Loving One Another

Archive for the ‘photography’ Category

Wonders & Miracles

Job 5:9
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.”

The fact that I was able to go on that ATV ride yesterday on those bumpy, rocky trails is in itself a miracle. You know I had hernia surgery on my mid-section last month. To enjoy yesterday with Bob & our friends was a WONDER, for sure! And today I am no worse for the wear… Thank God!

The miracle of the sea and the tides,
the daily rising and setting of the sun and moon,
these are miracles that never cease to amaze me.

And if miraculous healing, sunrises and sunsets are not enough for you,
look in the mirror!!

It’s a wonder that
We can see the miracle in us
And in others, too.

Keep searching for them
Wonders and miracles are
Everywhere you look!!

Photo by Oliver Sju00f6stru00f6m on Pexels.com

Just keep looking up.
God will show you His wonders-
And you will share them.

Thank you to Pexels
For putting God’s wonders here
At our fingertips!

I may not travel
To Thailand to see this sight
But Pexels shares it

Where do you want to
Go – and what do you want to see?
What interests are yours?

I may not see Guam
In person in my lifetime,
But I can Google.

I can imagine
The miracle of the flight
That takes me to Guam.

“Why Guam?” you ask me.
“Why not?” I respond to you.
It fascinates me.

Why does Pexels show
An undersea photograph
Of a Guam turtle?

Surely there is more
To Guam and its miracles –
More than sea turtles!

Did you know that Guam
Is U.S. territory?
I am in wonder!

I wonder when Guam
Became part of the U.S.
It’s a miracle!

A miracle that
I chose that place to learn more –
Not having a clue!

The inhabitants
of Guam are American
citizens by birth.

I must have learned that
When they had a hurricane –
‘Twas devastating!

I remember now
The terrible destruction
And our lack of help.

I wonder why we
Didn’t do more to assist?
Do you wonder, too?

Google says,
“The Micronesian
nation offers beautiful
white beaches, exotic wildlife,
and intriguing culture and history.”

Through the miracle of You.Tube you can take a virtual trip to Guam and you can learn about its history and see its beauty… and you will WONDER how many of these gorgeous places might have survived or been destroyed by that hurricane. This video was created in 2016 and the hurricane was in 2019.

Like me, you will WONDER why this site doesn’t list the PEOPLE who died in this tragic event. Certainly they are more important than the $3.3 million in damage. And you want to hear stories of the MIRACLES of survival in the midst of such devastation, right?

As I quoted from the Bible at the beginning of this post,
in Job 5:9 it says,
“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted.”

Everywhere we look in this world, there are wonders and miracles to behold.
Open your eyes to them, my friends.

I told you some of the ones I see
and some I would like to travel and see.
How about you?
What miracles do you see?
What wonders do you want to see?

How do you see yourself?
Do you know YOU ARE A MIRACLE?
How alert is your funny bone?

Are you ready for the miracle of laughter
that brings healthy endorphins into your body?

Keep on laughing.
It does wonders for your mental health!
Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, friendship, God, Gratitude, Haiku, health, humor, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, nature, photography, Poetry, Sharing, Travel

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Can You Bee an Artist?

Can you bee an artist?
Maybe you already are!
How about beeing a bee artist?

We may not all be endowed with the skill to play the piano like this, or … (hang in there and keep listening)… another guy plays the Flight of the BumbleBee on several different sized trombones. It just gets more and more unbelievable. WOW!!! It’ll leave you smiling. How does he do that?

Maybe your artistic talent doesn’t lean toward music, but you’re good at painting and drawing. You can bee a bee artist like Luisa Fernanda Otero Prada. Isn’t this colorful art enchanting?

**Here is another bee by** artist Luisa Fernanda Otero Prada

Sometimes it’s not music or painting or drawing that makes us artists, but the ability to write – to put words together creatively for entertainment or education, inspiration or just to vent. I recently found a new blogger named Amy who wrote about bees on her post:

The secret of natural honey and good health

I wrote her and told her she was “spot on” about the health benefits of honey, but honey doesn’t make good candles! They’re ineffective and sticky and they don’t burn. Nope! It’s the bees wax, not the honey. She was kind and wrote back to say she believed me :o)

I have written on the subject of bees many times, too, because (as many of you know), my husband Bob is a retired beekeeper. With a name like Beekman (Bee-keeper-man), how could he bee otherwise?

Bob grew up on a “Honey Farm” and learned the relationship between natural honey and good health at a very young age. “Bee”ing a good beekeeper is an art of its own!!

I found some pictures from the family farm on this search: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beekman-and-beekman-hughson But discovered that internet site name is “unclaimed.” Hmmm… I know they have a website that has been claimed. I’ll have to keep looking.

This is definitely the honey that was produced by the bees of Bob & his brother, Bruce, (and now his nephew, Matt) and it is bottled and sold at the ranch in Hughson, California in their tasting room. Bruce’s wife, Ann, is the brains and creativity behind the Tasting Room/Honey House and the Beekman&Beekman label.

Matt’s wife, Sarah, is actively involved with him as a beekeeper. She raises queens (that’s a topic for a future blog) and she travels with him to North Dakota where Matt & Sarah take some of their bees for the summer. She’s a wonderful example of a mom who cooks with honey!

It’s an art to create an attractive label and an inviting “Honey House” and it is an art to be a good salesperson! It’s an art to take beautiful photos of people, products and places.

California sage – by Beekman and Beekman

Beekman & Beekman Honey farm also has lavender products
and a beautiful field of lavender just south of the house.

Bee Honey Wise

I kept searching and I did find the actual Beekman family website at http://www.beekmanandbeekman.com … It’s been 15 years since Bob retired as a partner in this bee business, but honey runs through our veins after a lifetime with bees and beekeeping!

On the Beekman website I found a link to another way to Bee an Artist… Culinary Arts! There is a link to “Cooking with Honey” that gives you tips on how to do so successfully.

Bob reminded me that Bruce & Matt are not the only Beekman beekeepers and that I should not forget to mention his nephew, Bryan, who is one of California’s largest beekeepers. He has over 10,000 hives that he places all over California’s central valley, mid-coast, and southern CA. Bryan and his wife, Michele, also have a honey sales room. In the area outside Fresno, CA, the Honey Hut is a unique place in Sanger, CA. You should consider visiting it if you are ever in that area. You can learn more about Bryan at http://www.fcfb.org/About-Us/BoardMembers/Beekman.php

Bryan and his cousin, Matt, are members of co-op, Sioux Bee Honey.

You can Bee an Artist in so many ways – with:

Music
Visual Arts
The Written Word
Culinary Arts
Photography
What can you add?

Have a BEEutiful Sunday.
Go to church and worship God!
Thank Him for all the artists who enhance our lives!

See ya later.
Love, JanBEEkman

Category:

art, Family, food, God, health, learning, Love, music, photography, writing

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You Lift Me Up

When troubles come…
Where do you go to be lifted up?
I go into the mountains.
There God fills my cup.

I was not able to go with Bob these last couple of weeks when he took our ATV up into the Tobacco Root Mountains and the Gravelly Range.

If you’ve been following my blog, you know I had surgery to repair a hernia a couple of weeks ago. The doctor said those bumpy rides on our four-wheeler, “Lucille” (she’s red-headed and she is a BALL), were off-limits.

So, Bob took our friend, Julie, last week… and this week he took our friend, Elaine. Both of them loved it. I’m so glad he shares the fun with friends who appreciate the beauty of Montana’s mountains as much as we do!

Elaine is the wife of our minister and friend, Steve Hundley. I share my poetic sermon notes each Sunday with you. It’s Steve who preaches those captivating messages! Elaine took the pictures I am sharing with you today. She has some real beauts here!!

I told her she needs to enlarge and frame this one!!

You can see the tip of Lucille’s tire here … obviously Bob stopped many times along the trail so Elaine could get out and snap a shot of the view. As you can see, they traveled up above the tree line into the snow. It’s mid-July and Montana’s mountain tops still have snow. Bundle up! Yup, it was cold up there while I was enjoying a 75 degree day down in the Madison Valley.

Elaine must have had more than an iPhone 6 for this shot. You think?

I thought that was “Lucille” but look again… it doesn’t have a red head!

The camera doesn’t do justice to the fields of wild flowers.
But, you get the idea.

No camera lens is as miraculous as the lens God gives each of us with our eyes… especially if we have 20/20 vision. But, a skilled photographer can come close with a good camera. I love the composition of this one with the rocks on rock in the foreground, don’t you?

In case you were wondering about their altitude…

Thank you, Elaine, for sharing with us your day with Bob and God! We are so blessed to be friends with one another and with nature and with our Creator! I love you! ❤

And thank you, my WordPress friends, for going with us into the mountains where we can all feel closer to God. There, He fills my cup! Did He fill yours, too?

I added the words below here to my blog from a couple days ago where I had a video posted of Susan Boyle singing this song… but some folks weren’t able to access the video.

I leave you today with this wonderful Peace Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi. Make Me a Channel of Your Peace…

Thank you, Lord, for your great creation. I find such peace in Your mountains!

I hope you did, too, my friends.
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, contentment, flowers, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, life, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, nature, peace, photography, Poetry, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another, Sharing, Travel, trees

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Travel With Me

Please travel with me
To some far away places
Escape for a day

Dream of the places
You can virtually go
And venture out there

Play with animals
Get up close and personal
Through someone’s lenses

But beware the heights
The danger that lurks above
The eye of the storm!

I prefer my feet
To securely stand on ground
Imagination!

You collect the rocks
You dive to the sea’s bottom
I’ll enjoy your find!

Thanks for visiting
And venturing out with me
Have a lovely day!

Come again tomorrow.
Let’s see where we feel like going then.
Love, JanBeek

Category:

Animals, art, flowers, Haiku, Love, mountains, nature, pets, photography, Poetry, Sharing, Travel

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Gold Art

Artist Tawny Chatmon is phenomenal!! I was introduced to her work today, and I just have to share it with you. My blog is about how we can increase our love for one another. Well, one way is to love and appreciate the shared talents of others.

Tawny Embellished with Gold Garments and Ornate Backdrops these wonderful photos. I am in awe!!

The girls are soooo beautiful! I wish I could have copied the art work in its entirety… but you get the idea. Be sure and check out the blue link above because it’s the rest of the photo (the dresses) the show you the artist’s embellishments. So gorgeous!

Aren’t they beautiful??

I hope you enjoyed these lovely young ladies as much as I did. If you haven’t done so already, go to the link at the top and see the full photos. I could only show you the top of each!

Have a good day.

I have surgery
on my hernia
at 12:45 pm Mountain Time
today.
❤ Prayers appreciated! ❤

I send my love and hugs,
Jan Beekman

Category:

art, Love, photography

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Wonders of the Unseen World

Today I am having a hernia removed. The doctor will use a robot to do the work. The wonders of today’s science in medicine never cease to amaze me.

I would probably freak out if I could see what the robot is doing. But I am grateful there is this in-and-out procedure available.

While I am out of commission for my blog, today, let me share with you a You.Tube that was sent to me by a friend. Lee said, “Everyone should see this.” I agree!

Take about a few minutes and do yourself a favor. Click on this video and enjoy – be amazed – be in awe… and take a minute to pray for my safe and “easy” surgery and speedy recovery, too, will you?

Oh, and before you go,
take a minute to pray for my older sister, Sally, too,
will you?
She is in PA in a nursing home.
She has Alzheimers.

No one deserves to be in her shoes
with this pandemic preventing all visitors.
I am so saddened by her situation,
but grateful for all those who care for her.

Yup, I am the little sister…
Definitely not well behaved!!
Thanks for stopping by JanBeek

Category:

blessings, friendship, health, learning, life, photography, prayer, relationships, teaching

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Let’s Go Swiss

A couple of months ago we took a little stroll through my home state, Montana, via the lenses of several very talented photographers.

Then the next day I invited you to Switzerland where our daughter, DeAna, lives with her husband and family. It’s our go-to place when we have saved up enough to travel… and are free to do so. Three of our grandchildren are there. Of course, it’s a wonderful place to “have to” go!!

Today in my “Antelope and Attitude” post I told you I dream of traveling in 2021 back to Switzerland. For my new followers, I dug out this old post and decided to update it and let you see why I love Switzerland so much.

We sat on a patio with this view eating raclette with our daughter last time we visited her in Sierre, Switzerland, spring of 2018.

We visited that quaint village and attended the wedding of a Swiss friend.

Here are our three Swiss grandsons, Mike, Nick & Chris. That was several years ago when we visited at Christmas time. They’ve changed considerably since then!

Here’s their mom, our daughter. DeDe. Such a sweetheart! She never changes.

Her sons, on the other hand, do! But, okay, let’s look at some of their Swiss scenery. That’s why you came, right?

Riding in the car with my son-in-law driving on these switchbacks is an experience to remember!!

Towns often were built almost to resemble fortresses.

Grape vineyards border towns and cities where the ground is fertile.

How they built castles on such high, rocky mountain peaks is beyond me!

Every square inch of the sunny mountainsides of Switzerland is terraced and planted with grapes. (This is Lake Geneva). It is near Valais, the canton where De & Andre’ live).

The lakes in Switzerland are numerous, clear, clean and so picturesque!

Castles in Switzerland are plentiful and always points of great travel interest.

In every town and village, the church steeple is always the highest point!

The way they tuck houses into crevices is amazing!!

Trains are a wonderful way to see Switzerland.

You can set your clocks by the trains and their arrival/departures.

The train system is amazing in Switzerland. Andre’s uncle was an engineer who helped design some of these bridges!

Mmmm… Cheese Fondue!
Delicious melted cheese with potatoes, pickles and onions
is “the best” delicacy of Valais! (Of course that’s in my biased opinion).
Raclette is my favorite Swiss cheese.

I love the Swiss cows. We have one of the queen cowbells hanging in our kitchen here in Montana!! I’ll show you that another time.

We usually visit in springtime or in winter (Bob loves to ski), but autumn is a gorgeous time in Switzerland, too.

The Matterhorn is one of Switzerland’s most famous landmarks.

This year De & Andre’ were working at a mountaintop restaurant at a ski resort where the only access was by chairlift. Can you imagine the views??

I love the springtime the most. Flowers are everywhere and the mountains are green and alive.

Oh, here are some more of those gorgeous Swiss cows!

Switzerland is beautiful in every season!

Thank you for visiting a few scenes with me. Thank you to #IloveSwitzerland for most of the images. Some are mine, though. Isn’t it an amazing country?

This is my oldest grandson, Mike with his significant other, Tania. We can hardly wait til the next time we get to go and visit with them. Kids grow up so fast, don’t they?

Doesn’t matter what season it is, we know our “DollyWolly” will be there to greet us!!

Thanks for visiting with me for a while. Hopefully someday we will go back… and I hope you can visit Switzerland for real yourself someday, too.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!
See ya later!

Category:

blessings, children, Family, flowers, food, holidays, Love, mountains, nature, photography, relationships, Travel

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Antelope and Attitudes!

Antelope are adorable in the field…

… but they need to stay out there!
No, Annie, don’t come down our driveway!

Yesterday we had a beautiful bed of red petunias in our wheelbarrow…

This morning the blossoms were gone!
See that chewed off stem there?
Darn those antelope!
My attitude toward them today is not very loving.

Fortunately, they left the geraniums alone.

And they don’t seem interested in the columbine…

…or these sweet yellow ones ( I think they’re lilies).

So, while I may be dismayed
over the loss of our petunia blossoms,
I still have reason to be happy, right?

I found a new book yesterday.
It’s a type of journal.
I’m going to have fun with it:

I don’t have much to stress over,
besides stray, hungry antelope,
but life always throws us curves, right?
It’s always a challenge to stay calm when trouble strikes,
and achieving balance is a constant pursuit for me.

So the topics in this little book
caught my eye…
especially the “Stay Positive”
and
“Dream.”

Set your plans for the year ahead,
And then make them happen.

Yes!
One way to be happy and find joy in life is to dream.
Live in the NOW, but
never stop dreaming about a better tomorrow.

I signed up for Bob Goff’s “Dream Big” Workshop.
Do you have big dreams?
You’re never too old to dream big, you know.
At age 80 and 81, Bob & I find that
our dreams keep life moving forward!

I am dreaming
of a trip in the spring of 2021
to Switzerland
to visit our daughter and her family.

I took this picture on one of our previous trips,
high in the Alps at a restaurant overlooking their valley.

I dream of the day
when it will be safe to travel,
to freely socialize,
and to gather with friends again
to enjoy our pastimes.

Enhance your life with a pastime that lifts your soul.

What pastime lifts your soul?
I love writing (can’t you tell?)
and your responses to my daily posts
lift my soul.

I also love music 🎶 –
both listening to it –
as well as playing my accordion
and playing in the bell choir.

I enjoy playing for friends at our Madison Valley Nursing Home,
however with this pandemic, they are off-limits now.
But they are safe… no cases of COVID-19 there.
Keep looking at the bright side.
Thank God for their health and ours!

We can’t gather as a group to practice our bells right now.
But, think positively!
This pandemic can’t last forever!
I pray daily for a vaccine or an effective treatment.

Think Can’s – Not Can’ts

Don’t dwell on the “can’ts”…
Concentrate on the “cans!”

I CAN enjoy this beautiful day
and go for a walk with TazE
in Lion’s Club Park
along the gorgeous Madison River.

I CAN meet new friends,
chat with this adorable little girl,
get acquainted with her mom,
and keep social distance at the same time.

I’m not standing as close as the picture looks!
I edited it so you’d get a good look at that little cutie.

Lion’s Club Park has this great little lake
where kids can fish and keep ’em.
Our Madison River is a “Catch and Release” only.
Today the fish were jumping.
I CAN enjoy this beautiful day!!

I CAN visit with my family in Switzerland via social media.
Thank God for the internet!
We got to share Andre’s birthday with him via the computer.
Doesn’t his smile make you smile?

Happy Birthday, Andre’

Heck, when Bob and I were dating back in the 50’s,
and he was stationed in Germany,
it took two weeks to get a letter to him…
and another two weeks to get a response.
No such thing as computers –
and phone calls were too expensive!

Think of how blessed we are today!
Instant communication!

Back home, the lawn is mowed.
The grass is going to green up again
because the automatic sprinklers will water it
and the sun is shining to encourage it.
Thank you, Bob, for your work on the mower yesterday.
(Don’t you love his creative designs?)

Today Bob is out fishin’ …
Summertime, and the livin’ is easy!
Fish are bitin’ and the …

How does that song go?
Let me leave you singing it.

Guard your flowers…
and watch your attitude!

Every day is so full of blessings.
Count them!

See you tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

Category:

blessings, children, contentment, Family, Fishing, flowers, God, Gratitude, happiness, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, music, peace, photography, relationships

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If You’re Happy…

If you’re happy and you know it,
How do you show it?

In this joyful video,
Children from around the world
Teach us how to let others know it…

I dare you to play this video and NOT SMILE!!
Come on, sing along – and JUST DO IT!!

A-Z What Makes You Happy

Years ago I did an A-Z series on what makes me happy. It started when I was stuck at a railroad track with a stalled train blocking my way to a luncheon engagement. I already was late, and now I was grumbling. Of course, my mood and grumbles didn’t move the train. I decided to change my mood and start thinking happy thoughts instead of growling at the Lord.

Those minutes sitting at the train tracks turned into a 26 day blogging series that included a letter a day: A = ______, B = ______, C = _______ …. you get the idea.

Today I found a new friend… I reposted her blog from today on WordPress and then started to peruse her site. What a delight!

Abide In God

Her by-line says her mission is: “Seeking faith and wisdom in God’s word, a supportive website for the Christian journey.” In her “About” section, I found her picture. I love being able to visualize my fellow bloggers, don’t you?

Get to Know Blogging Friends

I am having fun getting better acquainted with this delightful mother of a 23-year-old daughter and grandmother of a darling little boy and adorable twin girls. She (I have yet to discover her name) reminds me very much of my across the street neighbor, Penny. So for now that’s what I will call her.

P.S. I just received a response from “Penny.” Her name is Lesley!

Today if I did the A-Z exercise in what makes me happy, I’d have to substitute A = apples (or whatever I said way back then) to A = Abide in God.

What would you put for your A = ______ ?

Pursue Connections

Lesley has a few sub-blogs. If you click on “Abide in God” up there, you will see her other sub-titles. One of them is “Today I am Thankful for…” But when I click there, it says its content is password protected. Lesley – if you are reading this, I want to join that part of your journey. How do I get in? I am knocking at the door!

Hello, Lesley – Let me in… I like your link to supportive websites and the reference to James 1:5

With supportive friends like you out there, and the Bible as our guide, this Christian walk can be more do-able! It makes me happy to know that I have you as a soul sister whose purpose matches mine. Together, we can:

Today what makes me happy includes: F = Finding your blog and Following it.

Another blog I follow that makes me happy every day is: D = Derrick’s garden! derrickjknight – If you don’t know Derrick and Jackie, do yourself a favor and go meet them today!

I come to their garden alone … not really alone, for Jackie & Nugget are there… and Derrick is behind the camera, and the dew is not still on the roses:

Jackie, Derrick’s dear wife (master gardener) is busy at work. Her smile makes me happy. J = Jackie’s smile!
(Thanks, Derrick, for your beautiful photography.)

Thank you, Jackie, for sharing your wonderful gardening results with us. I can’t grow roses here in Montana. The antelope eat the buds and chew off the leaves! So I am deeeelighted that you share yours.

Be Happy With What You Have

Show others your joy!
A part of being happy
Is looking around.

Appreciate life
And be thankful for your friends;
Share in their blessings.

Don’t focus on lack.
But look at what you have got,
And thank our Father.

Have a Wonderful Week!
Thank you for visiting JanBeek today.
I hope it made you happy.

Share with me something that brings you joy.

See ya tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blogging, children, contentment, Faith, Family, flowers, friendship, God, Gratitude, Haiku, happiness, Jesus, Living in Harmony, Love, music, nature, photography, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another, writing

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Montana ATV Father’s Day

If you lived in Montana – west across the valley from the Madison Range – with two mountain ranges north and south of you filled with trails for All Terrain Vehicles, and you had an ATV, how would you spend Father’s Day?

Yup, you guessed it! We went on “Lucille” (our red-headed ATV who is a BALL) up into the Tobacco Root Range to the top of the world this afternoon.

Come and take a ride with us… way up to the snow area where snow drifts caused us to have to turn around and head back down. We’ll start up there and head down

Below that snowy area, there is a gorgeous lookout where we can view the valley below. I took a few photos from that lookout to share with you.

Looking east to the Madison Valley and the Madison Range.
See our Boston, TazE, by the road there?

The fields were covered with beautiful little flowers.

On our way up to tha lookout, we stopped at Sureshot Lake.

TazE appreciated the break after the bumpy ride down.
You can see the lake below to the right of the window.

We saw twice as many campers in the camping areas this trip compared to any other year, and we’ve been traveling this route for nearly ten years. During this COVID-19 pandemic, word has gotten out. Montana is a great Big Sky place… with lots of fresh air, space, and unbelievable beauty.