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Archive for the ‘Life’s Challenges’ Category

Oh My! T is for Trouble!!

T is for Trouble!
KT is for Kenny Trouble!!
How long do you think it took Kenny to remove these 8 tassels?

Where did they come from?
Oh, my poor pillow!!
Four tassels gone from each end!!!
I was up in my sanctuary having my peaceful time in prayer, Bible study, and devotionals. And Kenny?
He was barking at Bob to come play with him!
Bob didn’t see him sitting by the door asking to go out. A dump in the floor was the consequence.
Oh my!!!

Kenny sure can get into trouble when we don’t pay attention to him.

We need to keep our noses alert to Kenny trouble!

How about you?
Do you spell trouble with a capital T when you’re ignored?

Yup, me, too!

Facing Trials

In the journey of faith, we encounter various trials that test our strength, resilience and patience. The Bible reminds us that facing troubles is part of life, and rather than shunning them, we can embrace them as opportunities for growth. These challenges, while tough at the moment, can refine our character and deepen our reliance on God. By reflecting on Bible verses about troubles, we can find encouragement and hope, realizing that God walks with us every step of the way. Our “Oh My!” can change to “Oh Thanks!” as we turn in prayer with those trials. God, will You play with Kenny?

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” – James 1:2-3

“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” – 1 Peter 5:10

Ah yes… God will make us strong and steadfast. But God, will You restore my pillow?
And what about this rambunctious Kenny? Oh my, will You send over a playmate for him?
Oh, and while You are at it, will you send over a buyer for our kayak? It’s too heavy for Bob to manage it these days. We took it down from its hooks on the garage ceiling… and it’s sitting outside waiting for the right person to come and buy it … and enjoy many years of kayaking fun (just as we have).

Kenny would love to go out on Ennis Lake with it. Wouldn’t you?
Oh my! I need to do my French lesson
and this pup wants to play.
Come play with him!!

Sending playful fun your way.
Hugs, too…
from
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, Bible Lessons, Faith, humor, Life's Challenges, Love, pets, prayer, Serving One Another

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Our Friends: Canadians

My prayer:
Both countries: strong and free!

It breaks my heart that the song below was created … and the divisiveness that prompted the song. I pray for our return to camaraderie and mutual support. Meantime, maybe you will find some humor in the lyrics… a friend of mine did. What do you think?

God is in charge. I have to believe that.
God is in control. I have to believe some good will come of this.
God is in control. But He does give humans free will.
Lord, help us!

Pray with me.
“Lord, please give our world leaders wisdom and diplomacy and intelligence.”
Amen

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

God, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, music, prayer, relationships

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Trustworthy Support

Have you ever felt this frustrated?

“We cannot escape the frustrations of this life.
It is wise to lean on the Lord for help and guidance…”

Message from When God Thinks of You, He Smiles,
a book of 365 devotions from Broadstreet Publishing.
I received this as a gift last week from my
“dear bonus daughter,” Elaina.
Each page has a scripture,
a commentary,
and ends with a prayer.
Boy Howdy, I needed this one today!

“Don’t worry, because I am with you.
Don’t be afraid, because I am your God.
I will make you strong and will help you.
I will support you with my right hand that saves you.”

Isaiah 41:10 (NCV)

Ah yes, reach your hand out.
Touch me. Assure me. Encourage me!
I am frustrated and need to remember
no one is promised a seamless life.
But the strange thing is:
I invited this frustration into my life!!

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What was I thinking?
The dead of a Montana winter is not the time…
not the time to get a new puppy
who has not been crate-trained,
let alone house-trained!

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Oh, I can be all smiles when he’s in my lap
and feeling lovable and wanting to be cuddled!
But, believe me, Kenny is a 6 1/2 month old
12 pound ball of energy
who has decided his crate is his bathroom
and our floor is his toilet – –
Help!

My devotional today said,
“Prayer gives us strength when trials… come our way.”
Believe me, I have prayed at length about this pup!
The devotional said, “When you struggle,
it doesn’t mean your faith is lacking.
Even when you faithfully follow God…
life can still be rocky.”

I need to put this pup struggle in perspective!
It’s not life or death.
We will survive.
Count your blessings, Jan,
because he is smart and will learn…
and you are smarter and can teach!
Be patient!

I may have told you earlier that my friend, Terry,
sent me this book: “How Dogs Think.”
The cover photo looks just like Kenny
must have looked at 2 or 3 months…
and the subtitle of the book is:
“Inside the Canine Mind.”
It’s a TIME special edition.
Surely this will have some good advice
to add to all the things my friends are saying…
and Isaiah said it, too:
“I will make you strong and help you…”

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The prayer at the bottom of the devotional today was:
“Gracious One, thank you for the faithfulness of your love…
I don’t want to spend my life worrying or full of fear.
Empower me and encourage me when I struggle.”
Amen!

Now, my friends, that is
Trustworthy Support!

Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, Bible Lessons, books, God, learning, Life's Challenges, Love, pets, prayer

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News in a Sijo

What’s a Sijo?

It is three lines of 14-16 syllables each, for a total of 44-46 syllables.

Here is my news in a Sijo:

Our six-month Boston puppy, Kenny, arrived on Saturday
He is not house trained, nor crate trained, so don’t turn your back
But he’s so cute, cuddly and loveable that we’ll keep him!

Only once have we seen his ears straight up!
No, this is not him.
He’d never tolerate a hat!
But ain’t she cute?
We love Boston Terriers!!

He loves that chew toy… and stretches out full length to get it!
That’s a long body for a six-month old!
He already weighs nearly 12 pounds.
Gonna be a big boy!

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Oh, he’s squirming…
Time to take him out.
But it’s snowing and ccccold!
Oh Kenny, I don’t want to go out either!
But we better.
See ya later.

Love,
JanBeek
(and Kenny)

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Category:

Animals, learning, Life's Challenges, Love, pets, Poetry

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Letting My Feelings Out

Al Rocker, the Today Show weatherman and co-host was featured this month on the cover of one of the magazines I read each month, “Guideposts.” On turning 70, he shared with readers how he is approaching life differently after a 2022 health scare.

He wrote:

“It may sound strange, considering I make my living on television and have been the weatherman and co-host of the Today show for 29 years, but in my personal life, I shy away from the spotlight. I’d musch rather celebrate someone else, make a big deal out of their birthday instead of my own.
Which is why I tried my best to dissuade my wife, Deborah Roberts, from throwing a party for my birthday last August. But I knew I couldn’t stop her. It was a milestone birthday, after all – my seventieth.
The truth was, I was feeling a little melancholy about turning seventy. My dad never made it to this age. He passed away at 69. Dad was my role model and inspiration for being a good husband and father. I was theoldest of six kids, and three of my siblings were adopeted, Mom and Dad brought foster children into our home, too. Sometimes people would ask why they’d taken on raising so maky children, and Dad would always say simply, “There is no limit to how much you can love.”

After describing his near-death experience, he concluded:

“My health scare reminded me that life is an ephemeral gift that we’ve been given by God, and we need to appreciate and honor it. So I spent a lot of time talking to people… telling them how I feel about them. The people I care about, the people I love, I want to make sure they know. I’ve been more intentional about that, evn after I made a full recovery and returned to the Today show.”

I challenge each of us to commit to this same message. Let your feelings out! Let the people you love, the people you care about, KNOW! Be intentional!!

Love,
JanBeek

P.S. I love you for visiting my blog.
I’ll love you even more if you leave a comment below
so I can hear from you and respond.


Category:

blessings, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, relationships, Sharing

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Twisted Values

The words to the hymn below hit me square between the eyes last Sunday as we sang this in our church… and thought about how desperately I want God to “hear our cry and heal our nation.” I hope you find these words meaningful, too. Churches were singing it a decade ago… It was true then. It’s true now. We, as a nation, have lost the truth we need… I do believe that. Lord God, help us!

In an age of twisted values

In an age of twisted values
we have lost the truth we need;
in sophisticated language
we have justified our greed;
by our struggle for possessions
we have robbed the poor and weak –
hear our cry and heal our nation:
your forgiveness, Lord, we seek.

2. We have built discrimination
on our prejudice and fear;
hatred swiftly turns to cruelty
if we hold resentments dear.
For communities divided
by the walls of class and race
hear our cry and heal our nation:
show us, Lord, your love and grace.

3. When our families are broken;
when our homes are full of strife;
when our children are bewildered,
when they lose their way in life;
when we fail to give the aged
all the care we know we should –
hear our cry and heal our nation
with your tender fatherhood.

4. We who hear your word so often
choose so rarely to obey;
turn us from our wilful blindness,
give us truth to light our way.
In the power of your Spirit
come to cleanse us, make us new:
hear our cry and heal our nation
till our nation honours you.


Let us pray this song as a prayer… pray for God’s forgiveness, love and grace. God, please hear our cry and heal our nation. Heal our world!

God bless our nation, our world, and God Bless YOU!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Faith, God, Heartache, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, mental health, music, peace, relationships, Serving One Another

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By the Beautiful Ocean

🎶By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea 🎶

Actually, the beautiful Pacific Ocean…

Happy New Year’s first week

You would smile too

If you could see this sunset

It’s spectacular

Pacific Grove on the Asilomar’s part of the 17 Mile Drive
We captured its beauty minute by minute
Phenomenal!

Amazing sunset

Lining Ocean Avenue

Enjoyed by hundreds

Meanwhile back in Baltimore…
… and in Alaska

There are cold places

Being enjoyed by many

Unless they’re snowed in

Start packing now, Jan

Tomorrow it’s Montana

Brace for the coldness

Pray for our safe travels and a cease of snow for a bit!

See ya tomorrow. Love, JanBeek (& Bob)

Thank you, Ty & Monika, for your gift of love & hospitality

Category:

Haiku, Life's Challenges, Love, Montana, nature, Poetry, relationships

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Dec. 17 – Word of the Day

The @sanctified art word of the day for today is:
MAGNIFY

Of course AI would show you a magnifying glass!
What image might you select for the word?
Here is mine:

God magnifies.
God’s plans are perfect.
I trust His magnificent magnification.
Do you?

Luke 1:46 ESV

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord…”

My soul magnifies the Lord, too.
He is so faithful to hear us and to answer our prayers!
I was so concerned yesterday because
we are traveling today to spend the next three weeks
in California with our son and extended family…
and Bob was short on a medication that he NEEDS.
I prayed fervently to God for the medication to arrive
before we had to leave this morning.
And yes, you guessed it…
At 5:00 PM last night, it arrived at our door.
My soul magnifies the Lord.
He is My Savior.

I hope He is yours, too.
Magnify the Lord… and praise His name.
In His hands I place my trust.

What image comes to your mind with the word
MAGNIFY?

See ya tomorrow for the next
Word of the Day.
Meantime, please pray for our safe travel.
We are flying from Montana to California today.

Love,
JanBeek

Cheers!!

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, Life's Challenges, Love, optimism, prayer, Travel

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Dec. 16- Word of the Day

The word for today is:
REPAIR

All the AI images depicted
a man’s hands with tools.

Is that what image comes to mind
when you think of the word
REPAIR?

Since I am in a healing mode after my nasty fall when we were in Italy,
and my leg is healing from an ugly cut earlier this month,
my image for repair comes from a different place.
I am looking for God to repair my body!
Here is scripture assuring me,
He will do that!!

Jeremiah 30:17a

“For I will restore health to you,
and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord…”

God uses the healing hands of His servants
to help repair our bodies when they need it.
I am so grateful for the physical therapist,
the nurses, and the doctors who help
to repair our wounds, our breaks, our cuts,
our boo-boos!!

What comes to mind for you
when you think of the word
REPAIR?

Maybe it is the repair of a broken relationship.
If so, I willl pray that this Christmas season
with God’s help, you can do that!
God bless you with whatever repair you need.
I pray it will come to pass!

See you tomorrow for another
Word of the Day!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, friendship, God, health, Life's Challenges

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Words of the Day

“A Sanctified Art” is the Advent program
my friends at church and I
are using this Christmas season.

It was suggested that we take or find a photo inspired by the Word of the Day
and share it daily on social media. I have been remiss.
We’re already nine days into Advent and I have not posted
these words or photos for you to see.

But, I have colored the quilt pattern that contains the words…
and I have contemplated the meaning of each of the words
as they came due. It’s not too late to begin sharing.
Today’s word is: “Embrace.”

You might expect me to post a picture of Bob & me embracing,
but I’m not going to be so predictable!

It’s easy to embrace those we love,
but learning to embrace the storms of life…
that’s a different story!

kid hiding on pillows

Yesterday’s word was “Together.”
That was a much easier word to embrace!
It was our bonus daughter, Elaina’s birthday –
and she was able to be together with her daughter and son-in-law to celebrate.

And a Happy Birthday to you, dear LainaLainaLaina!!

It was a party day for our son, Ty and his wife, Monika,
and they were able to host a large group of leaders from their church.
There is such joy in that kind of togetherness!

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We returned recently from a three week trip to Switzerland …
and the togetherness with our daughter, DeAna, was magical!

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When you think of the joy of togetherness, what comes to your mind?
And in terms of embracing the storms of life,
what is a storm you are facing?
Tell me about it… and I will certainly
add your resolution to my prayer requests.

See ya tomorrow with the word of the day
for beginning your December 10th.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

blogging, Christmas, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Life's Challenges, relationships, writing

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