Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category

Be Unoffendable!

I took my sermon notes as a series of Haiku
today in church.
Let me share those notes with you.
It was a wonderful message
delivered by our interim pastor,
Brian Conklin.

Live in unity
Choose love over labeling
Walk in the spirit

Be a peacemaker
Listen to one another
Hear others’ stories

Share humanity
See Christ’s imprint in others
Exhibit goodness

Show agape love
It’s the highest form of love
Unity and grace

Two hundred forty
Plus nine years ago there was
Freedom declared here

Our nation declared
One land – indivisible
But, we divided

We let politics
Rule over our heart, soul and
Our identity

We need freedom TO
Exercise our highest good
Not just freedom FROM

We need open hearts
Hearts that seek to heal others
Not drive them apart

Stop all the fighting
Show love, not hated discord
Celebrate freedom

Hear one another
Just lift one another up
Be calming healers

Unoffendable
Means listening openly
Try understanding

Openly share faith
Faith in each others’ goodness
Hope for our future

Live in hope and peace
Just be unoffendable
Wear love on your sleeve!

Amen?

Love,
JanBeek

Romans 12:18 

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Haiku, kindness, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, Poetry, respect, Sharing

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World Peace

Our world is so screwed up
There are wars without end
Only God can really see
If peace is right around the bend

Since Adam & Eve took that bite
And sin entered this world of ours
It has seemed to us mortal beings
That world peace is beyond our powers

Negotiations call for cease fires
Men promise they will abide
But then they turn around and
Drop bombs on the other side

Why can’t we live in love
Why can’t we all get along
Why do men with earthly power
Like to sing the Battle Song?

Like Rachel Platten’s fight song
They don’t care if you believe
They don’t care if lives are lost
They have egos that deceive

Deceive us with false promises
Live to satisfy your own desires
Sacrifice our sons and daughters
Drop those bombs and start those fires

How can World Peace be achieved
If we can’t live in brotherly love
Pray with me, my friends, please
Ask for peace from God above

Only God can change the hearts
Of selfish men with all the powers
Take their conscience – make them care
Care to save this world of ours.

Amen?

John 14:27 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer

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Angels All Around

Do you have any collections?

Angels all around

Remind me of my mother

It’s her collection

My maiden name: DeAngeles

It means “of angels!”

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.

Have a lovely, peace-filled, angelic day!

Love, JanBeek

Category:

blessings, Faith, Gratitude, Haiku, Jesus, Love, peace

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Positive Impact

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 love
Bonus daughters reach out and help make each day brighter
Sweet daughter, De, makes each day happier
Terrific Ty, super son, positively impacts us and countless others
Our pastor and our God keep us grounded in love
These 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!

God bless you!

Love, JanBeek

Category:

blessings, children, Faith, Family, friendship, happiness, Love, pets, relationships

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How D’ya Wanna Die?

We’re all gonna die someday.
How d’ya wanna die?

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?

Luke 23:43 

And he said to him,
“Truly, I say to you,
today you will be with me in paradise.”


I want to hear those words, too.
But not too soon, okay?

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Jesus, Life and Death, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, Poetry

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Oh My! T is for Trouble!!

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

Category:

Animals, Bible Lessons, Faith, humor, Life's Challenges, Love, pets, prayer, Serving One Another

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Happy Monday

Ah yes, April showers bring May flowers.

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!

Here’s my daughter, DeDe, in Switzerland.

I’ve always believed Mark 11:24

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!!

2 Corinthians 9:8 ESV

“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!

And have a Happy Monday
and a Blessed April!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, flowers, Giving, God, Gratitude, Living in Christ's Family, Love, prayer, relationships

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Pray for Others

Prayer is Powerful

In the midst of the storm
Of life’s uncertainties
There is a comforter
Always available

Any time is the right time

When your heart is tuned
To the One who always hears,
You never need to feel alone
Or helpless or powerless

Have faith!

I pray in the morning
I pray at noon
I pray all day long
The answers come soon

Can you feel them?
Pause with me.
Pray. 🙏🏽

Ah, I feel ‘em!
Love across the miles.
Love back atcha.
Embeace the comfort.

Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Faith, God, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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What’s Your 1st Sentence?

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?

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, blessings, Faith, God, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, relationships, writing

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See the Good

… and we can “Be the Good!” Live a life of gratitude – and never stop praying prayers of acknowledgement and thankfulness.

You are the epitome of good! God bless you!

Love, JanBeek ❤️

Category:

Belief, Faith, Gratitude, Living in Harmony, Love, optimism, prayer

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