It is well with my soul
Each day is a blessing
Whether coughing or resting
It is well with my soul
It is not my circumstances
That determine my demeanor
It is the joy inside
Even when life gets meaner
I am praying it is well
with your soul today, too, my friend.
God bless you!
Love,
JanBeek
My Word for 2022 is STRENGTH.
I chose it before I knew…
Before we knew the challenges ahead.
How has 2022 been so far for you?
I didn’t know how much we would need
All the strength we could get.
Bob didn’t know he had RSV,
And I hadn’t caught it from him yet.
The respiratory virus started our 2022
Off with a cough and a bang!
We were supposed to be vacationing,
But sequestered instead; DANG!!
Since then, we’ve had quite a year!
Strength has been required a lot!
Bob was diagnosed with Amyloidosis
And I tried to stay upright: NOT!
Yesterday during devotionals
Every focus of the messages was “Strength.”
I got the message loud and clear:
God drums strength home at great length.
So, where does your strength come from?
Who or what do you count on?
As for me and Bob and our needs,
We know the Lord is the Source we mount on!
Yesterday in “Mornings with Jesus,” one of my Guideposts devotionals, Cynthia Ruchti was given that Ephesians scripture as a prompt for her commentary. She and her husband had a big project they needed to complete. She said they probably should have hired a professional to do it, but they decided to tackle it themselves. She wrote:
“The key was to focus on believing I had more strength than assumed. I acted as if the strength I needed was already mine. I imagined what would happen if I applied that to all challenges in life: resisting temptation, staying strong through trials…, holding my tongue…, obeying what Jesus asks of me even when it feels beyond my ability. What if I acted as if the power Jesus promised was already mine?”
Quietly, with courage and conviction,
I am assuming the strength God gives me.
I do not take the gift of His care for granted.
I step up, try, and if I fail, He forgives me.
What challenges are you facing today?
What wall must you climb that seems too high?
What task looms ahead and seems too hard?
Lean on the Lord’s strength – Don’t be shy!
When you’re faced with troubles,
Take strength from the One who cares.
When tasks seem beyond your reach,
Remember God hears and answers prayers.
God bless you today
and give you strength
to do whatever you need.
Tell me something you need strength for…
I will add you to my prayer list!
Love,
JanBeek
My blogging friend, Donna, The Fathers Feet, posted this song today. I am going to sing it all day long. Listen, be inspired, and sing with me!
Give me a humble heart! Make me pure and true… Make me more like You!
🙏🏽❤️👍🏽
Melt my pride away…
Have a Marvelous Monday!
Hugs,
JanBeek
I’ve got peace like a river
I’ve got joy like a fountain
I’ve got love like the ocean
I will share from my mountain
I’ve got peace like a river
I’ve got love like a river in my soul
I’ve got joy like a fountain
Shared joy makes me whole
Let us share Living Water
Let us share with one another
Let us share from the depths
Of our soul with sister and brother
Be still my soul and let
My God bring His peace
May the waves & winds be calm
In this world – and all strife decrease
God promises us His peace
A peace that passes understanding
It comes to us by His grace
Not by our demanding
So, do not be afraid, my friends
To show your weakness anytime
In this world of chaos and turmoil
We need a place sublime
That place is in our Lord’s presence
His Holy Spirit is here to guide
So take His peace and share it
Your sparkle cannot be denied
Thanks for visiting JanBeek on this lovely Sunday.
Be at peace, my friends.
I’ll see you tomorrow.
God bless you!
When have you waited?
Waiting well = watchful waiting.
We’re asked to do that!
Hurry up and wait:
The MOD of travel.
Relax! It is what it is.
We cannot change it.
Impatience doesn’t help it.
Waiting’s part of life.
Bob was asked to wait –
Prostate cancer diagnosed
A decade ago.
So watchful waiting
To see if the spot would grow:
Doctor’s instructions.
Don’t let it stop you!
Remember to keep living.
Remain positive.
Cryotherapy:
Therapeutic use of cold –
Froze all the prostate.
Don’t just cut it out!
Edges left can reproduce.
Freezing is the best.
Live to see your grands
Happily loving and wed.
Live while you’re living!
“Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:14
Know living in joy
Is a choice we all can make
No matter the pain.
Find yourself suffering?
Wondering how long you’ll live?
Praise every morning!
Praise every sunrise.
Pray for memorable days.
Look back “greatfully”
Avoid naysayers.
Set aside the “If Onlys” –
Live while you’re livin’ !
Mike on honeymoon
With his sweet new bride, Tania,
Enjoy Italy!
All seven of us
Enjoyed fun times together.
Livin’ the good life!
We waited so well
For our trip to Switzerland.
God sure blesses us.
God blesses you, too.
He wants you to live the good life.
So pray and wait well.
Good things come to those
Who pray and believe in Life.
Believe and “Wait Well” !
What are you waiting for?
Love,
JanBeek
What is grace?
There are several meanings.
One is the unmerited gift from God – referenced above.
Another is:
“disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency” …
Each of us has the capacity to act with grace.
When we respond to others with kindness, we are passing along the grace we are given.
You have grace in abundance to give.
When you reach out in love
you are giving grace upon grace.
2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you,
that you, always having all sufficiency in all things,
may have an abundance for every good work.”
(NKJV)
One of the definitions of grace
involved the word “clemency.”
It is the willingness or ability to moderate the severity of a punishment
or
an act or instance of mercy, compassion, or forgiveness.
We all know that a life lived well
is a life lived with compassion,
a life filled with forgiveness of others
as well as of ourselves.
We all need to practice clemency!
Find grace in your heart.
Let forgiveness and compassion be your first response!
When we are merciful, we receive mercy in return.
Today’s post was inspired by today’s devotional in Mornings with Jesus.
Gwen Faulkenberry wrote a creative take on Hebrews 4:16,
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
She imagined a beggar approaching a palace,
being turned away by the butler,
but welcomed with open arms by the prince
who brings the starving man to the queen.
When she sees him approaching,
she jumps from her throne,
runs to him, and says,
“Come in! Come in! How can I help you today?”
Gwen invites us in the “Faith Step” at the bottom of the page
to imagine ourselves as the man
and imagine the queen as God.
What would you ask if you weren’t afraid?
God of grace gives us all the grace we need…
and continues to gift us with the compassion,
kindness, and courtesy we need in order
to pass it on to others freely.
Knowing you have received grace upon grace,
approaching the throne of God,
what would you ask Him for?
I asked for healing of this broken finger,
(it was in there under all that wrapping),
renewed strength in this left hand,
renewed balance so I could stop falling,
and a healing of my head’s 8 stitches
before we head for our daughter’s
in Switzerland later this month.
God is answering my prayers…
in His perfect timing (as always).
What will you ask for?
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love to you,
from JanBeek
Each day as I read my Daily Guideposts
and reflect on what the message
means to me, I create a “Take-Away.”
I have a page or two on which I record them.
Here are the take-aways from July.
Which one or two resonates with you
as a “Take-away” for the month
that you can carry with you into August?
I read both
Mornings with Jesus
and
Daily Guideposts
each morning
up in my sanctuary.
Been doing it for over a decade now.
They help me plan my day
and start off on the right foot.
With the “Take-Away”
tucked in my heart,
I head down the circle staircase
with this 12 step prayer
spoken to God on my way:
Dear God,
And at that point, I am at the bottom… ready to start my day.
Thank you for the
1. love,
2. joy, and
3. peace (that are mine) –
Help me with:
4. patience,
5. kindness,
6. goodness, and
7. faithfulness (which brings blessings).
Help me with
8. gentleness, and
9. self-control.
10. Help me live humbly
with an attitude of gratitude,
and a response of
11. generosity, forgiveness,
12. obedience and integrity.
In Jesus’ name,
AMEN.
Which of the Take-Aways from June or July will you carry into August with you?
Have an Awesome month!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
I believe there are angels among us.
I hope when you click on the link above,
you can listen to this gorgeous voice
singing this wonderful song.
Angels show us how to live
Sent down from somewhere up above
Angels teach us how to give
And they teach us how to love.
Listen to the words of Chris Rupp’s vocal.
Angels come to you and me…
I had one protecting me last Monday –
I am sure – it’s a guarantee!
Look at what I hit my head on when I fell over backward!
With the full weight of my body,
I hit that trailer hitch!
You tell me how I avoided a concussion-
How I walked away with just a stitch…
Actually, if you read yesterday,
You know my gash required eight…
And I was in the ER four hours,
Returning home rather late.
I didn’t even crack my skull-
And I didn’t break my neck.
I could have broken my back!
Where’s that angel hiding? Let me check!
You have angels among you, too…
At least one on duty at all times.
Tune in – you can feel the protection.
Look around, you’ll see the signs!
As the poem above tells us,
Angels sometimes are disguised as friends –
Sometimes family are our angels –
Angels are the love God sends.
Listen here to another beautiful song:
I Will Be Here – Steven Curtis Chapman – Chris Rupp A Cappella
I hope this link takes you there.
Who is always there for you?
Bob is an angel who is here for me.
It took a few minutes of screaming his name
To wake him from his nap, but I could see him there …
And when he heard me, how quickly he came!
Yes, my friends, angels are among us.
We need to open our hearts and our eyes
To see and to feel them around us.
Mine’s trying to teach me to be more wise!
In Hebrews 13:2, Paul said, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” That verse leads us to wonder if angels appear to us in human form at times. We know that they appeared to many in human form in the Bible. [See Genesis 18:2].
You may be blessed to have an angel living with you all the time, too!
“For He will command His angels
concerning you
to guard you
in all your ways.”
Bee well, my friends.
Bee safe, too.
May His angels guard you today and everyday.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
If you’ve followed my blog for a while,
You know I attend church every Sunday,
And I usually try to take sermon notes.
As I listen, I try to record the message poetically.
Our pastor, Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds,
is doing a bold sermon series.
She’s asking our church congregants
to send her scripture that puzzles or troubles them.
This week the scripture passage she used
is from Luke 9:57-62. A weird one indeed!
I’ve often thought Jesus was rather harsh
with these two men who wanted to follow Him.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Today’s sermon notes:
The mid-west mecca of modern architecture
Is Columbus, Indiana. Ever been there?
I watched the movie, “Columbus,” recently.
Jinn & Casey meet and share.
Ultimately the movie is about
Staying or leaving – choices we make.
Casey needs to go, but doesn’t want to.
Jinn convinces her to leave for her own sake.
Jesus may have been telling the men
To leave for their own sake.
Their situations were different,
But departure was what it would take.
Jewish burial rites have many parts:
Wrapping body, burial, dig up, burn, urn…
In this scripture a man wants to tend to his father.
Jesus prompts, “Come now and learn.”
We don’t know at what point in the rites
This man’s father may have been –
But it seems harsh for Jesus to tell him
“Let the dead bury their dead.” Such chagrin!
Another man wants to go back to his family,
But Jesus says, “Do not do an about face!”
This passage is all about priorities.
Jesus asks us to put Him in first place.
Love is not selfish, sinking in its talons.
Love is generous – love always is kind.
There often is sadness in leaving,
But when God calls, listen, decide, and mind!
Don’t get stuck looking back (like Lot’s wife).
You’ll become a pillar in your own tears and grief.
It’s all about priorities and obedience.
Hear God’s call and follow your belief!
Amen?
Amen!
What is it that determines your values and beliefs?
Perhaps Jesus was not being harsh with those two men after all.
Perhaps, like Jinn and Casey in the movie, “Columbus,”
He was telling them to leave for their own sake –
even though they didn’t want to go quite yet.
Sometimes God’s perfect timing doesn’t seem perfect…
… at least not at the time He jerks us out of our comfort zone!
But often, looking back, we can say, “Aha! Now I see…
God always knows what is best for me!”
Jesus’ words may seem harsh at first glance,
But He always has our best interest at heart.
I need to trust His encouragement to step out…
And what better time than now to start?
See ya on the road to success tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
Today in church, the choir taught the congregation a new hymn. At least it was new to us. About verse three, the congregation couldn’t hold – they had to (simply HAD to) join in… and the message resonated with everyone there.
I was reminded of the slogan at Bloom in the Desert where we attended several different Januarys when we vacationed near Palm Springs, CA: “We welcome all who welcome all.”
Wouldn’t it be grand if all people could exhibit that level of inclusivity?
Hallelujah! Love is grown in this place! I am so happy to worship in a place where “All Are Welcome.” I just wish we could cultivate more diversity in our little corner of Montana. We came from California 15 years ago. Our community in CA was made up of people from many ethnicities. I miss that! Montana does have a large Native American population, though. I wish more of them would move into southwest Montana!
Meet a couple of very talented brothers:
What can we
– as diversity-loving citizens –
do to encourage more of that
“We Welcome All” attitude
in our world?
Share some ideas with me.
I send my love to you.
See you tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
Hugs to You !!
Inspire to Love
Let the SonShine!
You inspire me to respond
Learning to Live; Living to Learn; Learning to Love; Living in Love
