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Archive for the ‘Living in Harmony’ Category

Open Hands

If your hands are full of “stuff” –
God can’t fill them anew.
Open your hands, my friends,
And let God renew you!

No need to decorate them
Or worry about their size
Just turn ’em over and
Ask for something wise

“Get wisdom;
get insight;
do not forget,
and do not turn away
from the words of my mouth… “
– Proverbs 4:5 

It is an understatement to say
that wisdom is a worthwhile pursuit.

woman wearing red hat and sunglasses
Photo by Nashua Volquez-Young on Pexels.com
We’re never too old to learn
A thing or two each day
Open your hands and receive
God’s message – It won’t lead you astray
person holding opened book
Photo by Eduardo Braga on Pexels.com

In his book, Ever Faithful,
David Jeremiah was inspired
by Psalm 145:16
when He wrote
about hand gestures:

“Hand gestures can communicate
our innermost thoughts and emotions.
Clenched fists reveal anger.
White knuckles and trembling
are usually the result of fear and nervousness.
We close our hands around things
we want to hold on to
and open them to receive and give gifts.”

My friends, Ed and Maria, open their hands to receive each others love and close them around each other to hang on to the one they love. Bob & I do the same!

David Jeremiah went on in his devotional to say,
God’s generosity is described in Psalm 145:15

You open Your hand
and satisfy the desire
of every living thing.”

It might be the prayer
For a miracle to receive
Or could be something simple
You just have to believe

Believe that when you open
Your hands to receive gifts
God will fill them with wonders –
With gifts that your heart lifts

Open hands are a symbol
Of giving – giving our all
And knowing in the process
We’ll be standing tall

As a humble giver,
Know what you give comes back
And God knows your needs
He will fill your every lack

David Jeremiah went on to remind us,
“If we overlook God’s generosity,
or find ourselves in the midst
of a painful season,
it’s easy for a mindset
of scarcity to take over.
We become afraid of losing
what we have, and
our hearts’ stance becomes one of
grasping as we seek to control
our circumstances.”

Grasp all the love you can get
Then open your hands to give
It all away – every single bit
Because it’s refillable as long as you live

Bob’s hands are open to receive his “just desserts”!!
Are yours open, too?

I pray for your hands to be filled
Filled to overflowing
Filled with love to give away
Love that’s alive and showing!

God Bless you!
Have a “Open Handed Day!”
Will you?

Love,
JanBeek

Plans to Prosper You

Who has plans to prosper you?
You do??
Who else?

white paper with note
Photo by Bich Tran on Pexels.com

Jeremiah 29:11

11 “For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you,”
saith the Lord,
“thoughts of peace,
and not of evil,
to give you an expected end.”

God promises to give us hope and a future.
Grace gives me a chance to clean up today’s messes and try again.
Be ready for that prosperous, expected end!

“Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt,
so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
Colossians 4:6 (NIV)

Sprinkle the salt of peace.
Express
the joy of happiness.
Smile
and
let the love of
the One who wants only
to prosper you
shine forth!

three wooden signage in a tree close up photography
Photo by Maria Gulyaeva on Pexels.com

Guidepost’s Mornings With Jesus
challenged its readers yesterday to
“Thank Jesus for seasoning you
with His grace”
– and
“Write down specific ways
He has prospered you so
you can be salt and light
in the world today.”

sunflowers and a card
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com

What blessings come to mind for you today?

God provided blue skies.
He sent rain to clear the haze.
The grass is greening
and the flowers are blooming.

I can’t make these things happen…
Only God can control the seasons.
He sends the sun by day
and the moon by night.
These are blessings
I don’t take for granted.

What are some of the specific ways
God has prospered you recently?

I am blessed by your visit here today.
Thank you for following
JanBeek.

I am gratified by the
new followers who have joined us recently.

I send my love & hugs your way.

Tenacity

two brown bears on grass field
Photo by Francisco Cornellana Castells on Pexels.com

On this day after Mother’s Day,
I was enchanted by this video
of a Mama Bear and her cub.
The parenting style astounded me!

I hope you can see it when you click on the link beow:

fb.watch/ky20qiVPmf/

This is “Tenacity Personified”.
Watching it is “Patience Personified”.
Mama Bear is “Confident Parenting” personified.

Would I have been that confident?

Would I have had the tenacity
to hang in there long enough
to let my child succeed
on his/her own?

Nope, probably not!

I’d no doubt have rushed down to rescue.

How about you?

Have a Marvelous Monday!

Love,
JanBeek

This picture of us was taken yesterday on Mother’s Day by our friend Ted. He is a 95-year-old retired photographer who is temporarily at the Manor Nursing Home recovering from a broken back. It’s good of Bob, don’t you think? Usually when I get a picture of him smiling, his eyes are closed! Thank you, Ted!

All About Mom

She was witty
She was strong
She worked hard
All day long

She was cranky
She was smart
She always finished
Whatever she’d start

She was pretty
She was neat
She was clever
But not too sweet

She was never
Without an opinion
Expressing ideas
Was her dominion

She loved Lodge
And organization
Any laziness
Was her frustration

She loved poetry
And crooning songs
Her eye was tuned
To finding wrongs

She loved her girls
With all her heart
I know that more
Now that we’re apart

She always boasted
Behind our back
Whatever we needed
We’d never lack

She was a guide
She was no saint
A perfect mom
No, that she ain’t

But would I trade her
For another mother?
My heavens, NO!
I want no other

MOM!!


If you were to write a poem
or sing a song about your mom,
what would you have to say?

Here’s a beautiful tribute
to a mom from her three sons.
I love it! I dedicate it to my
dear children, Ty (his wife, Monika) & De,
and to my other daughter, Laina.
Thank you for being such great parents!!

Happy Mother’s Day
to all my blogging friends.

I hope your day is wonderful!

Love,
JanBeek

Duh!

What public figure do you disagree with the most?

From my Christian perspective, this prompt is a no brainer for anyone in the USA with a moral bone in his/her body. But I have good Christian friends who disagree with me, so why open the gap and create more divisiveness?

Let Justice reign!

Can we disagree and still love one another?

Let peace and unity be our goal.

Amen? Hugs to you from … JanBeek ❤️🙏🏽🥰

Just One Day

Today’s JetPack prompt was:

What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?

Just one perfect day
That’s all I’d actually need
To find a home for every dog

Just one perfect day
Find homes by some tennis courts
Make all dogs happy

Just one perfect day
Find homes for all the children
No need for orphanages

Just one perfect day
A universal wiper
Eliminate war


Oh, there’s so much more
I would love to accomplish
In one perfect day



With the perfect job
I would wipe away all tears
In a perfect world

What job would you like?

Let’s sign up for that perfect job…
for just one day!

Hugs,
JanBeek

Love Lifted Me

These happy singers lift me up … Do you feel the love?

Nay-Sayers

Share a wisp of love
In a world of nay-sayers
Let love lift you up

Our nay-sayer world
Filled with hate and divisions
Needs the love you share

Do not be afraid
To be a Pollyanna
Look on the bright side

Every issue has
A rotten and a dark side
Flip over the coin

Look on the bright side
The Truth is in the BS
A pony’s in there

landscape sunset field dust
Photo by Vladimir Srajber on Pexels.com

Beneath all the crap
Lives the Word and the actions
We should emulate

Let hope lift you up
Take shovel and start digging
Find the love in there

Fertilize your life
With sincerity and grace
Uncover the love

This song was recorded in 1961, the year Bob & I were engaged, the year I graduated from college. Love indeed made the world go round. We were married in 1962 and I left the west coast of the USA for the first time and moved to Germany with Bob (who was stationed in the army there). My world became bigger… filled with new love!

Let love uplift you
Let love make your world sweeter
Eliminate crap!

Uncover pony
Rest in God’s peaceful pasture
Send nay-sayers out

John 10:9  

“I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved
and
will go in
and out
and
find pasture.”

Love lifted me up!
I heard His voice and heeded
You can do that, too

Share a wisp of love
In a world of nay-sayers
Let love lift you up




Be a Yes-Sayer – share your love!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Come on over for some chicken enchiladas!

Don’t these personify love?

See ya tomorrow.

Hugs,
JanBeek

Peace Thru Prayer, Music, & Service

I LOVE the Jehovah Shalom Acapella sextet. They are phenomenal. Their musicianship, range, uplifting song selections, tone, and delightful facial expressions give me a smile and a sense of peace that lasts all day! I pray for all of them… and their ability to continue to bless us with their music. Do you know them?

I have a smile, a kind word, and a poem of encouragement to share with you. I shared it with the Madison Valley Woman’s Club today. I hope it inspired many to also “Find Peace.”

May this poem, this music, and my prayers for you bring you a sense of inner peace that allows to you to let His light shine brightly through you!

I Can Find Peace

I can find peace
It’s here in my heart
Living in trust
Is a good place to start

I can find peace
In stillness and prayer
Don’t need to go far
Peacefulness is there

Find peace in the world
Find oneness with all
Find joy and contentment
No need for a wall

Peace in relationships
Peace from above
Just radiate inner peace
And reach out in love

Jan Beekman – poet
woman meditating on rock
Photo by Felipe Borges on Pexels.com

Among the poems that my mom collected and saved each week in 1938-1940 from Newman, California’s “West Side Index” was this lovely poem to reinforce the way we each can find peace and pass it on:

Little Things

Somebody did a kindly deed,
It helped you all the day.
Do it again, for somebody else,
Who, needy, passes your way.

Somebody said a kindly word;
Say it again, for you
May brighten somebody else’s load
By the word that brightened you.

Somebody smiled a cheerful smile;
It made the day seem bright.
It was only a little thing you say,
But those little things have might.

Those little things – are they little things?
Just think how the whole long day
An unkind word or slighting tone
Has hidden the sun away.


Margaret Kinsella – poet

smiling women in old fashioned clothing looking at gift in park
Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

At our Madison Valley Woman’s Club meeting today, the ladies shared plants of basil and rosemary, gifts of one sort and other, with one another. New officers were installed. A budget for the coming year was adopted. The organization owns and operates the Nearly New here in Ennis. It is a non-profit, volunteer organization that earns “big bucks” by selling “Twice in the Closet” clothing, books, kitchen ware, jewelry, etc. Hats off to all those who donate their goods and services to the Nearly New! The second-hand shop is run totally by volunteer labor. The majority of their profits are given back to the community in the form of scholarships to graduating high school seniors, monthly monetary support to the local library, and countless other worthy community organizations (such as the nursing home, the community pre-school, senior and youth services, etc.). They budgeted $163,000 to be given away in the coming fiscal year.

There is an enormous sense of peace & community pride that comes with the collaborative efforts of the club’s more than 150 members working together all year to make these kinds of profits possible. Our town of Ennis, MT has a population of just a little over 1,000 residents. So, you can just imagine what a gift this club is not just to Ennis, but to the entire Madison County and to the state. Hats off to all those dedicated volunteers!

Luke 6:38

“Give, and it will be given to you.
Good measure,
pressed down,
shaken together,
running over,
will be put into your lap.
For with the measure you use
it will be measured back to you.”

Give the best you got!
May the peace of Christ be with you and your loved ones
as you give generously of your time, talents, and resources.

Remember, your cup is not
half full or half empty,
It is overflowing…
and it is refillable!

God bless you this day and every day!
Hugs,
JanBeek

See ya tomorrow!
Have a great weekend.

Talk to Me!

Today’s JetPack prompt asks what I like to talk about.

What topics do you like to discuss?


Can you guess?

Sienna, Xander, Charlotte and GG

Yup, GG – Great-Grammy, that’s me!
And below is my granddaughter, Hope,
with three of my five great-grandchildren.

Tonight Bob & I met Charlotte
(11 days new)
for the first time!

Here’s Hope with her 3
Psalm 127:3-5 
ESV 

Behold,
children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

Behold, I fill my quiver with them!

Holding this contented little “Peanut” was such a thrill!
We cooed with one another.
What do you think she had to say?
That’s a topic to discuss!

As some of you know,
Charlotte had a scary beginning
as she was transported by ambulance
back to the hospital
when she was just two days new.

Thank God she’s ok now.
Thank you again for your prayers.

Ask me about my 7 grandchildren.
Ask me about my 5 great-grandchildren.
What do you want to know?
Do you have an hour or two?

My sweatshirt says,
“Kids Make the Day Brighter!”

Here’s another great-granddaughter,
one-year-old Mable Iris.
She makes days brighter, too.

Her chair is our gift for her first birthday.
I think she likes it, don’t you?

Check out the place where
you can get personalized gifts
for children of all ages,
9 minutes to 90 years!
My former student, friend, Leslie,
will cater to your personalized wishes.

http://www.KidoodlesInc.com

The owner of that business
is Leslie, a clever young lady
who was my kindergarten student
in 1972!

Yes, do go and give her your business!
You’ll love exploring her inventory.
(That’s another topic I love to discuss:
my former students and what they do today!)

… But nothing beats grands and great-grands!!

Here is Cosette,
another adorable great-granddaughter
who lives in California.

Isn’t she beautiful?

How about you?
What’s a topic you love to discuss?

apartment architecture chairs comfort
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Let’s sit and chat awhile!!

Thanks for visiting
JanBeek
today.

Tell me what you like to talk about.

See ya tomorrow.

Let’s have some Happy Talk!!

Risky Business!

Today’s Prompt was:

“Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.”

I had children.

Giving birth is risky business.
Raising children is risky business.
They’re expensive!
They’re trouble.

Do I regret deciding to raise two children?
No!
They are a gift from God!

Here’s that spunky boy in today’s world:

Our son and his wife also took the risk.
They decided to raise a family.
But they were not able to have biological children.
So, they took the risk of adopting…
Not just one, but four children!
Adopting is risky business!!
God bless them!

Do they regret it?
You’ll have to ask them!

But, I know that decision of theirs
impacted our whole extended family!

When our granddaughter, Hope, was 18,
she decided she was grown up enough
to make her own decisions,
so she took a risk and left home.
She decided to live with a girlfriend.
(That’s her in stripes in that photo,
and the two little ones are hers: Xander & Sienna.)

Well, that living arrangement didn’t last.
Moving out is risky business.
In just a few months,
Hope was homeless,
couch-hopping, and in trouble.
We took the risk and invited her
to come to live with us in Montana.
It’s a risk we “do not regret.”

That little baby you prayed for this week
is Hope’s #3 … Charlotte.
Thank you, Hope, for taking the risk
of raising a family.
As David Jeremiah wrote in “Ever Faithful”
this week:

Life Takes Time

“Be patient with yourself and with others.
Put down roots.
Stay in one place.
And remember…
nothing takes the place of
God’s work over time.”

Yesterday I texted Hope:

“Hope, how are you and Charlotte doing?”
“We are doing good!!! She’s eating and sleeping well!”
“How are Xander and Sienna?”
“Ok! They’re doing good!
I’m recovering well!
And the kids, too.
They love her!

Yes, life is risky business.
Raising kids is risky business.
And we never stop parenting
as long as we and our children are alive.

Yesterday that little girl in Santa’s lap
up in that 1968 photo
was driving to a lunch date
in Switzerland (where she lives)
when a car dashed out into her path.

Oh my! Learning to drive is a risk.
Do you ever regret teaching your kids to drive?

Now, I need you to pray for DeAna and her transportation, OK?

And don’t forget to praise God.
She’s OK, even if the car is not!

See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

No, I don’t regret having children.
Yes, Ty & De are God’s gifts.
But, every day’s a risk, isn’t it?

Life is risky business!!

God bless you all…

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