In his book, Ever Faithful, David Jeremiah was inspired by Psalm 145:16 when He wrote about hand gestures:
“Hand gestures can communicate our innermost thoughts and emotions. Clenched fists reveal anger. White knuckles and trembling are usually the result of fear and nervousness. We close our hands around things we want to hold on to and open them to receive and give gifts.”
My friends, Ed and Maria, open their hands to receive each others love and close them around each other to hang on to the one they love. Bob & I do the same!
David Jeremiah went on in his devotional to say, God’s generosity is described in Psalm 145:15…
“You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”
It might be the prayer For a miracle to receive Or could be something simple You just have to believe
Believe that when you open Your hands to receive gifts God will fill them with wonders – With gifts that your heart lifts
Open hands are a symbol Of giving – giving our all And knowing in the process We’ll be standing tall
As a humble giver, Know what you give comes back And God knows your needs He will fill your every lack
David Jeremiah went on to remind us, “If we overlook God’s generosity, or find ourselves in the midst of a painful season, it’s easy for a mindset of scarcity to take over. We become afraid of losing what we have, and our hearts’ stance becomes one of grasping as we seek to control our circumstances.”
Grasp all the love you can get Then open your hands to give It all away – every single bit Because it’s refillable as long as you live
Bob’s hands are open to receive his “just desserts”!! Are yours open, too?
I pray for your hands to be filled Filled to overflowing Filled with love to give away Love that’s alive and showing!
God Bless you! Have a “Open Handed Day!” Will you?
“Describe a risk you took that you do not regret.”
I had children.
Giving birth is risky business. Raising children is risky business. They’re expensive! They’re trouble.
Do I regret deciding to raise two children? No! They are a gift from God!
Here’s that spunky boy in today’s world:
Our son and his wife also took the risk. They decided to raise a family. But they were not able to have biological children. So, they took the risk of adopting… Not just one, but four children! Adopting is risky business!! God bless them!
Do they regret it? You’ll have to ask them!
But, I know that decision of theirs impacted our whole extended family!
When our granddaughter, Hope, was 18, she decided she was grown up enough to make her own decisions, so she took a risk and left home. She decided to live with a girlfriend. (That’s her in stripes in that photo, and the two little ones are hers: Xander & Sienna.)
Well, that living arrangement didn’t last. Moving out is risky business. In just a few months, Hope was homeless, couch-hopping, and in trouble. We took the risk and invited her to come to live with us in Montana. It’s a risk we “do not regret.”
That little baby you prayed for this week is Hope’s #3 … Charlotte. Thank you, Hope, for taking the risk of raising a family. As David Jeremiah wrote in “Ever Faithful” this week:
Life Takes Time…
“Be patient with yourself and with others. Put down roots. Stay in one place. And remember… nothing takes the place of God’s work over time.”
Yesterday I texted Hope:
“Hope, how are you and Charlotte doing?” “We are doing good!!! She’s eating and sleeping well!” “How are Xander and Sienna?” “Ok! They’re doing good! I’m recovering well! And the kids, too. They love her!“
Yes, life is risky business. Raising kids is risky business. And we never stop parenting as long as we and our children are alive.
Yesterday that little girl in Santa’s lap up in that 1968 photo was driving to a lunch date in Switzerland (where she lives) when a car dashed out into her path.
Oh my! Learning to drive is a risk. Do you ever regret teaching your kids to drive?
Now, I need you to pray for DeAna and her transportation, OK?
And don’t forget to praise God. She’s OK, even if the car is not!
See ya tomorrow. Love, JanBeek
No, I don’t regret having children. Yes, Ty & De are God’s gifts. But, every day’s a risk, isn’t it?
Yesterday our granddaughter gave birth to our great-grandbaby #5, a perfect little girl. Hope and Drew named her Charlotte. Don’t you love that name?
Psalms 127:3-5 3 Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. 4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
Dear Baby Charlotte, this poem is for you:
Bob & I have two children, Ty & DeAna. Also God blessed us with a beautiful, smart, loving daughter-in-law, Monika, and a clever, fun-loving, creative, talented son-in-law, Andre’
From those two children and their spouses we have seven grandchildren and now five great-grandchildren.
We feel so blessed to have lived long enough to see our family expand in such a beautiful way.
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This is some of the California crew two Christmases ago before our granddaughter, Faith (in the white hat), had our great-granddaughter, Mable. But, you can see great-granddaughter, Cosette, in there. Bob & I are on both sides of our daughter-in-law, Monika. Monika’s parents are behind us. Our son, Ty, is at the back. Only granddaughter, Hope, the new mommy, is missing here. Also, missing are DeAna, our daughter and her family… they are in Switzerland.
That’s our oldest grandson, Mike, with his wife, Tania, in Switzerland. We went last year to their wedding. We are looking forward to their gift of great-grandchild #6!!
Here’s De, with her hubby, Andre’, who is THE CHEF EXTRAORDINAIRE in their chalet (hotel/restaurant).
We love going there to enjoy our daughter and her family (three boys) !!!
Let me know if you ever decide to travel to Switzerland. I’ll put you in touch with this wonderful Relais des Mélèzes. (You can check out their facebook page, too).- Just type that name in the search bar.
Here are Andre’ and our DollyWolly, DeAna.
Oh, and if you are blessed as much as we are, you have adopted other “kids” to be part of your family, too. Here is our dear Daughter #2, Lainalainalaina, with us!!
Yes, we are blessed indeed! She is such a sweetheart… and she has blessed us with two other granddaughters, as well.
Children are such a blessing. Babies are such fun, aren’t they? Are yours all baptized?
Here I am with DeDe. Ah, what a sweetheart she is, too!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. See ya tomorrow.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
My prayers go out to Hope & Drew.
I look to the Lord in whom my strength and healing abides and helps me.
Pray with me today, will you? “Dear Heavenly Father, Be with Hope and Drew as they mourn the loss of their unborn baby. Help them understand Your will and know the blessing of the two they have. Be with me (Jan) and the finger that needs to heal… Provide comfort – – and the lesson to be learned. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Thanks for visiting JanBeek and expressing your love and concern for us.
Yes, my new little great-granddaughter is here! Faith & Kyle named her Mable Iris. Don’t you love old-fashioned names?
I tried to get them to name her Janet (that’s JanBeek’s God-given name), but I lost out to one they chose simply because they both “like it.”
Oh well, I tried!
Choosing names for our children is such an important part of parenting.
The last “child” I named is this little moose who sits on my bed every day. He is named “Faithful” because he was a gift to me about 15 years ago from my granddaughter, Faith. She bought it at the Yellowstone National Park gift shop. We had just seen the geyser “Old Faithful” erupt. Then we went into the gift shop and gave her and her three siblings each some money to buy a souvenir for their visit. She bought this moose and then gave it to me as a “Thank you for taking us to Yellowstone” gift.
What a thoughtful little pre-teen she was! Each day when I make my bed, I put “Faithful the Yellowstone Moose” back on my bed with a prayer. I say:
“Dear God, Please tuck them together in love and watch over Faith & Kyle today. Amen”
When we named our son Ty (I have told you this story before), it was because I had a student named Ty in my kindergarten class in 1963. He was such an adorable little boy – and I loved him as well as his name. In 1965 when our son was born, Bob agreed to use Ty’s name for our little baby.
Today when Kyle let us know that he & Faith had named their little girl Mable, I asked, “Is there a history of that name in your family? Or is it just a name you both liked?”
Kyle texted back and said they just liked the name – no family history for it.
So, I told Kyle that I have a history with that name. The only other Mable Bob & I have know is Mable Cronan. She was the dear, sweet, compassionate, loving grandmother of Ty Stiles (that kindergarten student of mine). Mable attended our church in California with Ty’s aunt, Marilyn Sena. So now – come full circle: our Ty has a granddaughter named Mable – just like Ty Stiles had a grandmother Mable. I love it when things seem to be so synchronistic, don’t you?
Ty & Roxanne Stiles with me & Bob
When I looked up the meaning of the name Mable, Wikipedia said,
“Lovable, dear: Mabel is an English female given name derived from the Latin amabilis, “lovable, dear“.
I told Faith and Kyle that Mable Cronan (Ty Stiles’ grandma) was definitely lovable and dear. I am so glad they chose that name. It will be fun to live long enough to see this great-granddaughter’s personality and values develop, and to watch God bring out the “lovable and dear” qualities that were born in her.
I saw a picture of my new great-granddaughter, Mable, today. I won’t post it here – out of respect for the privacy of her and her parents – but here is her mom, Faith, when she was a baby:
Mable has a cute little pug nose like Faith’s ( I lay claim to that feature – and told them so).
Mable has parents who love her – and an extended family who can hardly wait to meet her in person and give her and her parents great big hugs!
Yes, my friends, she’s here! It’s been a beautiful April 1st. I pray yours was a memorable day, too. Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts as we waited for this baby to arrive.
For some reason, I am hoping this lovable new baby, Mable, will learn to play a musical instrument someday – maybe the soprano sax like Kenny G. I dedicate this album to her and hope she grows up to enjoy music someday as much as her Great-Grama (GG) Jan does!
This baby was the highlight of my day, obviously! Tell me about a highlight of your April 1st.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek tonight. See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Do you take time each morning to read your Bible, pray, and study at least one devotional? It is such a powerful way to start each day.
Let God help you begin your day with your heart focusing on a message you receive during the time you begin with Him. I’ve been using Guideposts’ devotionals for over a decade now. I find it to be constantly spirit-lifting!
Daily Guideposts’ format includes a selected Bible verse, a reflection on that scripture, a prayer, and a couple of related scriptures in a section called Digging Deeper.
Before leaving the daily page, I write my “Take Away” on the page. It’s a message I carry with me that day – a lens through which I encounter what the day brings. Here are the daily take-aways from this month of March 2022:
Daily Take-Aways in March 2022
Trust God’s Perfect Timing
Wear Your Faith
Enjoy a Grace-Filled Perspective
Forgive Always
Seek His Help First
Where He Leads Me,
I Will Follow
Seek God’s Wisdom
For Everything – A Season
“Bee” Compassionate and Patient
“Bee” a Servant Leader
“Bee” Not Dismayed
Stay the Course
Pray for our Troubled World
Give Cheerfully
Trust His Perfect Timing
Pray for World Peace
Take Delight in Others
Life is An Adventure
Jesus Never Leaves Us
Show Agape Love
Believe: I Am Fearfully & Wonderfully Made
Avoid Procrastination
The Spirit Flies
God Supplies Our Needs
Focus and “Bee” Clear
Adopt the Courage of the Cross
He Equips Me
Wake Up Eager
Share Your Smiling Face
Enjoy the Unexpected
If you follow my blog and have a read a few of my posts this past month, you recognize that many of those take-aways were the inspiration for JanBeek’s posts. Which of those topics resonated with you the most?
Will you consider creating a “take-away” from your Bible or devotional reading each day? Try it! See if it helps you focus in a new and different way.
Before I leave you this evening, I need to wish you a Happy April, my friends. Tomorrow’s a new day. It’s a new month. And as I write this my youngest granddaughter, Faith, is in labor – expecting my #4 great-grandchild. We are expecting a beautiful little girl. I am praying she is born quickly, as painlessly as possible, and as perfect as God creations can be. Won’t you pray with me? I’ll keep you posted.
Faith’s older sister, Hope, has given us two great-grandchildren:
Here is Xander Great-grandchild #1
Here’s Sienna, Great-grandchild #2
Faith’s brother, Jordan, has gifted us with great-grandchild #3 :
Here’s Cosette! Look at the RunAway Bunny – Too cute, huh?
I can hardly wait to meet Great-grandchild #4. Here is her mommy, our granddaughter, Faith, when she was a baby:
Aren’t I a blessed lady?
What’s your take-away today? Happy April 1st, dear ones. No fools among us!!
See ya later today with my good news, OK?
Love, JanBeek
Don’t take-away love! Give it generously instead! Good night!!
For Christmas this year our son, Ty, and his wife, Monika, gave me this book.
The back cover has a an explanation of the author’s purpose.
Each day David Jeremiah, (the author of Turning Point another devotional I have been following for years), selects a scripture, and reflects on it.
Today’s reflection was especially meaningful to me:
It is trusting the Lord’s direction day by day in our lives together that has allowed Bob & me to remain ever faithful to one another for these 60 years!
This Friday we will celebrate our 60th anniversary.
This was last year on our 59th.
Here we are 60 years ago!
Yesterday we celebrated my granddaughter, Faith’s baby girl – due April 3rd – with a virtual baby shower. It was attended by about 20 friends from all over this part of our world – from Alaska and Hawaii to NY and across to CA – and states like ours (Montana) in between.
Our daughter-in-law, Monika (Faith’s mom) did a wonderful job researching ahead of time, planning, inviting, and coordinating the event. She linked in to an app that invited her to post a baby picture of the prospective mom as a baby and the prospective dad as a baby at the same age. Then the app blended the two parents and showed what the baby might look like if she favored the mom more. Another picture showed what she’ll look like if she favors dad’s side more.
Because Faith and Kyle actually resembled one another as babies, the two renditions were quite similar. That was fun!
Another activity had all the participants answering questions about the honored couple. The running scores were exhibited and the “winners” were awarded Amazon gift certificates. I didn’t participate in that… couldn’t figure out how to access the game screen! So much for technological prowess!! But folks who engaged had a lot of fun with it.
We were able see Faith & Kyle virtually unwrap each of their gifts, as each told us a little about the gift-giver… and because we were all on a ZOOM share screen, we could see each other. I was terribly impressed with Monika who was able to put all this together and move the activities along at a good pace.
My blog yesterday, “A Virtual Baby Shower,” showed you this expectant mom & dad. Here’s another photo of them:
Faith & Kyle McSparron
I know you join me in wishing them a happy, healthy pregnancy. Of course, I will share pictures of their baby girl with you when she is born in April.
Meantime, my prayer for them is that they remain “ever faithful” to one another – and are loving, devoted parents when their new little bundle arrives. God bless Faith & Kyle!!
Bee well my friends. Thanks for visiting JanBeek. I’ll see you tomorrow (God willing) What are your Tuesday plans?
Hugs to you!
Oh, before I say good-bye, Here’s a tribute to this age-old tradition: marriage!!
My granddaughter, Faith, is expecting a baby girl this April. This Sunday her mom is hosting a virtual baby shower for her. It’ll be my first ZOOM baby shower. Have you ever attended one?
In preparation for the event, we were invited to go on-line and offer advice using a variety of prompts. That was a fun thing to do. Fun to read each other’s responses! Also, Faith’s mom (our daughter-in-law, Monika) will be posting pictures of all the gifts as Faith virtually opens each one. How clever, huh?
Faith and Kyle were married in July of 2020. It was a fairy tale wedding.
Such a darling couple! They met at a Young Life Christian camping activity about 2018. They both have a strong faith. They have many ideals and activities they enjoy in common. One of their mutual activities is snowboarding. This photo gives you a glimpse into their personalities:
Hah! Sweet Kyle – Sassy Faith!
I am looking forward to attending the virtual shower tomorrow. Should be a fun, unique experience. I’ll post afterward to let you know how it went.
Faithy is an old fashioned girl. Her desires are simple. This is the bassinet/carrying case she chose for her baby!!
Fun, huh?
Don’t know how many months Baby McSparron will fit in there… but should be fun while it lasts!
This is a picture of Faith when she was a baby. She was a true gift from God! I have this photo framed and displayed up in my Angel room:
Precious baby! Ty & Monika were blessed to be able to adopt her at her birth!!
I can hardly wait to hold my newest little miracle baby when she comes. She’ll be our 4th great-grandchild. Yes, I know… we are mighty blessed.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek See ya tomorrow(God willing) Hugs…
Bye for now
Oh, before you go, I need to share with you a song that came to mind as I was writing this post. The Penguins went to the top of the hit parade in 1955 with this song. I was a sophomore in high school!! (Yes, I know… the dark ages!!) I loved dancing to this one … Thanks Phil & Benny – happy memories!
My friend, Lee, sent me a You.Tube video today. He said it was “worth your time and thoughts.” I agree!. It was narrated by a guy with a wonderful British accent. I bet it was created several years ago. The words in blue below are his. The red is my editorial comment about that item!
Whether you wear a $300. or a $3. watch, they both tell the same thing.
But the whole deal is, this watch does so much more than tell time! And it costs way more than $300. . Price tag = $539.98
Whether you carry a $300. or a $30. handbag, the amount of money inside is still the same.
This one actually is a $2,350. Guggi If you buy it, you’ll certainly have less money to put inside! Don’t you have better things to do with your money??
Whether we drive a $150,000. car or a $30,000. car, the road and distance are the same… and we get to the same destination.
But, the Ferrari is so much more fun! And you can certainly go faster! (If you survive at those speeds, that is)
Whether you drink a bottle of $300. or a $10. bottle of wine, the hangover is the same.
But Wine Spectator Magazine says, “It’s not as if wines that cost $10. or less are going to make you feel bad, or that wines that cost over $50 are never going to give you a hangover… How much wine you consume is the biggest variable…” So, in both cases, it’s the whole bottle? Not a good idea regardless of the price!
Whether the house you live in is 300 sq. ft. or a huge mansion with 30,000 sq. ft., loneliness is the same.
Yes, you can be lonely in a shack or you can be lonely in a castle. The size of the house has little to do with it. But, remember loneliness and alone are two different animals. Just because you’re alone doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. And just because you have a kajillion people around you doesn’t mean you feel loved. It has nothing to do with the size of your house… it’s the size of your heart!
Whether you fly first or economy class, if the plane goes down – you go with it.
True! But aren’t some seats safer than others? An article in the Huffington Post – when asked about the safest place to sit to a plane – wrote this, “Each incident or crash is unique. Impact could come from a nosedive, a water landing, or a runway collision. As a result there is no safest seat.”The good news in that article, though, is “Air travel is the safest form of transportation in the country.” Bon Voyage!! . .
In that same video sent to me this morning by my friend, Lee, this interesting addition was included:
