunsets
That reflect on the mountains east
The beauty of their presence
Is for my eyes a heavenly feast!

I express to our sweet visitors
Who came from Switzerland to here
How much we enjoy their presence
Creating memories so dear

Here they are on the Madison
Fishing with Bob on the shore
The peacefulness and the beauty,
Made up for no catches, zero score

Our hostess was Fran, the musician
Who entertained us with lunch and a song
We thanked her with hugs and elation
With such beauty, what could go wrong?

I thank God for USA’s freedom
For the way we celebrate each year
Parades, the rodeo, barbecues… what a crowd
All came to see the bronc riders and to cheer

Our Swiss guest, Laszlo, really caught the mood
Donning a cowboy hat, he weathered the rain
He enjoyed all the cowboys and cowgirls
Watched many get bucked off- lose the rein

Saskia smiled at the chance to be here
Their first USA trip – They chose this Montana spot
I’m expressing my gratitude for their visit
And thanking God for perfect weather -not too hot!

Of course, you can count on huge crowds
On Independence Day every year
The parade is the main attraction
Literally thousands come to view and to cheer

Horses are plentiful, some large, some small
And the floats are the old fashioned type
Throwing candy, waving flags, squirting water,
They live up to all the hype!

The Bible says:

“Rejoice always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”

1 Thessalonians 5:16 -18 (NIV)

If you’ve gotten out of the habit of being thankful, it’s time to get back into spiritual shape. Every morning, as soon as the alarm goes off (or you wake up on your own… this side of the grass), make a habit of thanking God for a new day — and ask Him for guidance as you embark on new victories and challenges in the hours ahead.

We began our day at the nursing home
Grateful we could help the residents out
Pushed them in their wheel chairs
Where they could hear the crowds shout

We thanked Madison Valley Manor
For placing a row of chairs at road’s side
We had first class seating to view
All the cars, horses, floats… want a ride?

Back home we were treated
To our own neighborhood parade & song
The neighbors’ grandkids rode their bikes
“Happy Birthday, Uncle Sam!” Sing along!

How do you express your gratitude
When you are overwhelmed with glee?
I wish you could have been here
To say Thanks to the kids with me!

Thank you for the daily prompt
That encourages me to write
I don’t get at it every day, but often…
You inspire my muse’s light!

How do you express your gratitude
To those who touch your heart
I hope you do it daily & often –
If not, now’s a good time to start!

Thanks for visiting
JanBeek

(Happy Independence Day!
and
Happy Birthday to our pastor,
Mary Grace Reynolds,

28 today!
Hooray!)

I’m grateful for her
presence in our lives!

God bless you, MGR!!

July 4 in Ennis, MT

This coming week is a big one in Ennis, MT. People come from all around to enjoy:
1) the Fireman’s Pancake breakfast 7:-10:am at the FireHall,
2) the old fashioned (step back 50 years) parade at 10:00 am,
3) a walk around our quaint little town for a couple hours,
4) the Lion’s Club BBQ at Lion’s Club Park at noon, and
5) the rodeo at 4:00 PM … or is it later? (there’s also one the night of the 3rd)

Here are a few pictures from years past to help you see what a great set of events it is:


The parade is an event not to be missed!

The rodeo is always fun!

I love the way little kids dress up for the holiday!
The adults go all out, too!

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

Fortunately, this year we don’t have to wear face masks!

The Boy Scouts, the 4-H Club,
various churches, the Lion’s Club,
cowboys, and our school kids
all join in the fun!

This year, I will again
help the folks
in our nursing home
(the Manor)
get front row seats
on the parade route.

Come to Ennis this week!
Enjoy the festivities!
I wish our daughters
could be here again this year.
Alas, they’re too far away!

DeDe & Laina,
we’ll miss you!

Ray Easter will be in the parade
with his pristine old convertible!
Look for him!!

Of course, little kids on their ponies
must always be a part of the fun!

Carts, dogs, clowns, fire trucks…
you name it! They’ll all be there!

Will we see you?
I hope so!!

You’ll love our little town!!

And our neighborhood celebrates, too!

I send my Love to you,
JanBeek

Alacrity

Do you know this word?
Alacrity!

happy sportspeople of different ages preparing to run in forest
Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com

Alacrity = cheerful readiness

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

When I chose my word for 2023, “Ready”
back on January 1, 2023,
I did not know what I needed to be ready for.
But I told myself, “Whatever comes my way,
I will be cheerfully ready!”

This past week, we had the privilege
of hosting my niece,
her husband and 16-year-old son,
and her bff from Utah, Melissa.
And mid-way through their visit,
our son and his wife came for
3 days and 4 nights.
A house full!
Was I ready?

Yes! When your guests are happy, helpful, and relaxed, it’s easy to be cheerfully ready for them!

A day in Yellowstone was a highlight. We all were ready for the bubbling geysers and pools, bison and other animals. Old Faithful always was a hit!

Are you ready to visit Yellowstone? Are you ready to ooh and aaah?

That photo captured only about 1/4 of the herd. It was the largest group of bison mamas and their calves that I’ve ever seen!

We were ready to see the elk and deer 🦌 So, yes, they did not disappoint us! We even saw a black bear. Rare!

My grand-nephew, Liam and I were ready to have our memories of “Artist’s Point” captured by a kind tourist. It’s my favorite Yellowstone spot!

And the guys were more than pleasantly waiting with alacrity for their day of fishing on the Madison. Each of them caught at least one fish … some caught three. No, we didn’t have a fish fry! The Madison River has a “catch & release” policy.

What are you ready for today? I hope you’re anticipating it with alacrity!

Have a Marvelous Monday!

Live, laugh, love ❤️ JanBeek

Make Way!

The scriptures and the devotionals that popped up this week
all point the way to our preparation for spring.
Get ready!
Be prepared!
Make way for the new!!
It will come, won’t it?
Eventually?

I am more than ready for our ice (used to be snow) piles
to melt and allow the bulbs to wake up and begin to sprout!

Isaiah 43:16,18-19-

This is what the Lord says,
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing…”

But, I do remember those former things!!

These were the last of them from last spring.

I am ready to hang my spring wreath
and I am ready to “Spring Up!”
my clocks tonight in preparation for
Daylight Savings Time.

I am ready to keep that time schedule
all year round to give us more hours of daylight
in our waking hours. How about you?

Get ready for a sunny Sunday!
I am ready for more sunshine.
How about you?

I love it when my friend, Lisa,
sends me photos of her sunrises
above the lake near her home in North Carolina.

I’m ready for a ride on “Lucille”
(our redheaded ATV who is a “Ball”)
into the springtime wildflowers
on our mountain trails around here.

Right now, looks like that’s a couple months away.

This year we won’t have our TazE
(our beloved Boston Terrier
traveled over the Rainbow Bridge
last December. We miss her!)

to keep us company on our rides.
She was sure a great trail companion!

We saw some mighty PURDY sites together on those rides!
Sometimes we’d take the trail all the way over to Pony, Montana,
the cute little town northwest of us where there is a
cute little tavern. We’d meet our other ATV friends there.

So, get ready, my friends.
Make way for the realization of
those dreams once more
when we can take that ride again!

But, will springtime ever come to Montana?

Have faith!
It will!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 
ESV 

For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill,
and a time to heal (that’s my time right now);
a time to break down,
and a time to build up;
a time to weep,
and
a time to laugh (that’s ALWAYS now!);
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance (let’s do!!);
a time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace (let’s do that, too),
and a time to refrain from embracing; …

May your storms diminish
and your sunshine increase;
May your troubles decrease
and your joys abound.


May your eyes clearly see
the beauty all around you.


God bless you, my friends.
Make way for those blessings!
They are coming!
Rest assured!!

Love and Lotsa Hugs,
JanBeek

P.S. My eyes are healing after the cataract surgery last week. Thank you for your prayers. The farsighted vision is bright and clear – beautiful colors. Single lens replacement instead of the multiple variety was my only option. It has to do with the age of these tired 83 year old eyes and the shape they were in. But I’m not complaining. Another follow-up appointment is scheduled in 3 weeks. I’ll keep you posted. Thinking positively!

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