Colorful blue bird
Rests among the red berries
Waiting for Christmas
With his red cap on
The snow doesn’t affect him
He’s warm as can be
Let the birds send love
Then you can reciprocate
Spread love this Christmas
What’s your favorite bird?
‘Tis the best season
Cinnamon and marshmallows
Top it off just right
‘Tis a great time for
Pinecones and holly berries
And candles aglow
It’s a holy time
For remembering the Child
Whose name’s the REASON
‘Tis the season’s joy,
The Christ Child, who’s our Savior –
Don’t leave out Jesus!
Santa’s well and good
As long as he also knows
That Christmas needs CHRIST!
YOU, Lord Jesus, are
The Reason for the Season.
All I want is YOU!
What do YOU want for Christmas, my dear blogging friends?
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya later!
I am truly blessed
With a talented family.
They’re so generous!
My daughter-in-law,
The day after Thanksgiving,
Helped transform the house.
This is just a glimpse
Of her decorating skills.
I feel very blessed!
I hope you are feeling blessed
by helpful family and friends, too.
What are your December plans?
See ya tomorrow.
The Phipps Arboretum in Pittsburgh is an amazing place. We visited there with Jodie this morning. I took all kinds of pictures so I could share the experience with you. I hope you enjoy these amazing plants, decorated trees, and flowers.
Thanks for touring with us.
I hope you enjoyed the flowers as much as we did!
See ya later…
I’m headed to the Masonic Home to play with Liam.
Snow draped the fir trees
Like garland decorations
Today’s snowflakes cling
Home again tonight
It was a lovely weekend
Here are the highlights
Company for dinner in our home –
Saturday night fun:
Good food, great conversation,
and after dinner sing-along.
Choir before teaching church school
Then Worship service followed by
A delicious fellowship hour
Elaine baked a pineapple upsidedown cake.
Yum!!
These gourds decorated the tables.
They reminded me of beauty in distortion
Never be afraid to be different
The Bozeman Symphony this afternoon
was incredible!
We thoroughly enjoyed the music
and the gift of a very talented conductor
and creative, dedicated musicians.
After the Symphony we tried a new restaurant:
Nordic Brewery in Bozeman, MT.
We highly recommend it.
Try to get Avery as your waitress.
She was efficient and adorable –
And the beer samples and food were delicious.
I chose the skirt steak and Bob had a hamburger
My skirt steak was tasty and done to perfection
Do you think I liked it??
I hope you enjoyed a lovely weekend, too
with great friends, good food,
and beautiful music.
God is good – all the time.
Every day is Christmas
when you enjoy
the gifts
God gives you.
See ya tomorrow
(I don’t know why the audio didn’t work. Got any clues for me about how to link to mp3 music?)
For those of you who are new to following JanBeek,
let me explain.
I take sermon notes in poetry when I listen
to the Pastor’s message each Sunday.
Here are my notes from today’s sermon.
It was preached by a guest in the pulpit,
Retired Presbyterian minister (and friend of mine),
Rev. Steve Hundley. What a gift!!
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Paying Attention
(a reflection on the Scripture in Luke 2:21-40)
When we remember our history
And travel thoughtfully through it,
We take a journey of understanding
To truly comprehend life as Jesus knew it.
We can’t take a plane through Christmas
And miss the trip along the way.
We need to slowly walk before and after
And bring Jesus into our life today.
Mary and Joseph probably had a hard time
Understanding the meaning of Jesus’ birth.
There they were in Bethlehem
Wondering what this baby really was worth.
Simeon told them Jesus was “The Light.”
His power would bring glory to the Israeli people.
That must have puzzled those in the temple.
God’s spirit came upon those under the temple steeple.
Have we, like Simeon, seen God’s salvation?
Do we know the Redeemer has come?
Jesus came to honor roots and bring wings.
He came for eternal life for all – not just some.
God is with us every day of our life.
We can’t fly in and out of the Christmas season.
We need to come, meet, greet, and stay.
For Christmas is every day – for good reason!
Amen?
P.S.
Sometimes we have to take the LONG ROAD
in order to make it Home.
Do you have a Mother-in-Love?
That’s the term my daughter uses to describe
her mother-in-law.
I like that reference, don’t you?
Here I am with my son’s Mother-in-Love
and my granddaughter, Hope.
Time with family
while we celebrate Christ’s birth
is what this season is all about!
My great-grandson is experiencing his first Christmas
with his maternal grandparents.
Ah, the wonder of it all!!
We had fun visiting the area today where
gold was discovered in California.
Who did you spend this time after Christmas Day with?
Did you travel somewhere?
Photo by Designecologist on Pexels.com
Let Him Out!
There are days
And then there are
Advent Days.
Days of Waiting –
Days of Unknowing –
Days of Sorrow.
Your life feels
Oppressive.
Hope eludes you.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
This Christmas Eve
Let’s recall
Mary’s waiting.
Let’s remember
Mary’s sweet song –
Her ready acceptance.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Thousands of years
Later, we need
Her true faith.
Wouldn’t it be
Super great if
All news was good?
Wouldn’t we love
All suffering
To instantly cease?
What joy if
All war and hunger
Were eliminated now!
We’d like God
To bring us
The Promised Peace.
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com
But, His Way
Is not our way.
His definitions differ.
We look at basics
With greedy eyes.
We look for Plenty.
God defines PLENTY
In heart-felt ways.
He needs “Let Out!”
So, open your heart.
Invite God out
Through your heart.
See your PLENTY
Through God’s eyes.
Focus on others.
Like Mary, sing of
God’s grace, and
Birth His Light.
Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com
God bless you!
Merry Christmas Eve.
Follow that star!!
Photo by Tomáš Malčo Malík on Pexels.com
Yesterday my grandson and I attended the delightful Christmas program
performed by pre-school through fifth graders at our local elementary school.
What a kick! They are so deeeelightful!
Here is my Musical Quad-Haiku and a mini-concert for you:
Have you learned to play
A musical instrument?
Learn bells with colors.
Have you learned to play
A musical instrument?
Sometimes it’s lovely.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Have you learned to play
A musical instrument?
Sometimes it’s painful!
Have you learned to play
A musical instrument?
God bless our teachers!
Tell me about your experience learning an instrument. Was it painful at first? My mom used to make me go out to the tin shed across the driveway to practice my clarinet when I first started. The squawking was more than she could bear! Eventually I was first chair in my high school band and orchestra and then at the University of the Pacific, as well. Takes a lot of practice and years of painful squeaks. Do you relate?
Sermon notes – Dec. 16, 2017 – Rev. Jean Johnson – Madison Valley Presbyterian, Ennis, MT
Recorded by Jan Beekman – in poetry (as is my habit) – while listening intently today.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
The Cost of Christmas
Ebenezer Scrooge was transformed.
He hated Christmas and all
That talk of love and peace.
His dream helped him hear God’s call.
He bought a goose and invited
All to come to his feast.
He had love and joy to spread
To rich and poor, the most and the least.
It cost Scrooge a fortune
To pay for all that food.
What does Christmas cost you?
Does the cost put you in a Scrooge mood?
Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com
John the Baptist warned us that
Christmas will cost a lot.
But it’s not the money he referred to;
It’s the deliverance we may not have sought.
Purifying fire and judgement wait
For those who fail to believe.
The fire is a punishment for those
Who are stingy and cause others to grieve.
If you have two shirts or coats,
Be ready to give one away.
If someone owes you money,
Don’t overcharge them any day.
Jesus taught people to love and forgive.
“Get ready for the Christ Child.
Give from your surplus,” John preached.
He didn’t ask us to do anything wild.
Jesus’ message was a tough one
For many who held hate in their heart.
John asked folks to prepare for Christ
By repenting, turning, making a clean start.
Be on the true path, headed right
As you prepare for Jesus Christ’s birth.
You’re on the right road in church today.
Let’s be God’s witnesses on earth.
Are you?
Am I?
Let your life preach His message,
And as Mother Theresa is quoted as saying,
“Only use words when you have to!”
(Isn’t that a heck of a message for a blogger?)
Hugs to You !!
Inspire to Love
Let the SonShine!
You inspire me to respond
Learning to Live; Living to Learn; Learning to Love; Living in Love
