My friend, Bernice, died yesterday. She was ready. In fact, she was anxious to go and join her husband of 70 years who went to their (our) eternal home last week. My heart is heavy – and yet I rejoice in the promise of heaven awaiting me, too, someday. Dwight posted this picture and poem today. It’s perfect for what I would have written if I had his skill and insight. Enjoy Roth Poetry today!
Aging brings so much angst… Knowing it would happen is no help as the petals of life begin to fade. I count… she loves me she loves me not as our …
When does a WordPress blog become spam? When I get 13 notifications in one day… and then 13 more the next day… and more the next day … on & on… all from the same blogger, filling my notifications with posts that have no way to respond. What do I do? How do I STOP IT??
Cristian Mihai and his The Art of Blogging has become a pest!
I believe in his help – and have used it in the past. I have donated monthly to his cause. But now I want it to stop. It has become a nuisance.
Happy Sunday, my friends! Did you get to go to church this morning? Our church here in Ennis, Montana began today to resume in-person fellowship after the worship service. So good to be back in communication with our friends over a cup of coffee or tea and some wonderful refreshments.
This is Jo & Jim Forsberg who created these beautiful and tasty refreshments. I’m providing the fellowship refreshments next Sunday. This is a hard act to follow!
And now, back home in the comfort of our newly painted dining room, I am reviewing our sermon message today and wish to share it with you. As you know, I have a habit of taking notes in poetry as I listen to the message each Sunday. Here’s what Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds’ sermon at our Madison Valley Presbyterian Church said to me today:
Stay the Course
The road goes on – Listening each morning – A long, grueling journey – The road goes ever on.
It doesn’t seem hopeful – But, Jesus is on the road. We stand in solidarity With Him and His suffering.
Tolkien was encouraged – Lewis was hopeful, too. In a world of World War I, There was great disillusion.
The death toll was great In Europe and the US, too. The statistics kept rolling On the road – ever on…
Humanity tries to cheat And to wield power – Tries to play God – A dark, dangerous journey.
There is some good here In this world – and It is worth fighting for. Jesus knows no short cuts.
Only the long, grueling road – A journey that ends not In death, but in victory. We are on the road to Oneness.
Oneness with God Is the journey’s end. We stand in solidarity With Him. Stay the course!
(Quoting from Lord of the Rings?) “See the road roll past your doorway Calling for your feet to stray Like a deep and rolling river The road may sweep you far away.
BUT
Just beyond the horizon Like a waiting world unknown Like the dawn its beauty beckons With a wonder of its own.”
Oneness with God
Is the journey’s end.
We stand in solidarity
With Him. Stay the course!
Let’s journey together in love!
Thanks for joining me on today’s journey. Continue, my friends, to pray for the people of Ukraine. Pray for their journey to lead toward Oneness with God – and a peaceful Oneness with us all.
God speak of your love and peace to Putin. God help us all!
Do you ever doubt your niche? Yesterday I posted excerpts from Gottfried’s Banter, a blog whose niche is humor. No, I wasn’t suggesting that my blog should try to fit that niche. Humor like Gottfried’s doesn’t come naturally to me like it does to him.
Gottfried has an oversized funny bone!
No, it’s not numbers, It’s my purpose that dictates My niche and my style.
It’s my gifts that spell The reason for my blogging. How about your niche?
My niche is “Inspiration.”
What’s your intention? Do you need one hundred one Questions to find out?
The Art of Blogging, Cristian Mihai, has questions Yes, one hundred one!
Humor wins the day Conversation abounds there Silly is the Champ
Check it out! I mean, come on readers, 8,330 followers?? And the conversation flows. Ya gotta love Gottfried! Check out his blog site and today’s post:
In his latest post (the one I sent you a link to up there), Gottfried says: “Parenthood is the scariest hood you’ll ever go through.“ In that paragraph he said, “I’m convinced that all parents make shit up as they go along. Those who try to use a manual end up with meth addicts.” Does he get a reaction from his readers? You bet! Of course we parents make it up as we go along. Kids are too unpredictable to do otherwise!! In the next paragraph Gottfried wrote, “Ninety percent of parenting is just thinking about when you can lie down again. The funny thing about kids is they’re the reason we lose it. And they are the reason we hold it together.” He has so much wisdom tucked into his humor. It certainly resonates with me! “Everyone knows how to raise children except the people who have them,” he wrote. And he ended his comments by saying, “I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” And he quipped, “Folks, I don’t trust children.They’re here to replace us.”
There’s no denying it, folks. Children ARE here to replace us! And Gottfried is here to show us all how to be replaced. Humor is king! Gottfried’s tongue in cheek humor rules. I love him!
If you’re not familiar with his blog, do check it out now. You’ll love him, too!
See ya tomorrow … maybe – – – I might be too busy reading Gottfried’s humor to post on JanBeek, who knows?
Rick Malone wrote in his “Spiritual Matters” article,
“There is something very special about the dawn. The sun seems to climb over the horizon with open arms, inviting us to share in the wonderful opportunities of a new day.
Every dawn puts the things of yesterday in the past and allows us to begin afresh. The Bible uses this imagery of the dawn to communicate the reality of new beginnings.
The psalmist teaches us that each new day should be a source of rejoicing, for it is a “day that the Lord has made; and we should rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24).
And Jeremiah tells us that the mercies of the Lord, “are new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23).
Michael Buble’ sang of the new day in his song: “It’s a New Day.” Listen and discern his idea of a new day.
Then design your own idea of a new day … and praise the Lord for each new beginning!
Rick Malone went on in his post to explain his image of a new day:
“This imagery of the dawn not only symbolizes new beginnings for us personally, it symbolizes a new beginning for the brokenness of God’s creation. The bliss of the Garden of Eden crumbled in the hands of Adam. Creation now groans under a curse. But we are given the promise that at the dawning of the age to come creation itself will be made new.”
We have incredible sunrises above the Madison Range that I can see from my home. I love this time of day. Below is what the sunrise looked like from my sanctuary window this morning:
I sent this picture to my friend, Lisa, in North Carolina. We exchange sunrise pictures and prayers for one another most mornings. I apologized for the way my roof line from my sanctuary kind of spoiled the view this morning. She wrote back and sent me a cropped picture of my sunrise saying, “Simply GORGEOUS!!!”
Like most things in life, what we behold is often a matter of perspective, right? When we screen out the distractions and zero in on the positives, we see the true beauty around us, within us, and within others.
Lisa lives near a lake. Often her sunrises and sunsets are reflected in the water, creating a double image. I can look at the gray clouds beyond and expect a rainy, dismal day, or I can focus on the colorful reflections in the lake and anticipate a colorful, joy-filled day (or night) ahead.
Rick Malone explained it this way:
“Each new day is the perpetual promise of new beginnings. It is a new opportunity to turn the disappointments of our lives in a new direction. We can all identify with the failures of life—bad decisions, broken relationships, unfortunate circumstances. But God gives us a continual opportunity to start life fresh every day and put the past in our past. He is the God of new beginnings, the God of new life, the God of forgiveness. He is the God who covers our yesterdays with His grace. And, He is the God who graciously covers our tomorrows with every new dawn He gives us. Every sunrise beckons us: ‘Turn your life away from yourself and to your Maker who loves you.’ “
Another of Lisa Glines’ sunrises
Psalm 118:24
“This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Montana Sunrise by Ken Hall
Above our bed, Bob & I have a painting by Ken Hall. It depicts the sunrise over the Madison Range. On clear mornings, we see this scene out our bedroom, dining room, living room, and sanctuary windows. But, even on fogged in or snowy days when the mountains are hidden and the sun is behind the clouds, we can look at Ken’s painting and thank God for this new day – new dawn – new beginning.
I pray your new day is a blessed one. I pray you are healthy and happy. I thank you for your friendship – and for coming to share your day with me here on JanBeek.
What are your plans for this new day? See ya tomorrow (God willing) God Bless You!
P.S. Please pray for my daughter-in-law, Monika. She spent most of the day yesterday in the ER. Today our son, Ty, will take her to the hospital to find out why the massive headache and the pain in the area of her gall bladder. Pray for a cleardiagnosis and for healing, please. Thank you!
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
Thank you for continuing to pray for Bob as we work together trying to get the medication he needs for his heart ailment. Did I tell you that after co-pay the first month of the medication costs over $3,000 ?? Pray that we can get assistance from Pfizer, the manufacturer of the medication, OK? This is a life-saving treatment plan that we need… God knows that!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek See ya tomorrow (God willing)
No reason to be afraid! Take peace… He’s in control!
Where do you find your peace, my friend? Ihope it’s in your heart today! Let faith rise up in you…
Going to church on Sunday Always gives me inspiration: A theme to carry with me Through the week with contemplation.
Yesterday was no exception – The message was one of love, With 1 Cor. 13: 1-13 guiding My connection with Above.
Our pastor, Mary Grace Reynolds, Delivered a sermon with finesse, Alluding to the “Tragic Gap” That has our world in a mess.
Once upon a time she was A chaplain in a trauma center. A man was all alone there Where she was told to enter.
Her presence felt quite futile – Comatose and unhooked from life-support; But she gathered her wits and recited The Lord’s Prayer, knowing his life was short.
He may not have heard her petition, But then again, who knew? Maybe that prayer guided him To the Lord – and Life anew.
Stealing herself against dismay, Mary Grace spoke with assurance. “You’re a beloved Child of God, And He has issued us insurance.
The pain and hurt of life Can be a place of great despair, But you can ask and receive God’s Grace… it’s always there.”
Mary Grace assured us, too, That God’s strength is ours to claim As soon as we believe and Ask for it in Jesus’ name.
Never doubt that humanity Can be changed forever more For the better – in an instant. Just knock at Jesus’ door!
Don’t accept the “Tragic Gap” As a place we have to be. The cavernous space between love And a world of hate – is not for me!
Lead each other away from That place of despair and hopelessness. Be assured, there is a better reality. Lead on to the road of wholesomeness!
Amen?
In addition to the message of the sermon, I am inspired (sometimes to the point of tears) by the music. Yesterday the hymn that choked me up was this one – Pay attention to those words – they are powerful!
The verse that caught in my throat was the one that made me think of the #Bloganuary prompt from a few days ago: “How Are You Changing the World?”
Will you love the ‘you’ you hide if I but call your name? Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same? Will you use the faith you’ve found to reshape the world around through my sight and touch and sound in you, and you in me?
May your presence in this world Be a source of peace and inspiration To the people you encounter every day. Close the “Tragic Gap” with your imagination!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. I’ll see you tomorrow (God willing)
Our flight home was long – but safe.
We are happy to be home – and delighted to have the floors almost finished. Also delighted to know there is a medication out there to help Bob with his heart issues.
Again, thank you for your prayers! (We await the insurance approval of the med.) God bless you!
If you have known me a while, this answer will bee a no-brainer!
Thanks for buzzing in to visit JanBeek today. I will post my sermon notes later today. I hope you had a lovely Sunday morning. We did!
It was so good to bee back with our Ennis church family!
What tree would you bee??
Here’s a darling children’s picture book about trees. Do you have a child nearby (like maybe inside you) who would enjoy learning some basics about trees?
janbeek 