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Archive for the ‘mountains’ Category

September in Montana

Yesterday I peeked out
from the downstairs back door
surprised to see the signs
of our changing seasons

Signs of autumn
Sparkled from the plant
That’s hanging over the
Newly installed dry well

Orange leaves among the green
Remind me that summer
Is drawing to a close
It’s been too short

Inside, the sunflowers
from friends, the Conklins,
and Sue Newell’s ladybug card
brighten the table

The warmth of sunshine
And the grasses in the field
Beckoned me outside
To see beyond the yard

These “weeds” have their own kind of beauty
Browns and greens mixed with gold
Certainly spell the coming of fall
Alas, stores already sell Halloween

Our view of the Madison Range
beyond the field is spectacular
The clouds are ever changing
Giving our Big Sky character

We can sit inside here
and look out in amazement every day
At God’s marvelous creation
Never tiring of our Montana wonderland

Thank You, God of All Creation
For the beauty of this earth
Help us to be good caretakers
And never take these gifts for granted.

Amen

Thank you for visiting today
Have a Fabulous Friday!
Don’t forget to go out
and marvel at your September beauty, too!

Love,
JanBeek

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flowers, God, Gratitude, Love, Montana, mountains, music, nature, Poetry, prayer

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Marvelous Montana Morning

It was a marvelous Montana morning.
The sun wasn’t up yet, but the doves were.
They cooed and wooed and greeted the day.
I was happy to be up before the sun.

Note the puddle on the rock there.
It rained a little last night.
Everything is so fresh and green.
Welcome to Terrific Tuesday!

As the sky brightened, so did my spirits.
Looking at the purple mountain majesty,
How could anyone not be happy here?
Montana is such a beautiful place to be.

Good morning, sweet Montana sunrise.
Thank you, Lord, for another day;
A day to rejoice and be glad in it,
A day to sing God’s praises….

Sing along with me and the children:

Have a Terrific Tuesday!
How will you celebrate life today?

Sending my love,
JanBeek

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blessings, children, God, Gratitude, happiness, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, music, Poetry

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Ah, Peace!

Absorb today’s peace
I’m sitting on the back porch
The wind chimes are still

Up high in the tree
A meadowlark sings to me
A good book awaits

Let company take the car
Have a raucous day
While here, peace abounds

Last night the whole gang
Enjoyed a lovely dinner
No dishes clean-up

Relatives and friends
Are sweet to come and visit
Enjoy catch-up time

Then come home to eat
Dessert on the patio
A cool, calm evening

And now let the calm
Of a peace-filled day alone
Refresh weary bones

Look carefully… see the double rainbow?

Let God’s promises
Reassure and relax you
Have a blessed day!

Genesis 9:12-13 
ESV

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”

John 16:33 
ESV

“I have said these things to you,
that in me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Wishes of Peace to you
from my son, Ty, and me.

God Bless You!
Let peace begin with us!
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, contentment, Faith, Family, God, Haiku, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Montana, mountains, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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Blessed to Be a Blessing

You are blessed to be a blessing.
You have been given many gifts.
They are meant to be shared;
Pass them out – give others lifts!

Share Gifts

Whether its an ice cream
That you share with your best friend
Or an outing planned to surprise
Your spouse, let your love extend.

Last night we shared a dinner
At a restaurant – mighty fine –
I had my favorite rack of lamb
In a place so fine to dine.

Bob had his favorite seafood
In a curry sauce with cream.
We shared the blessing of the meal
In this gorgeous spot… a dream!

It’s an Asian fusion restaurant
In the heart of Bozeman city.
The waitress, Marisa, did a great job –
Shared her talent – Ain’t she pretty?

If you have the special blessing
Of being able to go out for a meal
With your favorite dining partner,
Do it! I know just how you’ll feel…

Oh, and if that fabulous chef
Tucks a surprise inside your dish,
Be sure a let him/her know how much
You appreciate it… and how it was delish!

My rack of lamb with broccolini
Had a flower tucked inside.
Oh, what fun it was to find and taste it …
Some blessings like to hide!

If you’re ever in the city of Bozeman,
Look up “Sweet Chili Asian Bistro.”
It’s a delight – a real blessing – a treat!
And, take your sweetheart when you go…

We came home to a Montana sunset
That was a treat indeed for our eyes.
My friend in North Carolina sent her sunset –
Sadly Canadian fires created her smokey skies.

But the blessing in her mind was
It could be a whole lot worse.
My daughter in the Baltimore area showed
The smoke there is a real curse.

Meanwhile, returning to our home
A rainbow greeted us as we drew near –
God’s promise wrapped in the scene –
A reason always to give a cheer!!

We’re blessed with Rocky Mountain grandeur
And our intent is share it with you.
As the day draws to a close here,
Here’s a scene for you to review:

Taken from our back patio
You can see the highlighted shelf.
As the sun sets to the west behind us,
We thank God for nature’s wealth.

Bob mowed the lawn before the rain
Came and watered the grass so green.
Yes, we are blessed to be a blessing – – –
Come visit us and see what I mean!

Love,
JanBeek

What blessing are you
blessed to share with others today?

Category:

blessings, contentment, food, friendship, Giving, God, Gratitude, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, Poetry, Serving One Another

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For the Beauty

Oh, the beauty of the earth
Is astounding day by day
Don’t take it for granted
Ot it may fade away!

The Tetons – and the oh so beautiful river

Montana wildflower hike

The Hardwick’s Montana sunset

(Psalm 98:7-9) 
“Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.”

Have a gorgeous day
wherever you are
Enjoy this beautiful earth
The sea, the mountains,
the sun and stars…
And praise our God
Who made them all.

Amen

Love, JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, flowers, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, respect

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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

Category:

blessings, Family, Gratitude, holidays, Life and Death, Love, Montana, mountains, music, peace, Serving One Another

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Make Way!

The scriptures and the devotionals that popped up this week
all point the way to our preparation for spring.
Get ready!
Be prepared!
Make way for the new!!
It will come, won’t it?
Eventually?

I am more than ready for our ice (used to be snow) piles
to melt and allow the bulbs to wake up and begin to sprout!

Isaiah 43:16,18-19-

This is what the Lord says,
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing…”

But, I do remember those former things!!

These were the last of them from last spring.

I am ready to hang my spring wreath
and I am ready to “Spring Up!”
my clocks tonight in preparation for
Daylight Savings Time.

I am ready to keep that time schedule
all year round to give us more hours of daylight
in our waking hours. How about you?

Get ready for a sunny Sunday!
I am ready for more sunshine.
How about you?

I love it when my friend, Lisa,
sends me photos of her sunrises
above the lake near her home in North Carolina.

I’m ready for a ride on “Lucille”
(our redheaded ATV who is a “Ball”)
into the springtime wildflowers
on our mountain trails around here.

Right now, looks like that’s a couple months away.

This year we won’t have our TazE
(our beloved Boston Terrier
traveled over the Rainbow Bridge
last December. We miss her!)
to keep us company on our rides.
She was sure a great trail companion!

We saw some mighty PURDY sites together on those rides!
Sometimes we’d take the trail all the way over to Pony, Montana,
the cute little town northwest of us where there is a
cute little tavern. We’d meet our other ATV friends there.

So, get ready, my friends.
Make way for the realization of
those dreams once more
when we can take that ride again!

But, will springtime ever come to Montana?

Have faith!
It will!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 
ESV 

For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill,
and a time to heal (that’s my time right now);
a time to break down,
and a time to build up;
a time to weep,
and
a time to laugh (that’s ALWAYS now!);
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance (let’s do!!);
a time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace (let’s do that, too),
and a time to refrain from embracing; …

May your storms diminish
and your sunshine increase;
May your troubles decrease
and your joys abound.

May your eyes clearly see
the beauty all around you.

God bless you, my friends.
Make way for those blessings!
They are coming!
Rest assured!!

Love and Lotsa Hugs,
JanBeek

P.S. My eyes are healing after the cataract surgery last week. Thank you for your prayers. The farsighted vision is bright and clear – beautiful colors. Single lens replacement instead of the multiple variety was my only option. It has to do with the age of these tired 83 year old eyes and the shape they were in. But I’m not complaining. Another follow-up appointment is scheduled in 3 weeks. I’ll keep you posted. Thinking positively!

Category:

Animals, Bible Lessons, blessings, Family, flowers, God, Gratitude, happiness, Living in Harmony, Love, Memories, Montana, mountains, music, nature, pets

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Hooray for Destinations!

Love destinations
Especially arriving
Thanks for safety prayers

Stopped to deliver
Thank you gifts to our neighbors
Then we’re on our way

Leaving Montana
The bitter cold Arctic blast
Headed for our son’s

Clear roads were ahead
Beautiful scenery, too
Later came the drifts

Stopped for our breakfast
At Bella’s Coffee Shop, Wells
Enough food for three!

Fascinating skies
Entertained us on our way
Sun tried to peek out

Blue skies in Reno
Promised sunshine up ahead
What a welcomed sight!

O’er Donner Summit
Evidence earlier snow
Roads were passable

Praise God we arrived
All your faith-filled prayers answered
God hears and responds

So good to be here
Blizzard conditions at home
Warmth and love are here

Morning coffee’s hot
Family’s well and welcoming
Merry Christmas Friends!

Hooray for Destinations!

Summers here are great
When more of our family comes
Love those gatherings!

May your holidays
Be filled with love and laughter
May God bless you all

May God bless your life
With love, joy, peace, and laughter
Stay healthy, my friends

May you get to all your destinations safely.

Love and Best Wishes,
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, Christmas, Family, food, God, Gratitude, Haiku, holidays, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, Poetry, prayer, relationships, Travel

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Reblog #8 – Be at Peace

Seek the stillness
Seek the tranquility
See the peace within
The calm in you and me

Photo by Lisa Glines

Imagine a peaceful lake
Breathe contentment into your life
Relax and be a gentle presence
Turn away all stress and strife

Don’t try to hear me –
The wind drowns out my voice.
Just enjoy the scenery!

That is a video
Taking you down the driveway
to our home behind the trees

Photo by Nick Kwan on Pexels.com

Do not let the wind
Disturb your tranquility
The wind moves the clouds

The clouds paint pictures
The clouds bring much needed rain
Wind whips them away

Let the wind help you
Blow away any distress
And just be at peace

Smile, my friends!



When this post was first written,
Bob & I were headed out in the boat
to float the Madison River.
Since then, we have sold the boat.
A lot has changed in our lives.

I took this photo on my walk earlier the day this post was first written.

I took TazE for a walk by the river.
She loved it.
Today it is snowy and blowy here…
No river walks.
But I will post a few pictures to show you
what peaceful scenes our Madison River provides!

Many thanks to Ed Coyle for his talented photography

.

Come and visit us here someday!

Be at peace, my friends.

I gotcha covered in prayer.
Have a peace-filled day.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, Family, Fishing, God, Gratitude, Haiku, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, peace, photography, Poetry, relationships, Travel

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How Big is God?

When I think of BIG, I think of Giant Sequoias.
But, I was reminded this morning during my devotionals
that “BIG” is definitely a relative term.

Ephesians 3:20

“Now to Him who is able to do
exceedingly abundantly above all
that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us…”

“If for some reason it was your job
to design the universe,
how big would you make it?”

That was a question
David Jeremiah asked
in his commentary this month
in Ever Faithful –
a 365 day devotional.

He went on to describe
the universe God created.
The dimensions astounded me!

“The distance from planet Earth
to the observable ‘edge’ of the universe
is 46 billion light-years,
and one light-year
is about 6 trillion miles.”

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Six trillion times 46 billion?
That’s mind-boggling!!
God doesn’t think small!
If His creation is BIG,
that means our Creator is BIGGER.

Photo by Alex Andrews on Pexels.com

If you have a need today
that seems bigger than
anyone’s ability to handle,
remember what God did
when creating the universe.

God is bigger than all our needs –
Bigger than anything we could ask or think.

I have been away from writing blogs
for over a week now…
Unusual for me.
But I have been constructively busy.
I agreed to accept a nomination
to be an elder on our church’s Session.
So, my problem has been 4 study books
and a workbook that needed my attention.

Then I managed to get a nasty cold,
and the aches and runny nose
and coughing kept me awake at night.
Hard to get motivated to write
an inspirational blog
about love, joy, peace, faith & unity
when you’re facing all that.

Good news is that I am better –
and I am ready to face
my “Bigger God” –
and ask Him for help.
Of course, He delivered!

I have enjoyed catching up
on some of the blogs
you have been posting in my absence.
Thank you for your inspiration!

Here’s another version of that delightful song:

Enjoy these delightful kids!


Pray for health and healing, will you?
My God is big enough … bigger than you can imagine!
See ya tomorrow (I hope)…

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, health, Life's Challenges, mental health, mountains, music, prayer

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