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Archive for the ‘Gratitude’ Category

Come Visit Us in Montana!


If I had space in my WordPress photo gallery, I would show you a series of photos of this place in Ennis, Montana where we are blessed to live. BUT, to add more photos, I have to erase older photos. The program tells me I am at 100% capacity! How does Derrick Knight manage to post so many beautiful photos of his garden on https://derrickjknight.com every day without running out of space? I need to discover his secret!

Meantime, what I did was put the photos on a Facebook post – and give you the link here so you can go there to see where we are inviting you to come visit. I hope you will/can check it out!

https://www.facebook.com/jan.beekman/

I’ll put one here as a teaser – hoping you’ll click that FB link and go see more, OK?

Bob & Jan love company… and now that my hand is better and I can be a hostess again, I hope you will consider a trip! We are just one hour from Yellowstone – and the entrance (nearest us) to the park is open now – and the road that takes you to Old Faithful is open, too… following those terrible floods a few weeks ago. Beekman B&B is full July 2-6, but after that, July is clear on our calendar!!

Our kitchen windows with the gorgeous lilac bush

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend. It’s our daughter’s 35th anniversary this weekend… DeDe, the one who lives in Switzerland. We look forward to visiting them in the end of August.

Meantime, my devotional today in “Mornings with Jesus” encouraged me to “Find a quiet place. Write down any problems that surround you. Thank Jesus for being bigger than those problems.” It is not hard to find a quiet place here… and it is easy to live gratefully for daily healing of my broken finger and hurting hand, and to thank God for the beauty of nature and the peacefulness of this place. Come see for yourself!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek

Tell me what you’re doing this lovely weekend…
See ya Monday (I’m taking a day off tomorrow)
Hugs,
Jan Beekman

Category:

blessings, blogging, Fishing, flowers, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, Love, Montana, mountains, peace, Travel, trees

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Patience & Tenacity


This title has been nagging at me
for the past few days.
Patience and Tenacity-
We all need them!

Impatience causes
Untold distresses for us.
Slow down. Breathe deeply.

Choose tenacity –
Hold tight to the task at hand –
Perseverance reaps rewards.

Healing progresses
On its own slow timetable –
Just like most progress.

Photo by icon0.com on Pexels.com

My hand’s not ready
To grasp yours firmly today.
It’s stiff and it’s sore.

But with some patience
And lots of tenacity,
That day is coming.

Photo by Swapnil Sharma on Pexels.com

Meantime, I can reach
With my strong dominant hand
And accept your help.

Tonight Bob & I had a wonderful dinner provided by our friends/neighbors. We had a lovely day made brighter by some sunshine and an ice cream treat to celebrate the good news: the pins are out – and my broken finger is healing in its socket perfectly! God is good!! Thank you for your prayers. I feel them!!

We went outside and took off our Montana winter jackets,
and enjoyed our ice cream in the soooo welcomed sunshine!

Yay!! We think summer
is thinking seriously
about staying around for awhile.

Patience, Jan!
Tenacity is the word of the day
for our prayers for warmer weather, too!

HOPE is the measure
of faith in His promises.
Hang in there, my friends!

Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold fast the confession
of our hope
without wavering
for He who promised
is faithful.”

Have a wonderful rest of your week.
Each day it will be easier for me to post.
Meantime – easy does it!
Stay in touch, please.

See ya later, alligator!


Love to you,
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Gratitude, Haiku, health, Life's Challenges, Love, Poetry, Promises

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Slow Down!


A beautiful, bright yellow, little bird found its demise this morning. Flying too fast, confused by reflections in our large kitchen window, it crashed into it. Sometimes birds who do that are just stunned, After lying on the ground a while, they get up and fly away. This one was not so fortunate.

There is a bird that looks just like this one
that is flying from tree to tree outside the kitchen window.
Obviously, it is looking for its buddy.
My heart goes out to the poor, lonesome one.

I am reminded as I see this little beauty of the lesson to be learned here:
SLOW DOWN
and
LOOK WHERE YOU’RE GOING!

If you’ve followed my blog this past month, you know I didn’t do that! I was walking too fast – and I was not watching where I was going. I caught my right shoe on the top of the (higher than normal) curb, and down I went! Fortunately, I caught the weight of my fall on my left pinky finger. Not my head or hip. Not my right hand. Not my face. It could have been so much worse. I have lots to be thankful for. But the message is clear. SLOW DOWN!

Photo by Song kaiyue on Pexels.com
Isaiah 40:31

But they who wait for the Lord 
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

But, if you run, make it be in a safe place to do so… and keep your eyes on the road ahead. And when you walk, be purposeful. Look ahead. Be alert. When you wait, wait patiently. Pray for guidance. Listen. Be discerning. Be obedient.

I’ve got time for slow dances in the kitchen now. The Lord said, “Rest. Ice that hand! Exercise those fingers. Go to your occupational therapy sessions, and skip all those other obligations for now. Wait!”

OK, Lord. I am listening.

Are you listening, my friend?

Slow down! And have a safe, sane, and happy Tuesday.

That picture is a reminder of another time a year or so ago
when I was walking too fast and not looking where I was going.

Oh my… not a very fast learner, am I??
S’pose I got the message this time?

Have you??

See ya later –
Love,
JanBeek

Looking forward to a healed, useful hand again!

Here’s a wonderful song (I had not heard it before) about that message of slowing down… so true!

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Bible Lessons, Faith, Family, Gratitude, health, learning, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, prayer, relationships

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Some Healing


We all have some wounds
Some are visible, some not
All need some healing

God teaches us in His Word
To maintain positivity
Expect and work toward healing

Session two of occupational therapy
Hand is swollen; bending is painful
Progress measures slowly

This too shall pass, my friends
Keep smiling; keep praying
Keep noticing some healing

18 day countdown
until the pins come out

Proverbs 17:22 (KJV)

“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine:
but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”

No pity party allowed!

Thank you for your healing prayers.
Time to go ice & elevate this hand.
What can you do to increase your healing?

See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Sending love your way.
Bee well!!
What specific healing prayer
can I offer for you?

Hugs, JanBeek




Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, Gratitude, health, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, optimism, prayer

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Pins and Casts


Yesterday was not a good day to post!

When the big cast came off, this is what I saw:

Does that make your stomach queasy? It did mine!
Those pins are criss-crossed over the little finger knuckle.
They are allowing the little finger to stay in its socket
while the broken pinky bone heals.
Poor crinkly hand!

But you don’t want those pins left exposed
if you are out and about, so…
a very capable hand therapist created
a color-coordinated, custom-fitted cast!
The red strips are Velcro so I can take this off.

Gotta keep smiling!

God is good! The bones are healing. Occupational therapy begins tomorrow. I can shower without a big plastic bag over my whole arm, hampering my ability to function. As i have said, ever since the fall and break on April 20th, “It could be worse!”

I continue to thank God that it wasn’t my right (dominant) hand. It wasn’t my head or arm or hip. It could have been much, much worse!

My Ukranian hummingbird

Don’t you pray daily for the people of Ukraine?
Don’t you thank God for your health, happiness, safety, and freedom?
Don’t you realize, as I do, that your troubles are minuscule
compared to those suffered by so many in the world?

What can we do to take the focus off our own
pins and casts
and remember what to do in tough times?

Look at #5 above.
What did I do to have some fun?
The hand therapist asked me,
as she was crafting my smaller cast,
“Would you like your Velcro black like the cast?”

I decided to have some fun.
Add a little color …
match my optimistic mood!

This finger will heal.
A lot of people are a lot worse off than I am!
PT will help me regain the use of these fingers.
Meantime, I can type with my right hand.
God hears my pleas and sends friends/family to help.

John 15:7
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Thanks for joining me today
and adding your prayers to mine.
I pray you will take heed and
“Slow down and watch where you’re going!”

God bless you and help you avoid pins and casts.
They’re no fun!

See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love, JanBeek

I’m glad this big one’s gone.

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, God, Gratitude, health, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, prayer, Serving One Another

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How’re You Aging?


Some people seem to have aged like fine wine.  I aged like milk…. I got sour and chunky.

Is 82 old? I’ve spent my life and my blogging career (over a decade now) denying “old” and encouraging vim & vigor!

Now, all of a sudden, as I nurse my bruised and broken left hand, try to type with one hand, and I struggle to cut my pain meds in half so I can welcome normal bowel movements again, I am feeling sour, chunky, and sorry for myself. Ever been there?

Photo by David Garrison on Pexels.com

I have blogged only once or twice in the weeks since my careless trip over the curb and my broken and dislocated left pinky. I try to make light of it.

But I challenge you: Tie your non-dominant hand to your waist. Make it inoperable/immobile. Then leave it like that for two weeks. Try taking a shower, washing your hair, changing the sheets on your bed, slicing meat for a stir-fry, putting on socks, or pulling up your pants. How’s it working?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Believe me, it’s worse than having a finger in a trap! The whole arm and hand are out of commission!
But… true to form, I find comfort in knowing it could be worse!

I drink a toast to the blessings! It coulda been worse! It coulda been the dominant hand or the head or a hip! It coulda been permanent damage. This, too, shall pass!!

So, after all, count your blessings, Jan; you had just gotten a manicure – and you didn’t even break a nail! Now I ask you, how lucky can you be?

Happy Cinco de Mayo came and went! Our granddaughter’s birthday came and went! Mother’s Day came and went! Neighbors and friends came and are still coming to help with meals and household chores. So, I’m smiling and grateful.

I’m aging pretty well! Don’t you think? How about you?

See ya tomorrow, God willing…
Have a Terrific Tuesday.
I send my love,
JanBeek

Guess what? Looking on the bright side and putting on a happy face is NOT the end of your generation!!

Category:

Aging Gracefully, blessings, contentment, Gratitude, happiness, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, music, optimism

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Cast Your Cares


I haven’t posted for a week. Have a Happy Cinco de Mayo! Just here for a quick catch up…

Today’s message in my on-line Guideposts devotional contains an unintentional pun. I’ve been told that the doc may cast this hand with the broken finger when I go in for my follow-up appointment next Wednesday. Meantime, it is wrapped like a mummy and the pain pills are an important part of keeping me from full agony. But they also have some unpleasant side effects that I won’t elaborate on…

Here is a screenshot from my iPhone:

Yes, cast my cares. Cast my hand. Rest in God’s Grace. These are important prescriptions.

Thank you for your prayers. God is good 👍🏽 If you read my blog a week ago, you know I misjudged the height of a curb, tripped, landed on the sidewalk with all my weight on my left hand, broke and dislocated the little finger. You know it could have been much worse. Coulda been the right hand. Coulda been the head or the hip. This left pinky finger will heal. I need to be patient, and faithful about elevating and icing it.

Before I go, though, I need to tell you: Love ya… Appreciate your expressed concern. So grateful for neighbors/friends who come with food and friendship. We are blessed indeed. Your kind words are a comfort. I’ve missed my WP blogging… but, it’s too hard with one hand. As the Guideposts message suggested, I need to let go my troubles, cast them aside, and rest in God’s grace.

Yup, this too shall pass.

Hugs, JanBeek

Category:

blessings, food, friendship, Gratitude, health, Life's Challenges, Love, prayer, Serving One Another

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Headed for Surgery


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…

Category:

friendship, Giving, Gratitude, health, kindness, Love, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

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Leaning


Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

In today’s culture
The message is to stand up –
Stand on your own feet.

This year’s word is STRENGTH.
My intent was to be strong;
Share vigor with you.

God has other views.
He keeps telling me to lean –
Giving me reasons –

Reasons to reach out
To Him for the strength I need.
Another today:

Surgery needed!

The orthopedist
Said my pinky’s not in place –
Needs a couple pins.

“Count on me,” he said.
“I will help you regain strength –
Full use of your hand.”

It’s scheduled Friday –
Surgery on my pinky.
Leaning on the doc.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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)

Category:

Bible Lessons, Family, friendship, Giving, God, Gratitude, Haiku, health, Life's Challenges, Love, music, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another

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Bee Comforted


Just as the bees in a hive look out for one another, our WordPress community reaches out and cares for one another. Thank you all for your words of support and comfort during this time of pain and loss. Your words are sweet as honey!

Your comforting words remind me of this scripture:

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
7 And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Not only did I present my request to God, but I told you, my friends, about our troubles: my fall and subsequent dislocated & broken finger, and our granddaughter’s miscarriage. From the goodness of your hearts, you reached out with words of encouragement. Thank you so much!

My hand is bruised and wrinkly – and the fingers are braced to keep the broken pinky immobile, but this will heal… and the good news is that it was my finger and not my head that took the brunt of the fall. I have an appointment next week with an orthopedic hand specialist. Hopefully no further intervention will be needed.

In the case of Hope and Drew (my granddaughter and her hubby), prayers are appreciated for their family as they move forward. Finding that she had lost the fetus, Hope’s comment was, “Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.” It was early in her pregnancy – and that’s a blessing. I think it is much harder when the baby is more developed, the sex is determined, and the parents are preparing their home and hearts for the new addition. In this case, they had not quite adjusted to the idea of a third child yet. So, we are just thanking God for the blessing of the two they already have… and praying for their well being.

I pray for more time to be with them, too… Children are such a blessing! God is good – especially when He allows us to live long enough to see our children’s children have children. Don’t you agree?

During this week following Holy Week, we still are in awe of the Easter miracle… and our minds are comforted by the resurrection message. We remember that this is the week when Jesus showed Himself to the disciples in the Upper Room. He returned to let Thomas touch His nail scarred hands and his pierced side. (I bet Jesus’ hands hurt more than mine does right now!)

He talked with His followers who were on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and was seen by hundreds before His ascension. Jesus’ words are a comfort to us all! Listen to them in song:

Bee Comforted!
Let not your heart be troubled.


In yesterday’s Mornings with Jesus
Dianne Neal Matthews wrote,
“Remember how Christ felt concern
for His disciples’ well-being
and sought to comfort them…
He paid a high price
so I can know supernatural peace
in all circumstances…
His soul was troubled
so mine doesn’t have to be,
regardless of what I face.”

I am thankful it was:

  • my left hand, not my dominant one
  • my finger, not my head that broke
  • early on in Hope’s pregnancy not the last trimester – and she’s OK
  • God’s concern for mankind that sent His Son to earth
  • His sacrifice that assures me of eternal life
  • your words of encouragement that comforted me

Thank you!!

Oh, and this is the day that my youngest granddaughter, Faith, who lives in CA with her husband and a new little girl, Mable, is celebrating her 26th birthday! Happy Birthday, Faith!! That’s another reason to be thankful, right?

Happy Birthday, Faith!!

Have a blessed weekend,
my friends. I send my love.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Thanks for visiting JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, children, Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, health, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, music, peace, relationships

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