Thank God for His angels in my life!Never alone! Nice to know, isn’t it?This angel was a gift in 2013… thank you, Angel Sue!
I begin each day up in this place with Guideposts’ Mornings with Jesus. Been doing that for 20 years. What a gift this space is!
My sanctuary is filled with angels!
It’s a perfect place to begin each day. Jesus is there. The Holy Spirit speaks to me. The collection of angels and crosses remind me of Christ’s sacrifice … His gift of grace to us all. What a blessing that space and those angels are! Come visit us. We’d love to share the peace with you.
Share a story about someone who had a positive impact on your life.
Kenny came and filled all the empty places in our home and hearts! Dogs do that!Neighbors/friends step up and fill our lives with loveBonus daughters reach out and help make each day brighterSweet daughter, De, makes each day happierTerrific Ty, super son, positively impacts us and countless others Our pastor and our God keep us grounded in loveThese and countless others are daily gifts that impact my life. How can I choose just one?Like the flowers in my garden, each loved one impacts my life daily by adding beauty and support.
Who or what impacts your life … or has left a permanent impression? I know you also feel blessed. Life is a gift… and so are you!
When you’re in your mid-80’s and both your parents died before their 90th birthdays, it’s natural to think about your own death.
It’s the winter season of my life. Family and friends are leaving this earth before me. Many are a decade or more younger than I.
Yesterday I received a message from a friend. Her husband has been battling lung cancer I’ve been praying for him and his wife daily. He developed pneumonia recently.
Along with his other health issues, lung cancer and interstitial lung disease, she wrote, “That wasn’t a good mix!” Sadly, he passed away.
But soon the “sadly” changed to “gratitude.” She continued, telling me, “… alert, no pain, and telling stories right up to the end.” What a wonderful blessing that was!
No, this isn’t him, but I can imagine the scene. “All of us were with him,” she wrote. “He said he was ready to meet Jesus. His faith was unbelievably strong.
He let everybody know he was joyfully checking out.” My friend played Merle Haggard’s song on her cell phone: Sing Me Back Home, and put the phone by his ear. He smiled, closed his eyes, “So long ’til we meet on the other side.”
How d’ya wanna die? I’ve decided my friend’s scenario is the one I want when I leave this earth. How about you?
T is for Trouble! KT is for Kenny Trouble!! How long do you think it took Kenny to remove these 8 tassels?
Where did they come from?
Oh, my poor pillow!! Four tassels gone from each end!!!
I was up in my sanctuary having my peaceful time in prayer, Bible study, and devotionals. And Kenny?
He was barking at Bob to come play with him!
Bob didn’t see him sitting by the door asking to go out. A dump in the floor was the consequence. Oh my!!!
Kenny sure can get into trouble when we don’t pay attention to him.
We need to keep our noses alert to Kenny trouble!
How about you? Do you spell trouble with a capital T when you’re ignored?
Yup, me, too!
Facing Trials
In the journey of faith, we encounter various trials that test our strength, resilience and patience. The Bible reminds us that facing troubles is part of life, and rather than shunning them, we can embrace them as opportunities for growth. These challenges, while tough at the moment, can refine our character and deepen our reliance on God. By reflecting on Bible verses about troubles, we can find encouragement and hope, realizing that God walks with us every step of the way. Our “Oh My!” can change to “Oh Thanks!” as we turn in prayer with those trials. God, will You play with Kenny?
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” – James 1:2-3
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” – 1 Peter 5:10
Ah yes… God will make us strong and steadfast. But God, will You restore my pillow? And what about this rambunctious Kenny? Oh my, will You send over a playmate for him? Oh, and while You are at it, will you send over a buyer for our kayak? It’s too heavy for Bob to manage it these days. We took it down from its hooks on the garage ceiling… and it’s sitting outside waiting for the right person to come and buy it … and enjoy many years of kayaking fun (just as we have).
Kenny would love to go out on Ennis Lake with it. Wouldn’t you? Oh my! I need to do my French lesson and this pup wants to play. Come play with him!!
Sending playful fun your way. Hugs, too… from JanBeek
How about March showers and hail and snow and rain bring April’s flowers?
April is one of my favorite months. Our family has so many April birthdays! What was going on 9 months ago?
This month of March was filled with challenges. March madness included our granddaughter, Faith, who fell ill while vacationing in Switzerland. “I’m a million times better” she says… “today compared to yesterday.” Yay! Answered prayers 👌🏽❤️🙏🏽
That’s my dear granddaughter in a hospital in Switzerland. Please pray for Faithy… She’s moving out of ICU and into a regular hospital room today. Looking forward to continuing her vacation with hubby, Kyle, 3-yr-old Mable, and Kyle’s mother. They hope to visit our daughter, Faith’s Aunt DeDe, this week. They currently are about 4 1/2 hours away. God is so good! This is an answer to more than I dared hope for! I just was asking God to heal her enough so she could safely fly home to California. Auntie De will be so happy to see them and meet Mable for the first time.
God is amazing, isn’t He? He hears our prayers and answers with even more than we dare ask!
In it, we are reassured that God answers our prayers: 24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
But I didn’t ask God for Faith and family to be able to resume their vacation. I thought that would be asking too much. I just wanted her to get well and be able to travel home safely. Instead, Faith told us today that she expects to be able to resume her Swiss travels. Amazing!!
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
What have you asked God for recently? Has He answered your prayer? Have you ever asked for something and been given more than you requested? Tell me about it!
Today’s prompt was: You’re writing your autobiography. What’s your opening sentence?
“I want to die with all my marbles intact!”
Intact and sparkling!
Yesterday my friend, Keri, brought her one-year-old Boston Terrier over for a playday with our pup, Kenny. Watching those two play, I knew for a fact that play is an essential part of life. If I want to keep all my marbles right up to the last day of my life on earth, I have to do as Kenny and Livvy did: play together and refresh together, too!
Play and refresh
What else is important if I want to keep all my marbles? Reading! Learning!!
While the pups were playing, Keri and I chatted about our lives. She shared that she has a 93 year-old dad. He is a voracious reader. He’s got all his marbles intact and shining! What a gift, huh? That’s what that CJ Box book is: a gift! We received it in the mail yesterday from our Bonus daughter, Elaina. My husband, Bob, age 86, also is a voracious reader. He’s read every CJ Box book there is… and this is the latest. Just out! Just here. Bob can hardly wait to dig into it!
What else is important for a long, sparkling, coherent life?
Stay connected! Connected to what?
If you know me, you know I was gonna take this message to God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit! Yup, therein lies the secret… Make sure it’s not a well-kept one!!
Share your love… Share God’s love in you… Share the Holy Spirit’s Wisdom in you… PLAY, REFRESH, READ, STAY CONNECTED.
May you LIVE LONG and Keep all your marbles intact and sparkling!
What would the first sentence of your autobiography say?
The words to the hymn below hit me square between the eyes last Sunday as we sang this in our church… and thought about how desperately I want God to “hear our cry and heal our nation.” I hope you find these words meaningful, too. Churches were singing it a decade ago… It was true then. It’s true now. We, as a nation, have lost the truth we need… I do believe that. Lord God, help us!
In an age of twisted values
In an age of twisted values we have lost the truth we need; in sophisticated language we have justified our greed; by our struggle for possessions we have robbed the poor and weak – hear our cry and heal our nation: your forgiveness, Lord, we seek.
2. We have built discrimination on our prejudice and fear; hatred swiftly turns to cruelty if we hold resentments dear. For communities divided by the walls of class and race hear our cry and heal our nation: show us, Lord, your love and grace.
3. When our families are broken; when our homes are full of strife; when our children are bewildered, when they lose their way in life; when we fail to give the aged all the care we know we should – hear our cry and heal our nation with your tender fatherhood.
4. We who hear your word so often choose so rarely to obey; turn us from our wilful blindness, give us truth to light our way. In the power of your Spirit come to cleanse us, make us new: hear our cry and heal our nation till our nation honours you.
Let us pray this song as a prayer… pray for God’s forgiveness, love and grace. God, please hear our cry and heal our nation. Heal our world!
God bless our nation, our world, and God Bless YOU!
Please don’t let politics overshadow the message of MLK today. It may be Inauguration Day in the USA today, but I feel the focus should be on Martin Luther King and his message of love and peace and inclusion.
Praise MLK and his legacy! Let’s try to emulate his message in our lives!
