Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘creation’

Welcome October!


Welcome October!

T’is a month of pumpkins and spice
A month for Halloween candy
A month to plan your costume
When sheets are mighty handy

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

T’is a month when ghosts and goblins
And weird imaginations
Concoct front porch scenes
With spiders and smoky stations

Photo by Heorhii Heorhiichuk on Pexels.com

Just as people try to create
Wonders strange and unique ,
Look at what our Creator did –
Come and take a peak!

No one should begin to suggest
These were formed accidentally.
No, it took a God with humor –
To do this so creatively!

What do you think this is?
Look at its funny beard:
Weird, huh? It’s an ant’s face magnified at least 500 times!
And while we are admiring our Creator’s sense of humor,
take a look at this split-colored lobster!!

Our Creator’s imagination is beyond imagination!
Have you ever seen a curly-haired horse?

Well, now you have!
The coat on a poodle is a lot like this, don’t you think?

When I was a kid, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. We planned for months what our costumes would be. One year I was two things… from the front I was a princess and when I turned around, I was a cave man. How my mom created that, I have no idea. Halloween used to be safe and fun and creative. People made popcorn/caramel balls and cupcakes and candied apples – and no one was afraid to eat what you received. No one was afraid to go alone as a bunch of kids after dark!

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com
Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

Connection and Wholeness

Yes, we are necessary to one another! If we are going to return to the safety of connection and wholeness, we need to seek to return to the people God made us to be.

We are more unique than an ant, a lobster, or a transparent fish! We are more intelligent and exceptional than a curly-haired horse. Our memories are better than theirs, too.

We need to remember what it felt like before COVID-19. Remember our connectivity. Remember when the world was a safe place for kids to Trick-or-Treat alone after dark. Remember when people knew all their neighbors by name – and people relied on one another.

Remember how creative our Creator is. If He can make an ant with that kind of face, a lobster with those characteristics, and a fish that’s transparent and that exists as an individual and as part of a larger organism, He can help us to emerge a better people when this pandemic passes. Pray for that! Trust in His creative powers.

I need you!
We need one another!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
Have a safe and creative October.


See ya tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

Category:

Animals, children, Family, God, holidays, humor, Love, music, Poetry

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Bees, Trees, and Water


Bees, Trees and Water

bees trees water

Bees, Trees and Water
Without them we would all die
Preserve them with care

 

All God’s Creation

“Loving One Another” is not just about loving people; it is about loving and caring for all of God’s creation. The plants and animals, and all of nature cry for our attention.

How do you show your love for God’s creatures?

Gotta Love Those Beekeepers!

My husband, Bob, is a retired beekeeper. But, like I say about teachers, “Once a teacher, always a teacher,” well, that’s the case with beekeepers as well.

Beekeepers may sell their hives, trucks, and forklifts, and retire from the work, but the spirit of the hive stays with them forever! We moved from California to Montana and took no hives with us. But there are bee hobbyists right here in Ennis – and it didn’t take long for Bob to find them. He was drawn to them the way a bee is drawn to a nectar source!

animal bee bloom blooming

And, as you know, honeybees have been in the news a lot lately. Bees world-wide are in peril. It’s called CCD = Colony Collapse Disorder. Researchers are busy trying to figure out why whole colonies are dying and beekeepers are losing sometimes up to 1/3 of their hives.

Great Interest in Veteran Beekeepers’ Knowledge

The hobbyist beekeepers, many of whom are new to the scene, appreciate the expertise of veteran beekeepers. Bob was more than happy to lend a hand and get himself back into the groove that was a part of his childhood and a huge portion of his working life.

Jana Bounds, a reporter with the Lone Peak Lookout, was asked to do an article in a local magazine titled, “The Loop.” She contacted Bob and interviewed him. He took her to the site of a local hobbyist beekeeper and spent time describing the situation.

What’s the Problem?

In a nutshell, (or honeybee cell, as the case may be), the problem of disappearing bees is complex, multi-faceted, and not easily labeled. In her article, Jana Bounds quotes my husband, Bob Beekman, as well as Alex McMenamin, PhD student at Montana State University. Both agree, factors like inadequate nutrition, habitat loss, agrochemical exposure, and pathogens are cause for high bee losses.

But, the greatest threat is the Varroa mite. They suck the blood of the larva and spread disease among the bees in the hive. Scientists continue to research, looking for solutions.

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bob-johnw-beekeeping.jpg

Check out “The Loop” Summer edition, 2019, pages 36 to 39.
It is published by our local Madison County newspaper, The Madisonian.

What Can We Do?

Not many of us are retired beekeepers who can help with hands-on experience. But, we can read and learn, and do our part to help lend support to our beekeepers.

  • Buy local honey
  • Plant flowers and trees that provide good nectar and pollen sources
  • Bees need to be near a water source – keep water pure – don’t pollute
  • Teach children about the value of honeybees (one in every three bites of food we eat is directly or indirectly dependent on bees and their gift of pollination)
  • Avoid use of harmful pesticides
  • Support bee-friendly legislation and research

Beekeepers never die – they just lose their stingers!
Hah! 😉

This is Bob in his younger, beekeeper days:

resendizbob

Bee Well – Bee Happy – Bee Sweet – Eat Honey!!

pexels-photo-887349
See ya tomorrow

 

 

Category:

Animals, Family, food, Haiku, health, Life's Challenges, Love, Montana, nature

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Life is a Book


Life's a Book.jpg

Life is a book;
Each day a new page.
The story’s not written
By some far off sage.
.
You write it each moment;
It comes from your heart.
Today’s page is blank
‘Til you get up and start…
.
Start by breathing deeply;
Thank God for each breath.
Begin each day with gratitude –
From your birth to your death.
.
Praise God for Creation.
Look around and then start
To praise Him for His presence
In your life – every part!
.
Ask God for His wisdom
To help you every minute
As you choose your day’s tasks
And the JOY He puts in it.

man in red crew neck sweatshirt photography

Photo by bruce mars on Pexels.com

Have a joy-filled Tuesday, my friends.
Write this page with intention and love.

pexels-photo-887349
See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Faith, God, Gratitude, happiness, Love, peace, Poetry, prayer, writing

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Creative Use of Adjectives


How important are adjectives? How creatively do you use them?

Try this writing exercise:

Using this list of adjectives, write an essay. When you’ve completed your essay, then read the entry below.

glass, vibrant, craggy, deep, velvety, timeless, melted, pewter, snow-dolloped, sun-infused, small, imposing, massive, majestic, grand, stunning, temporary, awe-inspiring, regal

Got your essay done? Come on, you can do it! It’s fun.

Try it. Go back up and use those adjectives. Share with me what topic came to mind as you saw that list of 19 words.

Okay, your essay is completed? Read the entry below:

Inspired by Ps. 145:5, Kim Taylor Henry in “Daily Guideposts” wrote the following devotional:

78C32728-5042-4F72-99CD-1C68E1047948.jpeg

I thought Kim Taylor Henry’s writing was wonderful. It inspired me to want to make better use of adjectives. What did you think about it?

Google her and see what else she has written. It’s an impressive list. Whose use of adjectives inspires you?

Category:

Bible Lessons, blogging, Love, nature, Travel, writing

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Begin Anew


It is finished, the finale, the end –
The point of it all is through.
When all is said and done,
We’ll see clearly – when we begin anew.

The end will arrive at last,
But life is not finished there.
God’s purpose is not a finality here.
He sent His Son for life everywhere.

He brought life to an empty world.
He brought love to a world of hate.
He promised us love for eternity.
The point of this world is in debate.

Some think this world is all there is.
We are born, we live, and we die.
When all is said and done,
We are buried and there we lie.

We live on this earth – a botched creation.
God didn’t intend all this hate and crime.
Injustice, cruelty and pain aren’t  God’s plan.
He sent Jesus to show us a loving time.

Easter is a prelude to God’s Kingdom promise.
We celebrate the Victory of God’s Lamb.
When my life is finished – at the finale, the end,
May the Lamb carry me on the promise of who I am.

I am not a top-of-the-class Christian.
I’m a sinner forgiven by grace.
There is no hope for this botched life,
Except by God’s Plan – I’ll see God face-to-face.

When all is said and done,
We’ll see clearly when we begin anew.
Plan for that Grand Finale, my friends.
When all’s said and done, I’ll see you!

Amen?

 

Category:

Faith, Life and Death, Love

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A Poem of Gratitude


Image

I woke this morning to the most glorious sunrise!
Up in my sanctuary, spending quiet time with my Lord,
this poem of gratitude flowed from my heart.
May it cause you to pause and Thank God, too, my friends.

Oh Lord, my God, I thank Thee
As You walk with me each day.
I thank Thee for the guidance
You provide me on the way.

I thank Thee for the love
You give me to pass along.
I thank Thee for the friends
Who point toward right, not wrong.

Oh Lord, my God, I thank Thee
For the bright new morning sun.
I thank Thee for the moments
I can praise You, every one.

I thank Thee for the trials
And the struggles that I face.
They strengthen and enrich me
As I bow to receive Your grace.

I thank Thee for the joys,
For the happiness that springs
From every living creature
That hops, flies, barks, and sings.

Your world is filled with wonders –
If I just open up my eyes
To see this great creation
That You’ve rolled into the skies.

The stars, the moon, the planets
Are not all there is to see.
You’ve made more than we’ll ever know
Until we reach eternity.

Oh Lord, my God, I thank Thee
For every breath I take.
May my life be in Your purpose.
May I live for Your Son’s sake.

Amen?

Amen!!!

Category:

Faith, Living in Harmony, Love

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Pentecost Sunday


If I were creating human beings as God did in the beginning of time, I’d add a part that I think God forgot to include. He put a belly button on our abdomen, but I’d have a button on each person’s chest. The button would be like Siri on my new iPhone. Press it and “Presto!” I could ask my brain to speak in whatever language I needed at the moment. I could ask it to translate what I am hearing. I could ask it questions and the button would activate a response! Isn’t that what God did for the people in the temple on that first Pentecost Sunday around AD70? With the help of the Holy Spirit, the people spoke in languages previously unknown to them.

This coming Sunday, May 27,2012, is known on the Christian calendar as Pentecost Sunday. Catholics and Protestants alike celebrate this Holy Day.  On the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox calendars, the date for Pentecost Sunday is June 3rd. Historically it is the day the Holy Spirit descended with tongues of fire on the apostles and other followers of Jesus. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the “Birthday of the Church.”  Red is the ceremonial color of Pentecost, depicting the color of the flame – and the movement of the Holy Spirit. The ways in which churches celebrate this event in its liturgical calendar are as rich and varied as the churches are themselves. Red flowers might adorn the alters, symbolizing the renewal of life, the coming of the warmth of summer, and the growth of the church at and from the first Pentecost. Music that is especially composed for Pentecost often is performed on this special day. I will sing with a small group of friends. Our song is an example of a Pentecostal message. The words are beautiful:

(Refrain) Send down the fire of your justice,
Send down the rains of your love;
Come send down the Spirit, breathe life in your people,
and we shall be the people of God.

(Verse One) Call us to be your compassion,
Teach us the song of your love;
Give us hearts that sing,
Give us deeds that ring,
Make us ring with the song of your love.

(Verse Two) Call us to learn of your mercy,
Teach us the way of your peace;
Give us hearts that feel,
Give us hands that heal,
Make us walk in the way of your peace.

There are two other verses, each as beautiful as these. If you Google “Send Down the Fire,” you will discover other songs with that title, but the one with these words that I appreciated most is found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wai-9zpmXQY.  The students are listed as LOMC Swing Choir Tour — 2009. Their motions add to the meaning of the lyrics. I have asked what LOMC stands for and am awaiting an answer. Meantime, I encourage you to go and celebrate this Pentecost Sunday with the true meaning of the day. Join these YouTube singers with “hearts that sing” and “hearts that feel.” Move into the world with “deeds that ring” and “hands that heal” as  you walk in the way of Christ’s peace. Be His compassion!

You may not have a Siri button built into your chest. You may not be able to speak in tongues and be understood in all kinds of languages, but you have a love button built into your chest. It was planted there by the Holy Spirit. Go out this Pentecost Sunday and use your love to teach others of God’s mercy and His desire for us  to live together as one people throughout the world – working for peace on earth.

I am only one person and I can’t do everything, but I am one who can make a difference to one. Maybe the one will be you. Happy Pentecost Sunday. Use your love button! God Bless You.

red heart pinback button

Category:

Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Serving One Another

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