Loving One Another

Archive for the ‘life’ Category

A Thought for Each Day


Many of you know that I spend my first hour each day up in my sanctuary.

The view from one sanctuary window

If you’ve been a follower for awhile, you may remember that one of the devotionals I read each morning is:

And I have posted in the past a list of “Take-Aways” for each day of the month. It’s been a few months since I did that. I did not post my list for November yet. Today would be a good day to do that. Perhaps you can find this list helpful. Adopt one a day, and take that message with you as you walk this rocky road called LIFE. Let it help you focus on a direction God is calling you.

November’s Take-Aways from Daily Guideposts

  • Remember Incredible Moments
  • Really “See” People
  • Choose Peace – Even in Chaos
  • Bee still to Hear/Feel God’s Grace
  • Keep Faith in Love
  • Accept God’s Extravagant Grace
  • Let Children Move, Moo, Climb & Clamber
  • Keep Your Faith Childlike
  • Always Give Your Best Effort
  • Let Your Life Praise God
  • Live in Grateful Peace
  • Unclog Your Life; Clean Up!
  • Bee Mindful of Relationships
  • Maintain Your Body
  • Know “Retirement” is a Misnomer
  • Use Your Reservoir of Love
  • Know God as Your Guide
  • Speak Only Tender, Kind Words
  • Hope Always in Him
  • Keep Eyes and Heart Open
  • Take Time to Feel God’s Presence
  • Serve Heartily!
  • Always Find Joy in Work
  • Bee Still and Listen
  • Let Space Be Transformed
  • Add Exercise To Your Routine
  • Cherish Family
  • Thank God For Your Many Blessings
  • Know God’s Working in You
  • Look into The Hearts ❤ ❤
Let everyday be Christmas!

I hope “A Thought for Each Day” will inspire you to be your best self, the person God made you to be, every day this month… and create a thoughtful habit for the New Year.

God bless you!
See ya later!

By the way, which of those “Take Aways” will you adopt for today?

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, Giving, God, Gratitude, happiness, Jesus, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, peace, prayer, Serving One Another

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No Pretending!


I cannot pretend
To be a good listener
I am or I’m not!

I cannot pretend
True unconditional love
It is or it’s not!

I cannot pretend
To speak with kindness of heart
I do or I don’t!

No pretending!

Never estimate your capacity to
live in love,
listen actively,
and speak kindly!

Have a love-filled Saturday!
I love that you visited JanBeek today.
Thank you. I love you, my blogging friends.
See ya tomorrow.

Category:

blessings, friendship, Haiku, life, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry

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Gift of Love


Dreams are coming true
For those of us who believe
Just live with patience

It’s the gift of time
That will allow us to wait
For God’s best timing

Meantime we bestow
The gift of love on others
Living in “The Dash”

Living in the Dash

This morning I read a post by

Sehr Jalil, Sehr Jalil | is there anything that is not art? | blog
who stated clearly and succinctly on her “About” page
what she STANDS FOR.

It made me think long and hard about what I would write if someone asked me what I stand for. Living in the dash, 1939 – ????, I need to realize that I am on the latter 1/4 of the dash line (if each quarter represents 1/4 of a century – because of course, I intend to live to be 100).

And I’ll still be playing my accordion in 2039… you bet!!

Photo by Immortal shots on Pexels.com

[Go ahead – smile!]

What Do I Stand For?

Give the question some thought and see what you come up with.
Here is what I wrote back to Sehr Jalil. (You should click on that link and see what SHE wrote in her blog about that! Quite interesting!!)

My response:

  • peace
  • love
  • honesty
  • kindness
  • shared joy
  • integrity

I believe these are the teachings of Christ, who said the greatest of these is LOVE. So I send you the gift of love today, my dear WP friends.

What do YOU stand for?

Have a love-filled day.
See ya tomorrow!

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Belief, blogging, Faith, friendship, God, Haiku, Jesus, life, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, Poetry, Serving One Another, writing

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Be Ready!


Today’s sermon by Rev. Steve Hundley
at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, MT
was based on the story of Zacchaeus.
Do you know the story?

If not (or even if you do),
here it is in a nutshell:
https://youtu.be/Fe7dTNID6h8

(When you click on that link
and hear the story creatively told
in delightful, child-like cartoon format,
be sure to click the back arrow and return here!)

Find Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10

Pretend you are short (I don’t have to pretend).
Pretend your name is Zacchaeus and you are hated.
You are hated because you are a lying, cheating tax collector.
You are lonely.

Then you learn that Jesus is coming to your town.
You’ve heard about Him – and you want to see Him.
But, to do so, to see above the crowd, you have to climb a tree.
Pretend you are up in that tree … looking down at Jesus.

Get in the mood for today’s message!

Be Ready!

There is a growing epidemic
Of loneliness in society today.
Surprisingly, the loneliest are young adults.
Next are empty-nesters, they say.

A third group are the elderly
Who are often seen sitting alone.
Checking an empty mailbox,
They nurse their ailments and groan.

People out there in our world are lonely.
Often it’s for a reason they can’t control.
Other times, it seems to be choices they make –
Like Zacchaeus, who chose his greedy, tax-collecting role.

Loneliness affects all kinds of folks, good and bad.
We cannot overcome loneliness by ourselves.
It takes the love and compassion of someone else
Who notices our empty emotional shelves.

If you are struggling with loneliness,
And you have come to church to heal it,
Look around and know the love of Christ
Is in the hearts of those around you. Can you feel it?

Zacchaeus climbed a tree so he could see Jesus.
This lonely, short, little man wanted a view
Of the man he had heard so much about.
Would you climb a tree to see Christ? In faith, will you?

Be ready – if you are lonely and you look
For God and love by goin’ somewhere strange.
Be ready – because God will find you there.
He’ll find you where you are; and you will change!

Be ready!

I’m lookin’ up to find you!
Reach out to the lonely.
Reach out in prayer, in hugs,
in compassion.

Have a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Look up!!
See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, friendship, God, Jesus, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, Serving One Another, Sharing

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Happiness Personified


What is “Happiness Personified?”

It is the joy of having breakfast
with your granddaughter and her family!
Look at these darling great-grandchildren:

Sienna is 5 months old and she in in 8-12 month sizes!!
Aren’t those the most kissable cheeks you’ve ever seen?

This is the happy big brother, my great-grandson, Xander.
His favorite trick today was pulling his sister’s socks off!

Drew & Hope

The busy parents, Drew & Hope,
have their hands full!
I was happy to be able to spend time with them.

Hope shared some of her photos from two days ago,
our Halloween here in the USA.
She dressed the kids up,
but the snow and lousy road conditions
kept them from Trick-or-Treating.
It’ll be something Xander
can look forward to next year.

Xander the pirate is at his Grandma Pam’s.
Don’t know which he liked best, Pirate or Frog costume…
Which one would you choose?
Sienna makes a cute little cuddly lamb, don’t you think?

I had fun
talking with Xander
about his little sister.

The Lakota School (St. Joseph’s) sent me small gloves –
just right for Xander – and a dream catcher with
Hope’s name on it. It made a perfect gift.
Couldn’t play “Patty Cake” with Xander while holding Sienna,
but he clapped anyway.

Yes, “Happiness Personified” is time with my Great-Grandkids.
We have a date to meet here again in a couple of weeks.
Good plan, don’t you agree?

Don’t grow too fast, little ones!

Here’s Sienna with me
last July at my 80th b’day party.

See ya later, my friends.
What’s your idea of “Happiness Personified?”

Category:

blessings, children, Family, Gratitude, happiness, holidays, life, Living in Harmony, Love

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Alexandria Living – Life is Like a Loaf of Bread


Stuart’s story is magnificently told. Do click on the link and go to the magazine to read it! It will rise up like yeast in you and cause you to want to share it, too!

Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Storyshucker

Just a little announcement:

I’m excited to let you know I have another essay appearing in the current issue of Alexandria Living magazine!

It’s always a thrill to work with the kind folks at the magazine and as an Alexandria, Virginia resident it was especially fun to contribute.

Below is the link to my piece in the online version of Alexandria Living.  Check it out, and if you like, please comment on the magazine website in the space just below the essay. We would love to hear your feedback!

https://alexandrialivingmagazine.com/lifestyle/life-is-like-a-loaf-of-bread/

Thanks to all those who’ve asked what I’ve been up to lately. Blogging continues to be great fun and has proven to be an exciting pathway to opportunities like this. Exciting!

Stuart M. Perkins

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Category:

Aging Gracefully, blogging, food, learning, life, Love, Sharing, truth, writing

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Guaranteed Smiles


I am feeling the
Blessings of the Fairies
With this happy blog:

 Humoring the Goddess

Faerie Paths — Laughter

October 26, 2019 ~ Claudia

“When the first baby laughed for the first time,
its laugh broke into a thousand pieces,
and they all went skipping about,
and that was the beginning of fairies.”
~ J.M. Barrie

Yesterday’s big winds
Brought today’s beautiful snow;
Fairies tossed feathers!

Wind blew from the south
Yesterday’s ferocious sound
Brought today’s beauty

Look carefully, you may see the fairies at work!

I caught your cute smile –
Yes, you can laugh heartily!
Laughter’s contagious.

See ya later!

Category:

blessings, blogging, children, contentment, Haiku, happiness, life, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, nature, Poetry, writing

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