Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘dreams’

Wish on a Dandelion

If you could wish
On a dandelion today,
What would you with for?
What would you say?

Laura Sullivan is a Grammy Award-winning musician whose music inspires me. She makes me want to wish on a dandelion.

I wish for peace
And an end to all wars.
I wish for love
And joy to be yours.

I wish for plenty
To be shared with all,
For hope and grace
To never be in shortfall.

I wish for gentleness
And patience to abound,
For music and laughter
To be found all around.

I wish for health
And for patience every day.
I wonder what you’d wish for –
What will you have to say?

boy wearing orange shirt blowing on dandelion
Photo by Sharefaith on Pexels.com

Wish upon a dandelion.
Let your imagination fly.
Wish for what you want the most;
Wish for things you cannot buy.

Back in 2020
When the pandemic was raging,
Laura Sullivan wrote this
(I found it quite engaging):

I wished for an end to
That horrible virus time.
My sister died in the middle of it.
Couldn’t see her; T’was a crime!

I wished upon a dandelion
That our world would soon be well;
That once the pandemic was over
We’d get outta this COVID hell.

But, it appears to me this virus
Is sticking around like the flu.
So, let’s wish upon a dandelion
That it stays away from me and you.

Photo by Edward Jenner on Pexels.com

Lord, be with my special friends
Who visited my blog today.
Help them remain healthy;
Keep all the bugs at bay!

Help them know that wishes
On dandelions can come true.
I wish for peace and love and joy –
Not just for me, but also for you!

What’s your wish today?


(If you don’t have a dandelion available,
remember, a star will do!!)

This is such a classic… I never get tired of hearing it!

A star or a dandelion,
Which one will it be?
Makes no difference –
Make a wish and share with me:

What will you wish for today?

JanBeek
sends love and cheer!

Born Singing

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was born singing – well, I sneezed first before I cried. Then I cooed – a humming song! By the time I was five, I wanted to be in an all girls’ choir and tour the world!

No, I didn’t end up doing that. I’m not in that choir! But, you can understand why I was so enamored by the unique sounds of this girls’ choir, Jitro (Daybreak) from the Czech Republic! What a privilege to hear them! And they ARE touring the world!!

I posted a couple of short videos from the second half of their concert this week. Here are a couple from the first half. Listening to them will cause you and all who hear to want to ask “Alexa” to play some of their music for you! I did that. They are recorded on Spotify.

One of the girls told us during the fellowship time after the concert that she’d been singing all her life, too. And she joined the choir when she was four! See, I could have lived my five-year-old dream!

When you were five, what did you want to grow up to be?

What do you think you were born to be?

Thanks for joining me at JanBeek today. Have a lovely 🥰 rest of your Friday – and enjoy your weekend!

Hugs and happy music to you!

A Dream Remembered

#Bloganuary #24 asked us to recall a dream we remembered (from childhood). I posted my response on the Bloganuary site. You can find it here:
https://bloganuary.wordpress.com/2022/01/24/whats-a-dream-i-remember/

How would you answer that question?

Dream a Little Dream of Me!
Let your dreams be rich and free.
Let them swirl and toss you happily.
Yes, dream a little dream of me!

I hope you have a good day.
Bob & I are in back to back
appointments at Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minnesota today.

I’ll post later to let you know how it went.

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.

See ya later (God willing)
Hugs to you!
Sweet Dreams…

Embrace Chalet Dreams

I have always loved Swiss chalets. How about you? I copied the picture of this one off the web at the time Bob & I were dreaming about the possibility of building a chalet of our own in California. (That was before we traveled to Montana, fell in love with the wide open spaces, the wild animals, and the Rocky Mountains – and bought our home here in Ennis).

As you know, we just returned from a trip to Switzerland because our daughter married a Swiss, has three of our grandsons there, and now has a Swiss chalet of her own! We needed to see her in her new setting.

DeAna remembers that when she was a child, we had a Swiss chalet music box. When you opened its lid, it played Edelweiss. Maybe she dreamed of one day having a real one. You think?

Ah, great it is to believe

by Edwin Markham

Ah, great it is to believe the dream
As we stand in youth by the starry stream;
But a greater thing is to fight life through
And say at the end, the dream came true!

Yes!! It is De & Andre’s chalet
Relais des Melezes Hotel and Restaurant

Here are some photos of chalets that we took on our trip to Switzerland this month. The first one of De & Andre’s! It has 4 hotel rooms above with the restaurant below. De & Andre’ live in one of those rooms and rent the other three. We stayed in one of them. Such fun!!

Which one would you dream of having for your vacation home? (I couldn’t afford to live there year-round… oh my, the cost of living is wonderful, but prohibitive unless you work there. The exchange rate for USA dollars to Swiss francs was – oh my!!)

You can see that we were very happy to be blessed to visit Switzerland, to see all those beautiful chalets and tour villages like Grimentz. W do not take this privilege for granted, believe me. God is good! We are living to see our dreams come true – and to witness our daughter’s dreams being fulfilled, too. What more can we ask?

He Had His Dream

He had his dream, and all through life,

Worked up to it through toil and strife.

Afloat fore’er before his eyes,

It colored for him all his skies:

The storm-cloud dark

Above his bark,

The calm and listless vault of blue

Took on its hopeful hue,

It tinctured every passing beam —

He had his dream.

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

How about making your dreams come true? Dreaming of a trip to Switzerland, too? Why not go stay in one of De & Andre’s rooms?

Trip Advisor says:

5.0Excellent10 reviews#1 of 2 B&Bs / Inns in Vissoie Family-owned & family-operated auberge/restaurant in the heart of the Val d’Anniviers close to the resort destinations of Grimentz, Zinal, St. Luc and Chandolin. Rooms and restaurant have recently been renovated. André and DeAna have created a cozy, warm, and friendly atmosphere to make your stay/meal in our corner of the world one to remember.

Check it out! Here’s what Booking.com has to say:

www.booking.com › hotel › chRelais des Mélèzes, Vissoie – Updated 2021 Prices

Located in Vissoie, Relais des Mélèzes has a bar, ski-to-door access, terrace, and free WiFi. This 3-star hotel offers a concierge service. The hotel features family rooms. At the hotel, the rooms are fitted with a desk, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom, bed linen and towels. All rooms will provide guests with a wardrobe and a kettle.

We’re not prejudiced… We’re her parents!

Go have a cup of coffee with DeDe.
I’ll tell her to leave the light on.
You tell her we sent you!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
I hope I fueled your chalet dreams!

See ya tomorrow (God willing)!

Embrace the Extraordinary

LIFE’S TOO SHORT TO JUST GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS

“You know it, deep down- you’re not made for ordinary. Your life is meant to be an adventure, fueled by grace and inspired by big dreams to make the world a better place. But, stuff gets in the way. Whether it’s people who tell you to be practical, a version of a faith that keeps you small, or a few bruises that take you out along the way– we all have a longing to break out of the status quo and get after the life we’re meant to live.” – Bob Goff

That quote came from one of my favorite people in the world, Bob Goff, author of “Love Does.” He has a new website:

https://www.bobgoff.com/?cid=21c33def-d0e2-408b-9d77-fcda6e15e879

Today’s black eye

I may look like those bruises took me out along the way with that eyelid swollen and the bruise running down my cheek, but I am far from “taken out!” Instead I am thinking this is an “extraordinary” bruise from an “extraordinary bang” and I am blessed not to have suffered a concussion! My knock on the head is not stopping me from planning some extraordinary days ahead!

Likewise, the fires in CA and the flooding on the east coast and the hurricanes in Haiti and the war-torn people in Afghanistan may have stopped some people from feeling like they are living the “life we’re meant to live,” but such catastrophes cause us to also to thank God for our survival. They cause us to evaluate what’s ordinary and what’s extraordinary – what’s essential and what’s fluff.

Don’t look down and say, “Poor me!” Instead, look up, and thank God for the blessings that are still yours! That’s what I am trying to do today as I put a hot compress on that goose egg that still sits on my forehead – and plan for an extraordinary trip to England to meet our blogging friends, Derrick & Jackie in person, and to travel on to Switzerland to see our daughter and her family there. We haven’t been able to do that since COVID raised its ugly head. Waaay too long between visits with our DollyWolly!

As Bob Goff said, “Life is too short to just go through the motions.” Embrace the extraordinary! Be extraordinarily positive! Look at the bruises and the challenges – and remember, “whether its the people who tell you to be practical, a version of a faith that keeps you small, or a few bruises that … along the way,” they don’t have to pull you down. They don’t have to keep your dreams small. As Bob Goff says on his website and in his books, “Dream Big!”

Smile the bruises away.
Ignore those who put you in a box.
Embrace the faith that makes you extraordinary!

What are you planning for your future that will keep you living those “Dream Big” ideas?
Whatever it is, keep leaning on the One who answers your prayers!

The Fire Update in CA

Our son and his wife in CA still are safe from the Caldron Fire. They still are housing a family of 8 children and their mom who were evacuated from their home. They are living an extraordinary life right now, buoyed by all our prayers.

Our granddaughter in S. Lake Tahoe and her husband, Faith and Kyle, who were evacuated from their home, still are safely relocated for now in southern CA with their other grandparents. Today they received the gift of passes to visit Disneyland. It’s Kyle’s first visit there to the “Happiest Place on Earth.” The fire took a right turn just a mile from their house. Only God can control the wind! Answered prayers have saved their neighborhood. What an extraordinary God we have!

Continue to pray for extraordinary bravery and safety for our fire fighters.

Faith & Kyle

Please continue to pray for Faith and Kyle and their neighborhood…
and for Ty & Monika and their big hearts
which are open to such Christ-like help for their friends.

Monika and Ty –
an extraordinary couple

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.

See ya tomorrow (God willing)

Stay tuned!
And continue to be the extraordinary person God created you to be!

Embrace Relief

When is the last time you felt relief?
Yesterday I told you my daughter bought a bike –
Not an ordinary bike – a big ole motorcycle!
She told me, “This one’s for ME!”

I thought that meant her hubby would have his,
And she would have her own to ride.
I told you I would not be eagerly anticipating that.
Well, come to find out, she would not either!

No, Mom… I am not driving a motorcycle…
We traded in our other one. Andre’ will drive.
It’s for me because it is more comfortable
And it has more space for carrying things.

Whew!
I am relieved to say the least.

How about you? Would you be up for driving this?
If that were your daughter, would you be relieved
That she is not intending to be in the driver’s seat?
Sitting in the rear is challenge enough!

Here’s my version of riding a bike:

Photo by Noelle Otto on Pexels.com

I thought that was pretty cute…
A pregnant mom on her bike,
Pulling a trike that’s for her child –
The one that was due in December of 2017.

That baby is nearly four years old now…
I bet it is a relief to have him/her
On that trike now.
Yup, Embrace Relief!!

This topic is a good follow-up
To the subject yesterday:
Embrace Expectant Waiting.
When what you’ve waited for comes…

It’s a relief!

Photo by KoolShooters on Pexels.com

R eady?
E
agerly
L
ive
I
nto
E
veryday’s
F
antasy

Dream about what you want tomorrow to be.
Imagine the very best possible outcome.
Then pray your reality will be even more than that.
Feel the sense of relief when dreams come true.

Wrap your troubles in dreams
and dream your troubles away!

What a relief when sunshine follows the rain!

But don’t let the rain stop you!
Embrace the rain – dance in it!


Then pray for the sunshine to follow!

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Pexels.com

Don’t forget to thank God for those answered prayers!

Ah yes, it’s a relief when things turn out better than we even expected.

Photo by Nashua Volquez on Pexels.com

Thank you, Lord, for sparing us the worry
Of a daughter driving a motorcycle
On the narrow switchback Alpine roads.
It’s hard enough to trust her safety as a back seat rider!!

Ah what a relief it is!

See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Have a good night.
JanBeek

Embrace Imagination

#1 A

Play the video below
as you imagine
why these various pictures
are in this blog.



Imagine what
they might have to do
with my life today
and in the future.

Imagine if you
took a series of pictures
to capture your life today
and project your future….
what would they include?

#1 B
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7 A
#7 B
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15

Embrace Imagination!

#1 A & B = The dreamcatcher brought the Dream

#2 = But there are hoops and triangles to jump through

#3 = Before the Trinity – God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit can help the Dream come

#4 = So head on down Pintail Ridge, and

#5 = Turn toward the north

#6 = Get on Highway 90 and stay on it to Missoula

#7 A = Have fun on the 3 hour trip by texting my daughter in Switzerland

#7 B = Include Daughter #2 in our texting and picture exchange

#8 = Compare our arthritic fingers – and see her straight ones – realize what heredity can do!

#9 = Pass the time with Bible Study… begin with Moody’s look at Thessalonians 1 & 2

#10 = After dropping Bob off at the Missoula hospital for his MRI, go get breakfast

#11 = Choose the pesto bagel, but only eat half now

#12 = Save the other half for when Bob is finished and can join me for that yummy sandwich

#13 = Tell him he can find the Bagels on Broadway – right across from the Missoula Courthouse

#14 = Head back home where dreams do come true – full circle – back to Ennis and the beautiful Madison Range…

#15 = … and a bouquet of beautiful tulips that say Happy Mother’s Day weekend is coming – Go Capture your Dream!

Embrace Imagination!

This is where dreams all come true!

Behind the storms of life
Blue sky waits to emerge
Catch your dreams in your dreamcatcher
And let your imagination run wild!



What would your series of pictures
look like to capture your day,
your dreams,
your views of the world?

Imagination runs wild!!

Tell me!

See ya tomorrow
(God willing)

Thanks for visiting JanBeek

Embrace Success

How do you define success?

Photo by Snapwire on Pexels.com

S tanding
U p
C atching
C laps
S alutations and
S miles

Defining success is step one to attaining it.
We have to know what we want to see
before we can know if we’ve attained it or not.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

So, you set a goal … like getting a degree…
And when you achieve that goal,
Then you can say, “Yay! I succeeded!”
Right?

But what if your goal is elusive?
What if you’re not sure about the outcome?
How do you achieve success?
Is it a journey?

Heehee… did you laugh?
Well, the point is, success is not a journey!
Success is a cycle!
It’s not a destination.
It’s a process that has no end.

Photo by Drew Rae on Pexels.com

In my “Refuel*” devotional time a couple of days ago, I heard a theory about the Cycle of Success that made perfect sense to me. I hope it speaks to you the way it did to me.

* Bayside Church – Refuel devotional – http://bit.ly/devo020221

Cycle of Success

  1. TEST – take risks, be creative
  2. FAILURE – fail forward! Don’t lose your enthusiasm. All success involves trial and error.
  3. LEARN – it’s not what you know that counts; it’s what you do with what you know.
  4. IMPROVE – how does what you learn improve you or your quest?
  5. REENTER – back up to the top – begin again – test
Photo by Kyle Loftus on Pexels.com

Success is a series of Ah-Hahs. It is a LIGHT that keeps on shining. It is never done.

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” …

“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” –

“The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” … (It’s not a road, it’s a cycle!)

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” –Confucius

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.”

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Walt Disney

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

“Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better. Jim Rohn

“Setting goals is the first step into turning the invisible into the visible. Tony Robbins

“If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. Napoleon Hill

Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be. Zig Ziglar

One of my measures of success
in this blogging world is
getting comments from my friends.

What are your goals?
How do you measure your success?
Tell me about it…

Bob says, “Here’s my definition of success!”

Have a great Thursday evening and Friday.
See ya tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek


I CAN Embrace

I can embrace the future.
I can be ready for a fresh start.
I can take time to review
This past year and take heart.

Take heart that new beginnings
Offer us blessings to uncover.
Take heart that compassion’s awakened;
We’ve new opportunities to discover.

I can embrace the promises
That change and growth bestow.
I can be energized by
Welcoming strangers I’ve yet to know.

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

I can embrace the reality
Of dreams yet to fulfill,
Knowing God is ever faithful
When I’m living in His will.

As Bob Goff says, “Dream Big!”

I can embrace the coming year
With prayers for those in need –
And reach out to serve the hurting
With generosity – release the greed!

I embrace the coming decade
And hope to live rightly through it.
I embrace the coming vaccine –
It’ll be effective – we always knew it.

We knew that this pandemic
Could not stay with us forever.
There are too many blessed people
Out there who are creative and so clever.

But I am not waiting for the shot
To stop the misery and relieve the pain.
I embrace the fact that LOVE
Is what will make us whole again!

So, PEACE, my dear WP friends,
I send you the best medicine of all
For the end of this misery-filled year:
A smile, a virtual hug, a word of grace, an answer to your call.

Just like Bob Goff, Love Does,
He puts his cell phone number on his book covers.
Call on me … and I will answer every time:
(406) 599-9678

Happy New Year!
Big Embraces to you,
With Love, JanBeek

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

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