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Archive for the ‘optimism’ Category

Dec. 13 Word of the Day

Happy Friday the 13th to you!
Using the prompts from @sanctifiedart,
I am enjoying the opportunity to share
the “Words for the Beginning”
each day with you during this Advent season.


Today’s Word is:

When I put the prompt in AI, it generated the word above.
What image would you display if you were depicting enough?
Here is my choice:

Bob Perks wrote that poem
Unfortunately, he often doesn’t get credit for it.
He has a book by the same title,
but it is no longer in print.
I love this poem… and Bob Perks!

Several others have used his theme
and written their own “Enough” poems.
Here is another.

This poem was posted on New Years Eve 2013
Posted by blogger, Doina , at 11:11 PM 

I want to join the bloggers who are wishing you enough.
May you live with a sense of “Enough” by:
1. Counting your blessings
2. Knowing you have more than 99.9% of all the folks on earth
3. Focusing on your can’s, not your can’ts
4. Appreciating your HAVEs and not worrying about the HAVE NOTs
5. Reaching out in love to those who have less
6. Prioritizing your needs – and allowing your faith to guide you

My office used to look a little like this:

Obviously I had more than enough “stuff.”
Getting rid of the excess,
Clearing out the clutter
Helped me receive that sense of ENOUGH.

My desk will never look as clean as these:

If I had to maintain that level of cleanliness,
I would be fired in a nano-second!
So, there is a middle ground on this sense of “enough.”
God does bless us with “stuff.” It’s not all bad.
But the key is moderation, don’t you think?

Share what you have. Reach out to those without.
God will bless your generosity.
Ask for what you need. That’s okay!!
And remember, YOU are enough, too!!

If you have “enough,”
make your requests
on behalf of others’ needs!

God bless you, dear blogging friends.
May this be a day of “Enoughness” for you.
Friday the 13th can be your lucky day!

See ya tomorrow
with another
“Word of the Day.”

Love,
JanBeek

Giving Thanks

“Giving thanks always and for everything
to God the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Eph. 5:20

In today’s devotional, “Mornings with Jesus,”
Isabella Campolattaro wrote about her son, Isaac.
She said he “embodies an attitude of gratitude.”

I want to do that!

Isabella wrote, “My gratitude is practiced and deliberate.”

In contrast her son, Isaac’s, is not!
He just “accepts and enjoys what is
without questioning, comparing, assessing, or projecting.”

I want to be more like Isaac. How about you?

Let’s live with that attitude of receiving all our many blessings
as “good” and “plenty”
and give back out of our abundance.

You with me?

Have a blessed week, my friends.

Love,
JanBeek

Prioritize

Today’s prompt asked me about my #1 priority for tomorrow. Why tomorrow? I need to live today first. Take each day as it comes! Carpe’ Diem!!

Daily writing prompt
What’s your #1 priority tomorrow?

Ann Kaplow posted a blog today on the subject of aging.

Day 4288: Age

In her blog she wrote, “Age is a topic that adults of different ages often talk about in my therapy groups. We have so many preconceptions and judgments about age. For example, women aren’t supposed to share their age. Why not? I’m proud that I’ve reached the age of 71.”

She posted many quotes about aging. They got me thinking about that topic and how it relates to today’s prompt. Prioritize tomorrow? What about today? You’re one day older… How do you feel about it?

Do you look in the mirror and count your wrinkles?
Or do you wink at the mirror and thank God for another day?

I commented about aging on Ann’s blog. This is what I wrote:

“Aging is a gift not all humans are given. It’s a privilege to age along side my 85-year-old hubby. I’m only six months behind him. We will celebrate our 63rd anniversary this February (and there were nay-sayers who said it wouldn’t last!). I can honestly say we love one another more now than we did the day we were married. It’s a well worn, comfortable, endearing, respectful love. If you are given the gift of aging, unwrap it, flaunt it, appreciate each day, share your gained wisdom, and thank God for each sunrise-sunset. Life is a gift!”

The Lord promises His continued love and concern for the elderly. “I will be your God throughout your lifetime — until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you (Isaiah 46:4)

Thank God for this new day.
What is your number one priority for today?
Carpe’ Diem!

God bless you!
Love,
JanBeek

Hard Work

In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?

Hah! Hard work? How about YOU do that? I just wanna enjoy my retirement!

Maybe work on some creative project … but not too hard!

Enjoy the way cooling temperatures bring an early autumn, and…

smile with little Oliver because his twin, Noah, is coming home from the hospital today. His mom gave birth a week or so ago to two little angels – each nearly 8 lbs. – now, that’s hard work!!

Here’s Noah. Pray for him. Pray hard. He’s been having seizures. Pray for his complete health and happy future.

That’s Oliver, smiling because you’re hard at work praying for his brother!

God hears us. He cares. He answers prayer. Keep on praying. 🙏🏽

Are you hard at work praying? That makes me feel fulfilled: to encourage others and to help us all keep the faith. Yes! God bless you. Have a fulfilling day!

Noah & I thank you!

Love, JanBeek

Wake Up, Muse!

My muse has been asleep
My muse has been absent
I’ve been in a funk
My muse just up and went

Ever since my pup died
I can’t seem to get inspired
In all the world’s turmoil
I think my muse expired

But then I looked around
To see how I am blessed
I told my weary self that
This is just a test

He’s my Muse!

Ah-hah! He never left me
It was I who strayed away
Return to Faith’s assurance
And “Bee a Light” today!

I looked back at days gone by
To a time when I felt fine
And found a helpful poem
I’m adopting today as mine.

It was inspired by His Word
I read the Bible every day
Now I must remember to apply
The Words God has to say!

2 Corinthians 4:6 a

For it is God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness…”

I Can Let My Light Shine
(Written in December 2023)

In a world filled with war and hate
I can shine a light of love from me
In a world filled with animosity and division
I can shine a light of unity

In a world filled with hopelessness and despair
I can lift the lamp of hopefulness
In a world filled with fear and worry
I can shine the joy of faithfulness

I can “bee” a light in the darkness
Because the love of Christ shines through
The grim shadows of despair
And that Light also is in you

As a wonderful God-created child
You are part of a magnificent whole
So let that Spirit buried in you
Shine forth from your blessed soul

Your light shines from the Creator
Just as mine sparkles brightly, too
So fill this world with the light of love
Let’s let love’s light shine from me and you!

Amen

My Muse is alive and well.
God Bless You!
Yours is, too!!
Let it shine!!!

Love,
JanBeek

Notable Things

Each day’s notable
And so it pays to take note
Live life on the edge

Life’s an adventure
Live on “Edge of Adventure”
This day won’t come twice

Daily writing prompt
What notable things happened today?

That’s our ATV
She’s “Lucille” and she’s a “Ball”
Time to let her go

Today we sold her
We found a wonderful home
Know she will be loved

We had lots of fun
With Lucille, TazE, and friends
Hate to see that end

Lucille and TazE
Our previous Boston pup
Were great companions

But, time to let go
Life moves on and so must we
Owen never rode

Our sweet pup we lost
So tragically this last week
Never rode Lucille

Notably we learned
Some things are not meant to be
And so we’ll move on

You move on or die
Do not let yourself get stuck
Life is too precious

Our hearts are healing
Every day the pain lessens
So, take note of that

You are blessed!

What notable thing happened to you today?

Love to you,
JanBeek

Whatever is Lovely

“Whatever is lovely… think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

The castle above Sierre, Switzerland = LOVELY!

Family time = LOVELY!!

Tania, Mike & DeDe with our #7 great-grandchild= LOVELY !
Morning in Sierre= LOVELY!
Lovely!

And cookies baked by DeDe – Mmmmm!!

Church bells announcing the hour & half hour all day long. Yay!

The view from our balcony

Beautiful!

Time with Ethan & his daddy = precious!
Reading & relaxing in Grandmaman’s kitchen = Beautiful family!
Dinner with De & André= Excellent!

Yes, think on these things!

What is lovely in your day today??

Hugs from JanBeek

Keep Hope Alive

If you have followed my blog in the past, you know I used to post sermon notes every Sunday afternoon. I’ve not done that for a while. Today I decided, on a snowy May 23rd in SW Montana, that I have nothing better to do than to share with you my notes from last Sunday’s sermon… because with winter weather in late May, I need encouragement to “Keep Hope Alive”… and I thought maybe you could use a little encouragement, too. So here’s what Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds preached last Sunday (as filtered through my ears to my brain to you)…

Sunday’s sermon on hope was inspired (not by Jeremiah 29:11 which is one of my favorite scriptures) but by Romans 8:22-27.

Romans 8:22-27
New International Version

22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

(Bold print added by me)

Paul wrote this a couple of decades
After Christ descended and ascended.
Paul addressed the anxiety of
Those who questioned Christ’s return.

We who have the First Fruits of the Spirit
Are saved by the HOPE of what we do not see.
God, who searches our hearts, knows…
God knows our every mood and emotion.

And with that scripture in mind, Mary Grace shared her sermon. Here are my notes:

KEEP HOPE ALIVE

Calvin Coolidge’s young son
Passed away because of a toe infection.
It was over 100 years ago –
Before the discovery of penicillin.

Today we have the promise of
A new vaccine to retrain cells
Of a brain tumor to attack the tumor.
The narrative of lives is being changed.

People who walked with Jesus
Had interpreted Him as saying,
“I’ll be right back…”
But Jesus was taking too long!

Paul wrote to tell the early Christians,
Who had been given the Holy Spirit,
To be patient … and keep HOPE alive.
Maybe Hope isn’t a whisper, but a shout!

Hope is more active than faith.
It is a fighter and a screamer.
The world is groaning, crying out in pain,
And people who’ve been stepped on must also.

Don’t accept the pain life throws at you.
Cry out in pain. Bark as a threatened dog.
Hope is harder to lose than faith
Because it is louder… and persistent.

We hope for things beyond our reality.
Hope gives us the strength to wait –
To be cheerleaders who, with discipline,
Keep HOPE (through the Holy Spirit) alive.

Hope feels like pain, burns like passion
When we see all the world’s injustices.
But HOPE is alive and will not give up.
Keep it alive in you. Expect its miracles!

I love this meme!

Keep hope alive!
If you have time, go to YouTube
and select one of the renditions of
“It Took a Miracle”…
and absorb those words.
So profound!
(For whatever reason,
I couldn’t imbed that song here.)
I love it…

moon in wonderful blue sky in evening
It Took a Miracle

To hang on to HOPE in a fallen world may take a miracle…
But that miracle is yours for the taking.
Take HOPE
And keep it alive!
Amen?

That’s my granddaughter, Hope, with me…
and her daughter, Sienna,
my great-granddaughter, who will be 5 next month,
and our last Boston Terrier, TazE.
HOPE is alive and well in our family.
How about yours?

Love to you,
JanBeek

Befuddled

I am befuddled,
Baffled and feeling dreary.
Nothing can help me!

Except some sunshine
Or a good heavy rainfall –
Anything but gray.

Gray, cloudy, and cold:
Recipes for feeling blue.
How do these treat you?

Photo by Swapnil Sharma on Pexels.com

Reach beyond the gray
Rest assured the sun’s up there
Even if eclipsed!

Sending love your way.
Even from my gloomy day
I can find beauty!

Hugs,
JanBeek

Take & Spread Joy!

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit
you may abound in hope.”

– Romans 15:13

One of the devotionals I read every day is from “The Upper Room,” a book of daily devotionals printed every other month, and a gift many churches provide for their members and guests. In today’s message, the topic was “Words of Love.”

I can think of no better way to “Take & Spread Joy” than to speak and read and hear WORDS OF LOVE. How about you?

“Pleasant words are like honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul
and health to the body.”

Proverbs 16:24

In the Upper Room,
the thought for today is:
“With God’s help,
I will speak words
that build others up.”

The Upper Room devotional reminded me that
“Words carry weight.
How we use them
deeply impacts
the people around us.”

But, I am aware that my words
also deeply impact me!
I can speak words of love to myself…
or I can speak disparaging words
that discourage me!

The devotional ended with this prayer:
“Loving God,
we pray that You

will empower us
to speak love and life
to those around us.
Give us compassionate
and encouraging words.”

My word for 2024, some of you may recall, is the acronym SIFT.
The T stands for “Take time to think” (and pray) before I speak or act.
I carry that “T” thought with me every day.
And I hope you, too, will be inspired to
use compassionate and encouraging words
directed at yourself as well as others.

Your caring and thoughtful words
will lift your spirits
as they lift the hearts of all you meet.


Take and spread joy!

Love to you,
JanBeek