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Archive for the ‘nature’ Category

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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Fun Exercise

What’s the most fun way to exercise?

Walking in the Ennis Lion’s Club Park on a sunny day is the most fun exercise for me. What’s yours??

Our Madison Valley scenery is so inviting!
TazE made the walking more fun. We miss him!
TazE made everything more fun!

Do you have a dog I can borrow to make my walk in the park fun again?

What’s a fun exercise for you?

See ya tomorrow. Love, ❤️ JanBeek

Category:

blessings, contentment, happiness, health, Love, Montana, nature, pets

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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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Travel to Uganda

I probably never will travel to Uganda, but my friend, Lisa Glines, just returned from a trip there. I was privileged to travel with her – vicariously, of course.

Lisa’s daughter-in-law, Aneesa, was Lisa’s travel partner. Aneesa celebrated her birthday with their wonderful Ugandan travel guides and travel partners. This photo is their friend, Sam, celebrating with them. Happy Birthday, Aneesa!

Thank you, Lisa, and Aneesa, for sharing your adventure!
One of their guides was a bird expert.

This is the Crested Crane, Royal Uganda’s national bird

Other guides were animal experts
who knew just how to find
where these exotic animals
lived,
swam,
and dined.

Doesn’t Aneesa look like a fun-filled travel partner?

Waiting for a hand-out?
Sunrises and sunsets were spectacular!
Must have been quite a thrill to get so close to these beautiful animals.
Ready to travel home. Thank you so much for sharing!!

Luke 3:11  

And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

I may not have had a tunic to share… nor food to share with you today, but I had travel photos that were graciously shared with me… so time to pass them on with gratitude for Lisa’s big heart! I hope you enjoyed the virtual Uganda trip, too.

Sharing colors my world. I hope it colored yours today, too.
Have a Happy Presidents’ Day here in the USA,
and a Marvelous Monday, my friends.

Lotsa Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, Bible Lessons, Love, nature, relationships, respect, Serving One Another, Sharing, Travel, trees

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We’re Back!!

Hello, Montana Sunrise

Hello beautiful sunrise from my dear North Carolina friend!

Hello Montana Snowdrifts!

Hello, dear friend, who walked over the 3’ drift to come say,
“I’m here to plow you out!”
(Oh my, look how the snow came in the front door!)
God bless our helpers!

Hello Daughter#2 back in Maryland.
Thank you for your love, hospitality,
transportation, and luscious food!
We miss you already.

Hello Lacey!
You’re such a lucky pup to have your
“People Grama” taking care of you
while your parents are on their honeymoon!

Hello Daughter#1…
So glad you’re back safely in Switzerland,
enjoying a luscious dinner with your hubby. 👍🏽

Hello PicNick!
Hey, DeDe,
How fun that your #2 son
came to visit and to show you
his new car!
Congratulations, Nicky
(my #2 grandson).
We’re so glad for you!!

Hello again, Lacey!
Yes, I know, you need attention!!

Hello Montana sunset!
Another day gone by,
and we are so grateful for clear skies,
for friends, neighbors, WP contacts and their comments,
and for our local chiropractor who helped relieve my body aches!

(That was my first visit in my 83 1/2 years
to see a chiropractor.
I wonder why
I waited so long!)

Have you ever been to one?

Whew! Feeling like an Angel just touched me!
I hope you’ve had a blessed day, too, my friends.

Bee 🐝 well- and free of pain!

See ya tomorrow.
Hah! It’s tomorrow already…
I forgot to click “Publish” on this one yesterday ;o(

Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, blessings, Family, friendship, Gratitude, health, Life's Challenges, Love, Montana, nature, pets, relationships, Serving One Another

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Shared Talent

Today I was introduced to an artist I had never heard of before.
Tin Yan Chan’s art astounded me.
Here’s a sample:

Nature’s Wonders by Tin Yan Chan

To see more of his art, check out today’s post
at “Humoring the Goddess”
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/4496017/posts/4509265488

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?

Musically Yours –
With Love,
JanBeek

Category:

art, Bible Lessons, blessings, Fishing, flowers, Giving, God, Gratitude, Love, music, nature, Poetry, Serving One Another, Sharing, Spiritual Gifts, trees, writing

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High and Dry

Here we are today
High and dry in Placerville
Grateful for the warmth

Looking at the storm
From inside a comfy house
Thanking God for life

Feeling very blessed
A good book and some coffee
Listening to rain

Shhh! Hear the raindrops fall.., Well, you can imagine it, can’t you?

Grateful for the warmth
And the hospitality
Of our sweet family

Praying that you, also
Are safe and feeling God’s peace
Ready for what comes

God bless you today
May you know you’re in His care
Never be afraid

Friends, stay high and dry
Rise above all of the storms
Secure and at peace

My beloved son, Ty, and me
Safe and secure from all alarm
God protect you from all harm

Have a blessed day.
I send you my love today.

Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, contentment, Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, Haiku, Love, nature, peace, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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Are You Ready?

Hey, are you ready
For this twenty twenty-three
New for you and me

At Cannery Row
In lovely Monterey Bay
We had a great lunch

In the house next door
To where we are staying now
A huge tree fell down

It went through the roof
Destroying the entire house
Feeling so sorry

Morning in Carmel
Was sunny and beautiful
A break in the storm.

What beautiful friends
We shared a couple days with
Life’s full of blessings

We’re with Bob’s brother
At his home in Pebble Beach
Grateful no trees fell

Thankful for family
More than grateful for our friends
Pray for safe travels

Tomorrow we will
Return to our son, Ty’s place
Weather permitting

Hey, are you ready
For this twenty twenty-three
New for you and me?

I am!!

Happy Cheers, my friends!
See ya tomorrow – hopefully.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Family, friendship, Gratitude, Love, Poetry, relationships, Travel, trees

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Pacific Coast Storm

The storms that ushered in the 2023 new year
along the Pacific coast in California were amazing!
These waves, called “King Tides” were between
45 and 50 feet tall!

The swells were increased by winds up to 50 mph on New Years eve
and they crashed into the shores, washing away the cliffs,
bringing houses down into the ocean.

The winds also brought down trees
all over the Carmel, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach area
where we are visiting family and friends.
Fortunately, our friends did not lose any trees,
but their neighbors had a tree land on their house.

Down the road a bit some houses were completely destroyed.
Large trees were totally uprooted.
Amazingly we have not heard of any deaths.

Can you imagine having this happening to your vehicle?
Driving in this area is dangerous at best right now.
Roads are washed out and trees have fallen across roadways.

My heart goes out to the people who have lost homes, businesses, vehicles, etc.
We are feeling so grateful that our friends have not lost any of those things.
Bob’s brother and sister-in-law have lost power and water service in their home,
and their neighbor’s house has a tree in the middle of the roof, but no one was hurt.

The ocean along this central Pacific coast is beautiful,
but given the rains and heavy winds of this last week,
it can be treacherous. Many of the homes and businesses
that built too close to the shore are regretting it today.

When we started our trip from Paso Robles to Pebble Beach,
God sent a rainbow. It was an amazing sign telling us
He would be with us – and our trip would be a safe one.
God is good!

I have some wonderful photos of us with family/friends here…
I will post some tomorrow.
Right now, I just want to enjoy their company.
Carpe’ Diem! Right? Bee present.

Are you Ready
for whatever 2023 brings your way?

See ya tomorrow.
Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Family, Life's Challenges, Love, nature, Travel, trees

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