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Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

Leave a Legacy

Today’s WordPress/JetPack prompt was:

What is the legacy you want to leave behind?

L oving

E thical

G racious

A ttentive

C ompassionate

Y ummy

If I could leave a legacy that exemplified these six words, I’d die happy!

First, I want folks to say, “She loved the Lord with all her heart ❤️ and she sincerely loved her family and friends.” 🥰

(Yes, my family is a huge part of my legacy… they will live on and on … and hopefully exemplify the values I hold so dear!)

Additionally, may they say, “She was ethical and lived a life of integrity. Trying to avoid hypocrisy, Jan lived to show her faith on her sleeve, striving to behave in a way that would be pleasing to God.”

Gracious living means extending to others the undeserved love and forgiveness, the acceptance, inclusion, and hospitality that we received daily from the Lord. May they say, “She was gracious.”

I hope my legacy includes the idea of attentiveness to others, attentiveness to the details of the responsibilities assumed, and daily attention to prayer and Bible Study. I happily shared those with others. A desired part of my legacy would include, “Jan was attentive.”

Daily I asked God to help me shine His compassion through me to others. My heart reached out regularly to family, friends, former students, neighbors, and others in need. Strangers were just “friends I hadn’t met yet.” I would like my legacy to include, “She was compassionate.”

Yummy? It’s not that I want to be considered yummy, it is that I love to cook. As part of my legacy, may I be remembered as someone who delighted in preparing yummy meals for Bob and for guests in our home. May I be remembered as someone whose greatest joy was in serving others.

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

Hebrews 13:2
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

When I leave this earth and join the heavenly angels,
I am counting on seeing all those saints who went on before me…
And we’ll feast on heavenly food and feed the scraps to
all my Boston Terriers who’ll be there at the pearly gates to greet me.


Yes, you’re in my life for a reason. Thanks for showing up on my blog!

Love,
JanBeek

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

Open Hands

If your hands are full of “stuff” –
God can’t fill them anew.
Open your hands, my friends,
And let God renew you!

No need to decorate them
Or worry about their size
Just turn ’em over and
Ask for something wise

“Get wisdom;
get insight;
do not forget,
and do not turn away
from the words of my mouth… “
– Proverbs 4:5 

It is an understatement to say
that wisdom is a worthwhile pursuit.

woman wearing red hat and sunglasses
Photo by Nashua Volquez-Young on Pexels.com
We’re never too old to learn
A thing or two each day
Open your hands and receive
God’s message – It won’t lead you astray
person holding opened book
Photo by Eduardo Braga on Pexels.com

In his book, Ever Faithful,
David Jeremiah was inspired
by Psalm 145:16
when He wrote
about hand gestures:

“Hand gestures can communicate
our innermost thoughts and emotions.
Clenched fists reveal anger.
White knuckles and trembling
are usually the result of fear and nervousness.
We close our hands around things
we want to hold on to
and open them to receive and give gifts.”

My friends, Ed and Maria, open their hands to receive each others love and close them around each other to hang on to the one they love. Bob & I do the same!

David Jeremiah went on in his devotional to say,
God’s generosity is described in Psalm 145:15

You open Your hand
and satisfy the desire
of every living thing.”

It might be the prayer
For a miracle to receive
Or could be something simple
You just have to believe

Believe that when you open
Your hands to receive gifts
God will fill them with wonders –
With gifts that your heart lifts

Open hands are a symbol
Of giving – giving our all
And knowing in the process
We’ll be standing tall

As a humble giver,
Know what you give comes back
And God knows your needs
He will fill your every lack

David Jeremiah went on to remind us,
“If we overlook God’s generosity,
or find ourselves in the midst
of a painful season,
it’s easy for a mindset
of scarcity to take over.
We become afraid of losing
what we have, and
our hearts’ stance becomes one of
grasping as we seek to control
our circumstances.”

Grasp all the love you can get
Then open your hands to give
It all away – every single bit
Because it’s refillable as long as you live

Bob’s hands are open to receive his “just desserts”!!
Are yours open, too?

I pray for your hands to be filled
Filled to overflowing
Filled with love to give away
Love that’s alive and showing!

God Bless you!
Have a “Open Handed Day!”
Will you?

Love,
JanBeek

Plans to Prosper You

Who has plans to prosper you?
You do??
Who else?

white paper with note
Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

Jeremiah 29:11

11 “For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you,”
saith the Lord,
“thoughts of peace,
and not of evil,
to give you an expected end.”

God promises to give us hope and a future.
Grace gives me a chance to clean up today’s messes and try again.
Be ready for that prosperous, expected end!

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

Sprinkle the salt of peace.
Express
the joy of happiness.
Smile
and
let the love of
the One who wants only
to prosper you
shine forth!

three wooden signage in a tree close up photography
Photo by Maria Gulyaeva on Pexels.com

Guidepost’s Mornings With Jesus
challenged its readers yesterday to
“Thank Jesus for seasoning you
with His grace”
– and
“Write down specific ways
He has prospered you so
you can be salt and light
in the world today.”

sunflowers and a card
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

What blessings come to mind for you today?

God provided blue skies.
He sent rain to clear the haze.
The grass is greening
and the flowers are blooming.

I can’t make these things happen…
Only God can control the seasons.
He sends the sun by day
and the moon by night.
These are blessings
I don’t take for granted.

What are some of the specific ways
God has prospered you recently?

I am blessed by your visit here today.
Thank you for following
JanBeek.

I am gratified by the
new followers who have joined us recently.

I send my love & hugs your way.

Tenacity

two brown bears on grass field
Photo by Francisco Cornellana Castells on Pexels.com

On this day after Mother’s Day,
I was enchanted by this video
of a Mama Bear and her cub.
The parenting style astounded me!

I hope you can see it when you click on the link beow:

fb.watch/ky20qiVPmf/

This is “Tenacity Personified”.
Watching it is “Patience Personified”.
Mama Bear is “Confident Parenting” personified.

Would I have been that confident?

Would I have had the tenacity
to hang in there long enough
to let my child succeed
on his/her own?

Nope, probably not!

I’d no doubt have rushed down to rescue.

How about you?

Have a Marvelous Monday!

Love,
JanBeek

This picture of us was taken yesterday on Mother’s Day by our friend Ted. He is a 95-year-old retired photographer who is temporarily at the Manor Nursing Home recovering from a broken back. It’s good of Bob, don’t you think? Usually when I get a picture of him smiling, his eyes are closed! Thank you, Ted!

Duh!

What public figure do you disagree with the most?

From my Christian perspective, this prompt is a no brainer for anyone in the USA with a moral bone in his/her body. But I have good Christian friends who disagree with me, so why open the gap and create more divisiveness?

Let Justice reign!

Can we disagree and still love one another?

Let peace and unity be our goal.

Amen? Hugs to you from … JanBeek ❤️🙏🏽🥰

Love Lifted Me

These happy singers lift me up … Do you feel the love?

Nay-Sayers

Share a wisp of love
In a world of nay-sayers
Let love lift you up

Our nay-sayer world
Filled with hate and divisions
Needs the love you share

Do not be afraid
To be a Pollyanna
Look on the bright side

Every issue has
A rotten and a dark side
Flip over the coin

Look on the bright side
The Truth is in the BS
A pony’s in there

landscape sunset field dust
Photo by Vladimir Srajber on Pexels.com

Beneath all the crap
Lives the Word and the actions
We should emulate

Let hope lift you up
Take shovel and start digging
Find the love in there

Fertilize your life
With sincerity and grace
Uncover the love

This song was recorded in 1961, the year Bob & I were engaged, the year I graduated from college. Love indeed made the world go round. We were married in 1962 and I left the west coast of the USA for the first time and moved to Germany with Bob (who was stationed in the army there). My world became bigger… filled with new love!

Let love uplift you
Let love make your world sweeter
Eliminate crap!

Uncover pony
Rest in God’s peaceful pasture
Send nay-sayers out

John 10:9  

“I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved
and
will go in
and out
and
find pasture.”

Love lifted me up!
I heard His voice and heeded
You can do that, too

Share a wisp of love
In a world of nay-sayers
Let love lift you up




Be a Yes-Sayer – share your love!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Come on over for some chicken enchiladas!

Don’t these personify love?

See ya tomorrow.

Hugs,
JanBeek

Quench Thirst With Living Water

timelapse photography off water fountain
Photo by Gabriel Peter on Pexels.com

Quench my thirst, Lord,
With Your Living Water clear.
Bring me peace from you to help me
Feel Your love and know You’re near.

crop woman sitting near sea
Photo by Dmitriy Ganin on Pexels.com

Drench me in Your Living Water;
Wash my sins from head to toe.
Help me know Your saving Grace
Make me pure as fresh, white snow.

person holding white heart decor
Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Pexels.com

Quench my thirst for Living Water
By sending me Your love anew.
Help me feel Your healing power
And share with others my love for You.

person cleaning hands under water
Photo by Samad Deldar on Pexels.com

John 4:13-15
ESV

Jesus said to her,
“Everyone who drinks of this water 
will be thirsty again,
but whoever drinks of the water 
that I will give him
will never be thirsty again.”

Come down to the Living Waters. We welcome you!

Have a blessed Tuesday evening – and a Wonderful Wednesday!

Love,

JanBeek

A Place to Unwind

Today’s JetPack Prompt:

How do you unwind after a demanding day?

My home is my unwinding place
It’s a restful, peaceful haven
I can stay in my pj’s til noon
and my hubby can lounge unshaven

But if I lived near the sea,
I’d find a lighthouse nearby
I’d climb the stairs and vegetate
And watch the ships sail by

There’s something calming, something sweet
About the crashing waves against the shore
This scene soothes away all distress
Makes me long to go once more.

How sweet to know I can imagine
A lighthouse from my Montana home
His light shines bright and helps me unwind
I don’t have very far to roam.

The scene outside my window shines
God’s soothing light on me
A lighthouse out beyond the snow
Brings calm; God’s Grace unwinds round me.

Exodus 14:14

“The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

God can calm the storm in your life and in your heart. 

How do you unwind after a demanding day?
I hope you have a soothing solution.

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow.

Pray for Charlotte

My great-granddaughter, Charlotte

Charlotte and her mommy (my granddaughter, Hope)
spent last night in the emergency room.
Charlotte has jaundice and was having trouble
breathing,
eating,
and
staying awake.

Her color became more jaundiced.
It was a scary situation!

Before the turn for the worse,
she had an afternoon at her home to meet her siblings.
They were so excited to get to hold their little sister.

That’s a happy big brother: Xander
with Charlotte –
Sister Sienna is looking on

I was delighted to see these cute pictures
of happy big brother & sister
holding their new baby sister.

You can tell by that beaming smile that big sister, Sienna, was tickled pink!

But at some point after this, Charlotte took a turn for the worse –
and was taken by ambulance to the NICU (ER)
in the Bozeman Hospital.
Hope shared her concern with me.

woman wearing white off shoulder dress
Photo by Lucas Pezeta on Pexels.com

I am sincerely in prayer,
asking God to hold Charlotte and Hope
in the palm of His hand –
and help mother and child
be able to return safely home soon.

I am praying also for
Daddy Drew & Grandma Pam
who are taking care of
Xander and Sienna.
Give them all peace of mind, Lord.
Help them realize
“God’s Got This!”


Please join me in prayer.

Thanks so much!
Love,
JanBeek

Wish on a Dandelion

If you could wish
On a dandelion today,
What would you with for?
What would you say?

Laura Sullivan is a Grammy Award-winning musician whose music inspires me. She makes me want to wish on a dandelion.

I wish for peace
And an end to all wars.
I wish for love
And joy to be yours.

I wish for plenty
To be shared with all,
For hope and grace
To never be in shortfall.

I wish for gentleness
And patience to abound,
For music and laughter
To be found all around.

I wish for health
And for patience every day.
I wonder what you’d wish for –
What will you have to say?

boy wearing orange shirt blowing on dandelion
Photo by Sharefaith on Pexels.com

Wish upon a dandelion.
Let your imagination fly.
Wish for what you want the most;
Wish for things you cannot buy.

Back in 2020
When the pandemic was raging,
Laura Sullivan wrote this
(I found it quite engaging):

I wished for an end to
That horrible virus time.
My sister died in the middle of it.
Couldn’t see her; T’was a crime!

I wished upon a dandelion
That our world would soon be well;
That once the pandemic was over
We’d get outta this COVID hell.

But, it appears to me this virus
Is sticking around like the flu.
So, let’s wish upon a dandelion
That it stays away from me and you.

Photo by Edward Jenner on Pexels.com

Lord, be with my special friends
Who visited my blog today.
Help them remain healthy;
Keep all the bugs at bay!

Help them know that wishes
On dandelions can come true.
I wish for peace and love and joy –
Not just for me, but also for you!

What’s your wish today?


(If you don’t have a dandelion available,
remember, a star will do!!)

This is such a classic… I never get tired of hearing it!

A star or a dandelion,
Which one will it be?
Makes no difference –
Make a wish and share with me:

What will you wish for today?

JanBeek
sends love and cheer!

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