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Archive for the ‘children’ Category

Amazing Grace

Procrastination may be a weakness,
But just think of all the joys we experience
While we are doing what we enjoy
And avoiding what we don’t!

As a student who worked in music therapy
And a teacher who worked with the handicapped,
This version of Amazing Grace was such a gift!
I enjoyed it while I avoided the after dinner dishes tonight!

Take a break and click on that arrow up there.
Procrastination is sometimes such an amazing grace.
Don’t you agree? God bless these precious singers
And their dedicated, loving parents and teachers!

I hope this blessed you tonight.
(Thank you, Lavonne, for sharing it.)

Do you have a favorite diversion
that you encountered today while procrastinating?
Why not share it here?


Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, children, Faith, God, Gratitude, happiness, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, music

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The Power of Music

Bee my little Honey
And Love me all the time!

Music speaks of love to my heart!

Recently Gottfried (Banter Republic) wrote about the power of music.
He reminded me of a most unforgettable experience
I had back in the ‘60s when I was majoring in music therapy
at the College of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.

My counselor, Wilhelmina Harbert, conducted a clinic for children every weekend. I attended and assisted her. One of our attendees was a 5 year old named Jimmy. Jimmy was a puzzle. He had never spoken a word. The doctors were unable to determine the cause. He could grunt and squeal, laugh and cry audibly, so we knew vocalization was possible. But, he didn’t talk. He was cute as a button and I loved him dearly. He loved me, too. I could tell —- he gave me big hugs when he came into our workshop each weekend.

One Saturday morning I was sitting on the floor with Jimmy in my lap. we were in a circle with other students and children. Mrs. Harbert was playing a silly, rhythmic, nonsense song. The words were repetitive. “Hos-po-di-po-miel-wi” 🎵 “Hospodipomielwi” 🎶 Joyfully, over and over I sang along with the others in the circle. Jimmy clapped along.

Mrs. Harbert played on.

I bounced Jimmy on my lap. I laughed.
I continued singing.
A little girl, next to us, MaryJane – who had cerebral palsy –
turned to Jimmy and sang close to his ear.

Suddenly Jimmy started to sing, too.
🎶 “Hos-po-di-po-miel-wi!!”🎶
“Hospodipomielwi” 🎵

Music unlocked whatever gate was locked to Jimmy’s words!!

I cried as we continued to sing. I hugged that little boy so tightly that he stopped singing and laughed! I’ll never forget that moment! Then he resumed singing :o)

A year later when I saw Jimmy with his mom in the grocery store, she stopped me and said, “ Oh, Jan, it’s so good to see you. I don’t know if I should thank you or not. A year ago I prayed daily for Jimmy to talk. And now I can’t get him to shut up!”

We laughed. I gave her and Jimmy a hug. “It wasn’t me,” I explained. “Thank the Lord. Thank the gift of prayer and friendship. Thank music! It performs miracles!”

Hugs + Friendship + Music = Miracles

Thank you, Gottfried, for encouraging me to tell my story.
Yes, music changes lives!
Thank you for recognizing its power.

Thanks, friends, for joining JanBeek today.
Come again soon.
And sing along with Susie Q and me!

You don’t have to be a senior to sing along to these oldies –
You just needed a dad or mom or grandma or grandpa who sang to you!

Sing Along!
Feel the Power of Music
Lift Your Soul!

Category:

blessings, children, Faith, Giving, God, Gratitude, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, Memories, music, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

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Storytelling

This morning on his post, The Art of Blogging, Cristian Mihai wrote, “Everyone loves a great story. People want to feel connected to a group, to belong.” He suggested that one way to help our readers feel connected is storytelling.

One of my favorite storytellers is Bob Goff. Do you know him? On March 1st, he released a new book: “UnDistracted.” I was introduced to him several years ago when my granddaughter, Faith, gave me a copy of his first book as a Christmas gift. “Love Does” by Bob Goff is a book that should be in everyone’s library!

Excellent storytellers like Bob Goff capture our attention and keep us engaged. Storytelling is a gift. The bloggers who use their gift of whimsey to capture our attention the way Bob Goff does are few and far between (in my humble estimation).

Bob Goff worked for 25 years as an attorney, wishing he could live a whimsical, impactful life. Now a “recovering lawyer,” he gave up his law firm to pursue writing and motivational speaking full time. He’s a best-selling author, hosts a podcast, and became a farmer at The Oaks outside San Diego, California.

I am a “recovering teacher,” wishing to live a whimsical, impactful life. I gave up my classroom and my home in California to live the good life under the Big Sky in southwest Montana. My husband, Bob, and I have a daughter and three grandsons in Switzerland… and a son and three grandchildren back in California. One of our son & daughter-in-law’s children lives here in Montana with her hubby and two of my three great-grandchildren.

I am about to become a great-Grammy again early next month. My youngest granddaughter, Faith, is expecting a baby girl on April 3rd. Life is good!

One of my favorite stories is the one that involves Faith … Faith as a baby, small enough to fit into this little bassinet that I got for her little girl who’s about to emerge into this world.

I wrote this story about Faith 27 years ago when she came into our family. My typical storytelling mode is poetry. What do you think? Does it keep you engaged?

FAITH

Faith Austynne Beekman,
God’s special unique design,
Created by Our Savior,
Placed here by acts divine.

We waited for your coming,
Prepared our home and heart;
Prayed daily for your namesake
To fill us from the start.

We needed FAITH to find you.
We needed FAITH to pray.
We needed FAITH to still believe
You’d come our way someday.

Your birth mother was Amber.
She carried you with care.
She chose your parents wisely,
Knew they’d be the right pair;

Knew in this world of trouble,
A child needs Mom AND Dad
To teach differentiation
Between what’s good and bad.

So while she held your fingers
And smiled into your eyes,
She knew she couldn’t keep you –
A tough choice, yes – but wise!

Your mom and dad prayed for you.
They waited seven years.
They went to doctors, studied books,
And shed a lot of tears.

They almost had an Austynne,
A little girl like you,
Born to a childish mother;
Her dad was absent, too.

But that was not the infant
God chose for the Beekman name,
Instead he tested their faith’s depth,
Made them play the seesaw game.

They saw that first birth mother
Accepting their family as right.
Then they saw her turn about,
With unborn child – take flight!

The time was after Easter;
Our God seemed far from fair;
But wrestling disappointment,
We accepted this cross to bear.

Not every servant of our Lord
Is blessed with children’s glee;
Perhaps my grandsons far away
Were all God planned for me.

Perhaps the students at our schools
Were who God planned as our lot;
We promised Him we’d accept His will.
Be happy with what we’ve got!

Then came the call from a lawyer.
A baby was due real soon.
Moni called everyone she knew
From early morn ‘til noon.

She had to locate Tyrone,
So they could be interviewed.
She had such trouble finding him,
She almost came unglued!

The decision wasn’t easy
(To adopt is hard at best),
But we knew God was on our side.
We had FAITH to pass the test!

Now, innocent little infant,
God’s special, unique creation,
You’re here by FAITH to fill our hearts
With great joy and divine elation!

Welcome to this world and the BEEKMAN BUNCH,

Faith Austynne Beekman!
4/24/96

Category:

blessings, children, Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, Life's Challenges, Love, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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For Love of Gottfried

Humor wins the day
Conversation abounds there
Silly is the Champ

Check it out!
I mean, come on readers,
8,330 followers??
And the conversation flows.
Ya gotta love Gottfried!
Check out his blog site
and today’s post:

https://banterrepublic.blog/2022/02/21/parenting/

In his latest post (the one I sent you a link to up there), Gottfried says:
“Parenthood is the scariest hood you’ll ever go through.“
In that paragraph he said, “I’m convinced that all parents make shit up as they go along. Those who try to use a manual end up with meth addicts.” Does he get a reaction from his readers? You bet! Of course we parents make it up as we go along. Kids are too unpredictable to do otherwise!!
In the next paragraph Gottfried wrote, “Ninety percent of parenting is just thinking about when you can lie down again. The funny thing about kids is they’re the reason we lose it. And they are the reason we hold it together.” He has so much wisdom tucked into his humor. It certainly resonates with me!
“Everyone knows how to raise children except the people who have them,” he wrote. And he ended his comments by saying, “I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” And he quipped, “Folks, I don’t trust children. They’re here to replace us.”

There’s no denying it, folks. Children ARE here to replace us! And Gottfried is here to show us all how to be replaced. Humor is king! Gottfried’s tongue in cheek humor rules. I love him!

If you’re not familiar with his blog, do check it out now. You’ll love him, too!

See ya tomorrow … maybe – – –
I might be too busy reading Gottfried’s humor to post on JanBeek, who knows?

Category:

children, happiness, humor, Love, relationships, writing

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Relish Sushi!

It’s hard to beat Dave’s Sushi in Bozeman, Montana for a great sushi meal. This platter was created for Bob & me and our grandson, Nick (and Celine) when they were here last Thanksgiving.

Knowing how much Bob & I relish sushi at Dave’s, our Daughter #2, Laina, sent us a gift certificate for a meal there to celebrate our 60th anniversary. What a thoughtful present! Bozeman is an hour’s drive from Ennis (where we live), so we don’t go there every day – not even every week. But, we had a dental and a doctor’s appointment there yesterday, so we went to Dave’s afterward.

If we look like we’re happy,
it’s because we are!
You can count on their specials being wonderful!
Cheers!

Dave’s has a varied menu, a good wine list (that’s what I chose – a house white – while Bob had a cold and refreshing beer), great service, and a friendly, lively ambiance. We are blessed to have this restaurant in our part of the world. Laina told me she was hungry for sushi after she saw our photos, but she doesn’t have a sushi place in the Baltimore area that’s as good as this one in Bozeman!

We began with shrimp as our appetizer. It was delicious!
Our Alaskan King Crab sushi roll was wonderful!!

When my California grandkids were little, I used to take them to lunch every Wednesday while I gave their mom (who home-schooled all four of them) a break. Sushi was one of their favorite places to go… and they called those orange fish eggs “Poppies” because they popped in their mouths when they ate them. I always think of Sam, Hope, Jordan & Faith when I eat sushi rolls with “poppies” on them! This one was as yummy as it looks!

My sister, Sally, used to love to take my grandkids (her nieces & nephews) to lunch, too. It was Jordan’s choice to go to sushi. Sam always liked Burger King! (Don’t ask me why he’s looking so serious in this photo! He’s usually more like that picture upper left where he is smiling big with his sister, Hope)

Bob & I are both particularly fond of sushi. He was not a fan initially… and would order some kind of rice bowl instead (Dave’s does have other choices). However, as the years have gone by, he has become wiser! Ah yes, he loved our lunch at Dave’s yesterday as much as I did!

I had passion fruit sorbet for dessert.
Bob chose the mango.
He liked mine better!
Hah! So did I.
Here we are with Laina.

Thank you, Laina, for your very tasty,
and very thoughtful gift!

So, my WP friends, tell me,
do you relish sushi?

Do you have a good restaurant in your area
where you can go and celebrate
a special occasion like we did?

What is your favorite choice of meal?

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

Category:

blessings, children, Family, food, Giving, kindness, Love, Montana, relationships

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Ever Faithful

Remaining ever faithful is a life-long endeavor.

To what or to whom do you remain “ever faithful”?

For Christmas this year
our son, Ty, and his wife, Monika,
gave me this book.

The back cover has a an explanation
of the author’s purpose.

Each day David Jeremiah,
(the author of Turning Point
another devotional
I have been following for years),
selects a scripture,
and reflects on it.

Today’s reflection was especially meaningful to me:

It is trusting the Lord’s direction
day by day in our lives together
that has allowed Bob & me
to remain ever faithful
to one another for these 60 years!

This Friday we will celebrate our 60th anniversary.

This was last year on our 59th.
Here we are 60 years ago!

Yesterday we celebrated my granddaughter, Faith’s baby girl – due April 3rd – with a virtual baby shower. It was attended by about 20 friends from all over this part of our world – from Alaska and Hawaii to NY and across to CA – and states like ours (Montana) in between.

Our daughter-in-law, Monika (Faith’s mom) did a wonderful job researching ahead of time, planning, inviting, and coordinating the event. She linked in to an app that invited her to post a baby picture of the prospective mom as a baby and the prospective dad as a baby at the same age. Then the app blended the two parents and showed what the baby might look like if she favored the mom more. Another picture showed what she’ll look like if she favors dad’s side more.

Because Faith and Kyle actually resembled one another as babies, the two renditions were quite similar. That was fun!

Another activity had all the participants answering questions about the honored couple. The running scores were exhibited and the “winners” were awarded Amazon gift certificates. I didn’t participate in that… couldn’t figure out how to access the game screen! So much for technological prowess!! But folks who engaged had a lot of fun with it.

We were able see Faith & Kyle virtually unwrap each of their gifts, as each told us a little about the gift-giver… and because we were all on a ZOOM share screen, we could see each other. I was terribly impressed with Monika who was able to put all this together and move the activities along at a good pace.

My blog yesterday, “A Virtual Baby Shower,” showed you this expectant mom & dad. Here’s another photo of them:

Faith & Kyle McSparron

I know you join me in wishing them
a happy, healthy pregnancy.
Of course, I will share pictures
of their baby girl with you
when she is born in April.

Meantime, my prayer for them
is that they remain “ever faithful”
to one another –
and are loving, devoted parents
when their new little bundle arrives.
God bless Faith & Kyle!!

Bee well my friends.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
I’ll see you tomorrow (God willing)
What are your Tuesday plans?

Hugs to you!

Oh, before I say good-bye,
Here’s a tribute to this
age-old tradition:
marriage!!


Bye for now!!

Category:

Bible Lessons, books, children, Faith, Family, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, prayer, relationships

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A Virtual Baby Shower

My granddaughter, Faith, is expecting a baby girl this April. This Sunday her mom is hosting a virtual baby shower for her. It’ll be my first ZOOM baby shower. Have you ever attended one?

In preparation for the event, we were invited to go on-line and offer advice using a variety of prompts. That was a fun thing to do. Fun to read each other’s responses! Also, Faith’s mom (our daughter-in-law, Monika) will be posting pictures of all the gifts as Faith virtually opens each one. How clever, huh?

Faith and Kyle were married in July of 2020. It was a fairy tale wedding.

Such a darling couple! They met at a Young Life Christian camping activity about 2018. They both have a strong faith. They have many ideals and activities they enjoy in common. One of their mutual activities is snowboarding. This photo gives you a glimpse into their personalities:

Hah! Sweet Kyle – Sassy Faith!

I am looking forward to attending the virtual shower tomorrow. Should be a fun, unique experience. I’ll post afterward to let you know how it went.

Faithy is an old fashioned girl. Her desires are simple. This is the bassinet/carrying case she chose for her baby!!

Fun, huh?

Don’t know how many months Baby McSparron will fit in there… but should be fun while it lasts!

This is a picture of Faith when she was a baby. She was a true gift from God! I have this photo framed and displayed up in my Angel room:

Precious baby!
Ty & Monika were blessed to be able to adopt her at her birth!!

I can hardly wait to hold my newest little miracle baby when she comes. She’ll be our 4th great-grandchild. Yes, I know… we are mighty blessed.

Thanks for visiting JanBeek
See ya tomorrow(God willing)
Hugs…

Bye for now

Oh, before you go, I need to share with you a song that came to mind as I was writing this post. The Penguins went to the top of the hit parade in 1955 with this song. I was a sophomore in high school!! (Yes, I know… the dark ages!!) I loved dancing to this one … Thanks Phil & Benny – happy memories!

Category:

blessings, children, Faith, Family, Gratitude, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Memories, music, relationships

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Do You Change the World?

Of course you change the world!
You change my world.


Check out my poetic answer
on my WordPress blog
at http://www.janbeek.blog

I include an “Elfchen”
(look for that 11 word form)
and pictures,
music,
and
inspiration…

Go,
let me entertain you,
and tell me:
How do you change the world?

Category:

children, Faith, Family, friendship, Giving, God, Jesus, kindness, Living in Harmony, Love, music, optimism, Poetry, relationships, self-acceptance, Serving One Another, writing

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Changing the World

How am I changing the world?
That was the question for
today’s January 29th #Bloganuary prompt.

How would you answer it?

I changed the world when I was born
Because I am as unique as one can be
I change the world I live in
Because there’ll never be another me

I changed the world when I gave birth
to my first child, Tyronee Bee.
He changed the world around him, too,
Because he has deep faith, the same as me.

Ty is letting Jesus take him and Monika
To the place God has for them both
They tackle each day with perseverance
And let God guide their daily growth

They reach out to those around them
And share their wisdom with finesse
Their hearts are full of love and wonder
It’s obvious, those they touch, they bless.

I changed the world when I gave birth
to my second child, DeDe Bee
Her nickname is Miss Sunshine
Her sparkle touches you and me

She smiles at life through thick & thin
And “Carpe’ Diem” is her motto
Her days are filled with sweetest song
A smooth, clear tone with no vibrato

I change the world when I can travel
To see my kids and encourage them
I know the Good Lord guides their paths
And nothing can discourage them

I know if I am weak and needy
They’ll help me out however they can
They’ll do the same for all they meet
They know no stranger – child, woman, or man

I change the world when I reach out
To gather friends and take them in
Enlarge our family with additional members
Reach out, expand, let others just blend in

They change their worlds in return
And the circle just grows larger
Connecting lives where e’re they go
Giving others energy – a super recharger

I change the world when I give hugs
Virtually or in gentle person
Without the care and love of others
The world of loneliness would worsen

So, never doubt your worth, dear friend
Never imagine that you don’t matter
Every kind word that you speak
Is like seed in wind – let them scatter

Influence
You matter
You change lives
Of those around you
Love

Your world may involve only one
One other person to interact with
But that person means the world to you
And that’s the world you’re packed with

So never underestimate your worth
To just one – or to a world of plenty –
You change the world where you are
Folks who do not matter? There aren’t any!!

Many thanks to my faithful long-term friends here –
And a hearty welcome to my new followers!
You make me smile…
You change my world.

Have a great weekend.
It’s so good to be home!
Go out – or stay in – either way,
You change the world around you.

Never doubt it!

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

Category:

blessings, blogging, children, Faith, Family, friendship, Giving, God, happiness, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, Poetry, relationships, self-esteem, Serving One Another, writing

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The Rhone River Valley

We went down the Alps

On public transportation

Spending the weekend

Don’t let the sheer cliffs scare you. This driver knows what he’s doing! Thank God!!

You’d enjoy the ride

Putting trust in the driver

He’s quite talented

We’re just relaxing

In Grandmaman’s lovely home

So blessed to be here!

Here’s Nick & Céline

They treated us yesterday

Pink Asian in Sierre

Great breakfast again

At Grandmaman’s lovely home

Sierre, Switzerland

Listening to bells

Is such a rare privilege

I wish you were here!

Our DeDe is such a blessing!

This is a typical scene of flower boxes in Vissoie. They are beautiful at De & André’s chalet.

Did I show you that brief video earlier? It was in my saved drafts.

This afternoon we had a wonderful lunch with Theu and Célia. Their son, Aurélien, lived with us in 2004-5 when we took a motorhome trip from CA to MT and UT and found our Ennis home. We have such wonderful memories of that year with him as he gained air hours to get his pilot’s license 

Live sweet memories 
of beautiful days gone by 
cherish the friendships
Thank you, Theu & Célia!

There you see Denise happily engaged in conversation with Célia who was across the table from her. They hadn’t seen each other in a while. We had not seen Theu & Célia since Aurélien’s wedding 8 years ago!!

I hope you are able to maintain long-term relationships like this one. Tell me about a special one you treasure.

Did I tell you yesterday about Sylviane? We started calling her Syli in 1982-3 when she lived for a tear with us in California. She took DeDe to live for a year with her family after she left us.

Young, naïve, beautiful, impressionable DeDe!

The lesson learned here: unless you want your daughter to go off to a foreign country to live the rest of her life, do not invite a foreign exchange student into your home when your dollywolly is young and impressionable!

Here I am with ZuZu, our 1980-81 Swiss son.
So… on the other hand…

… if you want to enrich your life exponentially, you might consider just that! Check out AFS and tell them what country you’d like to have change your life!!

My friend, Dana, said she wanted to hear more alpenhorn. Here you are, Dana:

Thanks for vicariously traveling with us one more day! See ya tomorrow. Meantime, have a blessed Saturday.

Love, JanBeek

Category:

children, Family, Haiku, holidays, Love, mountains, music, Poetry, Travel

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