There is more than one way to interpret the word “wait.” The photo above shows you a waitress who is “waiting” on a table.
Some waiting is defined by an expectation of something or someone to come… like a good friend.
Other waiting is short-term, self-imposed, self-defined… …. like waiting for your food to digest before that next meal or dessert after a huge Thanksgiving dinner!
Today is the first day of Advent. As a Christian, that means we have 40 days of waiting.
The season of Advent lasts through Christmas Eve. When Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday, it is the last or fourth Sunday of Advent. In Eastern Orthodox churches, which use the Julian calendar, Advent begins earlier, on November 15, and lasts 40 days, rather than 4 weeks.
40 days of waiting for the coming of the Christ Child … waiting for Christmas.
The word “Advent” stems from the Latin word adventus, which literally means “coming” or “arrival.” Our sermon at my church this morning dealt with this topic of waiting… waiting for that special arrival.
Pastor Mary Grace Reynolds spoke about a children’s book (I think it was a Dr. Seuss) that depicted a “waiting place” as a “useless place” but she encouraged us to view waiting differently.
She asked us what we do when we are waiting. Some people find something to read. Others play on their phones or engage in conversation with a friend. Some write letters or cards or they reach out to help a neighbor. Spend the waiting time productively.
I wrote this conclusion as I listened:
There is a lot we can do while we wait. Think about the good things we can do. Gracious God, help us make waiting useful. Let’s fill it with good things for me and You.
We can live during this time of waiting With love and hope in our heart. We have control over our actions. We can spread peace – today’s the day to start.
Ready? Begin!
Psalms 27:13-14 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. Have a wonderful season of Advent.
Love and hugs to you!
Make your waiting a time of love and compassion! Reach out today!
NanoPoblano2022 asked us to reblog an old post during this month of November. One a day. I’m going to try to do that.
I added this image to the 2012 post. Back then, I did not understand how to use WordPress to its greatest advantage with memes and images that enhanced the words. My purpose in blogging today remains the same a it was a decade ago: to encourage love, joy, peace, faith, and unity among my blogging friends and to inspire us all to live a happier, more purpose-filled life.
My 2012 post:
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“My confession, admission, and plea to God today is this:
None of us lives to just self alone; Each of us lives for the other. Whatever we do, be it rosy or blue, Reflects on our sister and brother.
None of us sits on the judgment seat. We’re not assigned to decide If someone’s dull or bright, wrong or right, Sending them to a corner to hide.
None of us lives a faultless life, Though we try our utmost to seek The humble hill to fulfill Your will In our deeds and the words we speak.
We stumble and fall and fail to be Examples of the upright and strong. Try as we may, we know that someday We’ll have to account for each wrong.
We’ll each have to stand before Your judgment seat And review how we’ve spent every minute. So, Lord, help us give every day that we live All the love and the grace You put in it.
Help us to generously welcome all To be part of whatever we do. None of us lives to ourselves alone; We always reflect on You.
The joy that’s comin’ Is here if you’re hummin’ Git yer guitar and start strummin’ Yer smile’s quite becommin’
I found the beauty today In weeds I saw along the way. Many folks would probably say Pull ’em out – or douse ’em with spray!
Joy is a part o’ yer make-up. It’s inside ya ready to take up Residence and cause a shake-up; So smile and light yer face up!
And a joyful face is good medicine fir others!
Just let yer heart glow With the joy that ya know Is inside; Let it show! Let yer love flow.
Luke 8:16
A Lamp on a Stand
16 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.”
I let my light shine. It’s part of my design. Lips aren’t a straight line – They should curve up real fine!
Smilin’ makes ya feel better; So, my friends, be a trend setter! Turn off sorrow; don’t be a fretter. You look so much better when you SMILE!
Let yer joy be real clear. Share it with those you hold dear. Give it to those far and near Who need your brand of cheer.
Picture it radiating And wiping out all hating. Picture it pulsating And erasing what’s frustrating.
Yup, this bears repeating:
Joy is a part o’ your make-up. It’s inside ya ready to take up Residence and cause a shake-up; So smile and light yer face up!
Today in church, the choir taught the congregation a new hymn. At least it was new to us. About verse three, the congregation couldn’t hold – they had to (simply HAD to) join in… and the message resonated with everyone there.
I was reminded of the slogan at Bloom in the Desert where we attended several different Januarys when we vacationed near Palm Springs, CA: “We welcome all who welcome all.”
Wouldn’t it be grand if all people could exhibit that level of inclusivity?
Aren’t those lyrics wonderful? Did you find yourself singing along?
Hallelujah! Love is grown in this place! I am so happy to worship in a place where “All Are Welcome.” I just wish we could cultivate more diversity in our little corner of Montana. We came from California 15 years ago. Our community in CA was made up of people from many ethnicities. I miss that! Montana does have a large Native American population, though. I wish more of them would move into southwest Montana!
Meet a couple of very talented brothers:
What can we – as diversity-loving citizens – do to encourage more of that “We Welcome All” attitude in our world?
Share some ideas with me.
Big hugs to you. Have a beautiful Sunday.
Cheers! Left hand is gaining flexibility and strength every day. Thanks for your prayers. Keep smiling!!
I send my love to you. See you tomorrow (God willing) Love, JanBeek
Thank you, my friends, for your love and supportive prayers and comments. Bob & I are headed in to Bozeman now for my surgery on this dislocated and broken finger.
It snowed a lot in a circular radius around us, so we’ll have icy roads up & over Norris Pass and a lot of snow in Bozeman when we get there. Prayers for safe travels appreciated.
My surgery is to realign this little finger and put a couple of pins in the finger to keep it in place going forward. Prayers for the surgeon’s steady hands and skill appreciated. And for my pain tolerance, please.
Dear friends are bringing us our dinner for tonight. Praise God for His loving servants who reach out to others in their need. We are so grateful!
I probably will not blog for a couple of days. You understand.
See you when I can. Sending love and appreciation.
Hugs, JanBeek
Please send continued prayers for those who need it so much more than I do…
God gives us doctors When we cannot heal ourselves. He says, “Lean on them.”
God gives us neighbors When we need acts of kindness. He says, “Bee grateful!”
Our Savior saves us When we cannot save ourselves. He says, “Lean on Me!”
I may have to learn To accept strength from others – Can’t be strong alone!
Single-handedly, I feel slightly “hand”icapped. God says, “Lean on me!”
Have you ever felt Too weak to accomplish all You have on your plate?
Who did you lean on?
Sometimes when we ask God for the strength that we need, He sends us earth angels.
My neighbor, a retired nurse who lives in CA part of the year, just texted. She asked about my hand. When I told her about the upcoming surgery, she wrote, “We will be there to help and if you have any questions, we know stuff :o)”
See … earth angel on her way! And her husband is a brilliant physiologist. He’s part of the “we” she’s talking about! Yup, they “know stuff.” Hah! It will be comforting and helpful to have them back in the “hood.” Just in time! God is good … all the time!
When Our Daily Bread posted on this subject, it wrote:
“We may not be able to touch Jesus physically, but we can entrust the weightiest circumstances of our lives to Him. He said, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.’ (Matt. 11:28).
How blessed we are to have a Savior whom we can trust to be faithful through every circumstance of our lives!
Are you ‘leaning’ on Him today?”
I am leaning on Jesus, and I am Leaning on Bob, too! He’s an earth angel God sent to me.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek See ya tomorrow (God willing)
And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
Our dear neighbor, Scott, came by today. He brought his shovel and gave us his all! All the energy he had stored up he poured out!
Our front porch was buried in snow. Our TazE’s exit from the kitchen door was blocked with over a foot of snow. The sidewalk approaching our house was covered with over 2 feet of snow that the wind had blown as a drift yesterday.
When Scott left, the porch and entry were cleared. The sidewalk is passable, so UPS and FedEx can deliver the package we are expecting today. And TazE was able to go out and do her business. Hooray!
The robins who were hovering under the patio chairs yesterday are dancing in the trees today. The sun is out – melting the snow that had clung to the branches.
Happy Holy Week, my friends. Scott gave us his all! He was exhausted when he finished. God bless him!
Jesus gave His all! How much energy – how many coins – are we willing to give?
I send my love to you, my friends. Have a Wonderful Wednesday! See ya tomorrow … Maundy Thursday… Hugs, JanBeek
Today we received a thank you letter from Intermountain. We get a personalized letter from them every month. The letter provides a great source of encouragement. It motivates us to continue to give gladly because we know it is received and used meaningfully.
Intermountain Development
Our gift to Intermountain is a small donation. I have it taken out automatically from my monthly retirement income. I don’t even miss it… but I know it is pooled with other small gifts and together, they matter. Intermountain helps hundreds of children increase their mental health.
The thank you letter we receive each month lets us know our gift was received, and it tells us, “Your support, combined with the tireless efforts of our direct care staff, provides transformative outcomes in the lives of the children we serve.” Thanks! We believe it!
The academic and counseling programs at Intermountain, the recreational opportunities and clinical integrity are superb. We are encouraged to continue to support their efforts and to spread the word so others are encouraged to donate to them also. They are an excellent Montana-based 501(c) organization Check out their school, cottages, counseling, and community outreach programs at intermountain.org
How do you choose to share encouragement?
Donations are one way – but there are so many others: cards, letters, phone calls, texts, e-mails, home visits, hugs, volunteering time, you name it …
We all need encouragement, you know.
Choose ways to be an encourager!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek See ya tomorrow (God willing)
As often happens to me, I read the first devotional this morning in Daily Guideposts, and I was inspired to choose the word for my blog today. EQUIPPED!
Then when I opened the next devotional, “All God’s Creatures,” the March/April Daily Devotions for Animal Lovers, and the word “equipped” showed up twice on that page.
What are the chances, you ask? Pretty good batting average, I’d say. There it was again:
Ephesians 2:10 (a)
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”
The story in “All God’s Creatures” was about a woodpecker who was “beautifully equipped for his unique purpose in life…” as he aggravated the writer with his incessant tapping on the tree trunk outside his window.
The writer, Terry Clifton, mused that he, too, is “a result of God’s handiwork – equipped with talents and skills that have meaning and purpose for [his] life.”
What has God equipped you with? What unique gifts and talents do you possess that allow you to let God’s workmanship shine through you to fulfill His purpose in your life?
On the Daily Guideposts’ page for today Jerusha Agen wrote, “All I have to do is walk with God through each day, confident He will provide all I need to accomplish His work.”
Heart made of sand
It all sounds so theoretical, doesn’t it? About as solid as that sand in the hand. But, what scripture is telling us is that our hearts are not made to be solid.
We are not expected to look at tasks from our earthly perspective. Tasks are formed for us beforehand by our Maker in Heaven.
Don’t eliminate the second part of the Ephesians 2:10 scripture: “…which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
