An intrepid Christian Is resolute and fearless, Has fortitude and endurance, But is never cheerless!
An intrepid Christian Is teachable and submissive, Attentive and humble, But never repressive.
An intrepid Christian Is expectant and devout, Delivers The Word quietly – But rarely has to shout!
An intrepid Christian Demonstrates integrity, Walks the Talk – But never belittles you or me.
If you believe Donald Trump is a Christian, did you listen to his belittling of Savannah Guthrie after his last Town Hall meeting? Think about the way he insults reporters who are questioning him. Be honest with yourself. Can this man we call our president really be a Christ follower? I am so fed up with his insults to women that I cannot remain quiet any longer. Listen to this!!
If you are an Intrepid Christian, And you have the right to vote In the United States of America, Please listen and take note.
Please help us return to Decency and civility here. Help us elect a kind and capable team And listen to the U.S. cheer!
Don’t forget to vote if you haven’t already!
PLEASE believe me when I say The Democrats will not take your guns away. The Democrats will not let illegal immigrants in to take all your money and jobs! The Democrats believe in the Constitution; They will not destroy it. They will improve our immigration system, create safer gun laws, protect Medicare and preserve coverage of those with pre-existing conditions. Democrats will restore our foreign relations. The Democrats will not kill all the unborn babies. The right to control our own bodies is not synonymous with unwarranted abortion!
As a life-long Christian and Republican who has become a Democrat recently (for obvious reasons), I believe in the Right to Life. But I also think a woman who carries a baby because of rape or incest, or a woman whose life is endangered has the right to choose. Don’t you?
Weigh the rhetoric and please believe me… Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are Intrepid Christians!!
Can’t we just LOVE ONE ANOTHER and stop hurling insults??
Are you fed up with it? Do you feel it is robbing us of our sense of purpose and our wisdom?
These are some questions I gleaned from Scilla Elworthy, the elderly South African woman in the Ted Talk above:
Are you fully alive in your body? Do you have energy and attractiveness in your soul? Are you content with what is? Can you remove the mask, let the wrinkles show, and still like yourself?
Dementia is a real fear for me. My mother was diagnosed with it before she died. My sister is in a home today – a nursing home – being cared for because she has Alzheimer’s. It is in my family. Is it in my future? I cannot dwell on that! I must live in the NOW and love myself so I can love others. The keys are:
gratitude,
prayer and meditation,
time in nature… being outside with things that are alive
What about death? It is inevitable. Approach it with curiosity. Think through it. Know that death is not finality.
What are the gains of growing older? We can speak out! Dare to speak up about those things that we think are wrong! Stand up for those things! Make a contribution by making a difference – by being true to ourselves.
Know that with age comes wisdom. Wise, experienced leaders are a gift to the world. As we age, we can be that older, wiser person who sees beyond the horizon. The world need us!
But age and wisdom are not synonymous. Wisdom does not come automatically. We can’t live in a foxhole and gain wisdom. We need to go out and risk adventure. Risk rebuke. Risk the world hating you. We need to be true to ourselves as we lift our heads to what is happening around us and seek the solutions to the challenges we all face. We can’t be ostriches with our head in the sand.
A friend of mine said she has decided that the best way to avoid dissension is just to avoid having an opinion. “I try to remain totally objective – with no opinion expressed. Opinions just garner arguments,” she said.
We can’t let ourselves live in that kind of fear! Avoidance invites stagnation.
“Whoever is free from all fear will always be safe,” Scilla Elworthy said in the Ted Talk above. So, we must let go of any fear we have of speaking out.
What do you care about? What’s your opinion about aging? Let’s hear it!!
Derrick told me I earned every wrinkle. I told him, “… and every silver hair, too!”
I’m not afraid of growing older. Just don’t call me old!! See ya tomorrow. Love, JanBeek
Do I see myself As a white supremacist? Am I prejudiced?
Sometimes we don’t see The worst things in you and me We turn a blind eye
May peace and love be Multiplied in you and me Freely given out
May peace and love be The aura that surrounds us Reflecting God’s love
Let hatred be gone And have no place in our hearts Only compassion
Let prejudices Be recognized and dealt with Live in unity
White supremacy Is an unrecognized force Most do not see it
Help us recognize How we add to the problem May we only love
Let’s go out and just DO LOVE! Go out and forge a path of peace By seeing things and thinking things differently. We are not our skin … We are not our jobs… We are not what others see… We are our souls! Don’t follow the crowd – Forge your own path And live love!!
How does White Supremacy affect you? Do you see it?? Do you see your own hidden prejudices? How can we be Great Minds that Think Alone? Great Minds that Reflect Love and Peace? Think about it. Be SURE to watch the video!!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek Have a great week. See ya tomorrow.
What does S.O.S. mean to you? It’s an urgent message for help. But yesterday, a Facebook friend said, “It means Same ole Shit!”
Oh my! I had not heard that before! She was referring to a message I posted On Facebook about the U.S. Postal Service. She is convinced it’s all legit – not “shit” at all!
The post received 66 responses within a few hours And it deteriorated to the point where I Called a “Truce” and wished I had not started it. But, hey, ya gotta stand up for what you believe, right?
And we have a responsibility to fact check. Yes, some of the removed boxes were being replaced. The guy in charge of our postal service now, DeJoy, Has spread his “S.O.S.” and intelligent people believe him.
Other equally intelligent people weighed in on the conversation. “I worked for the P.O. and I know these claims are false.” “The sorting machines being removed are not being replaced.” “This has been going on routinely for decades. Why blame Trump?”
I don’t care who is to blame, I just care about our U.S.P.S. And I want to speak up to defend our right to vote by mail. I need all the boxes protected and all the sorting machines left. I need to know our election in November is not being compromised.
So, I came out of my box of comfort and said, “Stop!” I came out and expressed my outrage at what’s happening. Enough other people have expressed their concern that DeJoy Announced he will stop this nonsense until after November elections.
Jeremiah 29:11
“I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.”
We need to TRUST God’s Word and expect the best. We need to pray to God for His wisdom And for our courage to step up to the plate When His perfect time comes.
But, before we grab the bat And swing at the falsehoods, We need to ask the SUPREME COACH To guide us, teach us, and give us TRUTH.
We need to persevere in the face of the S.O.S. People throw at us – and don’t be deterred. We need to listen to His voice and grasp As clearly as we can His purposes for our stand.
STAND UP FOR WHAT’S RIGHT! Silence is no longer a viable option!! I love you, even if you think I’m wrong. Let’s exchange ideas with respect.
Some GOOD people will disagree with me. May my optimism about a brighter future be contagious. Let’s draw on the Word and promises of God. Stand up and carry on with perseverance!
Hebrews 12:1
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
As the “Black Lives Matter” protests gain less and less news coverage and the reason for the demonstrations that are still happening become obscured in the face of violence, looting, burning of buildings, and disjointed opinions, let’s revisit the subject!
Black Lives Matter
A chilling thought flashed into Isaiah McKinnon’s mind the first time he watched the Minneapolis video seen around the world of George Floyd’s death.
“George Floyd could have been me,” the former Detroit police chief wrote at the start of a Free Press guest column.
McKinnon joined the Detroit city’s force in the summer of 1965, four years after graduating from Cass Tech High School and entering the Air Force. He served as chief from 1993-98 and was deputy mayor from 2014-16.
Isaiah ‘Ike’ McKinnon asked: “What were they willing to do to Black civilians?” (Photo: Facebook/2014)
Ike McKinnon today
A Personal Account
In Isaiah McKinnon’s vivid commentary, the 76-year-old retiree — still a Detroiter — recalled blatant racism when he entered law enforcement five and a half decades ago:
“As a rookie officer, I encountered overt and casual bigotry and routine denigration and brutality. Many white officers refused to ride alongside Black officers. Some made cardboard dividers in patrol cars — designating the ‘white’ section from the ‘colored.’ Others used Lysol to ‘disinfect’ seats where Black officers sat. Some of my white colleagues refused to speak with me during shifts, dared not eat near or with me, and frequently used the ‘N-word’ to describe me and the African American citizens they were sworn to protect.
Two years later, I felt the sting of betrayal as an officer during the 1967 rebellion. One night, after a grueling shift, two white DPD officers pulled me over. I was still in uniform, badge affixed to my chest, and a #2 pin on my collar, indicating that I worked in the 2nd Precinct. I identified myself as a fellow officer, thinking they would see me as an equal. Instead, one pointed his gun at me and said, ‘tonight you’re going to die, N….’ before discharging his weapon. I dove back into my vehicle and miraculously managed to escape. I realized then that not even our shared uniform could save me from their racism. And I wondered if they were willing to shoot and kill a Black police officer, what were they willing to do to Black civilians?
As a supervisor a few years later, I stopped a group of officers from beating three Black teens. I was finally in a position to hold them accountable for their excessive use of force. But my precinct commander yelled at me for attempting to ‘ruin the lives of those good officers.’
I witnessed this kind of complicity repeatedly. When other officers reported abuse, as they should, they were ostracized, transferred to lesser assignments and treated so poorly that many quit.”
McKinnon, known widely as “Ike,” wrapped up his account with a call for “a change at all levels.”
“Now is the time to get to the heart of the matter: There must be a major effort to fundamentally restructure police departments so that they actually do what they promise: serve and protect all people.“
Listen to the Ones Who Know
McKinnon knows what he’s talking about! He is credible. He has lived the scenes of discrimination and experienced the violence first-hand. “Ike” has met six U.S. Presidents and Nelson Mandela, and has appeared on the “Today Show”, “Good Morning America”, “Oprah”, and “The History Channel.” He is a national motivational/inspirational speaker to Fortune 500 companies and schools.
Ike began his five decade career in public service as an officer with the Detroit Police Department in 1965. He held more than ten different positions in the department including patrol operations and various supervisory, administrative, command, and executive roles, before retiring as an Inspector to start his own security firm. In 1993, McKinnon returned to the Detroit Police Department to serve as Chief. Under his five years of leadership, hundreds of police officers were directed to go into city neighborhoods and introduce themselves to residents in an effort to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. In addition to shifting the focus of the department to community-driven policing, he advocated for and implemented training programs for officers responding to domestic violence.
What to Do Now
Let’s continue the leadership McKinnon demonstrated during his tenure with the Detroit Police Dept. Let’s make sure we engage across the USA in some of the practices that will help:
Send police officers into neighborhoods to bridge the gap between the law enforcement and the community
Shift the focus of the departments to community-driven policing
Continue funding our police departments as we train officers to respond in appropriate ways to various needs
Advocate for and implement training programs for officers responding to domestic violence
Hire officers who demonstrate compassion – and fire those who do not!
Oh, and do not forget about ME! I am part of the problem if I do not check my “White Privilege” at the door – and examine my own heart and actions. Am I guilty of prejudice unintentionally? If so, how? And what can I do about it in my own life??
Keep George Floyd’s memory alive! Don’t let this continue to happen!
Don’t laugh at others Who are faced with challenges. Seek to understand.
We are divided In this world that’s filled with hate. Why can’t we just love?
It’s intolerance And a lack of compassion That sows evil seeds.
People point fingers At those they see as different. Let’s see their beauty!
People point their guns At differing opinions. Let’s just live and learn!
Learn to see others As God’s children; we’re the same. Let’s make love “catching!”
I had not heard this song before Peter, Paul & Mary made it famous (I think it was back in the late 60s – early 70s). I love their version of it, but some of the words were hard to understand. Now that I have heard the song writer, Mark Willis, sing it, and I have seen the lyrics, I logged on to the Peter, Paul and Mary version and wondered why I ever had trouble understanding.
With their chosen video clips on this You.Tube, I dare you to listen and look and let it soak in and NOT cry!!
Oh, my dear blog friends, How can we bury the hate? Make love contagious!
Look at these dear ones – See into their hearts and souls Through Jesus glasses.
Look at your neighbors; Really see the ones in need. Then reach out in love!
Photo by Judita Tamou0161iu016bnaitu0117 on Pexels.com
My heart is hurting For the disenfranchised ones. What’s YOUR handicap?
I’m short… I’m dense… I barely matter at all… Don’t laugh at me!
See ya tomorrow. I’m headed to my follow-up appointment with my surgeon. You have a safe, healthy, and meaningful day… And see who’s out there who needs a helping hand.
We thought we were bullet-proof; We thought we were too far out of it. Guess again, my near-sighted friends – This virus doesn’t know when to quit!
From lowest number of cases In all of the USA, We made miserable strides. We had 26 new cases in one day!
The percentage sounds so much worse Than telling you the number 26, But numbers can be deceiving – Just ask those who are newly sick!
Montana is a state with barely a million Total in its entire population, But when Yellowstone opened up, People came from the world, not just the nation.
We visited with friends in their yard yesterday, But we were able to socially distance easily. Look at the space between house and table And the blue sky – with God helping quite breezily!
We sat and watched the sunset Reflect on the gorgeous Madison Range, And thanked God for our open spaces; With the absence of hugs – feeling strange!
But when today’s news reported the increase In the number of cases in our state, We thanked God anew for our health – And the blessing to continue to feel great.
I pray you are being wise and safe too, my friends. Enjoy your social situations, But remember to wear a mask if you can’t distance And keep happy and healthy relations!
I’m off to the park to walk again with TazE. It’s another beautiful, blue-sky day. “Bee” happy and stay healthy, will you please? I hope our numbers go down – and stay that way!
Don’tcha love that fence post? See ya tomorrow. Virtual Hugs, JanBeek
This is a purple and yellow July 4th! Purple for all those people who are hurting on this day. Yellow for all the varied colors that make up our rich racial cultures (Asian, Native American, Black, Hispanic, etc.). Yes, Black Lives Matter. Yes, they endure untold prejudicial treatment… and so do toooo many in our world.
Do you know why purple and yellow look so nice together? Turns out they are what’s called complementary colors. They appear opposite each other on the color wheel. Other complementary colors are red and green, and blue and orange.
Interestingly, complementary colors are one primary color, and the color formed by a combination of the remaining two primary colors. Maybe you don’t find this as nifty as I do , but perhaps it explains why I like the images from “July 4th Morning in Glacier National Park” so much!
Not just red, white, and blue, but purple and brown and yellow … all the colors of the rainbow make up who we are.
Singing Sky Photography
Check out the gorgeous photography by Paul Holdorf by clicking on his name here.
As you know, July 4th is a national holiday in the USA. This year it takes on a different kind of meaning for us.
“Uncle Sam” gives us the “OK” sign… but everything is NOT OK. Too many people are dying of COVID-19 and too many people are suffering the injustices of prejudice. Too many people are not feeling “Free to Bee” (as I posted on my blog yesterday).
We’d bee “OKer” if we just “Love One Another” and respect one another and practiced the “All are Created Equal” beliefs that are part of our constitution.
My friend, Lynn Foreman, last year on this day.
A Haiku to Remember
Last year on this day Seniors served the parade crowd No parade this year
Last year on this day More than four thousand came here This year we are still
Stillness gives think time Time to ponder our blessings Figure how to share
Share the grace of God As He’s blessed you, bless others Love One Another
In this photo from last year, I can see I needed a haircut! This year I’m feeling perkier by the minute. Life is improving. Hallelujah!!
Thanks for your prayers! What are your plans for today? Let’s sing in unison and think UNITY!!
Saying no is hard I much prefer the word YES Do you understand?
Health is compromised Saying YES to everything So, learn to say NO
“Not yet” is better It doesn’t sound so harsh It keeps doors open
I like open doors Closed doors are a frustration You know what I mean?
But there are those times When limitations are placed On us – and we rest
Today is that day I say YES to getting help No to stubbornness
I let God define What I am doing today Happiness is rest!
I seek happiness By letting others help me Thank God for helpers!
Satisfying rest Is good for the heart and soul God bless you, my friends!
We had a wonderful sunrise this morning in our Madison Valley.
These are the beautiful roses Bob got for me yesterday to help with my healing. Aren’t they gorgeous?
The view from my bed is beautiful… and I brought a few of the roses into my bedroom so I could enjoy them while I rest and read my devotionals and say my prayers. My prayer list keeps growing! I started it in January… and just keep adding to it. This is just page one of two!
God is good. He hears our prayers… and He responds. I feel His loving comfort today. Thank you for being here with me as I recuperate from yesterday’s hernia surgery.
TazE is here in bed with me, too. Sweet puppy!
Have a restful day – if you can. Practice saying NO when the time is right!
