friendship | janbeek

Loving One Another

Archive for the ‘friendship’ Category

Fast Away

Fast away this old month passes –
New one enters, cold and blue.
Never have I felt such distance
Separating me from lovely you.

My arms long to hold your heartstrings;
My soul aches to feel your touch.
Never did I think I’d feel so lonely-
Never have I missed you so much.

I miss my church friends in the pew;
I miss singing our hymns with you.
I long to gather at your table
And sip a glass of wine or two.

I miss the chance of volunteering
Where I can go and serve with glee.
I miss the sound of great crowd cheering.
I pray you’ll soon be here with me.

Fast away this old month passes –
No one knows where the end will be
Of this dark and deadly outbreak.
Won’t you pray for a cure with me?

Looking on the Brighter Side

Fast away this old month passes
I’m reminded of how much I love
Being safe and feeling healthy,
Hearing coos from nesting doves.

I have much for which to thank God –
And as April nudges through my door,
May my heart be ever grateful
For my safety and for so much more.

May I thank God daily for his watch
Over friends and family – oh so dear.
May I remember to show gratitude
For all the blessings I have here.

Keep my eyes on all the wonders
God has strewn across my path.
Food to eat, a loving family, and
Friends with texts that make me laugh.

Fast away this old month passes.
I won’t let the new be blue.
I’ll keep looking for God’s miracles
And send His love daily to you.

My Thanks and Condolences

Thank you, dear blogging friends, for visiting JanBeek.
You represent about 80 countries,
my WordPress stats have told me.
Some of you have lost loved ones
during this pandemic…
or you know people who have.
11,600 deaths in Italy alone??
It is unfathomable!!
The USA’s latest toll is 2,900,
according to today’s news…
with no end in sight.
No place, no person on our planet
is immune!

My Heart Breaks

My heart breaks for all who suffer,
who have lost loved ones,
whose family and friends have tested positive,
who are feeling the loneliness
and the vulnerability I wrote about
in the beginning of this blog.
It is not a situation we should make light of!
It is deadly and it is on the rise.
Bee Well, my friends.
Bee safe!

Let’s pray together:
“Dear Lord,
please
make this COVID-19
go
FAST AWAY!!“
Amen.

Category:

blessings, children, Faith, friendship, God, Gratitude, health, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, music, Poetry, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another, writing

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Lead Us By Your Grace

Lead us by Your Grace
Guide us so that we’ll be safe.

Yes, Lord! We need your guidance
Now more than ever.

Enjoy this beautiful rendition of
THE PRAYER.
Let it touch your heart as it did mine.

Hebrews 4:16

“Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Where is our go-to hearth?
We may all tilt toward the screen.
Is it a bright light?

Does it reflect grace
When we addictively turn
To the media?

Social media
Can be a wonderful tool,
For we have choices.

Grace is never far;
It can be undetected
If we choose poorly.

Grace is on our screens
If we know where we should look.
See posts who tag “GRACE.”

I know grace is mine.
I feel it daily with thanks.
I share it with you.

Grace is comforting.
It’s an expression of care.
It gently lifts us.

Grace is God’s great gift.
It is delivered freely.
Accept it with love.

In these days of Pandemic Pandemonium,
Don’t succumb to the chaos!
Know that God hears and He is with you.
Find comfort in His Grace.
We will emerge a stronger, more loving world.

Where have you seen God’s grace
at work in your community,
in your home,
in your heart
this week?

Tell me about it.

See ya tomorrow…
– meantime, I’m holding grace lovingly,
and letting it seep through my fingers to you!

Smile!
We will get through this together.

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, friendship, God, Gratitude, Haiku, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships, Serving One Another

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When This Ends

You bet!
But in the meantime,

enjoy games at home
order take-out or learn to cook some fantastic stuff yourself!
make home-school an adventure for you and your kid(s); if your kids are grown, send ideas to friends, neighbors, grandkids about things they can do (like log into http://www.janbrett.com and listen to her read her newest book, COZY).
take time to appreciate the ones who are still at work – on the job – making it possible for us to have groceries, get gas, know our loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes are being cared for, and fill our prescriptions when we call them in. God Bless ’em!
don’t let the stock market numbers consume you or freak you out
stop hoarding toilet paper, and
look for virtual ways to be together while we’re apart.

My friend, Elaine Hundley, wrote this poem, “Together from a Distance.”
I posted it already on my blog a week or so ago. It’s time to post it again. Take her words to heart!

Together from a Distance
Elaine Hundley

“Shelter in place”, they say,
“Socially distance yourself
From others, and
Save yourself
In these uncertain days.”

Accepting the mandates
Emanating from multiple sources
Muddles mind and soul,
Reducing faith to realms
Not resonating with reality.

So, feed the children,
Hold the children,
Cherish the children
As they carry
Fears of family insecurity.

Show young adults affectionate attention,
Remembering to renew
The frail with hope,
Casting aside
Despair and defeat.

Connect with the community
As faces flood your consciousness,
Allowing fingers to fondle keys
of phone and keyboard
To share love, kindness and contentment.

Share smiles all around, sending self-confidence
On its way to unsuspecting faces, places, situations.
Simply become beacons of tranquil assurance
And you, too, may discover realms of restful renewal
In these uncertain days.

This pandemic will not last forever.
Make it a positive, meaningful time in your life.
With prayer and faith and compassion, it will be.
When it ends, if you have remained positive
and you have spread hope to those around you,
it will be “A Pretty Good Day”
INDEED!

Count on it!

Have a good week!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
What’s on your agenda?

Category:

Belief, Faith, Family, friendship, health, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another

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Laughter is Good Medicine

We all need to laugh
Laughter is good medicine
Brings good endorphins

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Laughter reduces pain, increases job performance, connects people emotionally, and improves the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain. Laughter, it’s said, is the best medicine.

Let Laughter Reign

I hope you laughed out loud at some of these. I did!
Did any of them shock you?
Did that make you laugh louder?

The Major Function of Laughter

Some researchers believe that the major function of laughter is to bring people together. While we are socially distancing (afterall, you may be thousands of miles from me), we CAN laugh together!

You may have been surprised that this usually prudent 80 year old blogger would post more than one meme with the word “asshole” in it. Right?

But did you laugh, or did you just breathe deeply and say, “Oh my!”?? Deep breaths are good for you, too, you know!!

Did you know that laughter reduces blood sugar levels? It is believed that laughter increasing glucose tolerance in diabetics and non-diabetics alike. It’s worth a little shock effect of naughty words, don’t you agree?

All the health benefits of laughter may simply result from the social support that laughter stimulates. Just loosen up and laugh, my friends. It’s good for you! It keeps us connected, even though we may be far away.

Have a happy day… laugh a lot … and spread your joy…
Especially during these extraordinary times.

What meme or comment
have you seen or heard
that made you laugh out loud?

Category:

friendship, Haiku, happiness, humor, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Poetry

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Let Beauty Fill You!

Let beauty fill you
Only lovely quietude
Calm reassurance

Take a walk outside
Look up into the big sky
Marvel at beauty

Appreciate home
Let its peacefulness fill you
Find a quiet space

You can find a spot
You may not have a big porch
But it’s a big world

This was CostCo Connection’s cover picture in today’s magazine.

I see God at work
Holding our world in His Hand
Helping us save it

Hold the whole world close
We have a global challenge
But God is in charge

Out of this chaos
A healthier planet grows
Creating beauty

You can find beauty
Right in the space of your home
Look in your kitchen

This is our daughter, DeAna’s, latest bread-making attempt.
Looks pretty good, doesn’t it?

She sent a video of this loaf. In the video, she was cutting a slice and then tapping the crust for us to hear how crunchy it is. We had fun using “What’s App” to exchange some beautiful silliness. Then I wrote this Haiku:

Listen to the crust
Crunchy and appetizing
Crackle’s Symphony

Beauty in the kitchen …
Beauty in the dining room …
Beauty is where you make it …
Beauty is where you find it.

Let beauty fill you!

Have fun with beauty on your blog! Have you tried the new “Block Editor” here on WordPress? They have greatly improved it – and made options (like colored text) so much easier to access. Thank you, WordPress!!

Bob brought me flowers yesterday.
I hope you have someone who loves you enough to bring you flowers.
I love you, dear WordPress friends.
Here are some flowers to add beauty to your day:

Make it a beautiful day!
Thanks for stopping by JanBeek.

Leave me a message
telling me about something
beautiful
in your world right now.

Category:

contentment, food, friendship, God, Gratitude, Haiku, happiness, health, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Montana, mountains, nature, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another

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Four Ways To Overcome Fear

Sometimes this COVID-19 feels like we’re walking through the “Valley of the Shadow of Death,” especially when we see the staggering statistics from Italy and realize how quickly the virus is spreading in places like New York City.

A friend told me today he feels we’re living in a period akin to the Great Depression or the Dust Bowl era. Songs are being composed about it. There are thoughtful essays being written. Scientists are creating impressive graphs showing the statistics of known contagions to death tolls and analyzing the relationships to age and climate. Novels will be written that will be classics in the decades to come.

How do we live through this “Valley of the Shadow of Death” without fear?

There are the usual responses: pray, sequester and meditate, have faith, bury your head…

But, while I do believe in the power of our Maker, and I pray daily for the Source of all comfort to bring us healing and peace, there are a few other ways I keep myself FROM feeling the gloom that seems to be enveloping so many. You probably have a list of ways, too. I’d love to have you share yours with me.

Here are my four favorite remedies for avoiding the paralysis of fear:

Music – sing, play, or listen to uplifting songs on YouTube or XM Radio. I love seeing those folks on their balconies in Italy making joyful music together, don’t you? I just listened to Bono and Will.i.am singing a song they wrote for/to the Italians. Google it! Music soothes the soul and uplifts the spirit.
Write – as a blogger, you know how therapeutic it is to put words on paper, in a journal, on a card to a friend, or here on WordPress. Write about what keeps you positive and passionate.
Connect – on the internet or by phone, through a window or across a fence. I just installed a new app on my phone and iPad. It’s called ZOOM. Do you know it? The basic version is free. It’s like FaceTime, but it works on other platforms besides Apple products. My friends in California and Bob & I had a great conversation. It was like sitting across the table from our friends who are 1200 miles away from us. We miss them and it lifted our spirits to see and reconnect with them.
Walk – when the weather permits, go for a walk with your dog or a friend or both. I did that yesterday in our Lion’s Club Park. Yes, we practiced social distancing, but we could chat and laugh and encourage one another. It’s good for body and soul. And TazE loved it, too.