Loving One Another

Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

Be Braided

When you see the word “Braid,” what do you think of?

Those braids appear to be two strong strands twisted together.
(Isn’t she beautiful?)

Likewise, this rope seems to have two strong strands twisted, right?

When I used to braid my daughter’s hair, I needed three strands to create the braid.

Today’s devotional made me think about these various braids and contemplate the strength of the three strands. Here was the scripture:

Eccelesiates 4:12

“And though a man might prevail
against one who is alone,
two will withstand him –
a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Katie Minter Jones in “Mornings with Jesus” by Guideposts wrote a devotional based on that scripture. In it she recounted how difficult the days of early marriage were as she and her husband “struggled through difficult times.”

She quoted a friend as saying, “Together we worked hard to get where we are now. It definitely takes two to make a marriage work, and that’s not fifty-fifty. Each person has to give 100%.” Finger pointing and trying to divvy stuff up 50-50 leads to disaster.

One of her lady friends said, “It takes three to make a successful marriage, the husband, the wife, and Jesus.” Each person must give 100% to each other and 100% to Jesus.”

That seems like a tall order! But doing so creates the three strands that make the braid unbreakable. Couples need to walk with Jesus to have a strong marriage.

Here’s my take on what that looks like.

When our hearts are bound in love around our Lord’s cross, His mercy and grace strengthen our relationship and help us grow closer. As we walk hand in hand, praying and staying together in love, God blesses us. Jesus Christ strengthens us. The Holy Spirit braids our hearts in His love and care. Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian Love. Be braided!

Write your spouse a love letter today and include a prayer.

Dear Bob,
I am so grateful for your love and for our mutual reliance on Jesus, our Lord. Thank you for praying with me, staying with me, putting Christ first in our lives, and relying on Him during our times of struggle. His sacrificial love is the perfect reminder of how we need to take care of each other. His presence binds us in purpose and braids us with His promises and His peace. Thank you!
Love Forever and Ever, Rockie ;o) ❤

Dear God,
Thank you for blessing our marriage and knitting our hearts together. May my blogging friends find that same peace and grace and purpose in life. May they sense Your guidance in their relationships and be braided with You. Amen.
In His Care, Jan

Let the light of God shine on your relationship,
be central to your lives,
and braid you together with peace and purpose.
God bless you!

See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, Jesus, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships, Sharing

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Twelve Ways to Beat the Virus

In the midst of this pandemic,
With germs spreading far and wide,
We need to be extra cautious –
In TRUST we must abide.

Trusting isn’t foolishness –
It isn’t abandoning MASKS.
Trusting is OBEDIENCE –
Doing what God and SCIENCE asks.

Trusting isn’t carelessness –
It isn’t gathering in bunches.
Trusting is PRAYER and AWARENESS
And listening to our hunches.

This virus is quite deadly –
Unpredictable at best –
So we need to TAKE IT SERIOUSLY,
Don’t give the bug a test!

STEER CLEAR OF CROWDS,
And WASH your HANDS often,
Trust in the Lord and prayer,
While avoiding someone coughin’.

In the midst of this pandemic,
With family and friends in Harm’s Way,
We need to trust the Lord, yes –
But listen to scientists and obey!

Did you catch the twelve?
I want to make them clear.
Here they are spelled out –
Obey and avoid fear!

Twelve Ways to Keep COVID-19 Away:

1. Be cautious 
2. Trust in Science
3. Trust in God 
4. Pray
5. Obey  
6. Be aware
7. Take it Seriously
8. Wear a Mask
9. Wash Hands Often
10. Avoid Crowds
11. Socially Distance
12. Don't Give the Bug a Test

God Bless You, my friends.
May He keep you safe and healthy.
May we all do our part to help keep this bug at bay!

Please pray for the Zufferey Family
in Switzerland
(my son-in-law’s cousin,
who was our 1980-81
AFS exchange student).
ZuZu, Celia, and Jeremy
all have tested positive.

Pray for all those affected by this nasty bug.
Dear Lord, may they beat it…
And emerge with no lasting side-effects.

Lord, keep our daughter, DeAna,
in Switzerland
and all her family
safe.

Amen

(From “Best in Europe”
Switzerland
has become one of the worst
in new cases this week.
Pray for that country…
and all those facing this virus.)

Do you have a loved one who is in Harm’s Way
or is suffering from COVID?
Tell me – and I will add his/her name to my prayer list.

Bee well!!
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Faith, Family, God, health, Life and Death, Love, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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What a Week!

Problems
Creep in
Usually they’re unbidden
Happened all week long
Blame

Gifted
With Love
From my Lord
I did move forward
Strength

Possibilities
Are fueled
By firm beliefs
Making hard things easier
Faith

One step at a time
Life is easier with faith
Just follow the Light!

This last one’s a Haiku, but the preceding series of three poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.

I hope you had a good week.
Enjoy your weekend.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow.

BYE!!
BEEEEE Well.

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, Haiku, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, Poetry

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Hold On!

What do you need to hold on to?

At this stage in my life, I don’t need to buy anything else
(except maybe food to sustain Bob & me
and a plane ticket or two to travel
to see our kids when it’s safe to do so)
… but I need to get rid of things instead.

How about you? If you were given this prompt,
“Hold on to your ____,”
how would you fill in the blank?
Ann Kaplow tickled my creative funny bone with her post today:

Day 2886: Hold on to your …

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Ann Koplow

Check it out and see some of the things she identified.
Here are a few things I think I should hold on to:

Hold on to your umbrella;
Let the wind carry you away.
Hang on and float high
To a joyous, better day.

Hold on to your future
Let it carry you to the sky,
To days of brighter sunshine.
Let it carry you up high.

Hold on to your faith;
Let it carry you to love.
Let it bring you greater wisdom
And powers from above.

Hang onto your head;
Keep your intellect intact.
Be cautious and discerning;
Know all you hear ain’t fact.

Hold onto your friends,
But remind them to wear masks.
That was Anne Kaplow’s prompt.
Be safe – is all she asks.

Hold on to earth’s hope
For a better, safer world.
Be kind to our planet –
Don’t let this virus stay unfurled.

What do your think we should hold on to?

I’m gonna hold on to Bob.
I’m feeling so blessed that he is feeling so much better.
Did I tell you that the afternoon my sis died
was the day he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure?

I’m gonna hold on to our wonderful doctor
who stayed long after her “shift” was over –
and ordered blood work, x-rays, and an EKG,
and stayed til the results came in.
Then she walked us up the stairs to the front door
to see how Bob did with climbing stairs.
Then called the next morning to
check on him and offer encouragement
and an appointment this week
for an echocardiogram.

Yes, I’m gonna hold on to that wonderful doctor!!

And this guy:

We have had so many friends
and family members praying for us.
God is good.
All the time.
He put a song of praise in my heart.
God hears and answers prayer!

Life is looking up.
We’re holding on!
{{{Hugs}}} to you.
You hold on, too.
Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, blessings, blogging, Faith, friendship, God, Gratitude, health, life, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, music, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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Where Will You Spend Eternity?

Today’s sermon message by our guest pastor, Rev. Phil Taylen at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, Montana, focused on the theological basis for our assurance of Eternity in Heaven.

It was timely, especially given the fact that this is the week my only sibling, my sister Sally, went to her eternal home.

If you die today, do you know where you’re going from here?

Is it Hell or a Black Hole?

My guess is that the choice is pretty clear. I was looking for a picture of a black hole… because some people believe this is it! We’re here and then we’re nowhere. A black hole… that’s where they think they’re going. They don’t believe there is a place called Hell where they will burn in the fires of an afterlife separated from God.

Or is it Heaven?

Rev. Phil Taylen’s sermon was titled, “Soaring with Eagles.” He began with that question, “Where Will You Spend Eternity?” His answer was part of a movement he called “The Evangelism Explosion.” Even though he grew up in the Presbyterian Church, he was ordained by an Evangelical Ministry – and his sermon lecture today definitely got down to the basics!

The Bible

B asic
I nstructions
B efore
L eaving
E arth

Heaven by Grace

G od’s
R iches
A t
C hrist’s
E xpense

Grace is God’s Unmerited Favor poured out on us.
Grace can’t be earned or deserved.
Heaven is a free gift.

He cited Ephesians 2: 8-9 as further proof of the point he was teaching and preaching:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God:
Not of works,
lest any man should boast.”

Not By Man

Good works are important, but they will not save us.

I am a sinner.
I can’t save myself.

He cited John 8:24 to prove his message that man cannot save himself:

“Unless you believe that
I am who I claim to be,
you will die in your sins.”

Only God

God gave us basic instructions to live by before leaving earth.

God is Love.
God is just and righteous.

In the Bible, our instruction book, God told us:

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God. …

Heaven Through Christ

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
Jesus Christ is God.

Faith is Belief

Faith is the Connector.
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I don’t see the whole staircase. I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Only Begotten Son, but I do not believe God will send all the Jews or Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists to Hell because they do not share my belief in Jesus as a part of the Trinity.

I believe God is bigger than religion. I believe God is omnipotent. I believe God knows all people – and He sees them through His eyes, not mine. That may make me a non-believer in some evangelical eyes. But I believe God is more inclusive than we can fathom.

I find enormous comfort in my faith – my belief in our Lord Jesus Christ – and I want to share that comfort and love with all I meet. I believe 2 Cor. 1:3-5 as quoted below:

Do you believe in Christ?

Thanks for visiting today.
Have a Blessed Sunday.
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Jesus, Life and Death, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, sermon notes, truth

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Be An Intrepid Christian!

An intrepid Christian
Is resolute and fearless,
Has fortitude and endurance,
But is never cheerless!

An intrepid Christian
Is teachable and submissive,
Attentive and humble,
But never repressive.

An intrepid Christian
Is expectant and devout,
Delivers The Word quietly –
But rarely has to shout!

An intrepid Christian
Demonstrates integrity,
Walks the Talk –
But never belittles you or me.

If you believe Donald Trump is a Christian, did you listen to his belittling of Savannah Guthrie after his last Town Hall meeting? Think about the way he insults reporters who are questioning him. Be honest with yourself. Can this man we call our president really be a Christ follower? I am so fed up with his insults to women that I cannot remain quiet any longer. Listen to this!!

If you are an Intrepid Christian,
And you have the right to vote
In the United States of America,
Please listen and take note.

Please help us return to
Decency and civility here.
Help us elect a kind and capable team
And listen to the U.S. cheer!

Don’t forget to vote
if you haven’t already!

PLEASE believe me when I say
The Democrats will not take your guns away.
The Democrats will not let illegal immigrants in
to take all your money and jobs!
The Democrats believe in the Constitution;
They will not destroy it.
They will improve our immigration system,
create safer gun laws,
protect Medicare
and preserve coverage of those with
pre-existing conditions.
Democrats will restore our foreign relations.
The Democrats will not kill all the unborn babies.
The right to control our own bodies
is not synonymous with unwarranted abortion!

As a life-long Christian and Republican
who has become a Democrat recently
(for obvious reasons),
I believe in the Right to Life.
But I also think a woman who carries a baby
because of rape or incest, or a woman
whose life is endangered
has the right to choose.
Don’t you?

Weigh the rhetoric and please believe me…
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
are Intrepid Christians!!

Can’t we just LOVE ONE ANOTHER
and stop hurling insults??

Thanks for visiting.
See ya tomorrow.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Faith, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, relationships, respect, Serving One Another, truth

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What a Friend!

Today I received in my “Messages” a picture of a dear friend who is fighting cancer. She is in a hospital bed at home. Her family is gathered around and her BFF (best friend forever) is on her way to be at her bedside. My heart goes out to the BFF and to my friend’s husband and children. Seeing a friend preparing to leave this earth is soooo hard!

But, my dear friend is a devoted Christian, and she knows where she is headed. She does not fear death, because she has a friend in Jesus – and she believes in God and His promises. It’s comforting to know where you will spend eternity. It’s just hard on those left behind.

Today’s sermon at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church was the perfect topic for this day when my heart is aching because my dear friend and her family are suffering.

Today we had a guest minister, Phil Taylen. Here are my

Sermon Notes on: “Friendship Sharing”

Friendship is a special thing.
In it we all are connected.
In the New Testament, we see how
In God’s friendship, we all are protected.

The best part of friendship is
Sharing with each other the Good News,
Asking one another and telling them
Of how Jesus opens new views.

God cares about our friendship.
He opens His arms to you.
Through Christ, He came to show us
How to love as He loves: True.

As believers, we need YES faces;
Our countenance should show Trust.
God’s light should shine through us.
Radiate His love; We MUST!

To communicate God’s love
We must be trustworthy and fair.
We must share our eternal vision,
And tell our friends we’ll all be there!*

(*there is our eternal home
with Christ and one another)

Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger on Pexels.com

Share the simplicity of scripture,
Be sure the promise of God is heard.
He gave His only begotten Son
To save our souls. Believe His Word!

What a Friend We Have in Jesus!

Lean on Him and His promises.
Know that when your Christian friends
Leave this earth, they are going
To heaven … where eternal life never ends.

See you “there,” my friends!

See ya tomorrow.

Pray for my friend, Gloria, will you?
And I pray for you…
that you have faith in His promises, too.
Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Jesus, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships, sermon notes, truth

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World Mental Health Day

Today is World Mental Health Day.
How is your mental health?

The Bible is full of wisdom that applies to mental health.
Romans 12:18 is a perfect example.
Living in peace with everybody includes
Living in Peace with YOURSELF!

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Some people live in a self-imposed prison,
Locking themselves behind bars of self-hate;
They fail to see the self that God created.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

We all get those days that we just don’t feel good enough. Everything goes wrong. For me, I go to the bible to read the words of God. His personal dialog for us is filled with encouragement, hope, and lessons from which we can learn. Here are my top ten verses that uplift and impact me when I’m at the lowest of lows:

1. Philippians 4:13:

I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.

2. Psalm 46:5

God is within her, she will not fall.

3. Proverbs 31:25

She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.

4. Psalm 28:76

The Lord is my strength and my shield.

5. 1 Corinthians 25:10

By the grace of God, I am what I am.

6. Romans 5:8

I loved you at your darkest.

7. Psalm 62:5-6

Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on Him. God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe, and he is the fortress where I feel secure.

8. 2 Timothy 1:7

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.

9. 1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

10. 2 Chronicles 20:15

The battle is not ours, but God’s.

Keys to Positive Mental Health

The link below to an article by Brittany Morgan offers ten keys to mental health that worked for her. I found the article to be greatly inspiring. Among her ten ideas that resonated most with me was #1:

1. Unfollowed ‘energy vampires’ on all social media platforms

This one might need a little explaining, so bear with me. An energy vampire is basically anyone who comes into your life and drains you of your positive energy. (Or, any energy in general, for that matter.) I’ve been unlucky enough, as I’m sure you have as well, to meet several of these energy vampires in real life. I’ve decided this past year to unfollow any and all energy vampires on all of my forms of social media, and you should, too.

Life is too short to expend any extra energy on perpetually negative people.

If you agree with her thinking on that idea,
you may want to click the link below
to see the other nine points she makes.

10 Things I’ve Done For My Mental Health Since Last Year’s World Mental Health Day

So much can happen in 365 days.

Brittany Morgan Oct 09, 2020 National Writers Society

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com

On Mental Health Day,
I wish you great peace and joy.
Let God take your cares.

Lift them up to Him
And let them just float away;
Replace them with love –

With LOVE for yourself –
Remember your Creator
Made you to be loved.

When LOVE is poured out,
The empty cup returns full!
God replaces it.

Put your hand in the hand of the One who stilled the waters
Put your hand in the hand of the One who calmed the seas
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently
Put your hand in the hand of the Man from Galilee!

Don’t miss this wonderful song from 1970…
One of my favorites!!

Play it again!! Sing along!
Put your hand in God’s hand
And have a peace-filled
World Mental Health Day.

Bye for now.
See ya tomorrow.

Tell me how you’re doing today.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, children, contentment, Faith, God, Haiku, happiness, health, learning, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, music, peace, Poetry, self-acceptance, self-esteem, writing

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World-wide Communion

Last Sunday was World-wide Communion Sunday. As a congregation, we were asked to bring a piece of cloth from another country. I wish I had some of the colorful cloth these darling girls are wearing!

Many folks in our church have traveled to various countries and have returned with cloth that represents their travels. Our communion table was decorated with some of them.

Here is Pastor Steve talking before church
with one of our talented musicians, Jim.
The communion table was
just beginning to see the results
of donors gorgeous pieces of fabric.

Photo by David Eucaristu00eda on Pexels.com

Rather than going up to the communion table, we each picked up a small plastic container on our way into the sanctuary. In it was a wafer (like those pictured above) under a thin cellophane covering. Beneath that, under another enclosure with the grape juice.

The wafer and grape juice represent the bread and wine which represent the body and blood of Christ broken and shed for our salvation. Christian people all over the world celebrated that tradition last Sunday. It had to be done differently in order to maintain social distancing and safety during this pandemic. But, where there is a will, there is a way. We did it!

How about you? Did you celebrate World Communion Sunday?

And if not, if your tradition of celebration is different, tell me about it. I’m curious.

Thanks for visiting.
I appreciate you.
Have a beautiful day!
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, children, Faith, God, Gratitude, Jesus, Love, music

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The Joy of Human Love

Oh, for the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild

Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.

Enjoy this beautiful hymn while you read the rest of this post. I love The Cambridge Singers directed by John Rutter. Sooooo beautiful!!

Yes, Lord, I raise this joyful hymn
in grateful praise to You!

Yesterday I had the privilege of spending time with my granddaughter, Hope, and her family: her husband, Drew, and their two children, Xander and Sienna. I am so grateful for their visit!

Here is Hope – with her beautiful smile.

I was so busy with the children while they were in the house, I didn’t have time to think about pictures. But once they were strapped in their car seats, ready to leave, I said, “Wait! I need to capture this visit!”

Sienna was tucked in, thumb in place, too tired to smile – ready for a nap on her way back to Big Sky.

This is the typical Sienna – big smiles – big appetite!

I actually captured this photo of Xander & Drew just before Xander was strapped in. His toy phone is his constant companion. He carried on very loud pretend conversations with his dad and Bob and imaginary friends!

This is a scene a mile from our house at the golf course. I bet Sienna was asleep before they got this far!

For the Beauty of the Earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies

Lord of all, to Thee we raise
Our voices in grateful praise!

I pray that one day my great-grandchildren will grow to become young people who can sit and listen to a story, a poem, a wise parent… as Hope and Drew share “The Great Realisation” with them. God Bless “Tom Foolery” for his beautiful poem and the timely message he is sharing in this video with his child. If you have not heard this before, please take time to to listen. It is WONderful!!

Thanks for visiting today.
Have a WONderful week.
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Enjoy the coolness
of these beautiful Fall Days!

Category:

children, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, relationships, trees

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Loving One Another

Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

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Day 2886: Hold on to your …

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Is it Hell or a Black Hole?

Or is it Heaven?

The Bible

Heaven by Grace

Not By Man

Only God

Heaven Through Christ

Faith is Belief

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Sermon Notes on: “Friendship Sharing”

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1. Philippians 4:13:

2. Psalm 46:5

3. Proverbs 31:25

4. Psalm 28:76

5. 1 Corinthians 25:10

6. Romans 5:8

7. Psalm 62:5-6

8. 2 Timothy 1:7

9. 1 Peter 2:9

10. 2 Chronicles 20:15

Keys to Positive Mental Health

1. Unfollowed ‘energy vampires’ on all social media platforms

10 Things I’ve Done For My Mental Health Since Last Year’s World Mental Health Day

So much can happen in 365 days.

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