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!
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!
“Humans don’t always know how to be human.” That was the sentence that caught my attention In last Sunday’s sermon about love. Is loving one another our sincere intention?
Most of us know the Bible’s definition; We’ve heard the scripture countless times. But reading it, saying it, and doing it Aren’t the same – not even sometimes.
Mary Grace Reynolds took the topic Of love on Super Bowl Sunday (The week of Valentine’s Day) And related it to a movie and play.
The movie was “Remember the Titans.” The play was football and dance. Some newly integrated football players Were brought together by chance.
On the football field they never joined Together and danced as one. During practice their coach Sent the players out on a run.
The coach stopped them at Gettysburg – a place of war – A place where 50,000 men died Fighting the fight we’ve fought before.
Take a lesson from the dead; Come together on hallowed ground. Learn to play in harmony. Set aside prejudice; let oneness be found.
Push yourself aside for the good Of the whole – learn to love. Display the honest hope and possibilities Born of God – born to hug and not shove.
The Galatians had the same problem – Fighting, arguing, not loving. Paul wrote a letter to them, Encouraging huddling, not shoving!
Galatians 3:19-29
Paul says we are wearing the identity of Christ and while we come from difference, and difference is beauty. We are nothing except Christians
Galatians 5
Like the Titans, we have to change our actions and attitudes. We have to put on the uniform and come ready to win. Recognize we as the players need one another. Remember we are the players, not the coach.
The Septolet is a poem consisting of seven lines containing fourteen wordswith a break anywhere in between the two parts. Both parts deal with the same thought and create a picture.
. . . Kindness Lovingly given Gratefully received Reap what you sow
We rise Lifting others Carry . . .
What picture did those words create for you?
Here is the picture that came to my mind.
:o)
And this is the scripture that came to mind:
Luke 6:25 “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”
Jesus is my inspiration. God’s Word is my go-to for direction. It inspires me to be kind, not just to my family, friends, and loved ones, but also to those who annoy me… maybe most to them!
Thank you, David, from skepticskaddish.com, for introducing me to this new (to me) poetry form. It was fun to give The Septolet a try.
Hey, WP Friends, why don’t you try it, too? I’d love to see your word picture.
Tim McGraw sings the message in a most beautiful song. This is new to me, too. Have you heard it before? The images that accompany it are so inspiring. You’ll be glad if you take time to see and listen!
Hugs to you… Have a Wonderful Weekend. Always be Humble and Kind!
Tin Yan Chans art is amazing. I was inspired to create this poem after enjoying his works.
Deep within the Rockies Where no traffic flows Is a peaceful hidden lake Where gorgeous lupine grows
The lake is filled with fish And if you know your way, You can walk to find real joy Come join me friends, let’s play
The lake is beautiful in every season You can visit it for no reason Other than to enjoy its beauty Ot wait til its trees are fruity
It’s an artist’s paradise The scenery is always nice Sit quietly and wait for the butterflies Look carefully – they’re a sight for sore eyes!
Claudia at Humoring the Goddess did some research and shared the fact that Tin Yan Chan, a master artist, had his God-given talents recognized in Canada in the late 20th century. She wrote, “… at 16 he was admitted to the Wuhan South Central China Academy of Fine Arts.”
I am so fascinated by this artist’s work that I intend to do a little research of my own. His website shows several additional paintings and about a dozen in a section labeled “sold.” Wouldn’t you enjoy having one of his masterpieces in your home?
Tin Van Chan has developed his artistic talent and made his creations available to the world. What talent do YOU have that you’ve developed and generously shared?
“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me’.” Erma Bombeck
Today I used my rusty talent (playing the accordion) at church. Our pianist was unable to attend, so I was asked to step up. My accordion has been dropped and some of the keys sound a bit weird – but I stepped up and did my best. Hopefully it was better than trying to sing all the hymns A Cappella!
An easier talent to share is the one that has a harder time getting rusty: Teaching! On Tuesdays I share my love of scripture with my 10-year-old friend, Hailey, and in the evening with my lady friends at our local nursing home. Through the years I have developed my spiritual gift of teaching, and as you have heard many times, I’m sure, “Once a teacher, always a teacher.” Like Erma Bombeck, I want to “use everything [God] gave me.” Our talents are given to us to be shared.
So, share your talent Your talent’s God’s gift to you It’s meant to be shared.
For many of you, it’s writing prose or poetry. For some of you, it’s photography. For others, it’s music or public speaking. I really appreciate those whose talent is fixing my car or unplugging the drain on my sink! Some are math wizards or skilled carpenters> All God’s gifts of talent are meant to be shared, What’s yours?
Share with me what talent you thank God for giving to you. How are you sharing it?
Isaiah 43:4-5a. “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men to exchange for your life. Do not be afraid for I am with you…”
I knew where we were going… HOME! And I knew God was with us, guarding and guiding us. I learned as we were at the “41 miles to go” mark that a woman about my age had died in a tragic accident the day before on this very stretch of road. Her demise was a jack-knifed semi. She hit black ice and slid into it when she was trying to turn and avoid it. It was a clear day – at 4: o’clock in the afternoon. We were traveling home on that two-lane road in the dark. A host of family and friends were praying for our safe travel. We TRUSTED God’s guidance as we crept along, blinded by the bright headlights of on-coming semis.
At about the “20 miles to go” mark, if I had my window down, I could have reached out and touched the big doe that was preparing to cross the road in front of us. We didn’t see the deer until we were almost on top of it… or it on top of us! You can imagine how we prayed prayers of gratitude all the rest of the way home!!
This morning, in my wonderful upstairs space that I call my “sanctuairee,” I was reading a commentary by Rev. Dr. David Jeremiah. It was for me!!
“Praising God for Miracles”
“Among the stories connected to the memory of Francis of Assisi is this one: One day Francis gathered his friends at a remote monastery in central Italy. When he asked them about their journeys, each brother had an exciting tale to report. One had been riding his mule across a narrow bridge that spanned a deep gorge. When the mule bolted, the man was nearly thrown into the ravine. He praised God he hadn’t been killed.
Another brother had nearly drowned fording a river, but he said, ‘God in His grace provided a tree that had fallen across the water. I was able to grasp a branch and pull myself to safety.’ Other brothers expressed similar stories of God’s protection.
Then someone asked Francis about his trip. ‘I experienced the greatest miracle of all,’ said the famous friar. ‘I had a smooth, pleasant, and uneventful journey.’
We should always remember to praise God for His miracles in whatever form they come. He blesses, heals, rescues, delivers, helps, and uplifts more times every day than we can count. We should always be saying, ‘Thank You, Lord!’
Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth”
Thank you, David Jeremiah, for your timely message this day. It’s a perfect one!
So, on this journey called life, I choose to trust God. I may not know where He is taking me tomorrow, but I know if I trust in Him, and ask for His guidance, and look for His direction, He will not fail me.
Choose to TRUST
Looking again at the scripture Dr. Jeremiah chose for today’s devotional, I am reminded of Martin Luther King Day yesterday… and the way he gave his life for his principles of Freedom, Equality for all, and Non-violence.
Yes, God said, “I will give men to exchange for your life.”
I pray we all will remember the men and women who gave their lives so that we might enjoy the peace we have today. It is still going on in those war-torn places around the world. God bless our faithful warriors who fight to keep us free and those servants of God world-wide who choose to TRUST in God’s protection as they fight to maintain their county’s freedom. Amen
Thank You, God, for the way You bless, heal, rescue, deliver, help, and uplift us more times every day than we can count.
Help us follow Your example of love and spread Your Good News with Trust and Assurance every day. Amen
“A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”
Proverbs 15:13
Use your merry heart To be like an umbrella Protection in storms
At the end of day Your sweet, merry countenance Is a lovely sight
Your positive view Shines through the dark clouds of gloom Lifting others’ hearts 💕
You’ve an extra dose Merriment is contagious You infect others
David Jeremiah’s entry in today’s devotional in Ever Faithful was titled “A Merry Heart.” It gave me the incentive for today’s post:
“After Richard Norris was badly disfigured by a gunshot wound in 1997, he remained hidden at his parents’ home for years. They covered the mirrors to keep him from glimpsing his face. But a team of doctors… gave Richard a new countenance.”
The scripture selected, Proverbs 15:13, fit the story perfectly. Richard’s spirit was broken. His sorrow of the heart was understandable. David Jeremiah went on to link Richard’s sorrow to us all:
“While Richard’s story is unusually dramatic, there’s a sense in which we all need a new countenance. Study the faces of people you meet every day…”
Oh how I love those Last two pictures of my friends Study every face
David Jeremiah goes on to suggest,
“Steal a quick glance at your own face as you pass a mirror or reflective window. …Our emotions inexorably flash through the forty-three muscles in our face and we communicate our feelings through our eyes, brows, and the set of our mouths.”
“One smile can light up a room; one frown can darken a day.
“The Bible tells us a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. Rejoice in the Lord today and let the joy of Jesus shine through.”
I dare you to listen to this and not smile!!
You know I play the accordion, right? Well this is a concertina… buttons on both sides. Aren’t these kids adorable?
Open up you Merry Heart! Mine is open for you!!
Love ya, JanBeek
Open heart + Open hands = Merry, Cheerful Countenance
He coined “Boldacious” And I immediately Claimed it as my own
Dwight: Roth Poetry Recognized the “Me” in it It’s a perfect word
Colorfully Boldacious!
Recklessly Boldacious!
Carelessly Boldacious!
Repeatedly Boldacious
Lovingly Boldacious
Spiritually Boldacious
“The righteous are bold because they know that God is for them and what they have to say is important.”
(Hebrews 13:6)
Cautiously Boldacious
Consistently Boldacious
What does the Bible say about boldness? Being bold is having courage and speaking out against what’s wrong no matter what others think or say. It’s doing God’s will and continuing on the path that He put you on regardless of the hardship you face. When you’re bold you know God is always on your side so there’s never a reason to fear.
Are you Boldacious? You have every reason to be! You are unique! Use your uniqueness to the max!! You gotta be you!
1 Peter 4:10-11
God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God Himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.
Step out BOLDACIOUSLY You gotta be all God made you to be TO THE MAX!
Have a boldacious day. Love from BoldaciousJanBeek
