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.
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.
“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.
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
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!!
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.
“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.
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.
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
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 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)
JanBeek 