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Harsh Words of Jesus

If you’ve followed my blog for a while,
You know I attend church every Sunday,
And I usually try to take sermon notes.
As I listen, I try to record the message poetically.

Our pastor, Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds,
is doing a bold sermon series.
She’s asking our church congregants
to send her scripture that puzzles or troubles them.

This week the scripture passage she used
is from Luke 9:57-62. A weird one indeed!
I’ve often thought Jesus was rather harsh
with these two men who wanted to follow Him.

Luke 9:57-62

New International Version

The Cost of Following Jesus

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”

62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Is Jesus saying
You have to leave your family
and forget your livelihood
to be a Christ follower?

Today’s sermon notes:

The mid-west mecca of modern architecture
Is Columbus, Indiana. Ever been there?
I watched the movie, “Columbus,” recently.
Jinn & Casey meet and share.

Ultimately the movie is about
Staying or leaving – choices we make.
Casey needs to go, but doesn’t want to.
Jinn convinces her to leave for her own sake.

Jesus may have been telling the men
To leave for their own sake.
Their situations were different,
But departure was what it would take.

Jewish burial rites have many parts:
Wrapping body, burial, dig up, burn, urn…
In this scripture a man wants to tend to his father.
Jesus prompts, “Come now and learn.”

We don’t know at what point in the rites
This man’s father may have been –
But it seems harsh for Jesus to tell him
“Let the dead bury their dead.” Such chagrin!

Another man wants to go back to his family,
But Jesus says, “Do not do an about face!”
This passage is all about priorities.
Jesus asks us to put Him in first place.

Love is not selfish, sinking in its talons.
Love is generous – love always is kind.
There often is sadness in leaving,
But when God calls, listen, decide, and mind!

Don’t get stuck looking back (like Lot’s wife).
You’ll become a pillar in your own tears and grief.
It’s all about priorities and obedience.
Hear God’s call and follow your belief!

Amen?
Amen!

What is it that determines your values and beliefs?

Perhaps Jesus was not being harsh with those two men after all.
Perhaps, like Jinn and Casey in the movie, “Columbus,”
He was telling them to leave for their own sake –
even though they didn’t want to go quite yet.

Sometimes God’s perfect timing doesn’t seem perfect…
… at least not at the time He jerks us out of our comfort zone!
But often, looking back, we can say, “Aha! Now I see…
God always knows what is best for me!”

Jesus’ words may seem harsh at first glance,
But He always has our best interest at heart.
I need to trust His encouragement to step out…
And what better time than now to start?

Go ahead … Step Out!!
Here we are with our pastor,
Mary Grace Reynolds.
Thanks, MGR, for a great sermon!

See ya on the road to success tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Jesus, learning, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, optimism, sermon notes, Sharing

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All Are Welcome

I bet you choose love, too.

Today in church, the choir taught the congregation a new hymn. At least it was new to us. About verse three, the congregation couldn’t hold – they had to (simply HAD to) join in… and the message resonated with everyone there.

I was reminded of the slogan at Bloom in the Desert where we attended several different Januarys when we vacationed near Palm Springs, CA: “We welcome all who welcome all.”

Wouldn’t it be grand if all people could exhibit that level of inclusivity?

Aren’t those lyrics wonderful?
Did you find yourself singing along?

Hallelujah! Love is grown in this place! I am so happy to worship in a place where “All Are Welcome.” I just wish we could cultivate more diversity in our little corner of Montana. We came from California 15 years ago. Our community in CA was made up of people from many ethnicities. I miss that! Montana does have a large Native American population, though. I wish more of them would move into southwest Montana!

Meet a couple of very talented brothers:

What can we
– as diversity-loving citizens –
do to encourage more of that
“We Welcome All” attitude
in our world?

Share some ideas with me.

Big hugs to you.
Have a beautiful Sunday.
Cheers!
Left hand is gaining flexibility
and strength every day.
Thanks for your prayers.
Keep smiling!!


I send my love to you.
See you tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Giving, God, kindness, life, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, music, peace, relationships

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Expectations

Frank Solanki

in his blog titled

Marriage Is A Strange Equation

published yesterday, April 24, 2022,
wrote this poem:

Marriage is a strange equation where
You take 1 Person
Add another Person
You get a Couple
So far so good
Now you add 0 Expectations to it
And you get infinite Love
Mind-boggling!

I wrote to Frank saying, “Hmmm… zero expectations? How do you do that?”
He responded, “I guess we should try and reduce it little by little. Eventually, it will get to zero.”

What do you think? Do you agree that zero expectations = infinite love?

Bob & me on our 59th

I follow Frank’s blog along with over 22,700 other admirers of his poetry. If you will forgive me, I wish to rewrite his latest. It seems to me that marriage does not have to be a strange equation. It can be:

The Perfect Equation

Marriage can be a perfect equation when
You take one person
Add another person
And get a couple
Then you add the Love of Christ
Next place the Holy Spirit in the center
You add God’s expectations of compassion
Mix in the joy of respect and faithfulness
And you get unconditional, infinite love
Now, that’s Mind-boggling!

Celebrated 60 years in February

True Friendship requires the same equation!
Take one person, add another, stir in Christ’s love
Center the Holy Spirit between you and
Sprinkle generously with compassion and respect
Remain faithful to one another, and
Keep a confidential, active, listening ear
You get unconditional, infinite love.
Isn’t that mind-boggling?

If you were asked to create a collage of true friends who epitomize that equation, who would you include? Long-time friends, family, neighbors, church friends, internet friends, friends in heaven, those you haven’t met yet? Think about it! My collages below are by no means complete… but for starters:

Are you a reliable friend?
Do you see yourself fitting into the equation?
Does your collage of friends include
those neighbors who stick “closer than a brother”?

Marriage and Friendship
are related!
They both carry with them
great expectations!

Proverbs 18:24

24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Knowing I was hurting physically because I fell and disclocated/broke my pinky finger, friends sent cards, delivered food, sent texts, called, and dropped by. Did I EXPECT such an outpouring? Not at all! But did it do the trick? You bet! Those friends delivered the cheer and encouragement that we all need when we are feeling blue or tired or sick or (as in my case) a little stupid and careless.

Knowing my granddaughter and I were hurting emotionally because she just learned of and shared with me the news of her miscarriage, friends called, wrote, texted, responded on my blog & on FB, and reached out to Hope as well. Did we expect such an outpouring? No! But was it helpful and appreciated? You bet!

Thank You – It does help!
Does God EXPECT us to do so?
Yes!

Hebrews 10:24-25
Let us think of ways to motivate one another
to acts of love and good works.
And let us not neglect our meeting together,
as some people do,
but encourage one another

The Bible is full of expectations for us.
God expects us to lift one another up.
He commands us…
The greatest of these is
LOVE.
His last and final commandment:
Love one another!

Reach out to a friend today.
Reach out in love.
Do you do it because you expect something in return?
Of course!

My mom always told me,
“Whatever you send into the life of others
comes back into your own.”

(I’m sure she read that
in the Bible somewhere!)

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

Love & Marriage –
Go together like
a horse & carriage!


Who’s in your collage of friends today?
Tell ’em about it!

(Share my blog with ’em!!)

Category:

Bible Lessons, blogging, Family, God, kindness, learning, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, Poetry, relationships, respect, Serving One Another

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Staying Young

Staying young while growing older begins with a mind-set.

Peace and partying
Satisfaction and smiles
in all circumstances
at all ages

Notice I did not say, “Growing OLD.”
Growing OLDER is not the same as growing old.
I’m not OLD; at 82, I am simply
in my advanced years –
growing in wisdom and grace –
with God’s blessings!

In the Natural Living newsletter,
Dr. Z and Mama Z write the following:

“God will carry us through,
even into our advanced years.
Our Creator has had a plan for us
since before we were born.
He had our days numbered
since the beginning of time
and it is up to us to make wise decisions
to help our bodies
live a more vibrant and full life
and to impart our wisdom
to those placed in our lives.”

“Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.”

~ Job 32:7

Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

I DO think about things differently… especially THINGS.
Yes, I have my “treasures,” – those things I am reluctant to part with –
but as time goes by, I realize the wisdom of knowing
“I can’t take it with me.”
And God don’t allow no U-Hauls in Heaven!!

Skip that store on your way outta town!

In my daily devotions today,
Charles Stanley wrote in his In Touch entry,
“Our culture is obsessed with youth…
But… Unless death intervenes, growing old is inevitable.”

See that’s where I differ with him.
But it is only a matter of semantics, I’m sure.
He must have meant “growing older.”
Because he went on to say,
“We can be young in soul and spirit,
regardless of our chronological age.”

Magnificence comes with age…
Yes, the root word is “magnify”
and that’s what age does for us.
It magnifies our failures (if we let it) –
It magnifies our faults (if we let it) –
It requires magnification to see clearly!

Photo by Wallace Chuck on Pexels.com

The question we need to ask ourselves is,
“What am I magnifying as I age?”

Charles Stanley’s devotional today reminded us,
“Never stop listening to the Father
and learning from His Word.
Allow godly thinking to shape your attitude.
Be thankful, never stop laughing,
and rejoice in the Lord.
Above all, keep believing
and loving Him with all your heart.”

Making the most of the dash
means we have to stop dashing!
We’re not created to be honeybees,
dashing from one bit of pollen to another!

“Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is obtained by following a righteous path.”
~ Proverbs 16:31


We are created in the image of God,
designed to glorify Him each day
by following the righteous path…
stopping along the way
and taking time
to pour out the honey of forgiveness,
dish out the power of experience,
and spray the gladness of grace
on all we meet.

Ps. 119:103

The way Eugene Peterson
paraphrased that verse in his study Bible,
The Message, is this:

“Your words are so choice, so tasty;
I prefer them to the best home cooking.”

Photo by mentatdgt on Pexels.com

So, let’s return to the original premise here:
“Staying young while growing older begins with a mind-set.”

Recognize those two?
A younger Bob & Jan?
60 years later…
Still young at heart!

What is your mind-set today?

Are you young at heart?
Are you pouring out the honey of forgiveness?
Are you dishing out the power of experience?
Are you spraying the gladness of grace?

Here’s a spray bottle
to help you out!

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

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, children, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, humor, kindness, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, optimism, self-acceptance, self-esteem, Serving One Another

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She’s Here!

Yes, my new little great-granddaughter is here!
Faith & Kyle named her Mable Iris.
Don’t you love old-fashioned names?

I tried to get them to name her Janet
(that’s JanBeek’s God-given name),
but I lost out to one they chose
simply because they both “like it.”

Oh well, I tried!

Choosing names for our children
is such an important part of parenting.

The last “child” I named is this little moose who sits on my bed every day. He is named “Faithful” because he was a gift to me about 15 years ago from my granddaughter, Faith. She bought it at the Yellowstone National Park gift shop. We had just seen the geyser “Old Faithful” erupt. Then we went into the gift shop and gave her and her three siblings each some money to buy a souvenir for their visit. She bought this moose and then gave it to me as a “Thank you for taking us to Yellowstone” gift.

What a thoughtful little pre-teen she was! Each day when I make my bed, I put “Faithful the Yellowstone Moose” back on my bed with a prayer. I say:

“Dear God,
Please tuck them together in love
and watch over Faith & Kyle today.
Amen”

When we named our son Ty (I have told you this story before), it was because I had a student named Ty in my kindergarten class in 1963. He was such an adorable little boy – and I loved him as well as his name. In 1965 when our son was born, Bob agreed to use Ty’s name for our little baby.

Today when Kyle let us know that he & Faith had named their little girl Mable, I asked, “Is there a history of that name in your family? Or is it just a name you both liked?”

Kyle texted back and said they just liked the name – no family history for it.

So, I told Kyle that I have a history with that name. The only other Mable Bob & I have know is Mable Cronan. She was the dear, sweet, compassionate, loving grandmother of Ty Stiles (that kindergarten student of mine). Mable attended our church in California with Ty’s aunt, Marilyn Sena. So now – come full circle: our Ty has a granddaughter named Mable – just like Ty Stiles had a grandmother Mable. I love it when things seem to be so synchronistic, don’t you?

Ty & Roxanne Stiles
with me & Bob

When I looked up the meaning of the name Mable,
Wikipedia said,

“Lovable, dear:
Mabel is an English female given name
derived from the Latin amabilis, “lovable, dear“.

I told Faith and Kyle that Mable Cronan (Ty Stiles’ grandma) was definitely lovable and dear. I am so glad they chose that name. It will be fun to live long enough to see this great-granddaughter’s personality and values develop, and to watch God bring out the “lovable and dear” qualities that were born in her.

I saw a picture of my new great-granddaughter, Mable, today. I won’t post it here – out of respect for the privacy of her and her parents – but here is her mom, Faith, when she was a baby:

Mable has a cute little pug nose like Faith’s
( I lay claim to that feature – and told them so).

Mable has parents who love her –
and an extended family who can hardly wait
to meet her in person
and give her and her parents great big hugs!

Yes, my friends, she’s here!
It’s been a beautiful April 1st.
I pray yours was a memorable day, too.
Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts
as we waited for this baby to arrive.

Here’s Mable’s mom & dad,
Faith & Kyle.
Aren’t they adorable?

For some reason, I am hoping this lovable new baby, Mable, will learn to play a musical instrument someday – maybe the soprano sax like Kenny G. I dedicate this album to her and hope she grows up to enjoy music someday as much as her Great-Grama (GG) Jan does!


This baby was the highlight of my day, obviously!
Tell me about a highlight of your April 1st.

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

Category:

blessings, children, Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, happiness, life, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, relationships

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Lisa McCrohan “…so done with war?”

Done with War Aren’t we so weary of war? Aren’t we so tired of old men wanting more power and sending young men and women to fight and die in battle?…

Aren’t we so done with war?

Category:

Belief, blogging, life, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Love

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Super Bowl Sleepiness

Here we are – a great night – a great game – a delicious celebratory dinner – and stamina is so compromised, can’t stay awake to watch it!!

Well, that’s ok it’s recorded. He’ll watch it when he’s rested and ready to see it tomorrow!

Just gotta love that guy!

Meantime, cheers! I do love that guy!

Have a good night. God bless you. See ya tomorrow (God willing)

Hugs, JanBeek

We had a great drive around Ennis Lake with our Boston, TazE, today. Check out the pictures at http://www.Facebook.com/janbeekman

Category:

Animals, health, life, Love, Montana

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A Blessed 60th

Our 60th anniversary began with a message and gift from our Daughter#2, Laina. Sweet gifts – to share with her and to look forward to a dinner next week at our favorite Bozeman restaurant: Dave’s Sushi. Thank you, LainaLainaLaina!!

We love you so much!

Then we had a delightful FaceTime with Daughter#1, DeDe, who lives in Switzerland. Just now we received via FedEx a gorgeous bouquet from De & André. Are we feeling spoiled or what??

So sweet of you, De! Thank you 😊 sooo much!

Our brunch at Kalena’s Tea House here in Ennis is a tradition … the perfect place and meal to begin our anniversary. Kalena is such a sweetheart and her sandwiches are as delicious as the pickle I chose to go with it and the peanut butter cookie she warmed and presented to Bob for his dessert. Yum! Thank you, Kalena!

Returning home, our neighbor/friend, Scott, came to visit. And we received greetings from a host of our FB friends with happy greetings here on WP. I can’t tell you how warm my heart ❤️ is right now.

I pray you, my friends, have the privilege of spending a long, loving life with your best friend, too. God is good. Life is beautiful. Long live my Bobby! Carpé Diem, dear ones!

Tonight we’re going to Three Forks, MT for a special anniversary dinner. Check back tomorrow. I’ll share the highlights of that with you, too. Meantime…

Bee 🐝 well
– Bee 🐝 happy
– and
Count your blessings!

See ya later,
❤️ JanBee <3

Category:

Family, flowers, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, kindness, life, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, relationships, Serving One Another

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Favorite Quote

Missed the prompt yesterday … so here it is a day late… or is it two days? Life’s been busy as we were packing and preparing for this trip to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota . Departure is at 5:55 tomorrow morning! But anyway, here’s my favorite quote. It’s what my mom always told me. But I’m sure it’s not original. Wonder who first said it?

“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt “

What’s your favorite quote?

See ya later alligator

After while crocodile

Hah! Hugs from JanBeek

Category:

blogging, learning, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, Memories, teaching, writing

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Safe Traveling

Thank you for your prayers for our safe travel from CA to our home in Montana. The weather couldn’t have been better. The roads were clear. The traffic was not too bad. We’re halfway home. We feel your prayers! Keep ‘em flowing. We should be home by tomorrow late afternoon.

Thank God for improved health and answered prayers. See ya tomorrow (God willing) … Good night!

Nothing makes the cough disappear and the body feel better than a relaxed evening – half way home – a yummy beef and prawn fajita, an attentive waiter, and a delicious margarita!

Hugs,

JanBeek

Category:

blessings, health, life, Love, prayer, Travel

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