Saying no is hard I much prefer the word YES Do you understand?
Health is compromised Saying YES to everything So, learn to say NO
“Not yet” is better It doesn’t sound so harsh It keeps doors open
I like open doors Closed doors are a frustration You know what I mean?
But there are those times When limitations are placed On us – and we rest
Today is that day I say YES to getting help No to stubbornness
I let God define What I am doing today Happiness is rest!
I seek happiness By letting others help me Thank God for helpers!
Satisfying rest Is good for the heart and soul God bless you, my friends!
We had a wonderful sunrise this morning in our Madison Valley.
These are the beautiful roses Bob got for me yesterday to help with my healing. Aren’t they gorgeous?
The view from my bed is beautiful… and I brought a few of the roses into my bedroom so I could enjoy them while I rest and read my devotionals and say my prayers. My prayer list keeps growing! I started it in January… and just keep adding to it. This is just page one of two!
God is good. He hears our prayers… and He responds. I feel His loving comfort today. Thank you for being here with me as I recuperate from yesterday’s hernia surgery.
TazE is here in bed with me, too. Sweet puppy!
Have a restful day – if you can. Practice saying NO when the time is right!
… but they need to stay out there! No, Annie, don’t come down our driveway!
Yesterday we had a beautiful bed of red petunias in our wheelbarrow…
This morning the blossoms were gone! See that chewed off stem there? Darn those antelope! My attitude toward them today is not very loving.
Fortunately, they left the geraniums alone.
And they don’t seem interested in the columbine…
…or these sweet yellow ones ( I think they’re lilies).
So, while I may be dismayed over the loss of our petunia blossoms, I still have reason to be happy, right?
I found a new book yesterday. It’s a type of journal. I’m going to have fun with it:
I don’t have much to stress over, besides stray, hungry antelope, but life always throws us curves, right? It’s always a challenge to stay calm when trouble strikes, and achieving balance is a constant pursuit for me.
So the topics in this little book caught my eye… especially the “Stay Positive” and “Dream.”
Set your plans for the year ahead, And then make them happen.
Yes! One way to be happy and find joy in life is to dream. Live in the NOW, but never stop dreaming about a better tomorrow.
I signed up for Bob Goff’s “Dream Big” Workshop. Do you have big dreams? You’re never too old to dream big, you know. At age 80 and 81, Bob & I find that our dreams keep life moving forward!
I am dreaming of a trip in the spring of 2021 to Switzerland to visit our daughter and her family.
I took this picture on one of our previous trips, high in the Alps at a restaurant overlooking their valley.
I dream of the day when it will be safe to travel, to freely socialize, and to gather with friends again to enjoy our pastimes.
Enhance your life with a pastime that lifts your soul.
What pastime lifts your soul? I love writing (can’t you tell?) and your responses to my daily posts lift my soul.
I also love music 🎶 – both listening to it – as well as playing my accordion and playing in the bell choir.
I enjoy playing for friends at our Madison Valley Nursing Home, however with this pandemic, they are off-limits now. But they are safe… no cases of COVID-19 there. Keep looking at the bright side. Thank God for their health and ours!
We can’t gather as a group to practice our bells right now. But, think positively! This pandemic can’t last forever! I pray daily for a vaccine or an effective treatment.
Think Can’s – Not Can’ts
Don’t dwell on the “can’ts”… Concentrate on the “cans!”
I CAN enjoy this beautiful day and go for a walk with TazE in Lion’s Club Park along the gorgeous Madison River.
I CAN meet new friends, chat with this adorable little girl, get acquainted with her mom, and keep social distance at the same time.
I’m not standing as close as the picture looks! I edited it so you’d get a good look at that little cutie.
Lion’s Club Park has this great little lake where kids can fish and keep ’em. Our Madison River is a “Catch and Release” only. Today the fish were jumping. I CAN enjoy this beautiful day!!
I CAN visit with my family in Switzerland via social media. Thank God for the internet! We got to share Andre’s birthday with him via the computer. Doesn’t his smile make you smile?
Andre’ Solioz, my son-in-law
Happy Birthday, Andre’
Heck, when Bob and I were dating back in the 50’s, and he was stationed in Germany, it took two weeks to get a letter to him… and another two weeks to get a response. No such thing as computers – and phone calls were too expensive!
Think of how blessed we are today! Instant communication!
Back home, the lawn is mowed. The grass is going to green up again because the automatic sprinklers will water it and the sun is shining to encourage it. Thank you, Bob, for your work on the mower yesterday. (Don’t you love his creative designs?)
This is livin’
Today Bob is out fishin’ … Summertime, and the livin’ is easy! Fish are bitin’ and the …
How does that song go? Let me leave you singing it.
If you’re happy and you know it, How do you show it?
In this joyful video, Children from around the world Teach us how to let others know it…
I dare you to play this video and NOT SMILE!! Come on, sing along – and JUST DO IT!!
A-Z What Makes You Happy
Years ago I did an A-Z series on what makes me happy. It started when I was stuck at a railroad track with a stalled train blocking my way to a luncheon engagement. I already was late, and now I was grumbling. Of course, my mood and grumbles didn’t move the train. I decided to change my mood and start thinking happy thoughts instead of growling at the Lord.
Those minutes sitting at the train tracks turned into a 26 day blogging series that included a letter a day: A = ______, B = ______, C = _______ …. you get the idea.
Today I found a new friend… I reposted her blog from today on WordPress and then started to peruse her site. What a delight!
Her by-line says her mission is: “Seeking faith and wisdom in God’s word, a supportive website for the Christian journey.” In her “About” section, I found her picture. I love being able to visualize my fellow bloggers, don’t you?
There is such kindness in her eyes!
Get to Know Blogging Friends
I am having fun getting better acquainted with this delightful mother of a 23-year-old daughter and grandmother of a darling little boy and adorable twin girls. She (I have yet to discover her name) reminds me very much of my across the street neighbor, Penny. So for now that’s what I will call her.
P.S. I just received a response from “Penny.” Her name is Lesley!
Today if I did the A-Z exercise in what makes me happy, I’d have to substitute A = apples (or whatever I said way back then) to A = Abide in God.
What would you put for your A = ______ ?
Pursue Connections
Lesley has a few sub-blogs. If you click on “Abide in God” up there, you will see her other sub-titles. One of them is “Today I am Thankful for…” But when I click there, it says its content is password protected. Lesley – if you are reading this, I want to join that part of your journey. How do I get in? I am knocking at the door!
Hello, Lesley – Let me in… I like your link to supportive websites and the reference to James 1:5
With supportive friends like you out there, and the Bible as our guide, this Christian walk can be more do-able! It makes me happy to know that I have you as a soul sister whose purpose matches mine. Together, we can:
Today what makes me happy includes: F = Finding your blog and Following it.
Another blog I follow that makes me happy every day is: D = Derrick’s garden! derrickjknight – If you don’t know Derrick and Jackie, do yourself a favor and go meet them today!
I come to their garden alone … not really alone, for Jackie & Nugget are there… and Derrick is behind the camera, and the dew is not still on the roses:
Jackie, Derrick’s dear wife (master gardener) is busy at work. Her smile makes me happy. J = Jackie’s smile! (Thanks, Derrick, for your beautiful photography.)
Thank you, Jackie, for sharing your wonderful gardening results with us. I can’t grow roses here in Montana. The antelope eat the buds and chew off the leaves! So I am deeeelighted that you share yours.
Be Happy With What You Have
Show others your joy! A part of being happy Is looking around.
Appreciate life And be thankful for your friends; Share in their blessings.
Don’t focus on lack. But look at what you have got, And thank our Father.
Have a Wonderful Week! Thank you for visiting JanBeek today. I hope it made you happy.
Two For Sale signs went up in our “hood” this week.
That Mercer sign is for a 7 acre parcel right next door to us.
We could be next-door neighbors!
The ERA sign is at the end of the cul-de-sac – just a stone’s throw away – down where you see the telephone poles in the first photo.
See, there’s our house up there – just beyond the sign. Aren’t you looking for wide open spaces and Big Sky, fresh air and a friendly, cheerful, inclusive neighborhood? Here we are!! You can build your dream house right here.
This beautiful home with the best neighbors imaginable, Rex and Penny, could be your neighbors … besides us, the Beekmans with the robin babies in our back yard. Hey, look closely! That one on the right has her eyes open!
This nest is on this porch where I am sitting right now with my laptop, Rita and Robbie are coming and going, feeding their babies, paying no attention to me! I love it!!
The nest is in the shadow just left of the small bedroom window. My chair is in the sun with my tabletop in the shade. I have a bird’s eye view of the robin activity.
This morning was a beautiful, sunny. warm, still day – perfect for a walk in Lion’s Club Park by the Madison River that is less than 5 minutes from us. I met a couple of TOPS friends and we walked around by the river, the baseball field, the playground…
From this view of the river, there is a bench, a painted sculpted fish, and a gorgeous view of the Madison Range across the valley.
Come go for a walk with me. There are benches along the way, picnic tables, barbecue pits, a baseball field and a playground. Young children usually flock here. But, I was early. They started to arrive as I was leaving.
On the way to the post office after my walk, I passed another For Sale sign. Our friend, Niel, died recently after a long battle with cancer. His cozy little house in town is for sale. Maybe you’d prefer this. You’d be on a smaller lot in a more modest neighborhood downtown. Look at this lovely place. Interested? Call the ERA number on the sign at the top of this post.
Your neighbors across the street have this lovely tree – and these beautiful opium poppies. What a great little town our Ennis, Montana is!!
Driving home from there, I took the golf course route. Here’s the scene just a mile from our home:
They keep it well maintained and lots of our neighbors love getting out on the course on a day like today.
Peaceful, beautiful, clean, clear, friendly … … what more could you ask?
Oh, I forgot to add there’s a darling little lake at Lion’s Club Park where the kids can fish and keep the trout they catch. The Madison River has a “catch and release” policy to preserve the natives. And there’s an old tractor at the park where the kids can climb and pretend FARMER. We have a lot of cattle and wheat farming in our Madison Valley.
But it’s best known for the Madison River and the fly fishing.
Will you come and be my neighbor?
Caroline & Chuck are building right down the hill from us.
They’d be great neighbors for ya, too!!
Have a Wonderful Wednesday. See ya tomorrow. JanBeek
Thank you, Guideposts, for your inspirational daily messages. On this Memorial Day that is so different from those past, I am grateful for the men and women who sacrificed for our freedom.
Free to Live and Build
I am grateful for the freedom to live in this beautiful place in Montana where the robins sing, build their nests, lay their eggs, and feed their babies right outside my dining room window! I’m free to just bee… free to do nothing but sit and watch today… if that’s my choice!
I see that wall to the north of my dining room table. The window there leads to our bedroom.
I watched Rita and Robbie, the robin duo, build the nest and lay the eggs. Fifteen days later, they hatched!
Now Rita Robin brings worms to the babies.
They are hungry little robins, begging for more.
Rita Robin leaves… and Robbie Robin comes to feed them next! Robins mate for life. It is such fun to watch them take turns caring for the nest. Rarely is it left uncovered like this these days.
Free to Bee… Free to Recover…
I found this beautiful, stunned bird sitting on the front porch this morning. Is it a wren? It’s really tiny. Even when TazE (our Boston Terrier) went out to sniff at it, it didn’t move. It was free to just bee… bee still for a while. A half hour later, it was recovered – and thankfully flew away. Free to recover. Free to fly.
Free to Marvel
As I sit here and watch the robins take turns in the nest, I am eternally grateful to those service men and women who gave their lives that I might enjoy the peace I have today. Peace to sit here and marvel at nature. Free to enjoy the peace, and to FaceTime with my daughters across the continent and across the Atlantic.
De & Laina
Peace to watch Bob head off with a neighbor to fish the Madison today.
I hope he is free to catch a big one, like my friend Susan Phillips did this week… and then free to catch and release so someone else can be free to have the thrill of catching this beauty! Our Madison River has a “Catch & Release” policy because the trout all are natives… no “planting” allowed. It’s a world-class fly-fishing mecca!!
The pristine Madison River in Madison County, Montana
What are you free to do today? Tell me about it. And what are you most grateful for?
Bee grateful You are free… Free to Bee silly… Free to just Bee!
See ya tomorrow. Have a Meaningful, Peaceful Monday.
Let God tell you, “You are not alone.” Let God gently hold you. Let God listen to your pain and sing your worries away. Let God remove the darkness. Remember, He accepts you as you are. God is nature. He created the earth and you. You are never alone.
God bless you, dear friends. Listen to His healing words of love and let Him hold you. Have a beautiful Sunday evening/night. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Paul Holdorf posted the following beautiful, eloquent essay on FaceBook today to accompany his wonderful photograph above. Do yourself a favor and take time to live in the scene with Paul and me for awhile. I am still there… in the arms of love and contentment.
No further comment from JanBeek necessary. Just savor Paul Holdorf’s creativity. ❤
“I can’t help but wonder what life was like for the occupants of this home. One might at first say that life sure is easier now, but is it? To be sure, it was a hard life, but it must be so rewarding to directly benefit from hard work. Very few things had to be purchased. Most things were made from whatever was available. A hard days work did not have to be converted to cash in order to benefit the family. The same soil that had to be scrubbed out from under fingernails, when properly tilled and watered, grew food for the table. It also grew food for the livestock that in turn also provided sustenance for the inhabitants of this home. As I stood there, I could hear the life that once resided here. A chair scraped on the rough wood floor as Dad got up to go make sure all was well outside before darkness settled in. The children helped clear chipped and faded dishes from the table as Mom brought in a pale of water to rinse things off. There was enough light left for several hours of exploration, so soon the distance sounds of laughter blended in with the clanking of dishes and the splash of dirty dishwater being thrown out the open door. Next to the door, in the corner of the room, stood an old broom, patiently waiting to remove the gravelly evidence of an evening well played. Later, after the children were all played out and tucked into a crowded bed, a silhouette could be seen in the warm light of the setting sun. Out in the yard, next to the swing hanging from a tree, a tired but fulfilled couple sat on an old log bench with their arms around each other. She leaned her head on his strong shoulder, and he thankfully leaned his head over hers. They watched the golden light dip behind the distant mountains and spread a blanket of oranges and reds over the high mountain valley much like the bedspread that would soon bring warmth and comfort to this couple. They work hard, they sleep when the sun sleeps and rise with it in the morning but it is a good life. Nothing is wasted, and everything is wisely used. I walk away from my daydream as they drift off to sleep. Stars begin to twinkle and an owl calls from its roost out in the forest. Rest and rejuvenation fill weary bodies with readiness for the next day, when they’ll do it all over again with joy and contentment in lives well lived.”
The best version of yourself Is generous with everything you’ve got. You reach out to feed and help others, Never hoarding what’s in your pot.
When you look deep into your best, You see a person who is humble and kind. And if others don’t seem to see it, Don’t worry, my friend. They must be blind!
Written
on May 27, 2020