My friend, Lilie, posted a comment today touting her belief in “fairness to all, and justice.” I responded in affirmation. Wouldn’t our world be a better place if everyone practiced fairness to all, and justice?
Promote fairness for all. Exhibit unconditional (Agape) love!
And hugs 🤗 from
JanBeek ❤️
As usual, I took notes during the sermon at church this morning. Brian Conklin’s message about faith spoke to me. I hope you find encouragement here, too.
Faith is assurance and conviction
Faith is a settled confidence
Faith is conviction – a deep certainty
Faith is grounded in reality
Faith is evidence of things not seen
Change is hard – Uncertainty is difficult
What will come next? We wonder.
We trust the Lord who knows the future.
Living in the present as if God’s future
Is already here… we can trust Him
Step into the light of God’s promises
Faith gives us the courage to obey when the road ahead is unclear
Faith is a journey. Set out into the unknown
It’s a direction without an itinerary
The road is not easy; it’s tough!
But faith helps us find God’s Way
We are at an in-between place
But God is walking beside us
He has never left His people in transition
He is in you as you move forward
Faith is about the assurance
That God has your back!
Stay rooted in Trust; step out in confidence.
Support and encourage one another.
Keep showing up!
God is with you.
Amen?
In today’s Ever Faithful 365 day devotional
by David Jeremiah,
he asked his readers,
“Have you heard about the man
who smelled good no matter
where he was or what he was doing?”
His skin and clothing and very being
seemed to exude a pleasant fragrance.
He worked in a perfume factory
and breathed its aromas every day.
The aromas filtered into his clothing,
penetrated his skin, and even filled his lungs.
He became a walking perfumery.
David Jeremiah said,
“That’s the way we should be as Christians.”
The Bible says,
“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ
among those who are being saved
and among those who are perishing.”
2 Corinthians 2:15
“We exude the aroma of joy,
for in His presence is fullness of joy.”
Psalm 16:11
You might have heard that “Jesus wept” (John 11:35)
is the shortest verse in the Bible,
but that’s only true in English.
In the original New Testament Greek,
1 Thessalonians 5:16 is shorter –
“Rejoice always.”
The two verses are related.
Because Jesus wept, we can rejoice.
In today’s world with all the hate,
divisiveness, floods, hurricanes, and wars
it’s easy to get bogged down.
But, David Jeremiah reminds us,
“Jesus doesn’t want us to live
in perpetual discouragement, sadness or doubt.”
“The joy of the Lord is the strength of our days,”
Nehemiah 8:10
We have reason to rejoice.
Count your blessings, my friends.
Be a walking perfumery!
Exude the aroma of joy.
I pray that you will
let the love, joy, and peace of Christ
shine through your face
and radiate from your clothing everyday!
Let your fragrant scent invite
others in to the love, joy and peace
that can be theirs, too.
You are lovely.
You are loved.
You smell good!
God bless you!
Hugs,
JanBeek
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that by the power of the Holy Spirit
you may abound in hope.”
– Romans 15:13
One of the devotionals I read every day is from “The Upper Room,” a book of daily devotionals printed every other month, and a gift many churches provide for their members and guests. In today’s message, the topic was “Words of Love.”
I can think of no better way to “Take & Spread Joy” than to speak and read and hear WORDS OF LOVE. How about you?
“Pleasant words are like honeycomb,
sweetness to the soul
and health to the body.”
Proverbs 16:24
In the Upper Room,
the thought for today is:
“With God’s help,
I will speak words
that build others up.”
The Upper Room devotional reminded me that
“Words carry weight.
How we use them
deeply impacts
the people around us.”
But, I am aware that my words
also deeply impact me!
I can speak words of love to myself…
or I can speak disparaging words
that discourage me!
The devotional ended with this prayer:
“Loving God,
we pray that You
will empower us
to speak love and life
to those around us.
Give us compassionate
and encouraging words.”
My word for 2024, some of you may recall, is the acronym SIFT.
The T stands for “Take time to think” (and pray) before I speak or act.
I carry that “T” thought with me every day.
And I hope you, too, will be inspired to
use compassionate and encouraging words
directed at yourself as well as others.
Your caring and thoughtful words
will lift your spirits
as they lift the hearts of all you meet.
Take and spread joy!
Love to you,
JanBeek
Nothing lifts my spirits more than beautiful music. Do you want to be lifted up this day? Click on this link. Goose bumps guaranteed!!
I hope that link opened for you – and I hope you were inspired to sing along!
What does the Bible say about singing?
Singing is part of our human experience. Songs have been used to express some of the deepest human joys and sorrows from the beginning of time. Of course, the Bible has a lot to say about music and singing. You may wonder what God thinks about that toe tapping song you sing every Sunday morning. What does the Bible actually say about singing? Here are a couple of m favorite scriptures:
“My lips will shout for joy, when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have redeemed.”
Psalm 105:2
“Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!”
Do go back up to that youtube link, if you didn’t click on it before… and this time, do sing along!
Nothing will lift your spirits quite like that! Sing to the Lord… He’ll lift you up and you’ll smile in spite of yourself. Really!! Try it!
Sending Love
and happy songs your way,
JanBeek
On this day after Mother’s Day,
I was enchanted by this video
of a Mama Bear and her cub.
The parenting style astounded me!
I hope you can see it when you click on the link beow:
This is “Tenacity Personified”.
Watching it is “Patience Personified”.
Mama Bear is “Confident Parenting” personified.
Would I have been that confident?
Would I have had the tenacity
to hang in there long enough
to let my child succeed
on his/her own?
Nope, probably not!
I’d no doubt have rushed down to rescue.
How about you?
Have a Marvelous Monday!
Love,
JanBeek
This picture of us was taken yesterday on Mother’s Day by our friend Ted. He is a 95-year-old retired photographer who is temporarily at the Manor Nursing Home recovering from a broken back. It’s good of Bob, don’t you think? Usually when I get a picture of him smiling, his eyes are closed! Thank you, Ted!
I first posted this message 4 years ago, but it is timeless – – – and it is worth reposting as February 14th is tomorrow and we all are thinking seriously about the topic of LOVE, right?
What is TRUE love? And how do we exhibit it? How do we receive it? What is its origin? Poets have written of love for centuries. None resonates more perfectly to me than the words of love in the Bible, like Romans 12.
“Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share with God’s people who are in need.
Practice hospitality.”
…. Romans 12:9-13
No better Valentine’s message of love ever has been written. To add to it, go to your Bible and read the next few verses, Romans 12:14-16 … and get caught up in the wonderful message of Jesus’ love!
Of course, the scripture that often is read at weddings is also one that must not be forgotten:
My blogging friend, Sue Dreamwalker, wrote today, “So, keep love in your hearts for each other and all living creatures. And remember to love yourself…”1 Corinthians 13:4-8
New International Version4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
Love is more than just a game or two.
Two in love can make it…
Take my heart and please don’t break it!
Have a wonderful, love-filled Valentine’s Day!
Hugs to you and your loved ones,
JanBeek (& Bob, too)
Today we received a thank you letter from Intermountain.
We get a personalized letter from them every month.
The letter provides a great source of encouragement.
It motivates us to continue to give gladly because
we know it is received and used meaningfully.
Our gift to Intermountain is a small donation.
I have it taken out automatically from my monthly
retirement income. I don’t even miss it… but I know
it is pooled with other small gifts and together, they matter.
Intermountain helps hundreds of children increase their mental health.
The thank you letter we receive each month
lets us know our gift was received, and it tells us,
“Your support, combined with the tireless efforts of
our direct care staff, provides transformative outcomes
in the lives of the children we serve.” Thanks! We believe it!
The academic and counseling programs at Intermountain,
the recreational opportunities and clinical integrity are superb.
We are encouraged to continue to support their efforts and to
spread the word so others are encouraged to donate to them also.
They are an excellent Montana-based 501(c) organization
Check out their school, cottages, counseling,
and community outreach programs
at intermountain.org
How do you choose to share encouragement?
Donations are one way – but there are so many others:
cards, letters, phone calls, texts,
e-mails, home visits, hugs,
volunteering time,
you name it …
We all need encouragement, you know.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Staying young while growing older begins with a mind-set.
Notice I did not say, “Growing OLD.”
Growing OLDER is not the same as growing old.
I’m not OLD; at 82, I am simply
in my advanced years –
growing in wisdom and grace –
with God’s blessings!
In the Natural Living newsletter,
Dr. Z and Mama Z write the following:
“God will carry us through,
even into our advanced years.
Our Creator has had a plan for us
since before we were born.
He had our days numbered
since the beginning of time
and it is up to us to make wise decisions
to help our bodies
live a more vibrant and full life
and to impart our wisdom
to those placed in our lives.”
“Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.”
~ Job 32:7
I DO think about things differently… especially THINGS.
Yes, I have my “treasures,” – those things I am reluctant to part with –
but as time goes by, I realize the wisdom of knowing
“I can’t take it with me.”
And God don’t allow no U-Hauls in Heaven!!
In my daily devotions today,
Charles Stanley wrote in his In Touch entry,
“Our culture is obsessed with youth…
But… Unless death intervenes, growing old is inevitable.”
See that’s where I differ with him.
But it is only a matter of semantics, I’m sure.
He must have meant “growing older.”
Because he went on to say,
“We can be young in soul and spirit,
regardless of our chronological age.”
Magnificence comes with age…
Yes, the root word is “magnify”
and that’s what age does for us.
It magnifies our failures (if we let it) –
It magnifies our faults (if we let it) –
It requires magnification to see clearly!
The question we need to ask ourselves is,
“What am I magnifying as I age?”
Charles Stanley’s devotional today reminded us,
“Never stop listening to the Father
and learning from His Word.
Allow godly thinking to shape your attitude.
Be thankful, never stop laughing,
and rejoice in the Lord.
Above all, keep believing
and loving Him with all your heart.”
Making the most of the dash
means we have to stop dashing!
We’re not created to be honeybees,
dashing from one bit of pollen to another!
“Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is obtained by following a righteous path.”
~ Proverbs 16:31
We are created in the image of God,
designed to glorify Him each day
by following the righteous path…
stopping along the way
and taking time
to pour out the honey of forgiveness,
dish out the power of experience,
and spray the gladness of grace
on all we meet.
The way Eugene Peterson
paraphrased that verse in his study Bible,
The Message, is this:
“Your words are so choice, so tasty;
I prefer them to the best home cooking.”
So, let’s return to the original premise here:
“Staying young while growing older begins with a mind-set.”
What is your mind-set today?
Are you young at heart?
Are you pouring out the honey of forgiveness?
Are you dishing out the power of experience?
Are you spraying the gladness of grace?
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Every morning I begin my day
with a cup of coffee and a climb
up the stairs to my sanctuary
where I spend time with my Bible,
devotionals, prayers, and Jesus.
One of my devotionals is “These Days,”
a daily devotion for living by faith,
published by the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.
Its format is scripture, devotional, prayer.
Today’s scripture was:
Isaiah 40:11
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.”
In the devotional, the author, Hope Douglas Harle-Mould,
wrote about the comfort Jesus provides.
She included a poem she wrote to
Our God of all Faithfulness:
“We pray for a cure; God sends us healing.
We pray for continued life; God gives us new life.
We pray death will not come; God overcomes death.
We pray in anguish; God weeps with us.
We pray in fear; God teaches us to laugh.
We pray for ourselves; God gives us each other.
We pray for miracles; God fills us with love.
We pray for the future; God showers us with blessedness.
God, help me trust the voices heralding your hope.”
I am assured
as I read and pray
and study God’s word,
that just as he
carries the lamb
in his arms,
he will be faithful
to carry me.
As I descend the twelve stairs
at the end of my devotional time,
I recite my personal
TWELVE STEP PROGRAM
Thank You, Jesus, for the:
When I get to the 7th step,
I see the metal sculpture
that says, “Blessings” above my door.
It was a gift from our dear friends,
Jim & Terry, so I pause to thank God
for their faithful friendship.
When I get to the bottom of the stairs,
I see this cross on the wall:
It was made by Native Americans.
I pause to pray for them
and their peace and prosperity.
I send occasional gifts to
schools for Native American children –
– places like St. Labre’ and St. Joseph’s –
and they faithfully write back
acknowledging my small donation.
Faithfulness is a two-way street.
We pray to God faithfully; God answers.
We give to people who touch our hearts;
they give back with gratitude & smiles.
We read God’s Word faithfully each day;
He gives us wisdom and discernment,
understanding and blessings.
Check out this different version of that old song, The B-I-B-L-E… I love it! What a way to learn to names of the books of the Bible, huh?
How do you begin your day, my friends?
What does FAITHFULNESS mean to you?
Thanks for visiting today.
I hope your Friday is blessed, indeed!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
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
