Now, I don’t mean to offend those of you in cities who love living where there are bright lights, lots of traffic, big buildings, and crowds of people. BUT,
Give me one main street, cars I can count on my two hands, businesses who know customers by name, plentiful opportunities for building friendships as well as volunteering to help others, mountains in the background, and a river that runs through it… and I’ll be happy!
My favorite places to go in my little town? 1. Our independent version of McDonalds is “Sugar High” (It has great burgers and terrific huckleberry shakes) 2. The Manor Nursing Home (I love helping the residents there – it’s such a loving place) 3. The Madison Valley Library (We have a five star library… doesn’t get any better!) 4. Lion’s Club Park (The walking trail bordering the Madison River is divine)
In a little town like Ennis, you can see the stars at night. No bright lights to block out their beauty…
God will send you beauty In the skies and on the land Look for His surprises everywhere Many of them really are quite grand
It’s hunting season here in Montana So the deer and antelope are convinced If they come here to our yard They’re protected as if they’re fenced
Something good happened here today The doe and the buck stuck around I enjoyed their company – you would, too Shhh… don’t scare them. Don’t make a sound!
They see me; they hear my steps Off they go – but they’ll return Good things happen here You’re safe, my friends. Come and learn!
Happy October to you, my friends! May this month of changing colors Find you healthy, happy, and looking forward To the joy this season brings your way.
I decided today to look back at Some of past October’s joys. Fun to reminisce and search memories; Don’t you agree? Those colors add noise!
Trees of green turn and shout out red, Spreading their joy to all. May we, likewise, determine To spread our joy this fall.
These trees are near our home; Every fall they decorate the course Where golfers enjoy the coolness And we celebrate nature’s Source.
We may not be able this year To follow our friends up on trails Where the fall colors blaze; But we’ll follow along on all their details.
We’ll remember fondly our rides With friends who also had pups – Like our TazE (who’s in heaven now) – Their love filled our cups.
The plant outside my window Is reminding me daily of the cold That is right around the corner… The colorful changes never seem old.
“You observe days and months and seasons and years.”
Observe the blessings of the changing season Knowing every change Is for a very good reason.
Everywhere we look these days We see the signs of the changing season. It is a beautiful time of year – And we welcome it to breeze in!
We’d welcome you to breeze in, too. Come visit the 2Beeks in Montana state… Even on the coldest of days, we enjoy Sharing ice cream with you; It’s never too late!
Happy Autumn Hugs from JanBeek (and the ice cream loving Beekster)
It was a marvelous Montana morning. The sun wasn’t up yet, but the doves were. They cooed and wooed and greeted the day. I was happy to be up before the sun.
Note the puddle on the rock there. It rained a little last night. Everything is so fresh and green. Welcome to Terrific Tuesday!
As the sky brightened, so did my spirits. Looking at the purple mountain majesty, How could anyone not be happy here? Montana is such a beautiful place to be.
Good morning, sweet Montana sunrise. Thank you, Lord, for another day; A day to rejoice and be glad in it, A day to sing God’s praises….
Sing along with me and the children:
Have a Terrific Tuesday! How will you celebrate life today?
Well, it depends on how you’re looking at the word, huh? ASSet? Or maybe who you are and what you do?
If you are a gastroenterologist, (a GI doctor) like Dr. Gentry, who last Sunday performed Bob’s colonoscopy, then you’re looking for a clear anus!!
Oh my! TMI ?? Too much information!!
BUTT (oops!) BUT, hey, we just went through this weekend from hell… and if you’ve read my previous coupla blogs, you know what I mean. And maybe you are waiting for an update?
Bob received wonderful care at the Bozeman Deaconess Hospital. The nurse, Ann-Marie, was the reason he was smiling like this! She was as efficient as she was beautiful!
What’s a woman’s greatest asset? She was kind, caring, efficient, and professional. A real delight! Aren’t those the perfect qualities for a nurse? (Or any of us, for that matter!)
Let me digress for a minute, OK? While Bob was waiting and waiting for his procedure, (it was scheduled for 8:00 am and got bumped twice because of emergencies), I decided to go get something to eat. Neither Bob nor I had anything solid for about 48 hours!
I was sitting at the counter at Jam! (my favorite breakfast place in Bozeman) when the hostess seated a coupe next to me. I glanced up from the CA church service that was live-streaming on my cell phone and said, “Hi!” to the couple. Then I went back to listening to our son, Ty, who was delivering the sermon at his church in Placerville, California. (Isn’t modern technology wonderful?!)
That’s Ty with me – taken last summer… We’re so proud of his decision to pursue the ministry.
Anyway, I digressed… What I wanted to share with you was the way God worked miracles in our lives every time we turned around last weekend!
I was listening to Ty’s sermon when I heard the customer recently seated to my left say, “Hello, Mrs. Beekman.”
Surprised, I looked up… and I studied the handsome young man’s face. “Neighbor? Crowley?? Are you Cole?” I had not seen him in a coupe of years. He and his family live right across the road from us. He’s been away at college. What are the chances in a restaurant with 100+ people that Cole would be seated right next to me??
“When things happen in your Christian walk of faith and you say to yourself what a coincidence, you should know that it’s not, it is God’s hand in your life.”
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
Open your hands and your heart for God to fill them!
Cole and I chatted for a while, got caught up on what’s new with him and with us… and I went back to listening to Ty’s sermon on-line. Cole & his girlfriend said their good-byes with “Let me know if you need anything.”
When the sermon was over and it was time to get back to Bob before he went in for his procedure, guess what? I asked for the bill…
“That couple that was next to you paid for your breakfast!”
Every time I turned around, God was working His miracles through the generosity, kindness, professionalism, and compassion of others!!
See that latte pictured up there? Do you think it was a coincidence that a happy bee is floating on the top?
Remember, Bob is a retired beekeeper/almond farmer. No accident that they made my dirty chai latte with almond milk and God sent the bee here to say, “Hah! Here I am to remind you Bob is in good Hands! I’ve gotcha covered!”
I got back to the hospital in time to say a prayer with Bob before he was wheeled in.
It was only a short time when he was wheeled back to the room.
Shortly, the doc came in with the good news, “You have a beautiful anus for an 84 year old!” (See, there’s that asset I was telling you about) Only a GI doctor with 25,000 colonoscopies under his belt would be so observant, right?
“Everything is OK! Whatever was causing the bleeding (no doubt diverticulitis) has healed itself. No surgery needed. Eat more fiber. Drink more water.”
Bob was given his marching orders with instructions to follow-up in a week with his primary care doc here in Ennis.
But before they checked us out and sent us happily on our way, Bob was given solid food (ah, a turkey sandwich never tasted so goood!) We were sent home with grateful hearts. Praise the Lord!!
I believe in miracles. We just experienced more than one. Look for God’s miracles. Expect them. He is busy delivering them every day!
God bless you! Thank you for all your prayers. We love you. Bee well!!
Oh, by the way, what do you think is Man’s Best Asset?
I posted this two days ago… before I was bit by a nasty 24-hr. flu bug. Felt like I was hit by a diesel truck! My birthday “Flu By” yesterday. Today this blog sits in “Jet Pack” saying it wasn’t posted. I know it was… some of you responded. But, it’s not letting me respond to your comments. So, here it is again …maybe a little different; (JetPack didn’t keep my latest revisions… siiiiigh!)
I’ve discovered there are many more ways to lower your blood pressure than there are ways to raise it!
Those of you who read my last few blogs know I had a bout with increased blood pressure that went up to over 200/80. Dangerously high!
Well, it’s going down. Soon it’ll be back to normal. Besides meds, here are five ways I have found that are very helpful:
1. Relax. Stay in my pj’s and robe til noon.
2. Spend quiet time in a special spot. Pray. Read my Bible. Meditate on a favorite scripture or poem.
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
So many friends/family prayed for my health yesterday as the Flu Bug hit me like a diesel truck! God is good… He answered. Today I feel much better!
3. Latch on to your favorite friend and accept the invitation of other friends to go and do something fun together. (Thank God I got to do that before the diesel truck hit!)
4. Hug a dog … and the friends who brought the dog along while we all went out on their ATV, four-wheeling up into the mountains to a beautiful lake.
Off we go…
Beautiful scenes along the way…
Wonderful fields of wildflowers…
Gorgeous SureShot Lake
Zeke is such an intelligent, sweet dog! He loves riding in the canoe.
I rode in the canoe, too!! What a beautiful get-away! (Can’t get that picture to post here… You can just imagine it!)
Oh, and the fifth way to lower your blood pressure?
5. Get a good night’s sleep after enjoying a beautiful sunset.
Do you have some ideas for how to lower your blood pressure if it’s too high or how to keep it at a normal range?
Let me hear from you.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek I send my love and appreciation for you.
This prompt made me wonder about the ways we show our appreciation. Before I had a chance to get on my computer and augment the post, my dear friend, Peter, responded with a delightful answer. Ah yes, animals know best! Their wordless acts of appreciation tell the whole story! Which of these speaks most loudly to your heart?
We just said good-bye to our guests from Switzerland who stayed with us for a week. We did a lot of sharing with one another while they were here. But, even though each of us has had a lifetime of experiences in various fields (technology, social work, teaching, coaching, and beekeeping), none of us tried to come across as an authority on anything! What a turn-off that attitude would be!!
If you have the attitude that you have more knowledge than anybody else around you on a certain subject, and you speak with unabashed authority, I hope you’re being asked to do so, and you’re paid a lot for your opinion! I hope that knowledge gives you an opportunity to have authority with your authority! But…
… in my experience, the one who flaunts his authority (rather than living as an open-minded, humble, life-long learner) seldom finds life very satisfying. Tim McGraw spells it out pretty clearly in his song, “Always Stay Humble and Kind.” You can listen to it below.
Today’s prompt was: How do you express your gratitude?
Whenever I feel grateful Which is certainly most of the time I cheerfully, freely express it Often in cards I write in rhyme
I’m grateful for the animals That come and rest in our space But when they eat branches or flowers I shoo them off – give them chase!
I thank God for our sunsets That reflect on the mountains east The beauty of their presence Is for my eyes a heavenly feast!
I express to our sweet visitors Who came from Switzerland to here How much we enjoy their presence Creating memories so dear
Here they are on the Madison Fishing with Bob on the shore The peacefulness and the beauty, Made up for no catches, zero score
Our hostess was Fran, the musician Who entertained us with lunch and a song We thanked her with hugs and elation With such beauty, what could go wrong?
I thank God for USA’s freedom For the way we celebrate each year Parades, the rodeo, barbecues… what a crowd All came to see the bronc riders and to cheer
Our Swiss guest, Laszlo, really caught the mood Donning a cowboy hat, he weathered the rain He enjoyed all the cowboys and cowgirls Watched many get bucked off- lose the rein
Saskia smiled at the chance to be here Their first USA trip – They chose this Montana spot I’m expressing my gratitude for their visit And thanking God for perfect weather -not too hot!
Of course, you can count on huge crowds On Independence Day every year The parade is the main attraction Literally thousands come to view and to cheer
Horses are plentiful, some large, some small And the floats are the old fashioned type Throwing candy, waving flags, squirting water, They live up to all the hype!
The Bible says:
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”
1 Thessalonians 5:16 -18 (NIV)
If you’ve gotten out of the habit of being thankful, it’s time to get back into spiritual shape. Every morning, as soon as the alarm goes off (or you wake up on your own… this side of the grass), make a habit of thanking God for a new day — and ask Him for guidance as you embark on new victories and challenges in the hours ahead.
We began our day at the nursing home Grateful we could help the residents out Pushed them in their wheel chairs Where they could hear the crowds shout
We thanked Madison Valley Manor For placing a row of chairs at road’s side We had first class seating to view All the cars, horses, floats… want a ride?
Back home we were treated To our own neighborhood parade & song The neighbors’ grandkids rode their bikes “Happy Birthday, Uncle Sam!” Sing along!
How do you express your gratitude When you are overwhelmed with glee? I wish you could have been here To say Thanks to the kids with me!
Thank you for the daily prompt That encourages me to write I don’t get at it every day, but often… You inspire my muse’s light!
How do you express your gratitude To those who touch your heart I hope you do it daily & often – If not, now’s a good time to start!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek
(Happy Independence Day! and Happy Birthday to our pastor, Mary Grace Reynolds, 28 today! Hooray!)
I’m grateful for her presence in our lives! God bless you, MGR!!
