Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for the ‘Bible Lessons’ Category

Answered Prayer

Today I thank God
For His faithful answered prayer
We feel very blessed

Imagine waking
To a toilet filled with blood
And a scared husband

A trip to ER
Three hours with competent staff
Myriads of tests

Here are your results
Please come back tomorrow, Bob
Our hospital’s full

Good thing it’s only
Less than five minutes from home
Very convenient

While I sat with Bob
In the emergency room
I texted family

From California
To DeDe in Switzerland
I contacted friends

Everyone sent prayers
Asking God to oversee
And of course He did

We are encouraged
The loss of more blood has ceased
Yes, friends, God is good!

;o)

Psalm 66:19

“But truly God has listened; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.”

Keep on praying, friends
And know God is listening
He hears and answers

Love ya,
JanBeek

Our 59th anniv. in 2021 –
Now happily living our 62nd year together. God bless Bob!

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Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, Haiku, health, Life's Challenges, Love, Poetry, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

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Words Words Words

How shall we use our tongues?
That was the question posed by
James McGuire in today’s
devotional in “These Days.”

These Days, Daily Devotionals for Living by Faith,
published especially for Cumberland Presbyterian Church.


James 3:10 says,
“From the same mouth comes
a blessing and a curse.
My brothers and sisters,
this ought not to be so.“



Ah, my friends, t’is so true…
we all are a combination
of good and evil!
Capable of great love
and alas, of ugly hate.
Which dog wins?
The one we feed!

James McGuire elaborated on the subject.
“The development of speech was a unique human accomplishment,”
he wrote. “Other creatures communicate by grunts, growls, and touch.
Humans use many languages.”

He went on to ask,
“How shall we use our power of speech?
Shall we bless others, or shall we curse?
What shall we do with our ability to write?”

That last question brought me to my blog.
Here I write with the purposes explained in my heading:
I intend to spread “Love, joy, peace, faith and unity.”
I believe there is too little of each of those in our world.

James McGuire asked,
“What about the ideas that pour forth
through television and videos?”


Here in the USA, this week more than 67 million people
tuned in to the Harris-Trump debate.
Lordy, Lordy, what a fiasco!
What is this world coming to??

James McGuire ended his devotional with this prayer:
“Holy God, forgive us when we misuse our tongues.
Teach us to choose words wisely as we communicate
with each other and the world.”

Like Old Testament proverbs, the Letter of James
offers wise teachings for Christians of every age.
We who write (and speak publicly), teach, and lead
have a particular responsibility for our use of language.
We who read and who listen to public speakers
must be attuned to the Holy Spirit as we read and hear others.

“Moreover,”
James McGuire and James reminded us,
“we must be wise in choosing
what we view on big and little screens.”

Words, words, words!
They are so important!!
A BLESSING OR A CURSE?
Do both come out of your mouth?
“My brothers and sisters, this ought not be so.”

Join me, won’t you?
Let’s try to use our tongues
and our arms
and our lives
to spread
Only Love.

OKAY?

Hugs and Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, kindness, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, relationships, writing

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Devoted

Happy September 1st to you!
The word for the month is Devoted.
The question for the month is,
“To what or to whom are you devoted?”

Some might answer,
“I am devoted to earning money”
while others might say,
“I’m devoted to spending money…
Put on my gravestone:
Being of sound mind, I spent it all!”

Some are devoted to coffee,
getting their daily dose at Starbucks,
while others are devoted to gardening
or to reading or to raising their families.

What’s your answer?

Some of the things
that capture our devotion
are worth the time and trouble.
Others are not.

“Ezra had devoted himself to
the study and observance of
the Law of the Lord,
and to teaching its decrees
and laws in Israel.”
Ezra 7:10

The word devotion means
“earnest affection for a person or cause.”
It’s a better word than commitment.
We can be committed to a cause
out of sheer duty;
but to be devoted
implies commitment plus affection.

September connotates “Back to School” for me.
As a retired educator, I never tire of teaching.
My children are grown and my grandchildren
are not close by, so my teaching audience has changed.
I am devoted to teaching the seniors in “The Manor.”
It is our local nursing home. The people there are delightful!

Because I am devoted to teaching,
I agree with the commentary I read recently
on the Ezra 7:10 scripture above:
“As our children head back to school,
it’s time for us to don our backpacks
and enroll in the Ezra School of Bible Study –
devoting ourselves to the study and observance
of God’s Word and to teaching it to others.”

The people that garner your devotion
and the causes to which you are devoted
help to define who you are.
The word for September is “Devoted.”
How do you define yours?

Love and Hugs to you from
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Bible Lessons, books, children, God, learning, Living in Christ's Family, Love, relationships, teaching

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Roll With Life

Relax! Everything’s gonna be okay.
Rest … things are coming your way.
Open your heart; love’s here to stay.
Everything’s coming together on this day.

“… to those loved by God the Father,
called and kept safe by Jesus Christ,
Relax! Everything’s gonna be alright.
Rest, everything’s coming together.
Open your hearts; Love is on its way.”

Jude 1:1-2 (MSG)

Relax and roll with the waves of life.
Let go of any tensions or strife.
Go hug your husband or wife,
Or find a neighbor whose troubles are rife.

Sit and do nothing at all.
Let your mind wander and sprawl.
Relax and dream to enthrall
The birds who come to your whistled call.

In these days of political strife
With pundants telling us how to think
It’s easy to get drawn off balance
Easy to feel we’re drowning – gonna sink!

BUT, we’re not!!
Read on…

Guideposts devotional, “Mornings With Jesus”
elaborated on this theme today.
Suzanne Davenport Tietjen wrote,
“My soaking tub isn’t very big, but it’s deep –
deep enough to float in.
Floating might be my favorite thing now –
but that would surprise my mother.
She thought I’d never master it when I was a child.
I was fine if my parent’s or swimming teacher’s arms
supported me, but I panicked whenever they tried
to transition me to floating on my back solo…

“Finally Mom convinced me to
practice in the Gulf of Mexico,
saying that I’d float higher in salt water.
The difference was probably miniscule,
but … I relaxed enough to lie back,
rock on the waves, and float.
All I needed to do was not do anything…

“It seems like a paradox, this doing something
by relaxing into doing nothing.
And paradoxically, I struggle with this
in my walk with Jesus. I want to do.
Jesus wants me to just be.
To relax and roll with the waves of life.
There is no need to be tense or on guard.
… Lean back, let go, and trust Him that
everything’s going to be all right.”

Today you are invited to lean on Jesus.
Trust Him to help you roll with life.
Lean back. Let go.
Everything’s gonna be alright!

God bless you!
Love,
JanBeek

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Bible Lessons, blessings, contentment, Faith, God, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, peace, Poetry, relationships

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Your Fragrant Scent

In today’s Ever Faithful 365 day devotional
by David Jeremiah,
he asked his readers,
“Have you heard about the man
who smelled good no matter
where he was or what he was doing?”

His skin and clothing and very being
seemed to exude a pleasant fragrance.
He worked in a perfume factory
and breathed its aromas every day.

The aromas filtered into his clothing,
penetrated his skin, and even filled his lungs.
He became a walking perfumery.

David Jeremiah said,
“That’s the way we should be as Christians.”

The Bible says,
“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ
among those who are being saved
and among those who are perishing.”
2 Corinthians 2:15

“We exude the aroma of joy,
for in His presence is fullness of joy.”
Psalm 16:11

You might have heard that “Jesus wept” (John 11:35)
is the shortest verse in the Bible,
but that’s only true in English.
In the original New Testament Greek,
1 Thessalonians 5:16 is shorter –
“Rejoice always.”
The two verses are related.
Because Jesus wept, we can rejoice.

In today’s world with all the hate,
divisiveness, floods, hurricanes, and wars
it’s easy to get bogged down.
But, David Jeremiah reminds us,
“Jesus doesn’t want us to live
in perpetual discouragement, sadness or doubt.”

“The joy of the Lord is the strength of our days,”
Nehemiah 8:10

We have reason to rejoice.
Count your blessings, my friends.
Be a walking perfumery!
Exude the aroma of joy.
I pray that you will
let the love, joy, and peace of Christ
shine through your face
and radiate from your clothing everyday!
Let your fragrant scent invite
others in to the love, joy and peace
that can be theirs, too.

You are lovely.
You are loved.
You smell good!
God bless you!

Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

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

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Live Life Eagerly

Eagerly give yourself to life

Proverbs 17:22

“A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.”

God’s dollop!

Looking out my dining room window, I see a strange sight. God put a dollop of whipped cream on the little peak we call “The Beehive.” I eagerly grab my camera and capture this unusual sight. It won’t last long. Soon the cloud went behind the mountain. But, the picture is a gift of happiness while it lasts.

Our skies had been gray and smokey for over two weeks as smoke from forest fires over 150 miles away blew into our Madison Valley. So, seeing the blue sky and a cute little cloud so perfectly placed was a rare treat!

Driving home from Bozeman
after dropping our dear Daughter #2 off at the airport,
we could see promising blue sky up ahead.
The blue sky was peeking through at the airport, too.
Laina had not seen it during her entire 10 day stay!!

That was smoke hovering above,
but rain clouds in view.
I eagerly awaited the storm to wash the smoke away.
See how shrouded the mountains were
and how dirty the air was?

Sure enough, the next morning,
we could see the mountains clearly again!

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the gift of clear air!
I prayed eagerly for it.
Thank you for answered prayers.
God is good!
Amen

The word of the day in Guideposts Daily Word is “Eager.”
“I eagerly give myself to life,” is the by-line.
“Eagerness helps give my life meaning.
It is the feeling of positive anticipation,
purpose, and confidence.”

I pray that you are bringing eagerness
to all aspects of your life, too.
The more energy and enthusiasm you share,
the more you will have to share
because it is part of your divine inheritance,
a gift from God.
Claim it!

This is an AI generated photo of a person feeling eager.
And here is a photo of me feeling eager:

Eager to make a wish.
Eager to blow out the candle.
Eager to have my wish come true.
It was for clear air and blue sky.
God is good! My wish came true.

Now my blog is ready to update.
I have a few questions for you:

What do you look like when you are eager?
How are you living life eagerly?
What wish do you have for a brighter future?
I pray your wishes come true, too.

Love,
JanBeek

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Bible Lessons, blessings, contentment, Faith, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, Love, mental health, Montana, mountains, prayer, Serving One Another

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Oh, So Grateful!

Friends
Family Neighbors
Such helpful folks
Loving compassionate and kind
Grateful

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    Feeling blessed!
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Birthday
Now 85
Starting year 86
Celebrating with great friends
Happiness

Helpers
Barbecuing hamburgers
Helped to setup
Also stayed to cleanup
Angels

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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 my blogging friends.

I Love you all,
JanBeek

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Aging Gracefully, Bible Lessons, blessings, friendship, Gratitude, kindness, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, relationships

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Wake Up, Muse!

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!!!

Love,
JanBeek

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Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, optimism, peace, Poetry, writing

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Tragic. Divisive Politics

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.

Blessings,”

Pastor Ben Marsh

Winston Salem, NC

Go in peace.

Love,

Jan Beek

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Bible Lessons, Faith, Living in Harmony, Love, prayer, relationships

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Lean Not on your own Understanding

Proverbs 3:5-6

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!

Love,
JanBeek

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