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Embrace Easter!

My day started with a 7:00 am Sunrise Service at our Madison Range putting green.
The sun worked to peek out through the cloudy sky.

A small, but appreciate gathering
lifted voices to sing
“He Arose!”
and
“He Lives!”

Mule deer gathered close by to listen to our singing
and nibble at the emerging greenery.
Spring is just thinking about making its debut here!

Usually right after sunrise service, we go as a group to the Baptist Church and enjoy a yummy breakfast of assorted baked goodies and egg casseroles. This year, because of COVID-19, we had to be content to go home and make our own breakfast. Afterward, we went to church where we wore masks, socially distanced, and enjoyed the sermon of the day delivered by our pastor, Rev. Steve Hundley.

It was Communion Sunday as well as Holy Easter Sunday.
A very meaningful ritual … being able to partake in person with other Christian friends.
Our sermon topic was “Sometimes It Causes Me to Tremble.”

What are your earliest
Memories of Easter Sunday?
Yellow crocuses, dogwoods,
And eggs hidden slightly away?

What are your earliest
Memories of recognizing in your life
God, the Risen Christ?
Do you have to think twice?

My memory was on a morning
When I’d victoriously ridden
My bike down a steep hill –
Suddenly God was not hidden.

I’m reminded of Mary Magdalene
With the other Mary who saw
That Jesus was not in the tomb.
An angel said He’d risen – such awe!

They were terrified to realize
You can’t escape God in Jesus.
They told no one what they heard –
Too scared… a Savior to relieve us?

They thought their hopes and dreams
Had been buried and sealed away,
Buried with Him – they believed.
They all deserted Christ that day.

Peter had denied Christ three times.
The other disciples hid in fear.
Have we also denied the messenger
Who told us Jesus is alive and here?

The Easter miracle assures us
Our crucified Lord is running free.
He is waiting for us to come out
Of hiding to see Him. He waits for me!

Am I ready to believe the story
Of a man who dies, but rose again?
Am I ready to understand that He
Suffered that agony to free me from sin?

The Risen Christ stands before me
With nail prints in His hands and side.
Am I ready to hear the Good News
And know there’s no where I can hide?

With fear and amazement this Easter,
I will not go away from the empty tomb-
Back to daily routine, forgetting Him.
No, with reverence I acknowledge Christ in this room.

Crown Him the Lord of years,
The Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres
Ineffably sublime.

All hail, Redeemer, Hail!
For Thou hast died for me.
Thy praise shall never, never fail
Throughout eternity.

Amen.

EMBRACE EASTER

It comes but once a year
Yet its significance
Lives in our hearts daily…
Thank God for the gift
of His Son
who secured my spot
and yours
in heaven.

Praise Him! Alleluia!
Amen!

Oh, and in the afternoon,
we had the joy of a visit from our granddaughter, Hope,
and her husband, Drew, and their two children
(our great-grandchildren, Xander and Sienna).

And for a larger crowd,
how about this one?

Did you send out and receive a few Easter cards this season?
I did.. and I enjoyed every one.
I thought I’d share one of my favorites with you:

That was decorated with a glitter cupcake by our darling Ruby…
with a note added from her big brother, first grader, Cord.
So precious!!

And now,
the eggs are gone.
The Easter ham left-overs are in the fridge.
The family departed.
The dishes are looming large –
Begging to be done…
But first, join me and the Easter bunny, will you?
Sit down and relax.
Contemplate the day…
Think about what Easter means.
Thank God for the gift of His Son.
Let’s drink a toast to Eternity in His Heavenly Kingdom.
The dishes can wait!
My computer’s about to run outta battery…

Hope you had a Happy Easter weekend.

Have a good night.
See ya tomorrow.

Sending lots of love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, blessings, children, Faith, Family, food, God, happiness, holidays, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Montana, music, Poetry, relationships, sermon notes, writing

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Embrace Help

Have you ever listened to someone for a minute and thought
“Their cornbread isn’t done in the middle” ??

My beef stew this noon needed cornbread to accompany it.

And the cornbread WAS cooked all the way through.
What does this have to do with Palm Sunday?
Sometimes I stew over the way the disciples
led Jesus to his demise in Jerusalem.

It’s rather corny to suggest that they
were half baked. But they were!
They didn’t have a clue about what
Jesus was about!

Even though he told them
He was going to die
and rise again in three days,
they were as clueless
as those peppers in my stew!

“Hosanna!” they shouted.
“Hosanna in the highest!”

Do you know what Hosanna means?
I thought it was an expression of celebration.
Nope, it means, “Help me!”
And that’s just what He did.
But, like half-baked cornbread,
they had no idea how He was helping them.

Today’s sermon notes from the message
by Rev. Steve Hundley at the
Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
in Ennis, Montana
was titled,
“Going Through the Motions”

Imagine a small church in a small town.
Imagine how the congregation is feeling down.
Their brothers and sisters are being slaughtered.
They’ve forgotten what Jesus did for their sons and daughters.

Imagine the preacher having just received Mark,
The book that recalls Jesus’ light in the dark.
The description of the first Palm Sunday
Leaves out important things that happened that one day.

Mark doesn’t talk about the presence of crowds.
He does write that some shouted aloud
“Hosanna!” but he made the folks sound mundane,
And he paints the disciples as being quite lame!

Abraham was asked what he thought of the telling.
He said he thought it was just what they were yelling.
“Hosanna” means HELP US and that is what
Jesus did as He told them He’d empty His cup
on the cross that day. Listen up!

He said He would rise again, but they didn’t understand.
We’re like that – just marching along with the band.
Help us this Holy Week to do more than go through
The motions to recognize what You had to do.

Lord, You’ve known the clamor of over 2,000 Sundays
When people wave palm branches as if it’s fun days.
Allow us to stop just going through the motions,
And instead prayerfully express our devotions.

You gave Your life on the cross, O Lord,
So that we might understand where we’re headed toward.
It’s not a deep dark hole for eternity without You.
It is Heaven with You – fully baked – clear through!

Help us, O Lord, to live this Holy Week
Fully alive – remembering You – the One we seek.
You are the bread of life – who died and rose again.
You’re the yeast in life who will come again. Amen!

EMBRACE the HELP
that only God can give.
Hosanna!

He came.
He lived.
He died.
He rose.
He will come again.

Don’t just go through the motions this Easter
EMBRACE the HELP that Jesus offers us
By His life, His teaching, His example,
And let your example be “baked clear through!”
Amen

Have a blessed week.
Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

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

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Embrace Your Reset Options

EMBRACE YOUR RESET OPTIONS

It’s five o’clock in the morning
I’ve slept the whole night through
But five is too early to rise for me
Is it too early for you?

I pushed the reset button
And told my mind to relax
But it just wouldn’t stop sayin’
Go dig in the fridge for some snacks!

I found some left-over pizza
And a bottle of wine jumped out, too
But it’s only five in the morning
Too early to drink and to chew

Go back to bed said my senses
Close up the computer and fridge
But that pizza looked so tempting
Come join me – we’ll eat just a smidge!

When I saw in the corner a bottle
Of that left-over yummy red wine
So what if it’s five in the morning
Come join me – it tastes mighty fine!

Reset the clock for tomorrow
It’ll be here before we are through
And maybe you can slip under the covers
Before anyone else has a clue

This ain’t my usual posting
No scriptures or sermon notes here
But, heck it’s five in the morning
And the Devil needed his reset, too!

EMBRACE YOUR RESET OPTIONS

Thanks for clickin’ in to JanBeek
See ya tomorrow?

Or maybe at a decent time later today…

Category:

food, friendship, humor, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, Poetry, writing

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Embrace Your Irishness

On St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, everyone is a little bit Irish. Some more than others, of course. Embrace your Irishness!
Check out the recipes below and go shopping for those ingredients today!
Prepare a crockpot of corned beef and cabbage (you can do it today… it’ll taste better tomorrow after it sits in its flavorings overnight)
Play a medley of Irish jigs and reels to keep you in the mood
Bake some Irish cupcakes for dessert (see recipe from Better Homes & Gardens below)

Corned Beef and Cabbage

By Lena Abraham Mar 8, 2021 Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage Horizontal Ethan Calabrese

Synonymous with American St. Patrick’s day celebrations, corned beef and cabbage is the perfect hearty meal for a chilly mid-March night. Though this slow cooker version can be done in 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high, the brisket cooks best low and slow. If you’re looking to venture outside the spice packet, try out the homemade blend on this corned beef brisket.

Got leftovers? Check out our favorite corned beef leftover ideas.

Yields: 6
Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 9 hours

INGREDIENTS:

2 or 3 medium yellow onion, cut into large wedges

2 or 3 large carrots, cut into thirds

1/2 lb. stalks celery, cut into thirds

8 to 12 baby potatoes, halved

2-3 lb corned beef brisket

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 or 3 Tblsp. pickling spice

2 sprigs thyme

2 or 3 bay leaves

1 head of green cabbage, cut into large wedges

Directions

Add onion, carrots, celery and potatoes to bowl of your crock pot. Place corned beef on top and season generously with salt, pepper, and pickling spices. Scatter thyme and bay leaves over meat and fill slow cooker bowl with water until it is almost completely covering the meat.
Cook on low for 9 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 4 1/2 hours, until meat is tender. Add cabbage to crock pot and cook on high for 45 minutes to 1 hour more until cabbage is tender and cooked through. Remove meat and vegetables from slow cooker, slice and serve.

Hide a few 4 leaf clovers under the dinner plates…
Good luck finding them!!

Pot o’ Gold Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day cupcakes I instantly think of Guinness cupcakes. This cupcake idea comes with a festive surprise inside to wow anyone who takes a bite.

By Alissa and Elise McGeehan
Source: Better Homes and Gardens

Share: Pot o’ Gold Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes

Recipe Summary

hands-on: 1 hr
total: 1 hr 45 mins
Servings: 24
Nutrition Info

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cup Guinness stout
¾ cup special dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s)
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
¾ cup sour cream
1 ½ cups butter, softened
5 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur or caramel-flavor coffee creamer
⅓ cup butterscotch-caramel sauce (such as Mrs. Richardson’s)
½ cup assorted green and/or gold sprinkles

Directions

Step 1 – Preheat oven to 350°F. Line twenty-four 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with cupcake liners. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Step 2 – Melt the 1 cup butter in a saucepan over medium-low. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in Guinness, cocoa powder, instant coffee, and granulated sugar. Continue stirring until smooth.
Step 3 – In the bowl of an electric mixer combine brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Add melted butter mixture and beat on medium-low until cooled. Reduce to low. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until eggs are incorporated.
Step 4 – With mixer on medium, add flour mixture alternately with sour cream, beating until combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. (They will be nearly full.)
Step 5 – Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Let cool in pans 5 minutes; remove to wire rack. Let cool.
Step 6 – For frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the softened butter on medium-high until creamy. Reduce speed; add powdered sugar, liqueur, caramel sauce, and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until frosting is smooth and fluffy.
Step 7 – Push the large end of a large pastry tip into center of each cupcake, twist to remove a plug of cupcake; set plugs aside. Fill each cupcake with approximately 1 teaspoon of the sprinkles. Trim off half the cupcake plugs and place in holes to seal in sprinkles. Pipe or frost cupcakes. Makes 24 cupcakes.

A refreshing drink to go with your dessert!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow!
See ya then…
Tell me how your day goes!

Don’t forget to look for that pot o’ gold under the rainbow!

Photo by Paweu0142 Fijau0142kowski on Pexels.com

Category:

food, holidays, Love, music, Serving One Another

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Embrace Aging

I could have called this “Embrace Maturity,”
but that would have been pussyfooting around the issue.
Not everyone matures as they age,
but aging is not an option.

You do it or you die.

However, I embraced this meme when I saw it:

Aging is a privilege only given to the lucky ones, you know.
So, yes, I will count this year …
but at 81, I sometimes forget if it is 80 or 81
and if I try to get by with the lesser number,
I have an 82 year old husband who is quick to remind me.

Hah! Can’t fool him…
He keeps a check on me – – –
but he’s not big on donuts.
Darn!

My daughter
(most of you have met her on this blog in the past –
DeDe – lives in Switzerland)
sent me this a little while back.
She particularly liked it
because one of Bob’s nicknames for me
is “Rocky”

Most of you also know that I have a sanctuary
where I spend the first hour most every morning…
and in it I have three antique rockers.
Ah, yes, it’s the perfect image of me!

But the chair that brings us
mutual joy
is the one we put in the back of our ATV
and pull out when we stop for a break.
The best way to embrace aging
is to find a hobby that you can enjoy
with someone you love.

For Bob and me, it is joining friends
and going four-wheeling
on these wonderful Rocky Mountain trails. ..
stopping to fish the mountain lakes.
Ah, that’s livin’!!

What hobbies
make your aging process more enjoyable?
One of our mutual hobbies
(besides four-wheeling)
is teaching Sunday School.

COVID got in the way
of being able to meet each Sunday morning
with these two darlings and one other…
and then these two moved away.
As they age, their mom sends us pictures.

Getting picture from family and friends
is a great way to welcome the new day
and look forward to the next time you can visit.

Aging is easier to embrace if you have dreams –
something to look forward to, right?

We dream of next October –
when COVID-19
will be controlled
and it will be safe
to travel to see our daughter,
De, and her husband, Andre’ –
and stay in one of the hotel rooms above the restaurant.

As we age,
some of the benefits
outweigh the struggles
that come with aching joints
and lowered energy levels.

One of them is,
when your grandkids act up
and get on your nerves,
you can just send ’em back to their folks!

Couldn’t do that when you were younger
and they were your own kids!

Gotta look for the perks in this aging process!

Another advantage of aging
is that we have time to reminisce
about the “Good Ole Days”
and the songs we used to sing
that these youngsters with their guitars and drums
don’t seem to understand anymore.

And if those songs
and the memories they bring
aren’t enough to make you feel good
about still being on this earth,
try singing this one:

Another way to “Embrace Aging”
is to relish the extra time
you have to just find a good book,
pour yourself a hot chocolate or a glass of wine,
curl up in front of a warm fire,
and spend some uninterrupted quality time.

When you were younger, that luxury was seldom yours, right?

Now, if you are a youngster (under retirement age)
reading this blog,
you are probably thinking that I am a dreamer.
You’re right. I am!
And each day I dream up all kinds of things
to keep me exuberant about life.

Yesterday it was effervescence.
The day before it was … oh, do I have to go back that far?

Nope!
A trick to aging gracefully is to remain playful.
Keep your hobbies,
and make up ways to keep the sparkle alive.
Take those boots that were left at the front door
and get creative!

If you can’t get out because you’re snowed in –
and you’re longing for sushi,
but the nearest place is an hour away,
send money to your kids
and tell them to go out for sushi on you.
But make sure they send you a picture…
and drool all over the computer screen
when they send it!

Ask your friends to send you a picture
of the table they decorated for some recent holiday –
and then marvel at their creativity
as you sit down for the 10th night in a row at your kitchen counter…
thanking God for your life,
your food, your kids, and your kitchen counter.

A trick to embracing aging
is to always remain thankful for your blessings…
even if they aren’t at a yacht club!!

Now, here’s a couple who knows how to live it up:
My friends, the Rosens.

Embrace Aging
by feeding your mind
Hope, Truth and Love
on a daily basis.

Don’t let your mind tell you you’re OLD.
That’s a state of mind for the senile.
It’s not for you!

Tell your mind
that aging just adds to your story…
and you’re not finished telling it yet!

Have fun, my friend.
Make room for sunsets.

Look forward to sunrises.

And believe in miracles…
Because you are one!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Aging Gracefully, blessings, children, Family, food, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, humor, life, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Montana, relationships, self-acceptance

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I CAN RELEASE

I CAN RELEASE

My Journal prompts me to decide
What it is today that I CAN
And I WILL release.
It’s not always easy to decide.

In this end of 2020
With the start of a fresh new year
Just around the corner,
I CAN release the old.

I CAN release what obstructs
And I CAN make room
For the new, the better.
What must I release?

First I must REFLECT.
What was good in this mess?
What was worth keeping?
What should I have learned?

I have learned to sift –
Sift through the garbage of the year
And find the jewels. and keep them –
Throw out the garbage!

Reflect on the kindnesses
Offered to me from others…
And keep those thoughts alive
While I release the ugliness.

Every struggle contains lessons.
Reflect on the things
COVID-19 set before us.
Did it teach interdependence?

It’s not a problem faced
By just one country or state.
This pandemic is a world-wide
Challenge… we’re ALL effected.

Release the idea of “Me First” –
Release the “We’re the best” mentality.
Absorb the understanding that
We’re all this together.

“No man* is an island –
No man stands alone –
Each man’s joy is joy to me –
Each man’s grief is my own.

(*human)

We need one another,
So I will defend
Each man as my brother,
Each man as my friend.”

Release the idea of supremacy –
And reflect on God’s creation.
Know He made us ALL in His image.
Reflect on what that means.

When you hurt, I hurt.
When you are hungry, I MUST
Reach out to help you – and
Find the nourishment you need.

Images of people in food lines
Stretching for blocks,
And people waiting for vaccines
In “First come-first served” lines

GRIEVE ME!

There is enough food,
Enough resources in this world,
To meet each (hu)man’s need –
We just need to share!!

Release the tensions of this
Election year in the USA
And reflect on the voter turnout,
The level of participation.

Release the divisiveness
And concentrate on the idea
Of POWER in UNITY.
Work toward unification.

Release all attitudes of angst.
Reflect on the love shared –
And determine to be the change
We hope to see in 2021.

I CAN
and
I WILL.

WATCH ME!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow.
Happy New Year!

Category:

food, Giving, health, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, music, peace, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another, Sharing

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Two Birthdays in Big Sky

Where’s the perfect place
to celebrate a birthday
if you live in Montana?
Well, Big Sky, of course!

Bob & Jan in Big Sky on Bob’s 82nd birthday

And what’s the best way to celebrate in Big Sky when you get there?
With a friend who shares the same birthday, of course!

Caroline & Chuck Feldman –
CG’s birthday was today, too.

It was their first trip up to Big Sky
through the Jack Creek Canyon …
and the day could not
have been prettier for the trip!

Headed up to Big Sky via Jack Creek Canyon

I love the jack fences when they are snow covered!

Gorgeous blue sky and snow-covered peaks

Montana Jack’s – the perfect spot for lunch
Easy to socially distance
Tables set 10 feet apart

Complimentary dessert for the birthday boys!

To heck with a plate and spoon –
We all ate outta the dessert plate!

We stopped for some extra fun on our way out.

Of course, we masked up when we were not eating.
Everyone was equally obedient.
Can’t be too careful in this COVID world!

We hate wearing them… it’s hard to breathe….
But we’d hate more to get the virus, so we comply!

My friend, Doris, sent me this meme this morning.
While up at Big Sky, I saw a lot of mask-wearing
that confirmed the concern!!

Back home to Ennis – cross the Madison River

It was a lovely trip –
and a memorable, fun day.

Back Home with my feet up…
Time to kick off my boots!

I hope your Tuesday was a Terrific as ours.
Do you have a birthday to celebrate this end of the year?
If so, I hope you do something memorable.

Have a Happy last week of 2020…
time to kick it off, too!

Where would you like to kick 2020 off to
while you welcome 2021?
A beach in Hawaii might be nice!

Thanks for visiting Big Sky with me vicariously today.
We all need to look forward to a safe, healthy 2021
I wish you could travel here for real.
We’ll take you up Jack Creek Canyon!

Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, blessings, Family, food, friendship, happiness, health, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, relationships, trees

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Today’s Birthdays

Yesterday it was Ray …
the guy with Bob
and that gorgeous trout.
Catch,
pose,
take photo,
release!

Happy Birthday yesterday, Ray!
A new boat for your special day?
Wow!! What a gift!

Happy Birthday, dear BobbyBee.
Today you are 82, but you don’t look it.
You don’t feel it most days either!
Thank God for your refreshed health!

This is livin’!!
Here’s to many more years of fishing fun!

… and enjoying the trails with your PUP!!

Here’s to happy visits with Peter
and other former students and friends!

Don’t look at me like that!
Comb your hair and let’s go…

Let’s head up to Big Sky…
with our buddies, the Feldmans.
Happy Birthday to Chuck, too!

Wish we could travel to Switzerland
to be with our daughter, DeDe!

… or to California to be with our son, Ty,
and with Faith & Kyle (granddaughter & her hubby)

But… we are blessed to be right here
in beautiful south-west Montana
and a trip to Big Sky will be
a wonderful birthday celebration.
Let’s go!

Happy Birthday, Bob!

Category:

Aging Gracefully, blessings, children, Family, Fishing, food, friendship, happiness, health, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, relationships, Travel

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A Blessed Christmas

I am grateful for you, dear WordPress friends.
I pray your day was blessed indeed.
Merry Christmas!

Did you get to actually be with your family? Or did you ZOOM with them as we did? The picture above is Christmas Eve morning. Bob & I had the opportunity to see and talk with (left to right) our son, Ty, [then that’s us], group shot of our grandson and granddaughter with our son’s in-laws, then my niece, Jodie & her husband, Bill and son, Liam, from their home in PA, our daughter #2 Laina in the Baltimore area, and our daughter-in-law, Monika, in CA. We had a wonderful hour-long conversation. Next best thing to being together in person! Thank you, ZOOM!!

Bob gave me this wonderful, warm sweater.

Laina sent us this warm greeting this morning.
She is such a thoughtful, loving daughter!

Our grandson sent us this adorable picture,
thanking us for the slippers we sent to him and his adorable girlfriend.

My dear friend, Terry, gave me this Willow Creek angel for Christmas.
You know how angels are an important part of my life.
How sweet and thoughtful of her!

What are the gifts that brightened your day today?
I hope you are feeling as blessed as we are.

A photo from our daughter, DeAna, in Switzerland
brightened our Christmas. So nice to see her
with her hubby, two of her 3 boys, plus her mother-in-love.

Our dear neighbor, ,Scott, treated us to a very special bottle of wine.
We are decanting it to enjoy it with our special dinner…
a standing rib roast. Wish you could share it with us!

We’re looking forward setting up and learning to use this gift from our son and his wife.
Technology continues to amaze us… the advances are amazing!

Bob & I are using our relatively new smoker to smoke a standing rib roast for our Christmas dinner. Like technology, things like smokers and cell phones require a learning curve. We’re on the uphill side of that curve!

We called our neighbor/friend, Whooter, for help this morning when we were trying to figure out how to do this. Dear Whooter texted us back, sent us a photo that made our day, and gave us the advice we needed. Love that guy!!

I’m sure he didn’t intend me to broadcast this photo,
but you needed a good laugh, too, right?

Whooter gave us a great recipe for a rub to put on the meat, and meat thermometers to help us know we are headed in the right direction in the smoking process. God bless him! Do you have neighbors who are life-savers for you at times like this?

Our good friends, the Delektas, had a present under our tree today.
It’s a gorgeous knife that will be the greatest tool for carving this roast
if it ever smokes sufficiently for us to eventually eat it!

Don’t get in the way, TazE… it’s sharp!!

As we prepare for our Christmas dinner, we are listening to the horrible news about the bombing in Nashville this morning. So sad that there are such sick people out there! How could someone intentionally do something so devastating?

Our prayers go out for those who were injured and prayers of gratitude that there are no known fatalities. We have friends who live in Nashville- not far from this blast. And I have a cousin who lives there. My heart goes out to all those in Harm’s Way. We all are affected by such atrocities. It makes us all feel vulnerable. It saddens my heart.

God be with those firefighters who were injured.
May they recover fully and be home with their families soon.

I am enjoying this beautiful pillow that our friends, Sue & Jerry gave us this Christmas.
What’s a favorite gift that you have been given?

Thank God for each minute you are given to share
the love, joy, and peace that are Jesus Christ’s gifts to us.
Have a very Merry Christmas, my friends.
Our standing rib roast WILL be done soon.
I am counting on it.

Sigh…
The smoker keeps shutting off.
We may have to call Whooter again!
(That’s just an internet photo!!)

Merry Christmas, my friends.
What did you do today?

Hugs from JanBeek, Bob & TazE!

Category:

children, Christmas, Family, food, Giving, Gratitude, Jesus, Love, relationships

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Global Gratitude

Sue Dreamwalker wrote this today, “I will be joining the Global Day of Gratitude. This Thanksgiving we need to give thanks for family and friends, and grow our New soul family as we reach out and create New Connections all over the World… As we reach out with our hearts to create Unity and Peace.”

Sue Dreamwalker Walking The Storm

The day called “Thanksgiving” has drawn to a close this challenging year of 2020. But as Dwight Roth reminded us in his post yesterday, it is not just a day to be reminded to be grateful for all our blessings, but it also is a day called “National Day of Mourning for Native Americans.” Check out his informative and poignant post:

rothpoetry Blinded By Comfort

Photo by Gabriela Custu00f3dio da Silva on Pexels.com

In the midst of plenty, I am reminded of the suffering of many. I am reminded of the sacrifice of many. I am mournful as I realize the injustices that brought me to the place of comfort where I am today. I apologize to my Native American friends … and yet I know nothing I can say or do today can erase the truth of what white people did to these dear people. I want to be thankful for what I have – (and I am) – but I recognize the cost… and I am humbled in my position of plenty – and trying NOT to be “Blinded by Comfort.”

I hope your Thanksgiving Day was a day of small gatherings … not the big family crowd we are used to on this day. I hope you kept it intimate and safe. We did. Just four of us. But in our hearts we included you all… and thanked God for your presence in our lives. WordPress is a wonderful community – and I am thankful for your shared thoughts, your insightfulness, and your faithful visits to JanBeek.

Throughout the day, we texted with our family in California and Maryland and Switzerland and bemoaned the fact that we can’t all be together this year. But, we thanked God for our health and our many blesssings. With the magic of WhatsApp and Messenger and FaceTime, we shared pictures. I hope you were able to do the same thing.

Monika is taking the photo. Her parents were able to join them along with our grandson, Sam, on the left and our granddaughter, Faith and her husband, Kyle, on the right. Two other of our grandchildren are missing here. COVID says, “Keep it small.” Tough task!

We feel blessed to be able to share this important day with our pastor, Steve, and his wife, Elaine. Thank God for friends near and far who can join us in these days of social distancing and masks and fear – and can help us feel less alone!

Thank you, Elaine, for being such a dear friend!

I hope you were able to share the day with loved ones, too… and that you had reasons to count your blessings in the midst of this very unusual year.

My joy and gratitude overflow.
I hope it spills out globally –
and it is contagious!

I hope you had a safe and happy Global Day of Gratitude…
while remembering our Native Americans …

Happy Native American Day!
God bless the Indians!!

Tell me about your Thanksgiving Day.
What did you do?

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