My word for 2021 is “Embrace.” Each day during my devotional time, I am prompted with a word or two that tells me what to embrace today. Yesterday it was “Silence.” Did you miss me? I was silent. No blog.
Today I am prompted to say, “Embrace One Another.” You may be thinking, “But… How can we embrace one another in the midst of this pandemic when Social Distancing is required?” How?
Is there someone in your life that you can hug like that today?
However, I am afraid that many people will respond, “No, I can’t hug anyone like that right now.” So, are there other ways to “Embrace One Another” besides hugging? Think about that! What can you do? Write!
Teachers aren’t supposed to have favorites. Right?
Ty, Roxanne (Merri), Jan & Bob
See that young man on the left up there? His name is Ty. He is my favorite!
(Well, in honesty… don’t be dismayed if you’re one of my students…. I have lots of favorites, OK? But Ty… well, read on!)
Ty was my kindergarten student in 1962-3. Every day when he stepped off the school bus, the girls all stopped what they were doing. “Hi Ty!” they would swoon. Yes, even kindergarten girls recognize a sweetheart when they see one!
I was a newlywed. It was my second year of teaching. I decided if I had a boy someday, I would name him Ty. And I did!
Here’s my Ty with his little sister, DeAna.
Ah yes, my Ty is a sweetheart, just like his namesake!
See the sweetness sparkle? Both Tys are a little older now!
So why the HOPE title?
Yesterday I heard the devastating news that my favorite student, Ty, has been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. It has metastasized. He needs our prayers. My heart is heavy, but I am a believer… and HOPE is what believers do, right?
Day before yesterday I posted this scripture:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 20:11
I know God has Ty tucked into the palm of His hand, just as He holds our world in His hand.
I know God is watching over Ty and his treatment process. But, won’t you add your prayers to mine? “Dear Lord, please give healing to Ty.”
After Ty & Roxanne left, they sent us a thank you gift for our hospitality. He created this cross for us. It hangs on my dining room wall as a constant reminder of my special student, Ty Stiles.
Notice the three bars? Ty said they represent the Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Please Heal Ty!!
Embrace Hope
“May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.”
Romans 15:13
The reign of Christ, both present and in the future, is our foundation of Hope.
Take Peace
“And in despair I bowed my head ‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will toward men.
Then peeled the bells more loud and deep – God is not dead, nor doeth He sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail – With peace on earth, good will toward men.”
I am grateful for you, dear WordPress friends. I pray your day was blessed indeed. Merry Christmas!
ZOOM 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?
This is Vissoie, Switzerland. Our daughter and son-in-law have a restaurant here. Isn’t it beautiful?
We missed our visit with them this year. We are not even able to go to California to celebrate Christmas with our son and his family there. I bet we are not alone. Many of you are missing your visits with your family this Christmas, too.
We’ll miss being with our son, Ty, and having my sister, Sally with us this year.
What are you missing?
Photo by Maximiliano Ignacio Pinilla Alvarado on Pexels.com
Like this sad looking dog, we can sit around and look all mopey. We can focus on what we’re missing. Or we can go to Ann Kaplow’s blog this morning, try focusing on the positive, and answer her question, “Can you find something to celebrate in today’s images?”
Celebrate the fact that even though we feel the darkness of this Coronavirus and the isolation caused by this pandemic, we also can experience the LIGHT! The Light still shines – and we can reflect it!
Focus on the Reason for the Season
Let us not focus On the things we are missing But on our blessings
Have a blessed first Sunday in Advent! It is a season of HOPE and ANTICIPATION. I pray your season be filled with love and generosity.
Do you have a child or grandchild in your family who would love to see this video explaining the meaning of Advent? If so, pass this along. It’s wonderfully kid friendly… and a good way to begin the season of gifts and giving.
Before I go, let me give a gift to you: The gift of music by Laura Story… The blessing of faith in the “what ifs” of life…
I’d love to see how you complete one or both of those sentences.
I have given them a lot of thought lately.
Write your sentence before you look below for what I wrote.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I’m alive for a reason. I’m alive because my number hasn’t come up yet! My purpose in life is – to love – to accept love gratefully, – to spread that love far and wide – and to help others seek the Source of that joyous, peace-filled love.
I don’t love because I expect love in return… (but that usually happens). I love because God first loved me, my parents loved me, and I have been blessed with family and friends who love me. My cup overflows… and I NEED to share it.
How did you finish the sentence?
I hope you had (have) a loving family too. My daddy was the world’s greatest hugger!
Have a great weekend. Live for your purpose! See ya tomorrow. Love, JanBeek
