Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for the ‘Jesus’ Category

Power Up!

lighted incandescent bulb
Photo by Gursharndeep Singh on Pexels.com

You have access to all the power you need
You just gotta be sure to plug in
Connect to the source of your power
It’s available to you even if you’re shut in

crashing waves
Photo by Ray Bilcliff on Pexels.com

Like a mighty wave or hurricane
Power can evoke awe or cause destruction
What’s the source of your power?
There’s a ready source… what’s your deduction?

I bet you know where I’m going
With this line of reasoning.
Yup, the power I have in mind
Is filled with the best spiritual seasoning!

baptism of jesus christ stained glass
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

“And they were filled with the Holy Spirit…”

Acts 2:4

In yesterday’s
Mornings With Jesus devotional
comments by Karen Sargent,
she shared an experience she had with power cords.
She was preparing for a presentation
using various technology.
Thinking she might need an extension cord,
she added it to her equipment.
However, after setting everything up,
she realized she didn’t have
the part she needed.
Sargent wrote,

“… There was a problem. In one hand I held a three-prong plug on my laptop cord. In the other, a two-prong plugin. I checked the projector cord. Three prongs. Without the ability to tap into the electrical source… my technology was useless. I couldn’t power up.”

white power bank and blue coated wires
Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com

Sargent extrapolated, “That wasn’t the first time I’d failed to tap into a power source. Sometimes I function on two-prong faith. I know Jesus can do anything… And through Christ who strengthens me, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13). But how often do I connect to the power of the Holy Spirit, the mighty third prong?”

Karen Sargent’s message spoke to me.
Yesterday friends helped us install
Our Christmas tree here at home –
Tucked in along the north-east wall.

We plugged the lights in after
A lot of struggle to assemble it.
Look closely at the lights there
A section is missing … do I resemble it?

Do I lack a portion of my power
Because I’m not plugged in totally?
The message hit me with a jolt.
It fit my plight anecdotally!

photography of red string lights hanging on green trees
Photo by Irina Iriser on Pexels.com

Karen Sargent ended her reflections with these thoughts:

“After His resurrection,
Jesus breathed on the disciples
and said, ‘Receive ye the Holy Spirit’
(John 20:22).
But it wasn’t until Jesus ascended into heaven
that the Holy Spirit empowered them.
Unlike that useless extension cord…
the ultimate power source,
The Holy Spirit,
is always on hand.”

close up photo of black cable head
Photo by Los Muertos Crew on Pexels.com

What stops you from plugging in?

Sargent invited her readers to
“Ask Jesus to reveal what being empowered
by the Holy Spirit would look like in your life.”


Enjoy the most awe-inspiring
Christmas season ever
as you fill yourself with
the Holy Spirit.

And let Him provide you with the
strength you need to reach out
in love to all those you connect with.


Power Up, my friends!

Love & Blessing to you,
and hugs from
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Christmas, Faith, God, holidays, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, optimism, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another

Tagged with:

Just “Bee”

It’s okay to “Bee”
Just “bee” without any fret
Just “bee” contented

Release any pain
Let go all uncertainty
Turn over the keys

Relaxing is hard
Whence comes the ability
To just simply “bee”?

Psalm 42: 5-11

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.

9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”

10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”

11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

To “Just bee” in peace
Gratefully receive God’s good
Live life without lack

Gratefully receive
The grace God is giving you
To see your blessings

“Just a little more”
Is not the way to JUST BEE
Praise God for your gifts

The real truth is
We have more than enough
To live gratefully

young woman sitting in apartment on second level with plants
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

Take a look around
You might just be overwhelmed
When you really see

See all your blessings
We are so much better off
Than most other folks

houses near concrete road
man pouring water from dipper on blue and grey house
gray scale photography of man wearing long sleeve shirt
photo of a homeless man sleeping near a cardboard sign

Let Us Pray
(from In Touch devotional by Charles Stanley)

God, it is easy to focus on that is wrong in my life
rather than what is right.

I find myself overwhelmed
by all the injustice, pain, and division in the world.

Forgive me for the times I’ve chosen to feed negativity,
to spread hopelessness among my friends and family.

But I’m not alone in my grief,
You are heartbroken by these things, too.

So Lord, I pray for Your guidance in sorrow.

I want to lament all that is wrong –
without being consumed by it.

Teach me to balance grief
with the assurance of Your love.

May my heartbreak, empathy, and faith
play a role in Your healing of the world.

Amen

So, let us just “bee”
Bee friends; Reach out to others
Live life without lack

We’ve more than enough
Of God’s love and compassion
Jesus gave it all!

Like a honeybee
Let’s distribute what we have
To make life better…

for everyone!
Let it “Bee”


To just make your world
“bee” a better place today,
What can you just give?

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, Giving, God, Gratitude, Haiku, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, optimism, Poetry, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

Tagged with:

Lost: Triumphant Scars

One should not lose sleep over lost blogs, right?
But here I am … sleepless in Montana … feeling very disgruntled.
I wrote this blog titled “Triumphant Scars” and posted it, but then I received a notice that the draft was not posted. I knew I had finished and posted it… and many of you dear readers left lovely comments.
So, I deleted the unfinished draft. Figured I didn’t need it.

Well, my friends, if you have both JetPack and WordPress, BEWARE!!

JetPack did not acknowledge the completed post, and when I erased the draft, I lost the post.
Does that make sense? No!!
Below is all that is left of my carefully crafted post about Eli and his “Triumphant Scars.“

…He showed them [scars on] His hands and sides.
Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”

John 20:20

X

X

X

Those x’s are what I put in to save room for text when I went from my phone (where I started the post because that’s where the pictures were) to my laptop where I completed the entry. I used lovely illustrations of why Eli’s scars (and yours and mine, too) are triumphant by quoting a very thoughtful and inspiring commentary in Guideposts “Mornings With Jesus.”

The bottom line: Jesus’ scars on his hands, feet and sides are proof of healing. His death and resurrection allows us, His followers, to be healed of our sins and look forward to eternity. Our scars, both the visible and the invisible ones, are proof of our healing, too. They are Triumphant Scars. That was the message.

Alas, I discovered when I deleted the draft in JetPack, I also deleted my finished post and the only thing I could retrieve in “Trash” was what you see above, the scripture, the photos and the x’s. Do any of you dear readers have any advice for me? I am so disgruntled that I’ve taken a break from blogging since then. Did you miss me? I need to get out of this funk.

Th good news is: Eli is home and recuperating from his surgery. His mom & dad and three sisters are in my daily prayers along with his grandma, Donna (whose blog, “The Father’s Feet” is where I met Eli). I hope you are continuing to pray for Eli, too.

This has been a miserable way to learn “Do Not Delete it when JetPack says your published WordPress post is still in draft form.” I’ve gotta get outta this funk and back to my positive self spreading love, joy, peace, faith and unity on JanBeek. And I’ve gotta get some sleep. This is no way to live.

Grrrrr!

I’ll be OK.

Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blogging, children, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, writing

Tagged with:

Feeling Uncomfortable?

Why did my Bible study this morning suggest
it’s not just OK,
but advisable
that sometimes we feel uncomfortable?

I thought of my son-in-law, Andre’,
when I thought of discomfort!

But then I realized,
No, not that kind of discomfort!

The scripture that prompted the remark
about being uncomfortable is this one:

“The Samaritan woman said to [Jesus],
‘You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman.
How can you ask me for a drink?’
(For Jews do not associate with Samaritans).”

John 4:9 (NIV)

Obviously, the woman was uncomfortable talking to Jesus. But Jesus intentionally engaged in conversation with the woman. According to Ericka Loynes, who wrote the commentary for the devotional in Guideposts “Mornings With Jesus,” His intent seemed to be to “change the landscape of the current culture.”

“Embracing change can be difficult,” Loynes went on to write. She acknowledged, “The more often I get out of my comfort zone, the easier it will be to adjust to the changes around me.”

Stepping out may seem scary, but as this meme reminds us, it is imperative if we want to become stronger and grow. So, Loynes ends her commentary by asking the reader to take a faith step: “Ask Jesus to help you get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

It’s worth thinking about, don’t you think?
Like Jesus, who can you step out
and talk to today
who is not among those
you generally hold in conversation?

Try it!
Try stepping out of your comfort zone.

There are plenty of folks out there
who could use your brand of positivity!
Do you see folks
who look like they could use
some encouragement?
Follow Jesus’ example!

You may find some comfort in being uncomfortable.
I’m gonna try it.
You with me?

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, courage, Faith, Family, friendship, Giving, Jesus, kindness, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, relationships, Serving One Another, teaching

Tagged with:

Quote

Let There Be Peace

The word for today is PEACE.
In a world of chaos, dear Lord,
Let there be peace on earth.
Let me be an instrument of that peace.

We may not be able to control
What everyone else on earth does,
But we can control what we do.
Are you determined to be a peacemaker?

I want to be a peacemaker.
In spite of the chaos in this world,
I want to make peace where I am.
That may be all I can control.

And I can pray to our Father in Heaven,
“Let there be peace on earth!
Place the message of peace
In the hearts of today’s rulers.”

“Lord. I know you have overcome the world.
I know you also have given man free will.
Lord, place common sense and compassion
In the wills of those who are waging war!

Let there be peace on earth!!
And help me find peace in my little corner of it!”

As St. Francis of Assisi prayed,
“Make me a Channel of Your Peace.”
I love Susan Boyle’s voice singing that prayer.
Take a minute to listen to it… and internalize it!

To find peace in my place in the world,
I may have to turn off some of the news.
I MAY HAVE TO SHARPEN MY SENSE OF HUMOR,
And pass some chuckles on to my friends!

Just once,
I want a username and password prompt
to say
CLOSE ENOUGH.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels.com

I may have to find reasons to laugh
In spite of the sadness and devastation.
I may have to look for reasons to laugh,
Reasons to pass along a sense of optimism.

I want to be a realistic optimist!

The pessimist complains about the wind
The optimist expects the wind to change
The realist adjust his sails

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

Love to you,
Jan Beek

What will you do today to add peace
to your little corner of the world?
I am looking for the peace
of editing this post
and getting rid of the
oversized font!
What’s happening??

woman in gray tank top
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Philippians 4:7

And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Then you will experience God’s peace,
which exceeds anything we can understand.

Written

on October 13, 2023

We All Lead

Today I decided to FOLLOW the PROMPT:
Do you see yourself as a leader?

Whether we know it or not, we all lead –
at least sometimes.
And whether we know it or not, we all follow
at least sometimes.

What is a leader?
That’s the question.

If you read David Jeremiah’s “Turning Points”
you will learn the trademark secrets
of great leadership and
of being a faithful follower.

These following pictures
from September’s Turning Points
introduce the various topics
of leadership by logo or trademark.

The not-so-secret to leadership
is LOVE worn in behavior.
Don’t we all want to follow
the person who exudes love?

We all wear our logo
on our sleeve or our faces,
in our hearts,
and in our actions .

Your identity as a follower is important.
It’s Who you follow that counts!
Follow the wrong leader
And you end up in the dumps!

Get the copy RIGHT!

Leaders often don’t realize they are.

Some leaders quietly go about
being great by caring for others.
Their example leads others
to want to follow in their footsteps.

I wish Jesus lived next door to me.
He’s the leader I choose to follow.
Where He leads me,
I want to obediently go!

My faithful Leader helps me
By putting upright friends
In my life – in my neighborhood –
Friends whose love I want to emulate.

Who do you follow?
Who leaves footprints on your heart?
When do you lead?
We all do both, right?

Hebrews 13:7 

“Remember your leaders,
those who spoke to you the word of God.
Consider the outcome of their way of life,
and imitate their faith.”

Leader or follower?
Which are you?
Did you answer the prompt?
What did you say?

Thanks for visiting today.
Let me hear from you!
And have a Fabulous Friday!

Look up for your purpose!

Love,
JanBeek

Oh, and by the way,
I love “following” my WP friends.
You all inspire me to blog with love.
And I thank you who “follow” me.
I love you!

Category:

Belief, Faith, friendship, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Love, mental health, music, peace, Poetry, relationships, writing

Tagged with:

Should We Jump Ship?

My last couple of posts dealt with the theme of shipwrecks and lifeboats. Today’s sermon at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church seemed to contradict the idea of jumping from the ship and hopping on the lifeboat. Or did it?

Photo by Nuno Obey on Pexels.com

The boat in today’s scripture lesson was in a storm (“…beaten by the waves …the wind was against them,” Matt 14:24b). The boat was filled with the 12 disciples. Jesus was walking on the water to come to them.

Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus Walks on the Water

22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way[a] from the land,[b] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night[c] he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind,[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

In his sermon today, Rev. Steve Hundley took me on a new journey through that scripture. Instead of focusing on Peter and his desire to also walk on water – and his doubt which caused him to begin to sink, Pastor Steve invited us to take a closer look at the eleven disciples who remained in the boat. I had not done that before. In fact, I am not sure I even realized the boat was big enough for eleven of them to fit in there!

If you have followed my blog for a while, you know I have a habit of listening to the sermon and taking notes in poetry. That way I can share the message with Bob on our way home (since he has trouble hearing and following the sermon during church). Well, I did that note-taking today. Here is what I came away with:

Is this a story about faith?
Is it about Peter’s doubt?
Or, is it about the eleven who
Stayed in the boat without a shout?

They saw Jesus walking on the sea.
They thought He was a ghost.
Jesus said, Never fear, it is I.”
Peter: “… if it is You…” Not the eleven, though.
Who believed most?

Peter doubted – and he asked to be
Set apart so then he’d believe.
Like the rest of us who ask
For exemption – “Give me special power – relieve!”

Relieve my doubt. Let me ask for help.
Do you have trouble asking for help?
Do you like playing the hero?
Unlike the eleven disciples, do you yelp?

Peter yelped, “Let me walk on water, too.”
Jesus gave him the ability to walk.
But Peter continued to doubt
And so he began to sink. Walk the talk?

No, the church doesn’t need heroes.
It needs disciples like the eleven were.
Stay in the boat – Wait for Jesus to come.
Don’t try to be a hero and cause a stir!

We’ve got a storm of constant change
Going on all about us. We need
To stay in the boat and pay attention
To the eleven. Don’t be a Peter of greed!

The wind and waves stirring up change
In our world can eat a person alive.
It’s easy to jump ship, but Jesus says,
Stay the course. Stay in the boat. Survive!

Take heart! You are not alone.
I am with you in the boat. Sing!
Know that this is your lifeboat.
Wait for the peace and calm that I will bring.”

Amen?
Amen!

In his “Prayers of the People”
after the sermon and a hymn titled,
“Eternal Father, Strong to Save,”
Pastor Steve prayed,

“Take us by the hand
And rescue us in our darkest hours.
It is You who rescues us.
We pray You will not leave us alone.
As we strain at the oars,
protect us when we find ourselves adrift.
Strengthen our hands
when we are weak.”

I would add,
“Strengthen our faith
when we are weak.
Keep us on the boat.
It is not a shipwreck,
not if You, Lord,
are our Captain.”

Don’t jump ship!
Life may be a shipwreck,
but with Jesus as your Captain,
your boat is a lifeboat!
You can trust Him completely.
Sing in the lifeboat!

Sing,
“I will make you fishers of men,
fishers of men,
fishers of men…”
(and of women, too!)

Thanks for visiting JanBeek
this lovely Sunday afternoon.
I hope you had a great day.
Bee well, and Bee safe!
And stay in the boat!!

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, Fishing, God, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, Poetry, prayer, sermon notes

Tagged with:

Life is a Shipwreck

So many of the devotionals I read this morning had the theme of ships, boats, storms, and rescues. One quote that particularly struck me was, “Life is a shipwreck; sing in the life boat.” It and yesterday’s events along with the other readings today prompted this poem:

Life is a Shipwreck

Life is a shipwreck
Sing in the lifeboat
Thank God for our faith
It keeps us afloat

When plans go astray
And you can’t do as planned
Just climb off the ship
There’s a lifeboat on the land

Jesus is calling you
To listen to His Word
All you had intended to do
May, in fact, be absurd

His lifeboat will take you
To a much better place
So sing as you sail along
And keep your eyes on His face

Yesterday I was all set to go on a bus to the county fair with a group from our local nursing home. When I arrived to help out, I discovered there were only two residents going and they had two volunteers to help already. I could have gone along to be an extra pair of hands, but as I sat in the back seat between the other two (with no seatbelt in my center space), I heard the Holy Spirit telling me, “This is a shipwreck! This is not what I need you to be doing today.”

I heeded His warning and returned home where God had a lifeboat prepared for me: Bob needed to go in to Bozeman to have his hearing aids fixed and my company was needed right here at home.

Sometimes we reach out to help others, thinking that’s the service to Him that God has in mind for us, and He manages to head us off at the pass. He says, “No, your service is needed right where you are! Get off the ship. Come sing in the lifeboat!”

Life doesn’t have to be a shipwreck!!

Do you relate?

May your faith
Keep you afloat
As you avoid the shipwreck
And let God float your boat

Listen for those instructions.
Keep the faith, my friends.
Avoid the shipwreck;
Sing in the lifeboat!

What song shall we sing?

See ya in the lifeboat…
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry

Tagged with:

Man’s Best Asset

What do you consider man’s best asset?

mondo backside
Photo by Tazz Vaughn on Pexels.com

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!

persons left hand doing hand gesture
Photo by Anna Nekrashevich on Pexels.com

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?

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, food, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, health, humor, Jesus, kindness, Life's Challenges, Love, music, optimism, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

Tagged with:

No Authority

The prompt today was:

“On What Subject are You an Authority ?”

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.

Proverbs 22:4 
ESV

“The reward for humility
and
fear of the Lord 
is riches and honor and life.”

I am rich in friends
I am rich in love of life
Christ is my life’s authority.
Where do your riches lie?

It was an interesting prompt today.
How would you have answered it?

Look up for your purpose!

Keep looking up!
Keep learning.
Stay humble and kind!

Thanks for your visit today to
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, Jesus, kindness, learning, life, Life's Challenges, Love, music, relationships, respect, Sharing, Spiritual Gifts

Tagged with:

Tag Cloud

%d