This is Easter week Each day’s a time to seek Greater understanding of the death And resurrection. Take a peek!
A peek at the message clear That resonates throughout the year About the joy and love we share Living Christ’s legacy here.
Last Sunday’s sermon spoke To all the tuned-in folk I took notes (as I always do) I am tethered to the Lord’s yoke.
The message really resonated with me. Thank you, Brian Conklin, for your sermon’s artistry. I hope my readers find it impactful, too. Here it is for you, my friends, to see:
He is Risen, Indeed!
There are moments in life When everything changes Easter Sunday may have been One of them for the disciples.
Climbing a mountain Easter morning Was one of those moments – a struggle. Reaching the summit, I could look down The town below me was washed in sun.
The hope of a new year dawned A dark, challenging climb gave way To a carpet of wildflowers – The sun washed over me, too.
Today God has opened a way for me. He has created a turning point: Death does not have the final word – The empty tomb brings a transformation.
Jesus’ followers went from hope To a time of fear and confusion. Doubting, lives torn apart, they hid. Weeping, they gathered in the Upper Room.
They didn’t believe the women who told them “He has been revived! He’s alive!” But when Jesus joined the disciples And broke bread with them, they believed. Do we believe or is it too dark? Do we have unanswered questions? Christ brings hope and transformation. Believe! Step out! Death has lost its sting.
If you have followed my blog for awhile, you know that I used to share my sermon notes after church every Sunday. I still take sermon notes every Sunday, but not always in poetry now, and not always shared. I just got outta the habit. But, today’s sermon begs to be shared. It’s Palm Sunday… the start of Holy Week for us Christians. It’s a time to share our faith. That’s one of Jesus’ commandments! So here’s what I heard our interim minister, Brian Conklin, say today:
Jesus rode a donkey on a path of pain, Not a magnificent steed’s ride of triumph. The crowd expected a powerful leader – Not a man who would die a horrific death!
Was Jesus alone in His heartbreak? Was He alone asking, “Take this cup?” Was He alone saying, “Not My will… But Your Will be done?”
Jesus died a “flop” in the eyes Of His followers. They misunderstood. They didn’t believe the message: “I’ll die, but in three days I will live again.”
Obedience, care, compassion, humility – These were the Lordship of Jesus. Peace… and a willingness to suffer… These were His expressions of Power.
The Way of Jesus wasn’t domination. Not then – not now – So tell me, Which parade are you following? Which path do you choose?
Complacency, complicity, cruelty, pride? Love, humility, obedience, compassion? I choose the latter path – but the road is painful! Really? The Via Dolorosa… the way of suffering?
What path do you choose?
Back at home, I decided to do a little research. That path of suffering is sometimes known as Via Crucis (Latin for “Way of the Cross”). It is a processional route in the Old City of Jerusalem. It represents the path Jesus took, forced by Roman soldiers On His way to His crucifixion. It’s the winding route from the former Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is a celebrated place of Christian pilgrimage. The current route has been established since the 18th century. It is marked today by 14 Stations of the Cross. Nine of them are outside, in the streets, with the remaining five being currently inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
AI generated this image of Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem. My “Path of suffering” doesn’t look like that. It’s not paved. It is much more like that first one: dark, barren, windey, foreboding. Jesus didn’t promise us a bed of roses. During this Holy Week, We are asked to travel with Him as He is arrested, tried, scorned, rejected by His very followers, denied by Peter three times, and Ultimately put to death. That’s the path. It’s not a pretty one. But, don’t stop there! If Jesus had done so, He’d be a forgotten martyr!
Walk on with confidence! Remember where your chosen path leads! Amen?
Weekly we are given an invitation to write a six-sentence story using the word prompt from GirlieOnTheEdge. This week the word prompt was “Fly.”
I had fun trying to write about as long a sentence as I could for each of the paragraphs today. And I enjoyed giving you, my faithful readers a glimpse of my childhood from kindergarten to sixth grade. What do you think?
Time flies… but I can recall when I was a little girl of about five, my sister Sally and I walked from Fig Lane (where we lived in a lovely little two bedroom, one bath home with our parents) to P Street School in Newman, California where I was a happy little kindergartener.
Time flies, but I can recall… when I was six, my sister and I continued our daily walks (it was about a mile each way) to P Street School where I was a very happy, very outgoing first grader in Mrs. Awe’s classroom, my favorite primary grade teacher who kept in touch with me for the rest of her life, even after our family moved away.
Time flies, but I can recall… when I was seven, my dad quit his job as a mechanic at Newman Garage and he sold our lovely little two bedroom house on Fig Lane and we moved into an old house next door to my paternal grandmother, about five miles out of town.
Time flies, but I can recall… when I was eight, we moved to a remote house twenty miles from anywhere except the stinky Tallow Works that my dad owned with three sorta relatives who also had old houses moved onto the remote property and my sister and I walked about two miles to the bus stop every morning to go to Crows Landing’s Bonita Grammar School where Mrs. Yetter (who was almost bald and looked as old as Methusalah) was my 3rd grade teacher.
Time flies, but I can recall… when I was nine and ten we still lived out there in the sticks by the smelly Tallow Works and we still had that long walk to the bus stop every morning – and walked back at the end of the day – but my life was much better because Mrs. Horwedel was my 4th and 5th grade teacher and she was a wonderful square dancer who taught us all to square dance and she let me be the “caller” – – – I was in 7th heaven!
Time flies, but I can recall … when I was eleven and twelve Mrs. Marlow was my teacher and she let me fly to my highest potential by recognizing and rewarding my talents by letting me go every day during spelling time (because I didn’t need it) to the kindergarten where I volunteered to help the teacher … and learned early on that I wanted to be a teacher, too, someday.
Today I wrote a letter to the editor of our local paper, the Ennis, Madison County Montana Madisonian. I decided it is time to write to my state and federal representatives, too, and write to my friends and neighbors locally about my concerns for the present divisiveness and for the future of our country (and the world). The USA is headed in the wrong direction. We must reverse course and reunite with our friends at home and abroad. We must do our part to stop the insanity. Here is what I wrote:
“Dear Editor,
In the February 12th Madisonian Opinion page, Doris Fischer’s letter to the editor, titled “Ignore the Drumbeat at our Peril” was very inspiring. She warned and encouraged us all. In her final paragraph she cautioned, “We citizens all need to pay close attention to what is happening.” She quoted other local citizens whose cautionary posts reminded us that we need to speak up and we need to choose our federal representatives wisely. Doris concluded that we “…must study up on the candidates running for this year’s Primary and General Elections… (and then) Vote.” It’s never been more important than it is now for us to pay attention to what is happening to our democracy, to our foreign relations, and to our moral base. If you are as concerned as I am about the divisiveness in today’s politics, then it’s time for you to speak up, too. We desperately need fervent voices to promote love and compassion. Join me! Write a letter to your representatives. Tell ‘em what you think. Promote neighborly sanity, world-wide peace and unity, and respect for all. Yes, as Lois Stephens wrote in her letter, “Enough is Enough!”
Below is a letter I found in Grandma Foster’s Scrapbook. It was written in 1940 by Sheldon H. Kinney… the Fosters’ next door neighbor in Pasadena, CA… quite an accomplished young 25 year old. Here is a newspaper article published in the Chicago Tribune about him:
Interesting how they published his parents’ home address, huh? I don’t think we’d see that in today’s press, do you?
While at sea, during World War Two, Sheldon wrote this heartfelt letter to his parents:
How Grandma Foster got ahold of that letter so she could include it in her scrapbook is a mystery. But, it is there… preserved for me to share! I hope you find it as inspiring as I do. Makes me wish I had written something similar to my parents when I was 25! But, did I have the insight at that age to “see my parents as man and woman” the way Sheldon did? I doubt it.
How very precious to read Sheldon’s praise of his parents, and to feel the warmth they must have felt when reading those accolades!
As I continue to sift through the scrapbook’s treasures, I will gladly share others with you. I hope you are enjoying these as much as I am!
What makes you unique? Your fingerprint and your eyes, Your hair and your smile.
Your conversation, And your own brand of whimsy. Do you embrace these?
Bob Goff wrote today, “God made you this way On purpose, freckles and all.”
He had lots of spots – As a kid, lots of freckles. He was teased a lot.
His grandma told him “Those spots are angel kisses.” So be proud of them!
“Don’t tell anyone,” She cautioned him not to share – “Friends would be jealous!”
That very mean boy Who teased Bob, calling him Spot, Wilted his soft heart.
With grandma’s advice His insecurities left, Finding acceptance.
Accept uniqueness! Embrace how you’re different. Congratulations!
Love, JanBeek
P.S. Bob Goff puts this message at the end of each of his books:
CONNECT WITH BOB “Bob’s passion is people. He’d love to hear from you if you want to email him at info@bobgoff.com. You can also follow him on Instagram and X: @bobgoff. Here’s his cell phone number if you want to give him a call: (619)985-4747.”
Ps. 17:8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
The smiling face below belongs to our interim pastor, Brian Conklin, who delivered a beautiful sermon Sunday inspired by the prayer of David found in Psalm 17. I posted my sermon notes here and then (while messing around on WordPress on my phone), I accidentally erased the post. Some of my friends saw it before the mishap, I hope. Anyway… heeeeeere’s Brian…
And heeeere’s “A prayer of David”
1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips. 2 Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
3 Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed. 4 Though people tried to bribe me, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent through what your lips have commanded. 5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled.
6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. 7 Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings 9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.
Heaven knows, I need to be one of those protected chicks under “the shadow of your wings!”
Can’t redo what I lost… Need to get to bed. Oh well…
Run the race with grace So you know you’re finishing well Goal: the finish line!
Today’s sermon at church was titled, “Running the Race” But the main topic of interest was “Finishing Well.” So my sermon notes today reflect that focus. Come and read the highlights as I heard and recorded them:
2nd Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 “6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing… 16 At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Why do people run? Pain, elation, Personal challenge, delirium… Concentrate on how far you’ve come Rather than on where you’ve been.
Feeling stiff and in pain, but knowing I have the ability to endure hard things Gives me the ability to show up for myself So I can therefore show up for others.
Let’s end our journey with peace in our hearts Knowing we have run the race well. The Lord stood by us, gave us strength And gave us perseverance as we served with trust.
Serving in faith, fighting the good fight For mercy, for love… We often stand alone. Feeling lonely and isolated in life’s race, We reach out in ministry to others.
Christ calls us to run the race in faith. Faith transforms us in our disappointments Into opportunities of grace and hope. So finish the race with faithfulness.
See through the things we’ve started With integrity, keeping the faith through change. The glory of your finish will last forever. Run the race… and finish well.
Amen?
Love to you – and best wishes for a race well done! JanBeek
