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Archive for the ‘Promises’ Category

Be Braided

When you see the word “Braid,” what do you think of?

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Those braids appear to be two strong strands twisted together.
(Isn’t she beautiful?)

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Likewise, this rope seems to have two strong strands twisted, right?

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When I used to braid my daughter’s hair, I needed three strands to create the braid.

Today’s devotional made me think about these various braids and contemplate the strength of the three strands. Here was the scripture:

Eccelesiates 4:12

“And though a man might prevail
against one who is alone,
two will withstand him –
a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Katie Minter Jones in “Mornings with Jesus” by Guideposts wrote a devotional based on that scripture. In it she recounted how difficult the days of early marriage were as she and her husband “struggled through difficult times.”

She quoted a friend as saying, “Together we worked hard to get where we are now. It definitely takes two to make a marriage work, and that’s not fifty-fifty. Each person has to give 100%.” Finger pointing and trying to divvy stuff up 50-50 leads to disaster.

One of her lady friends said, “It takes three to make a successful marriage, the husband, the wife, and Jesus.” Each person must give 100% to each other and 100% to Jesus.”

That seems like a tall order! But doing so creates the three strands that make the braid unbreakable. Couples need to walk with Jesus to have a strong marriage.

Here’s my take on what that looks like.

The tie that binds

When our hearts are bound in love around our Lord’s cross, His mercy and grace strengthen our relationship and help us grow closer. As we walk hand in hand, praying and staying together in love, God blesses us. Jesus Christ strengthens us. The Holy Spirit braids our hearts in His love and care. Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian Love. Be braided!

Write your spouse a love letter today and include a prayer.

Here are mine…

Dear Bob,
I am so grateful for your love and for our mutual reliance on Jesus, our Lord. Thank you for praying with me, staying with me, putting Christ first in our lives, and relying on Him during our times of struggle. His sacrificial love is the perfect reminder of how we need to take care of each other. His presence binds us in purpose and braids us with His promises and His peace. Thank you!
Love Forever and Ever, Rockie ;o) <3

Dear God,
Thank you for blessing our marriage and knitting our hearts together. May my blogging friends find that same peace and grace and purpose in life. May they sense Your guidance in their relationships and be braided with You. Amen.
In His Care, Jan

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Let the light of God shine on your relationship,
be central to your lives,
and braid you together with peace and purpose.
God bless you!

See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, Jesus, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships, Sharing

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What a Friend!

Today I received in my “Messages” a picture of a dear friend who is fighting cancer. She is in a hospital bed at home. Her family is gathered around and her BFF (best friend forever) is on her way to be at her bedside. My heart goes out to the BFF and to my friend’s husband and children. Seeing a friend preparing to leave this earth is soooo hard!

But, my dear friend is a devoted Christian, and she knows where she is headed. She does not fear death, because she has a friend in Jesus – and she believes in God and His promises. It’s comforting to know where you will spend eternity. It’s just hard on those left behind.

Today’s sermon at Madison Valley Presbyterian Church was the perfect topic for this day when my heart is aching because my dear friend and her family are suffering.

Today we had a guest minister, Phil Taylen. Here are my

Sermon Notes on: “Friendship Sharing”

Friendship is a special thing.
In it we all are connected.
In the New Testament, we see how
In God’s friendship, we all are protected.

The best part of friendship is
Sharing with each other the Good News,
Asking one another and telling them
Of how Jesus opens new views.

God cares about our friendship.
He opens His arms to you.
Through Christ, He came to show us
How to love as He loves: True.

As believers, we need YES faces;
Our countenance should show Trust.
God’s light should shine through us.
Radiate His love; We MUST!

To communicate God’s love
We must be trustworthy and fair.
We must share our eternal vision,
And tell our friends we’ll all be there!*

(*there is our eternal home
with Christ and one another)

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Share the simplicity of scripture,
Be sure the promise of God is heard.
He gave His only begotten Son
To save our souls. Believe His Word!

What a Friend We Have in Jesus!

Lean on Him and His promises.
Know that when your Christian friends
Leave this earth, they are going
To heaven … where eternal life never ends.

See you “there,” my friends!

See ya tomorrow.

Pray for my friend, Gloria, will you?
And I pray for you…
that you have faith in His promises, too.
Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Jesus, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships, sermon notes, truth

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Are You Trustworthy?

Today’s sermon was based on the story of two sons, asked to help their dad. One said yes and didn’t do it, the other said no, but did it anyway. Do you know that story? Imagine those were your sons.

Which of the two sons would you consider trustworthy? How would you react to their replies and subsequent behavior?

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Our pastor, Rev. Steve Hundley, at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, MT spoke on that topic today, inspired by the story in Matthew 21: 28-31.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

As usual, I listened to the sermon and took my notes in poetry. He started out by telling us about his grandmother’s advice to him when he announced (after graduating from college) that he had decided to go to seminary:

“When you stand up to preach,
Don’t scold those who don’t come.
They aren’t there to hear it,”
My grandmother advised (she wasn’t dumb!).

“When you preach – remember
To stomp on your own feet first.
When you do that,” my grandma said,
“You’ll serve living water to those who thirst.”

In today’s scripture, we heard
Of two sons and their replies.
One said yes and didn’t do it.
The other, “No!” but did it. Which one cries?

The one who failed to follow through
Was the one who’ll live with regret.
Unlike him, we need to be obedient.
Don’t say yes – and then forget!

Paul Tillick said, “In every human heart
Is a faint recollection of our Maker.”
If that’s true, we can see God
Even in the disobedient faker.

The second son may have said “Yes, but…”
In his response of a silent “No,”
Other things may have taken precedence,
But he didn’t want his “No” to show.

How many times do we say yes
And then fail to follow through?
Better to say No and then do it.
I want to be trustworthy; how about you?

What jobs are you being asked to do?
Are they tasks you look forward to?
Or are you dragging your feet?

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Schedule it for tomorrow
After a relaxing Sunday afternoon/evening.
And then…
Just Do It!

Hugs,
JanBeek

Bye for now!
As your trustworthy blogger,
I’ll see you tomorrow.

Category:

Bible Lessons, God, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Poetry, Promises, relationships, sermon notes, Serving One Another, work, writing

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I Love the Lord

I love my Jesus
Praying with me each morning
I know He hears me

Nonjudgmentally
He accepts my croaky voice
And smiles at my praise

With devotional
Ready with encouragement
I read gratefully

May your day be blessed
With sweet assurances, too
Know Jesus loves you

And so do I!
Have a Wonderful Wednesday.

Thanks for visiting.
I gotcha in prayer.
Bee well!
Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, Gratitude, Haiku, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, music, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships

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Spend it All or Give it Away!

“Being of sound mind, I spent it all!”

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Those were the words read from the will
when my friend, Marion,
met with her siblings after their mother died.

Today’s devotional in
“Mornings with Jesus 2020”
told of a similar story.
The writer quoted her father as saying,
“Before I leave here, I intend to spend every dollar I ever made.”

She thought he was kidding.
After all, he was a God-fearing man …
“who could quote scripture from Genesis to Revelation.”
(Alice Thompson, Thursday July 9th).

But her earthly father had given her no inheritance!


After being angry for awhile,
Alice turned to her Bible,
and she turned to the Lord.
Alice wrote that she spoke to her head
about Lamentations 3:24.
It says,
“The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”

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Even though Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,” Alice realized her father – who left “nothing for me,” had indeed left the most precious gifts of all: His loving relationship with her and his faith in God.

He lived his life loving her and her mother, giving to the Lord and to those in need, and using his hard-earned dollars to enjoy a good life. A nice house, a new car every few years, memorable vacations, generosity with his children, and gifts to charity… these were the signatures he left. He left her the gifts money can’t buy: love, faith, a good work-ethic, respect, and joy.

If our parents live their lives in love and faith, generosity and joy.
If our parents pass those gifts on to us,
We have the received the most important gifts of all.
They don’t owe us a rich monetary inheritance.

If our parents demonstrate a good work-ethic,
and teach us to do likewise,
If our parents help us learn to read and compute,
pray and serve, and get a good education,
then they have equipped us to do as they might:

“Being of sound mind,
I spent it all
or gave it away.“

Go and do likewise!
Have a great Thursday.

I’m headed to a Happy 70th Birthday party!
See ya tomorrow.
Live in peace with EVERYBODY, my friends!
Hugs, JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Belief, Bible Lessons, children, Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, happiness, Jesus, Life and Death, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, Promises, relationships

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Please Remain Connected

These lilacs connect
To the vine of existence
In the vine is life

Apart from the vine,
Obviously these flowers die.
We are just like that!

“I am the vine, you are the branches.
If you remain in me, and I in you,
you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing.”

John 15:5 (NIV)

“For where two or three gather in my name,
there am I with them.”

Matthew 18:20

This morning I thought
I had lost my WordPress posts.
I thought I’d lost YOU!

Words of comfort came –
Rushed in to reassure me:
We are connected!

My history is here…
Eight years of important posts
Help keep us in touch.

Apart from you – Pop!
The balloon of my WordPress
Loses all its air!

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When I posted this
Blog from my iPhone today
Only Youtube showed.

It’s an important
Message about connection
From Ronald Reagan.

Whether you are from the USA or not;
whether you are Republican or Democrat or Independent,
You should watch this.
It was recorded in a different era,
at a time when it was not seen as divisive
to evoke God’s name in the White House.
The Bible was not used as a prop.
It was quoted as a means of
encouraging us to reach out in love…
Reach out and
JUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

Please stay connected!
Apart from you, my blog is nothing.
Apart from God, I am nothing!

I know He leads me!


Caralyn of BeautyBeyondBones
(do you follow her here on WordPress?)
wrote to me today and said,

“We are all part of His family,
and I pray we all realize that
and start to act accordingly,
with love for our fellow brother and sisters!”

AMEN, Caralyn.
Amen, my dear brothers and sisters.
I love you all.
Please stay connected.

See ya tomorrow.

Virtual hugs!


JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, flowers, God, Haiku, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships, truth

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Lay Me Bare

I want to lay bare.
Unwrap all my coverings;
Lay bare my soul, Lord.

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It is a process –
Unwrapping our gifts –
Being all we are.

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I want to be clean,
Free of all the barriers
that keep me from God.

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Life can be twisted,
Locking out our special gifts.
Unlock barriers.

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Rid yourself of them –
The chains of security.
Be vulnerable!

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Only when your shell
Is cracked open and you flow
Can your gifts be used.

Lord, lay bare my soul.
Unwrap my coverings, Lord.
Reveal my gifts.

Let them be useful
As I reach out in kindness
And share all my gifts.

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Blog title and ideas inspired during my devotional time this morning with Strength & Grace, Daily Devotions from Guideposts

James 1:17

“Every good thing given
and every perfect gift
is from above,
coming down from
the Father of Lights,
with whom there is no variation
or shifting shadow.”

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“Lord,
I pray for Your grace and strength
as You unwrap the layers of these gifts.
May we be blessed to become
all that You would have us to be.”
Amen

(Prayer for today from
Strength & Grace)

Lay me bare!
See ya later.
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Giving, Haiku, Jesus, learning, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Poetry, prayer, Promises, Serving One Another, Spiritual Gifts

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Inspirational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes About Hope and Healing

CaringBridge is a website designed to help people going through medical challenges (COVID-19, cancer, heart failure, etc.) remain connected with an invited group of family and friends. When my cousin, Cliff, was in the midst of his esophageal cancer and related surgeries, CaringBridge was my connection to him. My friend, Gloria, is another CaringBridge friend who allowed me to be on her contact list. Check it out… http://www.caringbridge.org )

CaringBridge Staff Mar 22, 2018 inspirational quotes about hope

The CaringBridge community was asked to send in favorite inspirational quotes about hope and healing so that they could share them with everyone.

Here are 18 of them:

Unknown
Submitted by Vicki Bunke “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

Christopher Reeve
Submitted by Kaye Warren “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11:1
Submitted by a CaringBridge user

image of candle quotes about hope

“Some people cannot be cured, but everyone can heal.”

Unknown
Submitted by Kelly Grosklags “Barn’s burnt down — Now I can see the moon.”

Poem by Mizuta Masahide
Submitted by Shelly Leduke “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.”

Vivian Greene
Submitted by Teri Schild Wehrman “God does not give us more than we can handle.”

Unknown
Submitted by Betty Martin

time is precious quote

“Love many; trust few. Learn to paddle your own canoe.“

American Proverb
Submitted by Mary Valuri “All our infirmities, whatever they are, are just opportunities for God to display his gracious work in us.”

C. H. Spurgeon
Submitted by Jon & Pam Fulton “The sun never quits shining. Sometimes, clouds just get in the way.”

Unknown
Submitted by Gailann Thomas-Black “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Abraham Lincoln
Submitted by Susan Mosgrove-Wilber “When you go through deep waters I will be with you.”

Isaiah 43:2
Submitted by Sharon Hammond-Saad “If there’s life, there is hope.”

Stephen Hawking
Submitted by CaringBridge user

sunrise over mountains

“I don’t know what the future may hold, but I know who holds the future.”

Ralph Abernathy
Submitted by Patch Reynolds “A smile doesn’t cost a cent, but draws a lot of interest.”

Unknown
Submitted by Cecil Irwin “We grieve because we love. The intensity of the grief often proclaims the depth of our love.”

Gary Roe
Submitted by Ernestina Santana “The forces that are for you are greater than the forces against you.”

Joel Osteen
Submitted by Peg Sorensen “And sometimes, against all odds, against all logic, we still hope.”

Ellen Pompeo as Dr. Meredith Grey
Submitted by Sigrid Devita “Had to walk the rocks to see the mountain view.”

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Photo by Suliman Sallehi on Pexels.com

Persevere!

The climb may be hard,
But the view’s worth the struggle.
So, just persevere!

In today’s Daily Word,
the scripture reference was Proverbs 16:9
“The human mind plans the way,
but the Lord directs the steps.”

The writer in reflecting on that text
reminded us that we need to be open and receptive.
“I know wherever I am, God is.
Love is.
Peace is.
I need only turn within
to listen,
to be present,
to be still…
Living from the Christ within
is the way to find
lasting peace,
[and] happiness…”

If our friends at http://www.CaringBridge.org find peace in the inspiring quotes above, surely we also can know how blessed, humbled, and grateful we are to live in love as we do. Thank God daily for your many blessings!

What is a favorite quote of yours
that helps sustain you during times of struggle?

I’d love to see yours.
Please respond below…
Let me know you’re out there!

See ya later.

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Gratitude, Haiku, health, Jesus, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, Poetry, Promises, relationships, Serving One Another

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One Pair of Hands

One Pair of Hands

A strong pair of hands
Lifted me from my doldrums
Set me on a hill

It was Golgotha
Known as the place of the skulls
Three crosses were there.

People gathered there
To watch as our Lord was killed
How they must have mourned!

But today I stand
Stand before an empty cross
Knowing He’s alive

Christ’s not on that hill
He is risen and alive
Of that I am sure

And his sure, strong hands
Hold me in their peace-filled palms
And reassure me

He’s got the whole world
Holding it in His strong hands
Caring for us all

Remembering Him
As He hung dying for me
I surely believe

Death was not in vain
Know it was not permanent
He’s risen indeed

And He lives in me
He lives in each one of us
Who chooses to TRUST

Trust in the One God
Who chose to send us His Son
That we also LIVE

Live holding His hands
As He reaches out for us
Each day is EASTER!

Have a Marvelous
Monday in Light, Love, and Truth
He’s got you covered!

Go back and listen again to “One Pair of Hands”
Carry the words and Elvis Presley‘s beautiful voice
With you in your heart – and then live in His Peace.


Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
Send the link to this blog to a friend today…
Someone who needs
the encouragement only Christ Alive can bring.

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, Gratitude, Haiku, Jesus, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mountains, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, Promises, relationships

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Move Mountains

Love can move mountains.
When mountains are in God’s way,
His Will will prevail.

Sometimes He decides
Ain’t no mountain high enough –
Just climb over it

Sometimes He concludes
Ain’t no valley low enough –
Let’s just walk through it

Sometimes He tells us
Ain’t no storm that’s strong enough –
We can overcome.

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He says, “Take my hand.
We’ll climb, walk and weather this
Together and win!”

Then the world listened
And the people turned to Him
And the mountains moved.

God Bless You!
I send you my love, dear friends.
Bee well.
See ya later!

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Haiku, Life's Challenges, Love, mountains, nature, peace, Poetry, Promises

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