Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for the ‘Serving One Another’ Category

Quality Friends

Today’s Prompt was:

What qualities do you value most in a friend?

(Couldn’t narrow it down to just one quality!)

Quality friends are plentiful

But you gotta keep in touch

Sparkling Example of Sweetness

You gotta love and hug’em

Generosity

Celebrate birthdays and such

Christlikeness

Show your appreciation

Helpfulness

For all they do for you,

Faithful Longevity

And never let their friendship

Thoughtfulness & Sharing

Get away from you.

Consistent Inclusion

Let them know their faith walk

Love & Hospitality

Helps you walk your faith, too.

Genuine Concern

And don’t forget to tell them

Compassion & Companionship

How their integrity influences you.

Patience & Love

Besides integrity and cheerfulness

Faithfulness

Their daily contact is a gift!

Devotion

What qualities of friendship

Generosity

Give you a daily lift?

Thank you for being my blogging friends!
I appreciate your faithful visits and comments.
Have a lovely weekend!
Hugs,
JanBeek

P.S.
My niece, Jodie,
and her forever best friend, Melissa,
are coming to spend next week with us.
I can hardly wait!

What Jobs?

Today’s JetPack prompt was:

What jobs have you had?

Teacher – 24 years – loved every minute!
1961, Stockton, CA – 1st grade
1962, Germany, Wurzburg Army Base – 1st grade
1963-64, Turlock, Cunningham School – kindergarten
1964-67, Daly City, CA – K, 4th, 7th-8th
1968- 79, Hillsborough, CA – 7th/8th, K, 4th, K-6 summer school
1979-81, Hughson, CA – 1st grade & GATE classes
1982- 99, Ceres, CA – 4th grade, principal (K-8), then…

This is Lorei with me.
She was my first grade student in 1961
when I first started teaching in Stockton
before Bob & I were married.

Like so many of the students
who came after her,
my life is richer because
she has stayed connected all these years.

Teaching is not just a job.
It is a life choice, a passion, a joy!

Some of these dear kindergarteners are my Facebook friends today.
Reach out Ortners, Leslie, Pamela Pon (where are you?), Sean, Kurt, Karen…
You’re all in my heart!


… then, yes, after years in the classroom,
I spent 9 years as a Principal – – – had wonderful colleagues —

The Ceres Unified School District
was a delightful place to work.
I have so many fond memories!

This was a great staff!!

I was invited to try my hand at
working as a mentor to new principals
and as the coordinator for various programs
such as art, new teacher training,
federal and state programs, etc.
So, I went to the district office
as a curriculum coordinator.
It was too far away from the children!
I returned to my first love: the classroom.

I had these little second graders
I picture below here for two years
(as 1st & 2nd graders)…
it was a wonderful way to end a delightful career.

Recognition for a job well done
came in many forms,
but the best is knowing
I made a difference
in the lives of a few children
and maybe helped some of my colleagues
along the way, too.

I enjoyed my life as an educator immensely.
I retired in 1999, but didn’t stop working.
I supervised student teachers for a few years
at Stanislaus State College
before volunteering
for a couple of years
to teach illiterate adults how to read.
Loved doing that! So rewarding!!

But the most important of my “jobs” in my lifetime was:

… wife, mom, homemaker, sister, friend …
Never underestimate the impact
& importance of those jobs!
Take them seriously.
Some people say that there –
-on the home front-
there lies the most important
job of all!!

That photo is the whole Beekman clan
at Bob’s parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
I love this photo …
our daughter, DeAna, and her “Swisster” Sylviane,
and our son, Ty, are on the right of this picture next to us.
So, this had to have been around 1984…

And now, volunteering is part of my life …
and those jobs I choose,
like the Senior Center
or the Food Bank,
the Manor (our local nursing home)
or church fellowship hour,
those “jobs”
are what continue to give me
a sense of purpose.

We never stop having jobs – right?

John 6:27

27 Do not work for food that spoils,
but for food that endures to eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him God the Father
has placed his seal of approval.”

What jobs have you had?

Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies

Arrived home yesterday
after a long weekend
traveling to a family wedding
in California.

Memorial Day…
A day to remember
those in the military
who died to keep us free.

Big Skies in Montana

O Beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain …
(well, not grain, but lovely amber) …
Home sweet home!

For purple mountain majesty…

Above the fruited plain…

California has miles of grape vineyards…
(Talk about a “fruited plain!)

Switzerland has miles of vineyards, too.
This is where our daughter, De, lives in Valais, Switzerland.
All the mountainsides there on the sunny side
are terraced with vineyards!

(We, in America, are not the only
Land of the Free!)

Back home again, we are so grateful
we live in one of the “Lands of the Free!”

America, America,
God shed His grace on Thee!

Thank you to all our veterans
and all the men & women
who died to keep us free.

May God bless them all
as they receive their reward
in heavenly eternity!

1959

This is what Bob looked like when I first met him
(actually I had known him a year before he joined the army).
Anyway, I am grateful that he survived those years in the service.
I am thankful we survived a very stressful trip
to CA and back this weekend…
More about that in the next post.


God bless Bob
and all those who
serve(d) our country.

In the midst of Pentecost Sunday,
baptisms and weddings,
picnics, and travel plans,
may we not forget the real reason
for the three day weekend!

Rest in Peace, dear ones!
God bless you all!
Happy Memorial Day!

Love to you,
and hugs, too…
JanBeek

Leave a Legacy

Today’s WordPress/JetPack prompt was:

What is the legacy you want to leave behind?

L oving

E thical

G racious

A ttentive

C ompassionate

Y ummy

If I could leave a legacy that exemplified these six words, I’d die happy!

First, I want folks to say, “She loved the Lord with all her heart ❤️ and she sincerely loved her family and friends.” 🥰

(Yes, my family is a huge part of my legacy… they will live on and on … and hopefully exemplify the values I hold so dear!)

Additionally, may they say, “She was ethical and lived a life of integrity. Trying to avoid hypocrisy, Jan lived to show her faith on her sleeve, striving to behave in a way that would be pleasing to God.”

Gracious living means extending to others the undeserved love and forgiveness, the acceptance, inclusion, and hospitality that we received daily from the Lord. May they say, “She was gracious.”

I hope my legacy includes the idea of attentiveness to others, attentiveness to the details of the responsibilities assumed, and daily attention to prayer and Bible Study. I happily shared those with others. A desired part of my legacy would include, “Jan was attentive.”

Daily I asked God to help me shine His compassion through me to others. My heart reached out regularly to family, friends, former students, neighbors, and others in need. Strangers were just “friends I hadn’t met yet.” I would like my legacy to include, “She was compassionate.”

Yummy? It’s not that I want to be considered yummy, it is that I love to cook. As part of my legacy, may I be remembered as someone who delighted in preparing yummy meals for Bob and for guests in our home. May I be remembered as someone whose greatest joy was in serving others.

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

Hebrews 13:2
“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers,
for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

When I leave this earth and join the heavenly angels,
I am counting on seeing all those saints who went on before me…
And we’ll feast on heavenly food and feed the scraps to
all my Boston Terriers who’ll be there at the pearly gates to greet me.


Yes, you’re in my life for a reason. Thanks for showing up on my blog!

Love,
JanBeek

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

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

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

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.

Dissolution

The dissolution of possessions
Needs to happen before
the body dissolves;
So do yourself and family
a big favor before it’s too late.

Once you’re gone from here
friends and family may
become gimme people.
Save them from the struggle!

It’s time to be sure you have
a will or trust
or you’ve filled out
a document like Five Wishes.

There are documents like this
available on-line or in stores
so help dissolution of your goods
be a peaceful, loving distribution.

What came to mind when you heard the word “Dissolution”?

See ya tomorrow
Love,
JanBeek

Are You So-Called Normal?

“You will find enough of the abnormal
in the so-called normal to meet your needs,”
Mrs Wilhelmina Harbert said to me.

A Country Living quote shared by Sue Newell
prompted me to remember that advice from my college counselor.
I was majoring in music therapy.
It was my junior year.
I was having sleepless nights.

Music Therapy jobs were few and far between.
Most were in State Hospitals where severely disturbed patients were.
The thorns in my dear music therapy patients at the Stockton State Hospital
where I was interning kept me from seeing their beauty.
I only saw their distress.
And I cared too much.
I couldn’t leave the thorns behind
when I left. I carried them with me.

Mrs. Harbert wisely suggested I switch my major to regular education.
“You love people. You care about them.
Our public school classrooms need people like you.”
So, in my senior year, I began the work of obtaining
my regular elementary education teaching credential.

Smartest move I could have made!

Sure enough- there’s a lot of crazy in each of us! Sometimes it’s our most lovable part!

I used my music 🎶 as therapy every day in the classroom
with countless so-called normal kids.
It helped calm the abnormal in them.
I helped them appreciate their uniqueness.
(I’ll write more about how music therapy worked
in another blog later that week.)

Music helped my students
appreciate the fun
in those outside the norm
parts of us.

I hope you appreciate the parts of you
that are outside the norm, too.
They make you special.
Do you know what some of them are?

Tell me!

It’s fun to know I have a lot of the abnormal
in my so-called “Normal” self!

See ya tomorrow.
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek

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