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Archive for the ‘Bible Lessons’ Category

God is My Gizzard!


Last time I clicked on “Reblog” and tried to post this 2020 entry,
folks were unable to access it. Hopefully the “Reblog” will work this time.
It’s a fun, inspirational post, I hope you enjoy revisiting it.

https://janbeek.blog/2020/07/20/god-is-my-gizzard/

Have a Happy Week!

Hugs,
JanBeek

God is My Gizzard!


This post from 3 years ago is a great segue to my post today titled, “Got Wisdom?” I hope you have time to read both … and consider the ways you rely on God and His Word for your own smart actions and avoidances.

I hope this fixes the ability to ;ink to it.

Hugs, JanBeek

Got Wisdom?


Photo by Jean van der Meulen on Pexels.com

They talk about the wise old owl –
But is he really wise?
He looks menacing to me –
Just take a gander at his eyes!

Did God make some birds wiser
Than the rest of birds and folks?
I know He made some funnier –
Some share the greatest jokes!

Animals do the darndest things –
You know God made them smart.
Where do humans get such wisdom?
Where do we go for a start?

The Bible is full of ideas
for finding wisdom and where.
I think a lot of different books
Suggest that wisdom’s there.

You can search the shelves forever
And find words to the wise, for sure.
But if you want to GAIN that wisdom,
Go first to the Book that’s pure.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

No, it doesn’t take a lot of searching.
The Book is the most ever sold.
Every word in it is God breathed –
It’s the wisest story ever told.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

James 3:17-18

“But the wisdom
that comes from heaven
is first of all
* pure, then
* peace-loving,
* considerate,
* submissive,
* full of mercy, and
* good fruit,
* impartial, and
* sincere.
Peacemakers who sow in
peace raise a harvest
of righteousness.”

Righteousness = free from guilt or sin; justifiable; genuine & excellent.

Hah! There are Bible coloring books,
But they are for beginners who want to start
Getting used to those Bible stories
Before taking them to heart.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

If you want an apple from the Teacher,
Don’t search Google for the book.
Just go to your own Bible, my friends.
You’ll find wisdom there, if you look.

Don’t let it sit upon the shelf
Gathering cobwebs, dust and dirt.
Take it down, dust it off, and read.
Gaining a little more wisdom never hurt!

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Kristyn Getty has such a pure and sweet voice.
The words to this song are wise indeed.
I hope you’ll take time to listen and enjoy.
Gaining God’s wisdom is an every day need.

God bless you, dear friends.
May His wisdom increase in you every day.
May you dress yourself daily in His strength!

Sending you love, hugs, and best wishes
for a happy, healthy, and wise Friday.

JanBeek

Show Up and Never Give Up!


Let all that you do be done in love.  

1 Corinthians 16:14

Above all,
keep loving one another earnestly,
since love covers a multitude of sins.

 1 Peter 4:8

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

For God gave us a spirit not of fear

but of power and love and self-control.  

2 Timothy 1:7

John 14:26 
ESV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father will send in my name,
He will teach you all things
and
bring to your remembrance
all that I have said to you.

Romans 8:37 
ESV

No,
in all these things
we are
more than conquerors
through Him who loved us.

Get up – dress up – show up!

And never give up!

Galatians 6:9 
ESV 

And let us not grow weary
of doing good,
for in due season we will reap,
if we do not give up.

I’m never giving up
I want to be proud
Of who I’m becoming
With God’s help
I’m reaching for the sky
I’m gonna get up
Dress up
Show up
and
Never give up

You, too?

I pray you have
wonderful neighbors/friends
who come, help, encourage
and inspire you
in your Daily Walk,
like we do!

Yes, count your blessings!

I made green eggs and ham
yesterday for St. Patrick’s Day
and then we shared
corned beef and cabbage
with those dear neighbors
who inspire us
to get up, dress up,
show up, and
never give up.

What have you done recently
to thank those who inspire you
to show up everyday
and never give up?


I send my love and encouragement to you.
Thanks for showing up at JanBeek
and encouraging me to keep on
keepin’ on!

I love you!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Here is some very soothing music
to calm your spirit
as you get up,
show up,
and
never give up!

Enjoy!!

Have a blessed weekend!
Hugs,
JanBeek

Where Ya Lookin’?


Where ya lookin’, my friend?
Do ya got yer head in the sand?
Are you avoidin’ some things
By keeping blinders on hand?

Some of us think if we shut off
The news about strife in our land,
If we just stream in what’s good,
We can avoid the newsstand.

Let’s just pray and read our Bibles;
Let’s join hands with like-minded folk.
Let’s ban anyone we disagree with.
Lock out the sorrow they evoke.

Let’s focus on the good ole days
And remember pure life gone by.
No social media. No Fox News or CNN.
No log in my own eye.

I see the sliver in your eye.
I see the faults of all those other folk,
So I choose to build a cocoon
And just carry my own yoke.

Do you relate to such thinkin’?
Are you so selfish you’re stinkin’?
When ya gonna come outta yer cave
And discover the poison you’re drinkin’?

Ya can’t find Utopia here on earth
By shuttin’ out all that’s a disgrace.
Ya gotta look and see and recognize
The mud splattered on your own face.

The sin of this world splashes up
To make guilty sinners of us all.
We can’t avoid it with blinders.
We can’t be thinkin’ so small!

We gotta look at all those in trouble
With compassion and a heart to see
How each of us is in this together.
Their misery and pain touches me.

I gotta take off the shutters and open
The doors to my heart for their pain
To permeate my soul and my conscience.
I gotta step out in the rain.

I gotta look ahead to the future
And see what I can do to make peace
With those I find disagreeable.
This head in the sand’s gotta cease!

My word for 2023 is “Ready.”
Am I ready to take my own advice?
Break outta the cocoon and fly upward
To help others? At what cost? What price?

The price of compassion is nothing
Compared to what it costs to ignore
The people in need all around us.
Where ya lookin’ my friend? The floor?

Let’s turn to the windshield and see
What’s right in front on the road.
Let’s pick up our yoke and share it
To help others lessen their load.

Matthew 11:28-30
NIV

28 “Come to me, 
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
 29 Take my yoke upon you
and learn from me, 
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. 
30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

See that smile up there on that guy?
It ain’t that easy; I won’t lie.
But with time and love and care,
You’ll find peace. Reach out and share!

Sending love your way…
from the Ennis Food Bank!


Sharing is Caring!
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!

We Are One


Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.com

Together we’ll spread the news
That God is in our land
And they’ll know
We are Christians
By our Love

God will make a way.
He works in ways
We cannot see.
With love and strength
for each new day
He will make a way.

We are One!
His Word promises
He will do
Something new
Today.

He will be my guide.
He will hold us close.
With love and strength
For each day
He will make a Way.

We are one!!
Believe it!

Have a Fabulous Friday.
Spread love and unity.
Go now and hug someone!

We all need
Unconditional Love.

I believe John recorded
in chapter 17
this conversation
Jesus had with God saying:



“The glory that You have given me I have given them,
so that they may be one,
I in them and You in me,
and they may become completely one.”

John 17:22-23

We are “THEM”
So accept that glory, my friends!
Be completely ONE!

Thank you for visiting JanBeek today.
Thank you… for your love.
I love you!

JanBeek

Travel to Uganda


I probably never will travel to Uganda, but my friend, Lisa Glines, just returned from a trip there. I was privileged to travel with her – vicariously, of course.

Lisa’s daughter-in-law, Aneesa, was Lisa’s travel partner. Aneesa celebrated her birthday with their wonderful Ugandan travel guides and travel partners. This photo is their friend, Sam, celebrating with them. Happy Birthday, Aneesa!

Thank you, Lisa, and Aneesa, for sharing your adventure!
One of their guides was a bird expert.

This is the Crested Crane, Royal Uganda’s national bird

Other guides were animal experts
who knew just how to find
where these exotic animals
lived,
swam,
and dined.

Doesn’t Aneesa look like a fun-filled travel partner?

Waiting for a hand-out?
Sunrises and sunsets were spectacular!
Must have been quite a thrill to get so close to these beautiful animals.
Ready to travel home. Thank you so much for sharing!!

Luke 3:11  

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

I may not have had a tunic to share… nor food to share with you today, but I had travel photos that were graciously shared with me… so time to pass them on with gratitude for Lisa’s big heart! I hope you enjoyed the virtual Uganda trip, too.

Sharing colors my world. I hope it colored yours today, too.
Have a Happy Presidents’ Day here in the USA,
and a Marvelous Monday, my friends.

Lotsa Love,
JanBeek

Being Human


“Humans don’t always know how to be human.”
That was the sentence that caught my attention
In last Sunday’s sermon about love.
Is loving one another our sincere intention?

Most of us know the Bible’s definition;
We’ve heard the scripture countless times.
But reading it, saying it, and doing it
Aren’t the same – not even sometimes.

Mary Grace Reynolds took the topic
Of love on Super Bowl Sunday
(The week of Valentine’s Day)
And related it to a movie and play.

The movie was “Remember the Titans.”
The play was football and dance.
Some newly integrated football players
Were brought together by chance.

Photo by football wife on Pexels.com


On the football field they never joined
Together and danced as one.
During practice their coach
Sent the players out on a run.

The coach stopped them at
Gettysburg – a place of war –
A place where 50,000 men died
Fighting the fight we’ve fought before.

Take a lesson from the dead;
Come together on hallowed ground.
Learn to play in harmony.
Set aside prejudice; let oneness be found.

Push yourself aside for the good
Of the whole – learn to love.
Display the honest hope and possibilities
Born of God – born to hug and not shove.

The Galatians had the same problem –
Fighting, arguing, not loving.
Paul wrote a letter to them,
Encouraging huddling, not shoving!

Galatians 3:19-29

Paul says we are wearing the identity of Christ
and while we come from difference,
and difference is beauty.
We are nothing except Christians

Galatians 5

Like the Titans, we have to change our actions and attitudes.
We have to put on the uniform and come ready to win.
Recognize we as the players need one another.
Remember we are the players,
not the coach.

Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels.com

Come ready to play the game
Of patience forgiveness, and love,
Do not be a slave to estrangement.
Take coaching from our God above.

Faith working through love frees us –
So be careful you don’t get eaten up
By the ways we differ – find unity.
Play to win – not to get beaten up!

Let God teach us to be human.
Christ is our coach – always!
He made us to play together in peace.
Let’s claim that identity and give God the praise.

Amen?

You will know I am human –
You will know I was made by God
to love you and guard your dignity
by my love!

Love to you…
and hugs in unity
from
JanBeek

A Valentine Message


I first posted this message 4 years ago, but it is timeless – – – and it is worth reposting as February 14th is tomorrow and we all are thinking seriously about the topic of LOVE, right?

What is TRUE love? And how do we exhibit it? How do we receive it? What is its origin? Poets have written of love for centuries. None resonates more perfectly to me than the words of love in the Bible, like Romans 12.

“Love must be sincere.

Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

Honor one another above yourselves.

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Share with God’s people who are in need.

Practice hospitality.”

…. Romans 12:9-13

No better Valentine’s message of love ever has been written. To add to it, go to your Bible and read the next few verses, Romans 12:14-16 … and get caught up in the wonderful message of Jesus’ love!

Of course, the scripture that often is read at weddings is also one that must not be forgotten:

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
New International Version

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

My blogging friend, Sue Dreamwalker, wrote today, “So, keep love in your hearts for each other and all living creatures.  And remember to love yourself…”
This was popular in the 50’s when I was growing up. It is one of my all-time favorites!

Love is more than just a game or two.
Two in love can make it…
Take my heart and please don’t break it!

Have a wonderful, love-filled Valentine’s Day!

Hugs to you and your loved ones,
JanBeek (& Bob, too)

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