I am befuddled,
Baffled and feeling dreary.
Nothing can help me!
Except some sunshine
Or a good heavy rainfall –
Anything but gray.
Gray, cloudy, and cold:
Recipes for feeling blue.
How do these treat you?
Reach beyond the gray
Rest assured the sun’s up there
Even if eclipsed!
Sending love your way.
Even from my gloomy day
I can find beauty!
Hugs,
JanBeek
Life is made for play
Invite your friends to join you
Will your pals come out?
Owen sees his playmate
He invites him to come out
What a character!
Do you cherish laughs?
Need more of them in your house?
I recommend pups!
They bring you good cheer
Joviality for sure
Come on friends, let’s play!
Love, joy, cheerfulness
All of these things can be yours
All you need’s a dog!!
Of course I’m partial
To black and white pug-nosed dogs
But all dogs will do
They all will cuddle
Chase their tails and make you laugh
Let your chuckles out
Let’s Play!
Do you have a furry, four-legged friend
who brings love and laughter
into your home?
Love ya,
JanBeek
The best gift of all
Jesus gave to us one day
With His sacrifice
It’s eternal life
Promised by His life and death
Free for those who thirst
“Therefore I tell you,
whatever you ask for in prayer,
believe that you have received it,
and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24
2 Corinthians 9:15
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
Gifts come wrapped with bows
Must be untied and unwrapped
You’re the receiver
Even God’s own Son
Won’t come and break in your door
You must open it
Revelation 3:20
American Standard Version
Behold, I stand at the door and knock:
if any man hear my voice and open the door,
I will come in to him,
and will sup with him,
and he with me.
Accept your best gift
Untie the bow; Open door
Accept faith with joy
Return the favor
By the joy you radiate
Your gift back to Him!
God Bless You!
Love,
JanBeek
Yesterday’s prompt was:
What skills or lessons have you learned recently?
My answer:
“It took four accidents
in a three month period,
but I finally got the message,
I think:
SLOW DOWN
AND
LOOK
WHERE YOU’re WALKING!!”
It’ll take a lot of divine guidance,
but I think I can slow down and watch!
Avoid any further falls!!
How about you?
What lesson have you learned recently?
Today the sermon topic was based on the Bible story of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s awe-inspiring birth of baby John (later known as John the Baptist). Zechariah learned not to doubt God’s messenger who told him that he & Elizabeth would at last have a child (they were in their later years of life… maybe as old as their 90’s).
When Zechariah doubted, he was struck dumb… unable to speak for the 9 months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. But, even though Elizabeth questioned, she accepted and believed. So, she learned that great lesson, “With God all things are possible.”
Do you suppose she was awe-struck? How could she NOT be??
I would have painted them with gray hair… but nevertheless, I love this painting of Zechariah & Elizabeth. I can only imagine how awe-struck they must have been!
What causes you to be in awe these days? Have you learned to slow down and let awe envelop you?
(If you’ve followed JanBeek for awhile, you know I love taking notes in poetry as I listen to the sermon each week). So, on that awesome topic, here’s today’s encouraging sermon delivered by Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds at our Madison Valley Presbyterian Church.
I love the size & sound & the creatures in the ocean
I love climbing over the sand dunes to the beach
It is sitting on the grassy knoll by the shore
Knowing the salty water and waves are within reach
I love oogling at sunsets and standing in the river
The world gives me reason for wonder and awe
Everywhere I look, I see evidence of God’s wondrous creation
Regular bouts of awe are mine – they drop my jaw!
Elizabeth’s healthy baby boy brought awe
To all who saw Zechariah write and confirm “John”
Entering into the world of awe raises us up
Out of night’s darkness, into day’s dawn
Awe can be found every day from sunrise on
If we slow down and take time to really see
So don’t drown in the tedious mundane of life
Intentionally seek the awe – here for you and me
Let no day go by unmarveled at
Appreciate the luxury of every single day
We are so blessed to be here - alive
Let awe and amazement be yours today
Be the #1 Marvelor today!
Love and be loved – feel the pull
That helps you notice all in awe
Change awful to awe-full!!
Awe-men?
It may have been awful to be unable to speak for nine months. But, I’ll bet Zechariah learned new lessons every day as he watched Elizabeth grow large with child …. and as he marvelled at how amazing this turn of unbelievable events was!
Find something to marvel at today!
Learn something new.
Tell me about it.
Hugs,
JanBeek
No more falls!!
In a world filled with war and hate
I can shine a light of love from me
In a world filled with animosity and division
I can shine a light of unity
In a world filled with hopelessness and despair
I can lift the light of hopefulness
In a world filled with fear and worry
I can shine a light of faithfulness
I can be a light in the darkness
Because the love of Christ shines through
The grim shadows of despair
And that light also is in you
As a wonderful God-created child
You are part of a magnificent whole
So let that Spirit buried in you
Shine forth from your blessed soul
Your light shines from your creator
Just as mine sparkles brightly, too
So fill this world with the light of love
Let’s let Love’s Light shine from me and you!
Psalms 18:28
28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;
I find joy in sharing that light.
my God turns my darkness into light.
I hope you do, too!
Bee well…
and Bee a Light!
Have a wonderful Sunday!
My love and a lotta hugs
are tucked in here for you.
JanBeek
You have access to all the power you need
You just gotta be sure to plug in
Connect to the source of your power
It’s available to you even if you’re shut in
Like a mighty wave or hurricane
Power can evoke awe or cause destruction
What’s the source of your power?
There’s a ready source… what’s your deduction?
I bet you know where I’m going
With this line of reasoning.
Yup, the power I have in mind
Is filled with the best spiritual seasoning!
“And they were filled with the Holy Spirit…”
Acts 2:4
In yesterday’s
Mornings With Jesus devotional
comments by Karen Sargent,
she shared an experience she had with power cords.
She was preparing for a presentation
using various technology.
Thinking she might need an extension cord,
she added it to her equipment.
However, after setting everything up,
she realized she didn’t have
the part she needed.
Sargent wrote,
“… There was a problem. In one hand I held a three-prong plug on my laptop cord. In the other, a two-prong plugin. I checked the projector cord. Three prongs. Without the ability to tap into the electrical source… my technology was useless. I couldn’t power up.”
Sargent extrapolated, “That wasn’t the first time I’d failed to tap into a power source. Sometimes I function on two-prong faith. I know Jesus can do anything… And through Christ who strengthens me, I can do all things (Philippians 4:13). But how often do I connect to the power of the Holy Spirit, the mighty third prong?”
Karen Sargent’s message spoke to me.
Yesterday friends helped us install
Our Christmas tree here at home –
Tucked in along the north-east wall.
We plugged the lights in after
A lot of struggle to assemble it.
Look closely at the lights there
A section is missing … do I resemble it?
Do I lack a portion of my power
Because I’m not plugged in totally?
The message hit me with a jolt.
It fit my plight anecdotally!
Karen Sargent ended her reflections with these thoughts:
“After His resurrection,
Jesus breathed on the disciples
and said, ‘Receive ye the Holy Spirit’
(John 20:22).
But it wasn’t until Jesus ascended into heaven
that the Holy Spirit empowered them.
Unlike that useless extension cord…
the ultimate power source,
The Holy Spirit,
is always on hand.”
What stops you from plugging in?
Sargent invited her readers to
“Ask Jesus to reveal what being empowered
by the Holy Spirit would look like in your life.”
Enjoy the most awe-inspiring
Christmas season ever
as you fill yourself with
the Holy Spirit.
And let Him provide you with the
strength you need to reach out
in love to all those you connect with.
Power Up, my friends!
Love & Blessing to you,
and hugs from
JanBeek
Do you want to bee
Like a lobster every day?
They never stop growing
In a physical kind of way.
Each day they are alive,
They eat, reproduce, and grow.
One grew to forty-four pounds
It was a whopping 3′ long – Whoa!!
I want to bee a lobster
Who constantly grows, too.
But my growth would develop spiritually
Each day I travel through.
Too often we become lazy –
Satisfied with our status quo.
But lobsters are never complacent.
No wonder they continue to grow!
I need to revive my commitment
To nourish my mind and my heart
With the same tenacity as the lobster.
Today’s a great day to start!
Keep Growing!!
“But grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 3:18
Today’s post was inspired by an entry in All God’s Creatures, a Guideposts publication. Shirley Raye Redmond wrote a commentary titled, “Keep Growing” for the November 27 entry.
She ended her thoughts with this quote by Oswald Chambers:
“Spiritual maturity is not reached by the passing of years,
but by obedience to the will of God.”
Isn’t it interesting that when I search for photos related to obedience, the pictures all are of dogs? Not us human beings. No, the word conjures up obedient dogs! Would that we could be as responsive to discipline as a dog is! Or as committed to growth as a lobster!
Bee like a lobster
Or a dog –
Committed and Obedient…
Keep Growing!
Love,
JanBeek
It’s okay to “Bee”
Just “bee” without any fret
Just “bee” contented
Release any pain
Let go all uncertainty
Turn over the keys
Relaxing is hard
Whence comes the ability
To just simply “bee”?
Psalm 42: 5-11
5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.6 My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.7 Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.8 By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.9 I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”10 My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”11 Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
To “Just bee” in peace
Gratefully receive God’s good
Live life without lack
Gratefully receive
The grace God is giving you
To see your blessings
“Just a little more”
Is not the way to JUST BEE
Praise God for your gifts
The real truth is
We have more than enough
To live gratefully
Take a look around
You might just be overwhelmed
When you really see
See all your blessings
We are so much better off
Than most other folks
Let Us Pray
(from In Touch devotional by Charles Stanley)
God, it is easy to focus on that is wrong in my life
rather than what is right.
I find myself overwhelmed
by all the injustice, pain, and division in the world.
Forgive me for the times I’ve chosen to feed negativity,
to spread hopelessness among my friends and family.
But I’m not alone in my grief,
You are heartbroken by these things, too.
So Lord, I pray for Your guidance in sorrow.
I want to lament all that is wrong –
without being consumed by it.
Teach me to balance grief
with the assurance of Your love.
May my heartbreak, empathy, and faith
play a role in Your healing of the world.
Amen
So, let us just “bee”
Bee friends; Reach out to others
Live life without lack
We’ve more than enough
Of God’s love and compassion
Jesus gave it all!
To just make your world
“bee” a better place today,
What can you just give?
Love,
JanBeek
Calling All Sinners!!
Yup, my friends – that’s me.
Yesterday I really screwed up;
Of course, not intentionally.
We sinners never mean to
Cross over the kindness line
Into lack of compassion.
We don’t commit sin by design!
So when we sinners mess up,
As God knows we always do,
How do we learn to forgive ourselves?
Does this happen, my friend, to you?
Yesterday’s “Today in the Word”
by the Moody Bible Institute,
dealt with this subject
right when I needed it most.
The scripture for the day was:
“For I have not come
to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:13
What do I need to let go of?
What did I do that was so bad?
I made Bob feel like a burden
Instead of making him feel glad.
I was mad that he left me
At the church without a word.
He was that mad that I left him.
Now, isn’t that absurd?
It’s all about communication.
Yes, I know, he should have said
“Hey Honey, let’s go home now,”
But he just left instead.
Yup, we butted heads over
The slightest misunderstanding.
I found another way home.
Oops… that was a crash landing!
He’d only gone to the post office
And then he came back to get me.
I didn’t know where he had gone
And his absence really upset me.
Earlier he had wanted some help
On a simple music interpretation task.
I was in the middle of something else
And irritably made him sorry he’d asked.
Today we’re back to talking
In civilian tones to each other.
Yesterday’s behind us; we’ll forget
How we rankled one another.
But making peace ain’t easy
When you’ve crossed the kindness line.
We hate to admit we’re wrong.
But repentance helps us align.
Align our will to our loving call
To be responsive to each need
Expressed by those around us.
That’s our call, our mission. Agreed?
“Let love be genuine,
Abhor what is evil;
Hold fast to what is good.”
Romans 12:9
In my devotional yesterday, “All God’s Creatures” by Guideposts,
the writer, Jerusha Agen, reminded me of the importance
that unconditional love be exhibited. She wrote about
“Simon’s Love” telling about a cat who acted like a dog.
Jerusha’s favorite pet had died.
It was the first time in her life
She was without a dog to cuddle.
But her cat took away the strife.
Her cat started acting like a dog,
Meeting her at the door when she got home,
And sitting in her lap to comfort her.
Letting her brush him with a comb!
Her cat, Simon, knew to mourn with her.
Simon seemed to know what she needed.
In grief, Jerushah had been neglecting him,
But Simon forgave that sin; with joy conceded.
“Rejoice and mourn with others,
According to what they need,”
Jerusha wrote to her readers.
Ask Bob for forgiveness – with speed!
I’ll ask God to help me be more
Loving and responsive to Bob.
Help me with my impatience, Lord.
Help me show genuine love to my heart-throb!
Here’s my heart-throb when I met him
He was in the army at the time.
Happy Veteran’s Day on Saturday.
Ours is a long-term love sublime.
That doesn’t mean we don’t argue
Or make each other mad at times.
But, God tells us sinners to forgive…
Just as He does – ALWAYS, not just sometimes!
You can probably relate to my “Faux Pas” –
You’ve probably blundered some, too.
But, God is calling us sinners:
Let love fill the dog-shaped void in you!
Let forgiveness be your guiding star,
Since we all forget to be compassionate – ’tis true.
I’ll look for ways to show love like Simon.
And God’s calling you, my dear sinner, too!!
God bless You!
Love,
JanBeek
Can you just kiss and make up, too??!!
Something wonderful
Something good
All God’s blessings
Not always understood
Keeping eyes open
For ways we are blessed
Sometimes they come to us
In difficult tests
The blog I accidentally deleted
Explained how this teddy bear
With all its bandaged boo-boos
Hid triumphant scars under there
Something good happens
When healing of wounds is complete
I hope something good happens
Today to you and those you meet
Storm clouds may come and gather
You might anticipate a growing storm
But God will send you rainbows
And the sun to keep you warm
God will send you beauty
In the skies and on the land
Look for His surprises everywhere
Many of them really are quite grand
It’s hunting season here in Montana
So the deer and antelope are convinced
If they come here to our yard
They’re protected as if they’re fenced
Something good happened here today
The doe and the buck stuck around
I enjoyed their company – you would, too
Shhh… don’t scare them. Don’t make a sound!
They see me; they hear my steps
Off they go – but they’ll return
Good things happen here
You’re safe, my friends. Come and learn!
What can we learn from our animals?
Go where you’re protected and free
I’ll watch out for your best interests
And I bet you’ll watch out for me
God has blessed you, I know
What’s something good
that happened to you today?
Did you thank God for it? (I knew you would!)
Love,
JanBeek
I’ve always loved the song,
“Something Beautiful.”
If you have time,
click on it here
and enjoy this beautiful music.
It’s “Something Good” for you today!!
Hugs to You !!
Inspire to Love
Let the SonShine!
You inspire me to respond
Learning to Live; Living to Learn; Learning to Love; Living in Love
