We received a call this afternoon from Pfizer (the manufacturer of the medication Bob needs for treatment of his Amyloidosis- congestive heart failure). They have approved his application for assistance and the drug he needs to treat his problem will be in the mail tomorrow. We are grateful beyond measure! God is good! Thank you for your prayers. ❤️🙏🏽🥰
Lotsa smiles today.
Hugs to you, dear friends. Keep the faith. Be sure to express your needs to our merciful Heavenly Father – and believe your prayers are heard. God hears. God cares. Good is good!
Going to church on Sunday Always gives me inspiration: A theme to carry with me Through the week with contemplation.
Yesterday was no exception – The message was one of love, With 1 Cor. 13: 1-13 guiding My connection with Above.
Our pastor, Mary Grace Reynolds, Delivered a sermon with finesse, Alluding to the “Tragic Gap” That has our world in a mess.
Once upon a time she was A chaplain in a trauma center. A man was all alone there Where she was told to enter.
Her presence felt quite futile – Comatose and unhooked from life-support; But she gathered her wits and recited The Lord’s Prayer, knowing his life was short.
He may not have heard her petition, But then again, who knew? Maybe that prayer guided him To the Lord – and Life anew.
Stealing herself against dismay, Mary Grace spoke with assurance. “You’re a beloved Child of God, And He has issued us insurance.
The pain and hurt of life Can be a place of great despair, But you can ask and receive God’s Grace… it’s always there.”
Mary Grace assured us, too, That God’s strength is ours to claim As soon as we believe and Ask for it in Jesus’ name.
Never doubt that humanity Can be changed forever more For the better – in an instant. Just knock at Jesus’ door!
Don’t accept the “Tragic Gap” As a place we have to be. The cavernous space between love And a world of hate – is not for me!
Lead each other away from That place of despair and hopelessness. Be assured, there is a better reality. Lead on to the road of wholesomeness!
Amen?
In addition to the message of the sermon, I am inspired (sometimes to the point of tears) by the music. Yesterday the hymn that choked me up was this one – Pay attention to those words – they are powerful!
The verse that caught in my throat was the one that made me think of the #Bloganuary prompt from a few days ago: “How Are You Changing the World?”
Will you love the ‘you’ you hide if I but call your name? Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same? Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around through my sight and touch and sound in you, and you in me?
May your presence in this world Be a source of peace and inspiration To the people you encounter every day. Close the “Tragic Gap” with your imagination!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. I’ll see you tomorrow (God willing)
Our flight home was long – but safe.
We are happy to be home – and delighted to have the floors almost finished. Also delighted to know there is a medication out there to help Bob with his heart issues.
Again, thank you for your prayers! (We await the insurance approval of the med.) God bless you!
Nothing is more mysterious to me than the Creation of the Cosmos and the Creator.
Surely there is life on some other planet out there somewhere.
The God who created this Universe and the dodo bird and the butterfly and the sting ray and humans surely created life elsewhere as well. But, the thought of it is a mystery to me. Well beyond my capacity to understand.
I was off-line as we traveled safely home yesterday. Thank you for your prayers! God heard. God answered. The weather conditions (except for one little patch of dense fog just before Twin Falls – out of Jackpot) and the roads were clear and perfect. We are happy to be home!
Coming through Island Park, guided by the moonlight
The Alpine glow of the sky led us homeward in joyful anticipation
The Bloganuary prompt yesterday asked us to consider a “Life Lesson” worth remembering. I cannot do more justice to this question than to share with you this blog from “Written Word.” It’s perfect!
My response to her was to be sure that heart is filled with the voice of the Holy Spirit. Following such advice will always lead to satisfaction. God bless you!
Keeping up with the daily prompts from Bolganuary can be difficult when traveling. I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed from a fellow blogger today. Have a wonderful Sunday! <3
Psalm 34:10b “Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
Isaiah 26: 3-4 “Those of steadfast mind You keep in peace— because they trust in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock.”
My Ideal Day is filled with:
Enough
Peace
Trust
Faith
Love
Friendship
Affirmation
Health
Music
Writing time
Reading time
Blessings …. to fill my cup to overflowing so I can share.
Share hugs and love
An Ideal Day ends with:
Gratitude for today
Peace of mind
Hope for tomorrow
Joy abounding
Romans 15:13
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
And then I have a good, long, restful sleep- zzzzzzz
My ideal day ends with this peaceful music and these beautiful scenes (click on video/music below) as I fall asleep praying for you, my friend.
Bee well! Thanks for visiting JanBeek See ya tomorrow (God willing)…
Me with my daughter-n-law, Monika
P.S. We’re packing today and heading back toward Montana tomorrow after two weeks of recuperation time from RSV with our gracious, kind, generous son and his wife. God is good!
Life is full of challenges. Often we’re asked to step out, Leaving our comfort zone Is sometimes what it’s about.
When our help is needed, We can’t always ask for sun; Sometimes we step into shadows To do what needs to be done.
It’s reassuring to know If we faithfully ask for the Son, We’ll have the strength and courage To step out with help from The One.
He’ll give us the tools we need To respond to the “Step Out” command. So ask for God’s help and you’ll find A prescription for a new Comfort Brand!
You’ll find a broader, available comfort zone, And you’ll have the courage and words you need To step out in ways you never dreamed of … New, expanded comfort zones – guaranteed!
Have a Marvelous Monday! Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow…
One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Mary Did You Know?” The lyric I like most in it is, “Mary, did you know, when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God?”
And one of my favorite versions of the song is sung by the Pentatonix…
Have a listen… the words are powerful and this quintet is magnificent!!
Did you know, the sleeping child you’re holding is the Great I Am?
Have a very meaningful Christmas! Remember the meaning of the One. Embrace the Christ Child – and Thank God for His Only Son!
John 3:16
“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God bless you and your loved ones this Christmas. I am praying for your health and happiness… and for your faith in Christ which gives you eternal life – Guaranteed!
Thank you, God!
See ya tomorrow (God willing) Have a beautiful Christmas eve! Love, JanBeek
Every morning I begin my day with a cup of coffee and a climb up the stairs to my sanctuary where I spend time with my Bible, devotionals, prayers, and Jesus.
One of my devotionals is “These Days,” a daily devotion for living by faith, published by the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Its format is scripture, devotional, prayer.
Today’s scripture was:
Isaiah 40:11
He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep.”
In the devotional, the author, Hope Douglas Harle-Mould, wrote about the comfort Jesus provides. She included a poem she wrote to Our God of all Faithfulness:
“We pray for a cure; God sends us healing. We pray for continued life; God gives us new life. We pray death will not come; God overcomes death. We pray in anguish; God weeps with us. We pray in fear; God teaches us to laugh. We pray for ourselves; God gives us each other. We pray for miracles; God fills us with love. We pray for the future; God showers us with blessedness. God, help me trust the voices heralding your hope.”
I am assured as I read and pray and study God’s word, that just as he carries the lamb in his arms, he will be faithful to carry me.
As I descend the twelve stairs at the end of my devotional time, I recite my personal TWELVE STEP PROGRAM Thank You, Jesus, for the:
Love,
Joy, and
Peace (that are mine). Help me with
Patience,
Kindness
Goodness, and
Faithfulness (which brings blessings),
Gentleness, and
Self-control.
Help me live humbly with an attitude of gratitude, and
A response of generosity, forgiveness,
Obedience, and integrity. In Jesus name, Amen!
When I get to the 7th step, I see the metal sculpture that says, “Blessings” above my door. It was a gift from our dear friends, Jim & Terry, so I pause to thank God for their faithful friendship. When I get to the bottom of the stairs, I see this cross on the wall:
It was made by Native Americans. I pause to pray for them and their peace and prosperity. I send occasional gifts to schools for Native American children – – places like St. Labre’ and St. Joseph’s – and they faithfully write back acknowledging my small donation.
A student at St. Labre’ School for Native American children
Faithfulness is a two-way street. We pray to God faithfully; God answers. We give to people who touch our hearts; they give back with gratitude & smiles. We read God’s Word faithfully each day; He gives us wisdom and discernment, understanding and blessings.
Although the flow May feel like a free fall, Embrace the flow. There’s Someone at your call.
He’s right there to catch you When you’re about to land. He won’t let you crash – He’ll hold out His hand!
Yesterday Bob & I dashed off to Bozeman for three reasons – and there ended up being four… oh actually five:
Drop off his pickup at “Dark Horse Snug Tops” to replace the hinge on his hatch cover
Go to an appointment with the nephrologist (what’s that? -the doctor who deals with the branch of medicine related to physiology and diseases of the kidneys-)
Keep an appointment with the cardiologist (you all know that’s a heart doctor), and an unexpected
X-ray of his abdomen… oh, and I was there for a 5th reason:
To shop for the veggies to make vegetable soup for tomorrow’s fellowship at church
We were hoping that the nephrologist would say his kidneys show no signs of protein or amyloid deposits – and so a biopsy would not be necessary. God answered that prayer!
We were hoping the cardiologist would say all the preliminary tests are done and show no signs of AL Amyloidosis (the cancerous kind) – and so no more labs and scans before our trip to Mayo Clinic in January. God answered that prayer.
The unexpected x-ray showed yes, the abdomen area is full of air (that’s why it sounds like a kettle drum when you tap on it) – but it’s not fluid – and he’s not showing signs like pain or vomiting – so we won’t deal with that issue right now. God is good! We trust His timing on this – (and all our other decisions).
I got my veggie shopping done (Thanks, CostCo, for your lovely fruits and veggies) – and …
The pickup latch cover hinge was fixed and BONUS: they replaced the key mechanism that was troubling (God answers prayers you didn’t know to mention … He’s way ahead of you!)
So, go with the flow…
John 7:38
“Out of the believer’s heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Today’s word in Unity‘s Daily Word is FLOW. The introductory thought is, “I flow with the nourishing life of God.” John 7:38 is the featured scripture. The devotional (quoting Lao Tzu) says, “The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things, without trying to.”
As believers, we know that “supreme good” is God. We know God is “The Flow.”
Unity‘s Daily Word goes on to say, “Whether I experience this flow as a current of a river, the swelling of ocean waves, or my body’s life-sustaining circulation, I am in sync with this flow, which by its nature knows which way to go and what to do.”
How refreshing is that thought to you? It nourishes my soul. By the Holy Spirit, I know God’s life is in me – moving, changing, dancing and singing. I am one with the flow. I need not dash and rush and worry about things happening on time! I need not worry about Bob’s heart and kidneys, his abdomen or his pickup. I need not worry about his lack of stamina on the drive home. Just go with the flow – and trust. Follow along in the car – and honk if his pickup drifts and he seems to be falling asleep!!
Sometimes the flow is slow and steady … and I am out there in a fiery mood, trying to rush it along.
Don’t be in a rush To try to get too much done. Let the smooth flow of God Stop you mid-run!
Delight in the sneakiness Of a red sunset’s glow, And take time to relish The soft taste of snow.
Embrace the joy Of vegetables’ texture and smell, The magic of herbs as they cook, And bid stressing farewell!
Embrace the flow Of God in your life. Let Him slow you down As you eliminate strife.
Don’t worry about health. Don’t stress over unfinished tasks. Just go with the flow – And take time for some laughs!
Overflow this Advent season with the love of Christ Jesus, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the easy flow of God answering prayers in your life.
