Don’t overlook your life’s importance or minimize its worth. It doesn’t matter if you’re on an allowance or Social Security. No matter where you are in life, you have so much to give.
The vital part of your life never disappears or fades away. Each of us is vital to God. He gives us the courage to go out and live, to heed His call, and step out in faith on a new journey today.
In faithful obedience, lean forward to hear Him. He doesn’t shout. His call is quiet and personal. Get serious. Listen carefully. Are you up for a new journey? Have faith and step out!
I wrote the poem, “Have Faith and Step Out” in 2002 while we were still living in California. I had officially retired from teaching in 1999, but daily I was looking for new direction, new purpose, new adventures. The International Library of Poetry published the poem in its 2002 Anthology of Poetry and sent me a dozen greeting cards with the poem printed on the front of them. Today I am using one of those cards for a friend who is stepping onto a new path.
The poem has become more meaningful in the nearly 20 years since its creation. The older I am, the more I realize, “No matter where you are in life, you have so much to give.” Your age doesn’t matter. Your place doesn’t matter. What matters is your mindset, your faith, your motivation.
It’s OK to be petrified. Sometimes God takes us to the edge of adventures where we feel unprepared.With faith, He will remove our fear, put us on a bridge, and send us the Light to follow.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Today Bob is out on Lucille (our red-headed ATV on which we have a “Ball”) with his former student, Victor, who is visiting from Alabama. Victor was Bob’s wrestling student back in the 1970’s. He reminded us that Bob also was his Drivers Education teacher. They are on an adventure – going to a lake above Sheridan. Our Boston, TazE, is with them. Ah, yes, step out in faith. Have fun!
Where He leads me, I will follow!
Remember, no matter where you are in life, you have so much to give.
Where are you being called to go today? What are you being called to do? Whatever it is, step out in faith. He will give you grace and glory… He’ll be with you all the way!
Here is the Madison Valley and Range as seen from the Gravelly Range
We went on an adventure today into the Gravelly Range with our friend, Julie, and her dog, Zeke. Come enjoy the Montana Vistas with us!
The Gravelly Range is just south-west of Ennis. We were looking for wildflowers. This is the time of year when they usually are prolific. However, it has been a relatively dry spring and summer so far, so the flowers were not as colorful or plentiful as usual.
This field of flowers is irrigated – so they’re not the “wildflowers” we were looking for.
See that line up the mountain? That’s where we are headed.
We drove the pick-up with trailer to the base of our destination and took the ATV up from there.
Julie & Zeke rode in the back. TazE sat in my lap. Bob’s the driver.
TazE enjoyed the views. That mountain above TazE’s head is called the Sphinx.
The clouds made the sky so beautiful and interesting today, but they also threatened rain. Fortunately we had about an inch or two of rain last night, so it settled the dust. And it held off until we were headed back home this afternoon.
On the way up, we saw a lot more cattle than usual. Definitely more cattle than wildflowers!
Zeke was quite interested in the beauty of the Madison Valley vistas.
This is Caroline’s tree! We always think of her when we see it. Caroline loves tree skeletons!
As we climbed, the clouds moved out from the Madison Range and began to cover the valley.
This is a purple sticky wild geranium. Julie has an app on her iPhone that allows her to take a picture of a flower and then have the phone tell her the name of that flower. What a cool app! “Picture This” is the name I think. I need to check it out.
I can’t remember the name of this hairy wildflower. Isn’t it interesting?
We reached a place where the road was closed and we could go no further. So, we stopped and rested a while and let TazE and Zeke run around.
Julie took our photo, and while we were distracted, Zeke went out exploring.
Zeke found some wet, runny cow poop and thought it was great fun to roll in it!
Like I said, there were more cows than wild flowers, so of course, there were plenty of places for an inquisitive pup to explore!!
Julie was intrigued by some of the leaves.
I walked beyond the closed gate and took this photo of the US Forest Service sign and the field of wildflowers beyond it.
They were more brilliant than this photo shows.
Heading back down the mountain, the cows bellowed at us! They were not happy that we were disturbing their peace.
The one we enjoyed earlier was still there on our way down.
TazE continued to enjoy the views with us.
The sprinkler systems keep the fields green in spite of our near drought conditions.
The storm clouds threatened … and we got a few raindrops on our way back to the pickup.
See the squall on the other side of the valley? You can see that it is raining there.
Ah, home – with great memories of beautiful Montana Vistas!
And a beautiful sunset ended our day…
Thank you for sharing our beautiful Montana Vistas with us.
I hope you had a beautiful day, too. Embrace Montana Vistas. Come visit us!
I could have called this “Embrace Maturity,” but that would have been pussyfooting around the issue. Not everyone matures as they age, but aging is not an option.
You do it or you die.
However, I embraced this meme when I saw it:
Aging is a privilege only given to the lucky ones, you know. So, yes, I will count this year … but at 81, I sometimes forget if it is 80 or 81 and if I try to get by with the lesser number, I have an 82 year old husband who is quick to remind me.
Hah! Can’t fool him… He keeps a check on me – – – but he’s not big on donuts. Darn!
My daughter (most of you have met her on this blog in the past – DeDe – lives in Switzerland) sent me this a little while back. She particularly liked it because one of Bob’s nicknames for me is “Rocky”
Most of you also know that I have a sanctuary where I spend the first hour most every morning… and in it I have three antique rockers. Ah, yes, it’s the perfect image of me!
But the chair that brings us mutual joy is the one we put in the back of our ATV and pull out when we stop for a break. The best way to embrace aging is to find a hobby that you can enjoy with someone you love.
For Bob and me, it is joining friends and going four-wheeling on these wonderful Rocky Mountain trails. .. stopping to fish the mountain lakes. Ah, that’s livin’!!
What hobbies make your aging process more enjoyable? One of our mutual hobbies (besides four-wheeling) is teaching Sunday School.
Here are darling Ruby & Cord.
COVID got in the way of being able to meet each Sunday morning with these two darlings and one other… and then these two moved away. As they age, their mom sends us pictures.
Getting picture from family and friends is a great way to welcome the new day and look forward to the next time you can visit.
Aging is easier to embrace if you have dreams – something to look forward to, right?
We dream of next October – when COVID-19 will be controlled and it will be safe to travel to see our daughter, De, and her husband, Andre’ – and stay in one of the hotel rooms above the restaurant.
As we age, some of the benefits outweigh the struggles that come with aching joints and lowered energy levels.
One of them is, when your grandkids act up and get on your nerves, you can just send ’em back to their folks!
Couldn’t do that when you were younger and they were your own kids!
Gotta look for the perks in this aging process!
Oh my! Take ’em home!!
Another advantage of aging is that we have time to reminisce about the “Good Ole Days” and the songs we used to sing that these youngsters with their guitars and drums don’t seem to understand anymore.
And if those songs and the memories they bring aren’t enough to make you feel good about still being on this earth, try singing this one:
Another way to “Embrace Aging” is to relish the extra time you have to just find a good book, pour yourself a hot chocolate or a glass of wine, curl up in front of a warm fire, and spend some uninterrupted quality time.
When you were younger, that luxury was seldom yours, right?
Now, if you are a youngster (under retirement age) reading this blog, you are probably thinking that I am a dreamer. You’re right. I am! And each day I dream up all kinds of things to keep me exuberant about life.
Yesterday it was effervescence. The day before it was … oh, do I have to go back that far?
Nope! A trick to aging gracefully is to remain playful. Keep your hobbies, and make up ways to keep the sparkle alive. Take those boots that were left at the front door and get creative!
If you can’t get out because you’re snowed in – and you’re longing for sushi, but the nearest place is an hour away, send money to your kids and tell them to go out for sushi on you. But make sure they send you a picture… and drool all over the computer screen when they send it!
Ask your friends to send you a picture of the table they decorated for some recent holiday – and then marvel at their creativity as you sit down for the 10th night in a row at your kitchen counter… thanking God for your life, your food, your kids, and your kitchen counter.
A trick to embracing aging is to always remain thankful for your blessings… even if they aren’t at a yacht club!!
Now, here’s a couple who knows how to live it up: My friends, the Rosens.
Embrace Aging by feeding your mind Hope, Truth and Love on a daily basis.
Don’t let your mind tell you you’re OLD. That’s a state of mind for the senile. It’s not for you!
Tell your mind that aging just adds to your story… and you’re not finished telling it yet!
Sharing more pictures from yesterday’s autumn colors ride I wonder why some are golden while others remain green?So many wonders to behold everywhere we looked!
The picture doesn’t do it justice. With the sun coming through them, those trees were pure gold!
Our friends, the Feldmans, led the way.
I posted this one yesterday. Bob told me today, “Those aren’t aspen.” Well, anyway, I like their color!
Before I leave you this morning, I want to share something I found on FaceBook:
#11 on the list is at least a half hour of journaling and beginning my blog post
I do #9 regularly. I love the Proverbs. There are 31 chapters. Today read Chapter 22. Full of wisdom!
I’m at #11 on the routine list right now. Do you get notices like this from WordPress? I wonder what’s magic about 1337? You’d think they’d wait til 1500 or some round number, wouldn’t you? Anyway you look at it though, that’s a lot of posts.
I hope you spend some time perusing them by putting your favorite topic up in the search bar at the upper right. Topics like bees or animals, Switzerland or Jesus will lend some beautiful results!
I appreciate your visit. I’m off to do #12… See ya tomorrow.
There is no better way To spend an autumn day Than to take a ride with friends Up into the Gravelly Range
We traveled along the Madison Overlooking the Palisades And enjoyed the river view And the hint of what’s to come
Every mile closer to Antelope Basin, our destination, The scenery became more and more breathtaking!
Lake at Antelope Basin
At the 7,000 foot level The autumn colors amaze The aspen are changing color From green to gold to orange
Golden grasses and blue sky Accented the purple mountains And created a wonderland For this appreciative photographer
Wow!
We went in and out of twelve Or more gates to keep cattle in They stood at the road’s edge Unperturbed by our noisy ATVs
When you sing of purple mountain majesty And you wonder what that might look like, Just come to Montana and you will Wonder no more… you’ll just be in awe!
We stopped by Hidden Lake To rest and have our lunch The lake is soooo beautiful And it really is hidden down there
Chuck and Caroline relaxed with Bob After enjoying a picnic lunch Penny & Rex were with us And TazE, too, of course!
Isn’t that blue sky spectacular? And the colors of the trees glorious? Don’t you wish you could be In an ATV traveling with us?
golden aspen
‘Tis time to return to our pickups Load up the four-wheelers Return down to our Madison Valley And look forward to the next trip.
Wish you could join us! I’ll share a couple more pics tomorrow. Have a good night. Thanks for traveling with me vicariously! Hugs, JanBeek
[Jesus said] “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart! And the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
Shalom
The peace that Jesus Christ gives us is “Shalom.” It is a deep peace, filled with health and joy, security and contentment. It is a deep, lasting peace that sustains us through any circumstance. Thanks to Jesus, we can have peace with God, with one another, and with our own spirit.What a priceless gift!
Thank you, Ty, for this 1st Cor. 18:31
Peace in Quietness
In silence, I commune with my Maker each morning. In that quietness, I find strength and wisdom. In His Word, I find reassurance.
Isaiah 55:3 (KJ version)
“Incline your ear and come unto Me. Hear and your soul shall live.”
In the stillness of the 9-11 Friday morning, Bob and I took our TazE and headed with our ATV to meet friends and spend the day communing with them and with nature.
Jan, TazE and Bob On the road again!
Caroline Feldman Photography
In the quietness of the morning, the roar of 5 ATV’s pierced the air. Headed to McAtee Bridge and on to Ruby Creek, five couples left the Madison Valley, glanced across the landscape to the glory of the Sphynx Mountain, and climbed to the 9,400 ft. level to enjoy God’s creation.
McAtee Bridge over the Madison River
The Talc Mine
Barn near McAtee
See the mountains of talc ahead of us?
Up, up we went to the look out – high above the valley floor. A perfect, blue sky day. We were blessed!
Up we climbed – high enough to find snow at our favorite outhouse!
Time for a picnic Lunch break with the Asbergs, Feldmans, and Washburns
The trail to Black Butte
Pictures don’t do it justice! The red rock ridges were spectacular!!
Don Asberg & Barbara Washburn Dinner time – a BBQ at Ruby Creek Campgrounds
Barb Asberg with Charley Brown and me – A beautiful spot right by the river
And then Saturday afternoon we had the privilege of another river view
Steve Hundley fishing the Madison right below Fran McNeill’s deck
Bob & Steve discussed which flies would be best on that stretch of the river
Steve enjoyed his time on the river
Elaine Hundley and I enjoyed visiting with Fran McNeill at her lovely home on the river
Fran has this plaque on her wall – and we enjoyed an invincible summer day together.
Psalm 46:10
“He says, ‘Be still and know that I am God.”
Another of Fran’s plaques
Compassion and Gratitude
In the stillness of this Sunday afternoon, I treasure the blessings of this weekend. The time in the mountains, the camaraderie of friends, the health we enjoy, the beauty of the river, the peacefulness of cloudless blue skies. And I don’t take any of this SHALOM for granted! I know there are others whose homes and businesses are burning right now. I have a heart of compassion for those in Harm’s Way – and I pray for their safety.
Our valley is covered with smoke from fires that are ravaging this western part of the USA. I know there are people for whom “Shalom” is a distant image – a feeling they long to see return. I pray that it will. I pray that my happy pictures gave you pause to smile – and gave you hope for a blue-sky, peace-filled future.
Another of Fran’s plaques… filled with great promises.
In the midst of COVID-19 and fires, racial injustice and political unrest, may you find SHALOM in your heart.
You are blessed to be a blessing – So share your joys – And count your blessings.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek. See ya tomorrow. Gentle Hugs ❤ Shalom!
Days in Montana Are out of a fairy tale: Unbelievable!
Come for a trail ride On Lucille, our ATV, Into the mountains.
Today North Meadow – First past gorgeous Sure Shot Lakes, Then to reservoir.
The fish were jumping – Little ones jumped on the fly. Big ones were cautious.
Lunch was relaxing With our dear friends, the Washburns. Wish you could have come!
Fireweed @ Sureshot Lake
Step up for a closer view!!
This place (Sureshot Lake) is a boys’ paradise!
Great friends: Roy & Barbara Washburn
Barbara’s first fish… Quick, get the hook out and throw him back in!
Barbara’s second fish was even smaller! Eventually she got a 7″ one.
Meantime, Roy caught eight fish – medium-sized – While Barbara struggled to catch the minnows!
And Bob caught one every other cast!
The fish are jumpin’ – Summertime – livin’s easy… And life is peaceful!
I actually was able to hear Ella Fitzgerald sing this in person when I attended her concert in Reno, Nevada when I was in college in the 50’s. What a thrill!!
Lunch break time. I sang “Summertime” to Bob as we relaxed after lunch.
And then after lunch & relaxation, The guys kept fishing!
Barbara & I enjoyed the scenes And did a little hiking Trails above the lake
TazE came with us We enjoyed the clear blue skies With clouds drifting by.
They call this Big Sky There’s a very good reason Unimpeded views!
Makes you want to keep on singing!!
Nothing beats Ella combined with Sachmo!! I love Louie Armstrong, don’t you?
Quake Lake
Quake Lake’s a wonder. Have you heard the great story? Come – and I’ll tell you!
Thanks for joining me for another beautiful Montana day. It’s so wonderful to live in this great state with the wide open spaces… especially during this pandemic. Nothing heals like Mother Nature at her finest… in Madison County, Montana.
Bob is a wonderful driver You can feel very safe going in our ATV, Lucille, up to Sureshot Lake and the lookout… with TazE in your lap. Here we are on the top of the world.
The following video was taken just outside of McAllister, Montana as we were headed up to Sureshot Lake and the lookout above it.
We had the fun of friends, Julie & Mike joining us … and Julie’s sis, Megan, & her friend, Martello. Julie & Mike brought their dog, Zeke, and of course, we had TazE.
This location on Sureshot Lake is about a 30 mile drive on our ATV from our home.
Just down the hill from this single thistle was a collection of fireweed. Beautiful prolific lavender groupings – God’s flower bouquets along the route. Derrick, you & Jackie would have loved these.
From the lake we went up to the lookout at about 7500 feet and had our lunch.
From this view at the lookout, you can see Willow Creek in Petosi Canyon.
The trip up to the next lookout (which is 9,600 feet) is rather scary for me… especially since it is so rocky and this was my first ATV ride since my hernia surgery about a month ago. But, I need to relax. Bob is a careful driver!
That’s Upper Twin Lake near our ridge view. As you look way out into the hazy Madison Valley, you can see Ennis Lake below.
The wild flowers were beautiful.
Bob is such a good sport!
Pictures just don’t give you the depth of field… Turn around from this view, and you see the snow-crested Tobacco Root Mountains.
Martello and Megan enjoyed that view, but Megan was not content to sit there. She spied those rocks to her right and decided to climb up and see what it was like from up there.
Megan’s more sure-footed than a mountain goat!
Can you spot her up there?
Then it was time to head back down.
It doesn’t look as bumpy on the video as it felt!!
We stopped at the McAllister Presbyterian Church and checked out the condition of the roof.
The cattle came by while we were there. Fun to see them!
Two horses greeted us as we entered the valley floor.
Back home. Time to relax. It’s been a beautiful day.here.
Thanks for joining us. Someday you need to come to Montana and take this ATV ride for real!!
When troubles come… Where do you go to be lifted up? I go into the mountains. There God fills my cup.
Elaine Hundley Photography
I was not able to go with Bob these last couple of weeks when he took our ATV up into the Tobacco Root Mountains and the Gravelly Range.
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I had surgery to repair a hernia a couple of weeks ago. The doctor said those bumpy rides on our four-wheeler, “Lucille” (she’s red-headed and she is a BALL), were off-limits.
So, Bob took our friend, Julie, last week… and this week he took our friend, Elaine. Both of them loved it. I’m so glad he shares the fun with friends who appreciate the beauty of Montana’s mountains as much as we do!
Elaine Hundley and Bob Beekman
Elaine is the wife of our minister and friend, Steve Hundley. I share my poetic sermon notes each Sunday with you. It’s Steve who preaches those captivating messages! Elaine took the pictures I am sharing with you today. She has some real beauts here!!
I told her she needs to enlarge and frame this one!!
You can see the tip of Lucille’s tire here … obviously Bob stopped many times along the trail so Elaine could get out and snap a shot of the view. As you can see, they traveled up above the tree line into the snow. It’s mid-July and Montana’s mountain tops still have snow. Bundle up! Yup, it was cold up there while I was enjoying a 75 degree day down in the Madison Valley.
Elaine must have had more than an iPhone 6 for this shot. You think?
I thought that was “Lucille” but look again… it doesn’t have a red head!
The camera doesn’t do justice to the fields of wild flowers. But, you get the idea.
No camera lens is as miraculous as the lens God gives each of us with our eyes… especially if we have 20/20 vision. But, a skilled photographer can come close with a good camera. I love the composition of this one with the rocks on rock in the foreground, don’t you?
In case you were wondering about their altitude…
Thank you, Elaine, for sharing with us your day with Bob and God! We are so blessed to be friends with one another and with nature and with our Creator! I love you! ❤
And thank you, my WordPress friends, for going with us into the mountains where we can all feel closer to God. There, He fills my cup! Did He fill yours, too?
Be at peace. God bless you!
I added the words below here to my blog from a couple days ago where I had a video posted of Susan Boyle singing this song… but some folks weren’t able to access the video.
I leave you today with this wonderful Peace Prayer by St. Francis of Assisi. Make Me a Channel of Your Peace…
Thank you, Lord, for your great creation. I find such peace in Your mountains!
I hope you did, too, my friends. See ya tomorrow. JanBeek
