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Embrace Expectant Waiting

Are you waiting expectantly for something?
Somewhere in time what you long for
Is out there for you … you just need to
EMBRACE EXPECTANT WAITING.

(I recommend you listen to that gorgeous
piano and orchestra as you read this blog.
“Somewhere in Time” – so beautifully played
From Maksim Mrvisa/Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

I have been waiting – trying to be patient –
This past nine months has felt a little like
The nine months of pregnancy:
Expectantly waiting for a new beginning!

But unlike the birth of a baby,
This wait has birthed for us
A new pastor for our church…
And now we have to wait.

Wait for the Presbytery to approve –
Wait for Mary Grace to check out of her college dorm
And check back into her home in Tennessee
And check out of there to drive here.

Meantime, as we wait expectantly,
God says, “Live in the now!
Every day is a new beginning.
Don’t waste today waiting for tomorrow.”

What are you looking forward to?
Are you waiting expectantly for retirement?
Are you planning a cruise or a vacation of some sort?
Are you anticipating a visit from special family members?

Our daughter, DeAna, who lives in Switzerland,
Is anticipating a trip to Turkey this September.
She bought herself a motorcycle so she can
Ride her own bike – not sit behind on her hubby’s.

I would not be looking forward to such a trip.
I’d be shaking in my boots! But Bob & I are
Eagerly anticipating a trip to England and then
On to Switzerland to spend time with De & family.

We also are expectantly waiting
For our trip to California next month.
We’re going there for my sister’s memorial –
We’ve waited half a year for this closure.

What are you expectantly waiting for?
It seems to me that life is more exciting
If you have something to look forward to.
Never stop dreaming about tomorrow’s joys!

While Mary Grace, our new pastor, was here last week,
The weather decided to rain and snow and blow.
It was mid-May for crying out loud! S’posed to be spring!
So we eagerly anticipated springtime’s return.

Yesterday when Mary Grace flew back to Virginia,
Montana was gray and cold – not looking like spring at all.
But today we had the most beautiful blue sky with
Puffy clouds and warm temperatures. Go figure!!

Our Madison Range was hidden behind grayness,
But today the gray lifted and beautiful snow-capped
Mountains emerged. That’s Jack Creek Canyon
And Fan Mountain out there. Come back, springtime!

Knowing I was missing the colors of spring,
My friend, Lisa, in North Carolina, sent me
Photos of her gorgeous roses in her garden.
I am expectantly waiting for our flowers now, too.

Romans 15:13

“May the God of hope fill you with
all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Because the future SOMETIMES (often) depends
On what you do today, look for the joy and hope around you.
Do whatever you can to make today the best it can be.
Don’t worry about tomorrow. Just live today with joyful expectation.

Romans 8:24-25

“For in this hope we were saved.
Now hope that is seen is not hope.
For who hopes for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it with patience.”

We waited for the pastor candidate we did not see.
We waited for the congregation to vote affirmatively.
And now we wait for our Mary Grace to return
And begin her spiritual leadership in our church.

It’s hard to wait with patience, but we are told
Like those beautiful roses that sprang from a plant
That was brown and leafless in the winter,
The blossom will bloom – and it’ll be worth the wait.

My mom often told me when I was
Eagerly, anxiously, anticipating something,
“Cross that bridge when you come to it!” Good advice!
Go back now to the top now… and watch that musical video.

The images are wonderful. This bridge is one of them.
“Edited video Leonidas” – magnificent!
Worth the wait!

Tell me, what are you
expectantly waiting for?

Thank you for taking time to visit JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, flowers, God, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, Montana, mountains, music, optimism, relationships, Travel

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Embrace Focus

While you are thanking God
for making you human,
giving you courage to try hard things,
helping you learn and grow and
understand the lessons life has for you,
don’t forget to count your blessings!

Goodness
Surrounds you.
You’ll find it
If you look thoughtfully –
Blessings!

Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God has done

If that is your focus,
You won’t have time to
See the other side of the coin!
You’ll be too busy giving back!!

We are blessed
To be a blessing.
Count your blessings
See what God has done!

Focus on what you have
Not what you wish you had!
Use your gifts for others
And watch them come back multiplied!

Plant the seeds in your garden carefully.
Make sure they are in rich, fertilized soil.
Keep your soul seeped in the encouraging
Words of scripture… and you’ll grow fruits of the spirit!

I am thankful for you,
Grateful for your presence in my life.
You’re the flowers in my life’s garden.
I feel blessed to have you visit JanBeek
Leaving encouraging comments.
Thank you!!

See you later.
Have a blessed day!

I’m off to church…
I’ll share my sermon notes later today.
Come on back!

Love, JanBeek

P.S. Did I tell you yesterday was my dad’s birthday? He would have been 110!!
One of my many blessings is having him for my earthly father.
Check out my blog from way back when –
when I posted a poem I wrote about my dad:

https://janbeek.blog/2018/06/16/memories-of-daddy/

Happy Birthday, Daddy!
I miss your hugs!

What tops your list of blessings?
What are you focusing on today?

Category:

blessings, Faith, Family, flowers, God, Gratitude, happiness, Love, mental health, music, optimism, Poetry, relationships, self-acceptance, self-esteem, Spiritual Gifts

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Embrace Uniqueness

Aren’t you totally amazed at how
The Creator made us each so unique?
No two fingerprints, no two zebra’s stripes
Are the same – – – just take a peek!

No two sets of eyes, not even twins
Have exactly the same DNA.
No two cats – and no two dogs
Are just the same – no matter what you say.

No two leaves – nor clouds in the sky
Are just like any other one.
How did God create such uniqueness
In this world beneath the sun?

No two ways of looking
At exactly the same motivation
will result in the same response –
Some see sadness others elation.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

It is our uniqueness that makes us
An interesting, diverse, beautiful world.
We fly our flags in different colors,
But in reality we’re all one world unfurled.

Let’s embrace our uniqueness
And celebrate how we see things differently
While remembering we are more alike
Than not… and we’re all designed magnificently!

I am grateful for the unique qualities
Of each bird and fish and friend –
And I thank God for His imagination –
For His Creation – that has no end.

There’s no one on earth like me;
No one in the whole world like you,
So embrace your uniqueness, my friend…
Share with others your point of view.

No one sees life quite like you do.
No one can paint or write as you do.
Let your expression of life splash out of you
And help others see the world anew.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart,
yet so that he cannot find out
what God has done from the beginning to the end.

Just as no pot created on the potter’s wheel
Ends up looking just like another pot,
And yet each is beautiful in its own way,
So each of us beautiful – no one is not!

Something beautiful, something good –
All my confusion He understood.
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife,
But He made something beautiful of my life.

Give your brokenness and strife to God.
Let Him make something beautiful in you.
Then share it – as only you can do –
So others can appreciate their uniqueness, too.

Use your unique qualities to make the world a better place.
Don’t judge others or turn them away because they’re different.
Embrace them. Love them. Appreciate the way they add color to your world.
Know God designed each of us intentionally … be reverent!

I love you, my friend.
Thank you for adding your uniqueness to my world.
See ya tomorrow.

Hugs,
JanBeek
(& Bob – my unique hubby)

Category:

Animals, Bible Lessons, friendship, God, learning, life, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, optimism, relationships, respect, self-acceptance, self-esteem

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Embrace Purpose

What is your purpose?
Has anyone asked you that question recently?
Have you asked it of yourself?

Another way to ask the question is:
What is my life’s goal?

When I asked my husband Bob, yesterday
He responded,
“To give God credit for everything.”

We talked about the difference between
Internal and external purposes.

Internally we live a life filed with gratitude to God.

Externally, how do we show or express it?

Bob responded,
“Accept your lot without complaints”
and
“Be His hands and feet –
Extending His Kingdom on Earth.”

Like these mountains,
Life and purpose have so many layers.

What is God’s purpose for me?

This is the prayer I pray
each morning before I leave
my sanctuary to begin my day in the world:

“Dear Lord,

Guide my feet in Your Way today.
Help me meet who You want me to meet.
Tell me what You want me to say,
And keep me out of Your way!

Help me be who You made me to be.
And teach me to be still
So I can know what You want me to do.
Help me walk in You Will.”

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

Romans 8:28

“And we know that for those who love God
all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to His purpose.”

In today’s These Days, Daily Devotions for Living by Faith,
the message resonated with me as I contemplate my purpose:

“I pray and ask God to give me the words I need.
The time to share is now so that everyone will know
the Love of God.

By speaking and writing about God’s love and glory,
we are passing this knowledge on to future generations.

Whether singing worship music,
reading devotionals aloud,
or writing about God,
I am given opportunities to
help the whole world
know and develop
a closer relationship with God.”

That’s my purpose!
Share the love, joy and peace
that are mine through Christ.

I want everyone to feel it!!

Father, please give me the words
to share so everyone will know you.

I LOVE this series of pencil drawings of Jesus with the children!

In my Mornings with Jesus devotional today,
the message fit this topic perfectly.
Cynthia Ruchti, wrote

“A recent project at our house has tested our mettle as a couple…”

She went on to explain how their old 1913 house is crooked.
Trying to “install straight, factory-squared windows into an opening
that is anything but perfectly square has been cause for…
discussion.”

“What a telling picture of the reasons Jesus was so adamant
that … the foundational layer of our souls
has to be built plumb and true,
more meticulously than anything that will come after.”

“Jesus said that JOY is foundational to our lives as Christ followers.
If joy is solid, anchored well, and secure because of our trust in His promises,
anything else we build on top of that will have much greater chance
of aligning with His purpose for us.

We won’t be ‘half a bubble off’ if His joy bubbles inside us.”

I aim to be inspired by
His Word,
His Life,
His Love,
His Gift of Grace,
and His Purpose
for my life.

(That’s the internal purpose)

Externally,
my purpose is to share that
love, joy, peace, faith and unity
that are mine…
with the hope that you
are inspired to share it, too!

Is anything in your house noticeably crooked?
When you pass that spot, don’t straighten it!
Look up!

Use it as a reminder of the importance
of building your life of faith on Jesus
and the meaning of the cross.
Jesus is plumb and true, and
by His death on the cross,
you are, too!!

What is your purpose?
What inspires you to live according to your purpose?

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, Gratitude, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, optimism, peace, prayer, Serving One Another

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Embrace ExpectationS

Yesterday I posted a question,
“What do you expect
When you hear Expectation?”
Today I added an S to the word.

What does that do to the meaning for you?
Derrick Knight responded yesterday saying,
“Expectation can sometimes be a touch optimistic.”
The picture of the pregnant gal shows such optimism to me.

She is probably more than “a touch” optimistic!

Expectation to me is personal.
It is what I am looking forward to – or not.
But the added S causes it to take on a different nuance.
“Expectations” often come from others in my mind.

In Luke 21:26, the expectation the men felt was the “or not.”

“… men fainting
from fear and the expectation
of the things which are coming upon the world;
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

But in Philippians, the expectation is that optimistic viewpoint Derrick was talking about:

Philippians 1:20
As it is my eager expectation and hope
that I will not be at all ashamed,
but that with full courage now as always
Christ will be honored in my body,
whether by life or by death.

Expectations from others can often produce stress. People sometimes put pressure on us to be more than we feel capable of being.

On the other hand, expectations can be motivating. Is someone expecting you to perform right now? Is that person an encourager, telling you, “You can do this! You’re strong enough… smart enough… capable enough”?

Embrace those expectations!
Believe those accolades.
Let that encouragement motivate you.
You are not given more than you can do…
… with God’s help!

I just listened to a podcast with Bob Goff interviewing Anne Lamott.
She touched on this topic of “given more than you can do.”
Quite interesting!
Her take is different, but equally as valid.
You may want to go and hear that podcast.
(I hope this link will take you there)
https://dreambigframework.com/podcast-1/326anne?utm_term=0_be8b3e9633-80b1855f1d-132966261

In yesterday’s Daily Word,
the word for March 30, 2021 was “Expectation.”
The statement at the top of the page was,

“Expectation keeps me passionate about my life.”

In the article expounding on the subject, the message emphasized was:

“Expectation keeps me in a state of gratitude…
I claim peace, prosperity, and joy in prayer.
I carry a confident expectation into my daily life.”

In the midst of this pandemic, with social distancing, mask-wearing, and the administration of vaccines becoming more and more politicized, it is sometimes difficult to follow the advice of that Daily Word message. Sometimes when the expectations of the world weigh us down, when dissension and divisiveness try to bury our joy, it is easy to fall into a dark mood.

So, the message today is to take those expectations
And color them brightly with the promises of Easter.
Remember that today marks the day that Jesus was
Honored with a flask of expensive perfume poured on him.

The disciples who were scornful were reminded
To keep their focus on the expectations of Christ:
He knew He would die, be buried, and rise again.
My expectation is to do the same – due to His sacrifice.

I am planted today with the expectation
That I will grow from the Sea of Expectations
To rise in encouragement and hope-
So that I can spread that optimism to others.

EMBRACE POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS

Have a Happy, Meaningful Holy Week.
Whatever you are being called to do,
believe you can, expect that you will.
Get on with it!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek

I expect to
See ya tomorrow!

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, happiness, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, mental health, optimism, peace, Poetry, relationships, self-esteem, Serving One Another

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Embrace Mornings

Begin your morning
By clicking on this music.
Play it while you read.

Gaither Instrumentals

“Let me hear in the morning
of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.”

(Psalm 143:8)

Begin each morning
Asking God for direction.
He’ll happily point.

His finger won’t trap
You in a dead-end pathway.
No traps with Jesus.

Start each of your days
By asking for direction.
Plan with the Son’s words.

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.”

(Lamentations 3:22-23)

Begin your morning
With a prayer list to follow.
Put your friends on it.

Let them know you care.
Reach out with a text or call.
Lift them each morning.

Psalm 143:8 NIV

8 Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way I should go,
for to You I entrust my life.

Back up to that music…
Scripture fades in and out
as the pictures and the music changes.
So beautiful!

Like the words up there,
Mornings come and mornings go.
Embrace your mornings.

Let them be a time
When you pray for God’s guidance
To live life fully.

Psalm 5:3 NIV

3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait expectantly.

Every morning, my friend Lisa and I exchange a prayer with/for one another Often it includes a photo of our morning scene. She lives on the east coast. Her sunrises usually differ from mine. Her sky beyond that iconic dead tree is full of life… full of promise for each new day. The lake beyond differs from my Madison Range here in my Montana morning.

Together we pray for one another… for God to guide us and grant us peace. I take such comfort in her prayers.

Do you have a prayer partner who lifts you up in prayer each morning? If not, I highly recommend you find one. Find a friend who will send you his/her sunrise. Enjoy beginning your day with a mutual prayer for love, joy, peace, health, happiness, and safety.

Turn your morning over to God and ask Him to guide your footsteps each day. Embrace Mornings. Embrace Prayer. Embrace Life.

Have a beautiful morning.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you!
Didja make that corned beef recipe I shared yesterday?
Mine’s in the crockpot.

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, friendship, God, Haiku, holidays, Jesus, Love, Montana, music, optimism, Poetry, prayer

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janbeek

Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for the ‘optimism’ Category

Embrace Expectant Waiting

Embrace Focus

Embrace Uniqueness

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Embrace ExpectationS

EMBRACE POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS

Embrace Mornings

Psalm 143:8 NIV

Psalm 5:3 NIV

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EMBRACE POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS

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Recent Posts

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You Are Loved!

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JanBeek

Love, Family, Living in God’s Family, Compassion, Judgment, Giving, Forgiveness, Generosity

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