Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘attitudes’

Missing Or Giving?

This is Vissoie, Switzerland.
Our daughter and son-in-law have a restaurant here.
Isn’t it beautiful?

We missed our visit with them this year. We are not even able to go to California to celebrate Christmas with our son and his family there. I bet we are not alone. Many of you are missing your visits with your family this Christmas, too.

We’ll miss being with our son, Ty, and having my sister, Sally with us this year.

What are you missing?

Photo by Maximiliano Ignacio Pinilla Alvarado on Pexels.com

Like this sad looking dog, we can sit around and look all mopey.
We can focus on what we’re missing.
Or we can go to Ann Kaplow’s blog this morning,
try focusing on the positive,
and answer her question,
“Can you find something to celebrate in today’s images?”

Ann Koplow
Check out her blog below.

Ann KoplowThe Year(s) of Living Non-Judgmentally

Celebrate the fact that even though we feel the darkness of this Coronavirus and the isolation caused by this pandemic, we also can experience the LIGHT! The Light still shines – and we can reflect it!

Focus on the Reason for the Season

Let us not focus
On the things we are missing
But on our blessings

We have so much to give!
Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Basic needs are met
And we have great resources
Enough to share them

When your needs are met
Leave the reptilian brain
And share your great smile

Food, clothing, shelter –
Not all people are so blessed.
Take these for granted?

No! Let’s treasure them.
Now we can go beyond them –
Reach out to others.

What do we have to give?

You have love to give
You have compassion to give
And you have kindness

Focus on giving
Blessings are overflowing
Share them with others

As long as you give
Know your cup will be refilled
You can’t out-give God!

In this weary world
People long for what you have
Share your love – give faith!

Have a little faith
Not in the things of this world
But in the True Light

Take the LOVE He gives
And let that love shine through you
Give a little FAITH!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
Have a blessed Thursday.
Count your blessings!
See ya tomorrow.

Never Stop Dreaming

Photo by Karyme Franu00e7a on Pexels.com

John 1:16

“For of His fullness we have all received,
and grace upon grace.”

As we approach life through the lens of grace,
dreams are possible, dreams come true,
and we learn to never stop dreaming.

Fishing boats in Alaska

My husband, Bob was scheduled to go on a once-in-a-lifetime fishing trip to Alaska this year. Except for this pandemic, he would have been there right now.

Ah yes, he was going with two buddies. One of the buddies used his fly miles to arrange for Bob’s transportation. That financial help made the trip possible, because even with that help, Bob was out of pocket over $6,000 in various reservartions.

When the pandemic hit – and masks are required at the lodge and restrictions were going to compromise the enjoyment of the experience, the guys decided to cancel.

The company gave them credit, not a refund. Good for 2021. They keep the money until then.

Unfulfilled Dreams

Both of Bob’s buddies are at least a decade younger than he is. They were fine with the idea of a credit… and waiting to use it in 2021 when we dream of this CORONA-19 Virus being under control with an effective vaccine.

BUT, Bob said, “At 81, how do I know what my health will be like in a year? How do I know if I will be able to fly to Alaska and enjoy the rigors of a fishing trip?”

He wanted a refund. “That’s a long time to keep that much money of mine,” he told the fishing company.

I overheard the conversation. My response was, “It’s okay, Bob. Let them keep it. Let them give you a credit. Plan that 2021 trip, and look forward to it! Know that your health will be fine – and you will be strong enough to go and enjoy he experience. It’s important to live with unfulfilled dreams. When we stop dreaming, we stop living!”

Catching the big one!

Dream Big

Dream big, Bob! Imagine catching that big one! Imagine spending a week or two with your good buddies. Imagine being healthy and strong and holding that big one all by yourself!

Pray for God’s grace as you look forward to each tomorrow. Live with gratitude for the health and happiness He gives you each day. Know that He cares for you… and that “of His fullness” we have received – and will continue to do so.

Dream Big. Never Stop!
Live with unfulfilled dreams.
Let them keep you moving forward.

Thanks for stopping by today.
I send you my love and best wishes for a DREAM BIG day!
What are your unfulfilled dreams?
Hugs,
JanBeek

A Crappy Day

It’s a crappy day
A gray and cloudy Tuesday
There’s no place to go

California’s far
For a one day drive in car
And flying is out

Switzerland’s too far
To drive, fly, or even swim
It’s a crappy time

I want to hug them
I want to see my grandkids
One has a birthday

This week is her day
To celebrate twenty-six
No, I can’t be there

Are you feeling it?
Is your separation tough?
Is your day crappy?

We just want to love –
Love one another right here
Is there a good way?

Thank God for the Net
Thank God for phones and e-cards
Thank God for your life

Gratitude’s the key
For changing crappy to good
Do you feel thankful?

Thank God you’re alive
Thank Him for your daily bread
Reach out to your friends

Write a card today
Put it in the mailbox
Brighten someone’s mood

Personalize it
With a special note from you
Let shared love cheer you

And if you live close,
You might deliver a piece
Of your berry pie

Or the cinnamon
Sticks you learned to make from Mom
Who never wasted

The left-over dough
Does that memory bring smiles?
It does that for me!

Day’s not so crappy
When you reach out with a smile;
So, try it yourself!

Don’t think of crappy
Think of happiness instead
You are what you think!

Thanks for visiting
JanBeek
and sharing below a little bit
about what you did
to change
crappy to happy
for you and your loved ones today.

Just Love One Another!

Glimpse of Paradise

Eye of the Heart

A glimpse of Paradise
Is here in the heart
Of a home where love is –
Where living is an art.

We each carry a paradise
With us here on earth.
It’s in hearts of compassion.
It’s in expressions of mirth.

When we count all our blessings
Living a life of gratitude,
Heaven is felt and seen
In the joy of our attitude.

Edward Hays wrote this story in his book, Feathers on the Wind,

Once upon a time there was a woman who longed to find out what heaven was like. She prayed constantly, “O God, grant me in this life a vision of paradise.” She prayed in this way for years until one night she had a dream. In her dream, an angel came and led her to heaven. They walked down a street in paradise until they came to an ordinary looking house.The angel, pointing toward the house, said, “Go and look inside.”

So the woman walked in the house and found a person preparing supper, another reading a newspaper, and children playing with their toys. Naturally she was disappointed, and returned to the angel on the street. “Is this all there is to heaven?”

The angel replied, “Those people that you saw in the house are not in paradise. Paradise is in them!”

Paradise is not distant.
It’s the place where we live –
If the Son shines within us
And His love is what we give.

Hark, my Blogging Friend,
What is it I see?
Is that a glimpse of paradise
I see in thee?

Oh, by the way,
I saw this quote below posted by Cristian Mihai
this morning on his “The Art of Blogging.”
He was giving us tips
(as he does EVERY day)
on how to be better bloggers.
One of his recommendations was this:

“Decide on a realistic posting frequency
For me this is every single day, without exception. For you, it may be every other day or twice a week. Whatever you decide on, announce it to your readers on your blog. Announcing it accomplishes two things. One, you’re creating and managing your reader’s expectations of when new content will be posted. Two, you’re making yourself accountable to your readership. It’s harder to blow off posting when you know there’s a bunch of people out there who are expecting to see something new on a given day.”

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

So, taking his tip to heart, I am here to tell you, I blog at least once daily. This is my 313th day of consecutive blogging. I’ve been at it for more than six years, but I got serious 313 days ago. It’s paying off because you can count on me… and so I can count on you, too.

For example, on 7/6/19 I had a wonderful 550 followers. I was on a roll… and now, less than 50 days later, I have 614 followers. For those of you with thousands of followers, this might not be a big deal, but for me, it proves the importance of tenacity.

It’s the number of you who click into my blog and the ones who click “like,” and most importantly the ones who leave a comment – those are the folks who keep me going, give me encouragement, and help me know I am not blogging into empty space. Thank you!!

Sending love
back atcha!

See ya tomorrow…
if not sooner!

Shedding Our Bark — Roth Poetry – Reblog

Shedding Our Bark

57m ago

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The Willow trees in our back yard were only saplings when we moved here nine years ago. They are extremely fast-growing trees which are now at least thirty feet tall. As I sat in their shade, I observed the wide splits in the bark. The old years growth sheds away as the tree expands. Eventually it falls away back into the soil. We are like trees. Those who grow the most continue to shed things they no longer need; negative attitudes, hurts, ideas, stereotypes, resentment, and bitterness, etc. Some are trapped in their own bark unwilling to let go and change for the better. How are you at shedding your bark?

Growth brings expansion
Stretching us //sometimes to our limit
Breaking us out of our comfort zone.
Growth causes cracks in our perception
Finding, perhaps there are other ways
Of thinking or feeling that may be different.
Growth brings change
Change is often painful
Forcing us to cast off old ways of thinking;
To have growth, we will have to change.
With change comes new strength;
New strength moves us beyond the present;
Fulfills our dreams for today…
Knowing tomorrow, we will again
Expand, stretch, and shed our bark.

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Project Peace

Project Peace

World Peace is illusive.
Can it ever be attained?
What role do I play in it?
Is my attitude engrained?

Do I project Attitude Peace?
Am I carrying my load?
Today’s sermon told me
It’s a very illusive road.

woman sitting in grey fur sofa

Rev. Jean Johnson’s sermon topic:
“God Bless This House with Peace”
based on Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20

Violence against older adults
Is on the rise; peace gunned
Down in constant upheavels –
Headlines leave us stunned.

God entrusts us with
The lives others. Take part
In providing care for
The deeper issue: the human heart.

We need a change of heart.
We need a heart of peace.
God asks us to spread
His peace to all – – – Release!

We need to reorient
Our idea of how peace acts.
We need to be willing
To understand the facts.

Peace is not an ideal
To be attained from others.
It is not something given
By our sisters and our brothers.

We do not have the power
To change the hearts of others.
We each must choose our peace,
Not the hate that smothers.

The struggle for peace
Is not between me and thee.
It is a face in the mirror;
The face of peace I see.

Do I regard the needs
Of others as great as my own?
Do I forgive 70 x 7?
And love those with hearts of stone?

Do I acknowledge the value
Of each human being?
Do I give unconditionally?
Do I love those who’re disagreeing?

Do I set aside old baggage
And see others free and clear?
Or do I carry resentment,
And prejudge those ever near?

God asks us to bring peace
With us wherever we go.
Work to create a change of heart.
Offer peace to all you know.

Peace to you, my friends.
I hope you’re having a peaceful Sunday.

Way to go, FIFA, USA Soccer Gals!!
You’re awesome!!

pexels-photo-887349-1

See you tomorrow.

 

Accept Grace & Express Gratitude

Day #7 in the A-Z series: Adding Meaning and Purpose to Life

G = Grace and Gratitude

Are you grateful for God’s chisel?

pexels-photo-1486470.jpeg

Photo by Werlley Meira on Pexels.com

You know, our lives are filled with things that crowd out what’s really important. Sometimes, we clutter our time with frivolity. (Do you ever feel like your blogging might qualify in that category?) Transforming our lives so that the most significant goes to the top of our to-do list is not an easy task.

The shaping tool that God uses is like a chisel. By His Grace, He chips away at our selfishness, our self-centeredness, our pride, our laziness, and our greed. When we accept His Grace, He replaces those attitudes with generosity, concern for others, diligence, and a far-sightedness that only He can give.

Unlike my SnapChat app that can instantly turn my skin silky, vibrant, and wrinkle-free, and surround me with hearts of love, God’s chisel is not a one-click deal!

I am grateful for the shaping tools God uses to help me slough away the detrimental parts of my being. (I wish it COULD be a one-click deal, don’t you?)

In yesterday’s devotional page in Daily Guideposts, Isabella Yosuico identifies some of those shaping tools:

He sends people to challenge some obstinate defects in me.

He puts me into circumstances beyond my existing skills to control… to compel me to grow.

He allows problems that overwhelm me. They are sometimes so beyond me that I have no choice but to turn to a Higher Power, and surrender to His/Her solution.

By Grace, I have

Love,

Courage,

Strength, and

Wisdom.

By Grace, I can exhibit

Sympathy,

Loyalty, and

Power –

The Power that lifts me into The Word.

bible blur christ christianity

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 

In my eight decades of living on this troubled earth, I have found the wisest and, ultimately, the easiest path to a meaningfulness, purpose-filled, contented life is to submit fully to the Chiseler’s Hands. The Word, my Bible, is my guide. Its guidance directs my attitudes and actions. The Holy Spirit is my constant companion. I am grateful for its presence in the heart of me.

The Grace of the Holy Spirit + Gratitude = HAPPINESS 

Tales from the Mama Duck – family5power –
posted this from the image: Medium
on the subject of Gratitude today:

gratitude=happiness
May The Chiseler’s grace continue to shape me.

God Bless You, my “Ideal Reader.” I am grateful for you.

May God’s Shaping Tools continue to chisel away at you, too!

Bee a Joy-Bringer!

Bee a Joy-Bringer!
Why not spread lots of sweetness?
Plenty to be found!

animal bee bloom blooming

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

There are so many reasons
To be joyful every day.
Open my eyes, Lord,
To the smiles in my way.

Mountains to climb
I can carry all the troubles,
See the gloom and the doom,
Or I can listen to the birds
As their song fills this room.

animals avian birds branch

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I can marvel at snow
Or complain of the drifts.

Open my heart, Lord,
To be ready for shifts.

Shift gears to the joy
Each fresh, new day brings.
Help me bee a joy-bringer;
Turn winter hearts into springs!

Cold Enough?

I thought yesterday
was cold enough in Ennis;
Montana is cold!

AC194FED-A240-4141-8948-1AE526BBC174.jpeg

Minus four degrees!
Then this morning’s reading is
Minus twenty-one!

C809C9D7-BDE8-4276-A17F-A7C154572AD6.jpeg

Is it cold enough?
What temperature do you have
Where you are today?

The Pleasure of Not Writing

 

Yes, take time to think

Think many positive thoughts

Then make time to write

 

But, write everyday?

Is that really positive?

How about a break?

 

Every other week I meet with a Writers’ Group. Our attendance varies between two and eight. We never know who’ll show up, but even if I am there alone, I enjoy going to that writers’ spot and sharing ideas with fellow writers via my blog.

When others attend (usually two or more join me), we begin with a prompt that we pull out of a hat (actually a little bag), and then we free write for 15 minutes or so. Each of us shares orally with one another what we’ve written during free write – and then we share something we’ve been working on at home, making copies for each other to look on and offer positive criticism.

During the free write, I get a kick out of how many different approaches we take to the same prompt. A few weeks ago the prompt was, “The Pleasure of Not Writing.”

Here is what my fifteen minute rambling produced:

 

Writing is an itch

That needs to be scratched,

But I can turn around

And grieve the time that’s snatched!

 

I can get so wrapped up

In getting words out of my brain

That it can be exhausting

And on life – take quite a drain!

 

I need to take a break

And not write for a day or two;

Do something else creative –

What would that be for you?

 

Would you watch TV and vegetate?

Would you fish or visit friends?

Would you clean, or sort, or gravitate

To some project without ends?

 

I take pleasure in my writing.

I love hearing from bloggers out there,

But I think there’s pleasure in not writing –

I’m just not sure I know where!

 

Oh wait – I know a place I’ll go –

To the kitchen where I’ll cook –

To the Food Bank where I’ll serve –

To Plain Jane’s to have a look.

 

I’ll bide my time at the mall

Or take in a concert or two.

What pleasure will you find NOT writing?

What other activities are happy for you?

 

A pedicure? Ah, it feels so good!

Time at the beach? Ah, so refreshing!

Quiet time with Jesus?

Ah yes, I’m headed to my lovely sanctuary now.

Join me!

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