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Posts tagged ‘Father’

When I first told my family…

We were having one of my favorite meals, spaghetti with meat sauce, when I first told my family that I had broken up with my fiance’. My dad nearly choked on his mouthful. My mom shoved her plate of spaghetti half-way across the table!

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com

To this day, I can’t eat spaghetti with meat sauce without remembering that day.

My fiance’ and I had been engaged for about a year. He was in the army, stationed in Germany. I was a senior in college, missing the social life, trying to remain true to my engagement. I wanted to attend the school’s dances and other social functions. It was hard!

Rather than being untrue to my boyfriend who was so far away (we had not seen each other in six months), I broke off with him. Obviously, my parents were devastated. Especially when they learned the guy I wanted to date was a divorce’.

“Why buy a used car when you can have a new one?” my dad finally spoke. Then he got up and walked out of the room. (Yes, Dad was a man of few words, but a list of prejudices a mile long!)

Mom followed him, without speaking a word. That was so unlike her.

Proverbs 6: 20-23

20 My son, obey your father’s commands,and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. 21 Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. 22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you. 23 For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life.

The man I broke up with was from a family very much like my own. He grew up in the same area I did. We shared common roots. My parent and his got along wonderfully. The man I wanted to date was nine years older than I. I won’t get into why he was so attractive to me, but suffice to say, my parents’ dismay touched me deeply.

They let me have my “fling.” They did not bad-mouth my new friend. But when my ex-boyfriend came home on leave, they invited him over. When I returned home from college that weekend, he was there. I realized how much I loved him. That love has carried us through 58 years of marriage. Not always perfect, not always blissful, but always respectful, and always knitted together in prayer, faith in God, and common purpose. The love has grown as years passed – and I am grateful every day for my parents’ wisdom.

Put a plate of spaghetti and meatballs in front of me. I can taste the kindness of my parents in every meatball. I can hear my mom’s silence and feel her prayers in every slurp of pasta. I feel my dad’s concern about age differences and divorce. I keep their love in my heart with every Italian meal! God bless ’em!!

Today at d’Verse we are trying a new form of poetry. Synesthesia is a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sense leads to automatic, involuntary experiences of a second one.   There are over 80 types of synesthesia described by science.   Nearly every combination of sensory experiences or cognitive concepts is possible.

Seeing music as colors is one form of synesthesia. Perceiving letters as personalities is another one, or seeing numbers in color. Even hearing colors or touching smells.

How about tasting memories?
Do you have any of those?

Photo by Ali Nafezarefi on Pexels.com

This post is a combination prompt: 1) My Madison Valley Writers’ Group Prompt was the title of the blog, and 2) the d’Verse prompt informed the style and content. It’s not poetry… but it may qualify as Synesthesia. What do you think?

My Italian Daddy and me

See ya tomorrow.
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek

Spend it All or Give it Away!

“Being of sound mind, I spent it all!”

Photo by mali maeder on Pexels.com

Those were the words read from the will
when my friend, Marion,
met with her siblings after their mother died.

Today’s devotional in
“Mornings with Jesus 2020”
told of a similar story.
The writer quoted her father as saying,
“Before I leave here, I intend to spend every dollar I ever made.”

She thought he was kidding.
After all, he was a God-fearing man …
“who could quote scripture from Genesis to Revelation.”
(Alice Thompson, Thursday July 9th).

But her earthly father had given her no inheritance!


After being angry for awhile,
Alice turned to her Bible,
and she turned to the Lord.
Alice wrote that she spoke to her head
about Lamentations 3:24.
It says,
“The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”

Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com

Even though Proverbs 13:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,” Alice realized her father – who left “nothing for me,” had indeed left the most precious gifts of all: His loving relationship with her and his faith in God.

He lived his life loving her and her mother, giving to the Lord and to those in need, and using his hard-earned dollars to enjoy a good life. A nice house, a new car every few years, memorable vacations, generosity with his children, and gifts to charity… these were the signatures he left. He left her the gifts money can’t buy: love, faith, a good work-ethic, respect, and joy.

If our parents live their lives in love and faith, generosity and joy.
If our parents pass those gifts on to us,
We have the received the most important gifts of all.
They don’t owe us a rich monetary inheritance.

If our parents demonstrate a good work-ethic,
and teach us to do likewise,
If our parents help us learn to read and compute,
pray and serve, and get a good education,
then they have equipped us to do as they might:

Being of sound mind,
I spent it all
or gave it away.

Go and do likewise!
Have a great Thursday.

I’m headed to a Happy 70th Birthday party!
See ya tomorrow.
Live in peace with EVERYBODY, my friends!
Hugs, JanBeek

He Left Us

He Left Us

He left us his roses and hydrangeas,
and his garden with zucchini,
but he forgot to take the old wheelbarrow,
and he forgot the bocci ball court.
He left his mother’s crucifix on my wall,
his watch in the top dresser drawer,
the Balsamic vinegar in the cupboard,
but he forgot to take his Gallo Burgundy.
He left in each of us his love of family,
his teary-eyed sentimentality, and he left
the aches and pains of his earthly body,
but he forgot to take his spray paint, and
his love of convertibles with the top down.
He left the wife he loved so faithfully,
the family and neighbors who miss him so,
and the unconditional love; but he
forgot the collection of nude calendars,
and he forgot to take his twinkle.
I know – I have it!

I thank God that my daddy and I had such a wonderful relationship. I am so grateful for Dad’s unconditional love and warm hugs. This photo was taken in the early 1960s when I was in college… home for Father’s Day weekend.

And here is my dad with Mom, “the wife he loved so faithfully,” at their 30th anniversary, back in 1968. Can you see the twinkle is his eye? He and Mom were married for nearly 60 years before he died in 1998.

Happy Father’s Day to my dear hubby, Bob, father of our children, Ty & DeAna. In this photo, he was enjoying a day out on the Madison River last year on Father’s Day weekend. The weather prevented us from getting out today, but the fish are waiting. We’ll get out there soon.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there.
How will you spend YOUR day?

In another couple decades, when Bob & I leave this earth,
his poem will look far different from my dad’s.
Parts may be the same, because
he will leave his unconditional love
in the hearts of all who know him, but
other parts will be quite a contrast:
no Gallo Burgundy for him!
And he won’t leave his Runquist Wines behind… no way!!
It will all have been consumed…

Cheers, my friends!
(Sante’ – as we “prost” in Switzerland)

Enjoy your Father’s Day.
See ya tomorrow.
Hugs, JanBeek

Feeling His Touch

God performs wonders every day.

The sun rises.

I wake up on this side of the grass.

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

I breathe His fresh air and head up to my sanctuary.

There His hands embrace me and I feel His touch as I dig into His Word.

Photo by Eduardo Braga on Pexels.com

As I read,
He guides me to new sources
of His love and to fresh understandings.

I follow some WP blogs that add to my Bible experience. This morning I logged in to a WP blog titled “TheFather’sFeet.” The cover picture today is a WONDERful painting that the blog author, Donna Nielsen, found on the web. We don’t know who painted it, but isn’t it beautiful?

“… we are the clay and Thou art the Potter;
and we all are te work of Thy hand(s).”
Isaiah 64:8 KJV

I asked Donna Nielsen if I could use the picture and tell you about her blog. I go to it each morning to enhance the WONDER of my time up in the Angel Room.

She said,
“By all means.”

She explained that her blog is titled
The Father’s Feet
because,
“I want to draw my readers
to the Father’s feet with me
and receive guidance for our lives.”

Donna posts two or three scripture passages and then comments on them before ending in a prayer of praise, thanksgiving, and acknowledgement, with a call for help on a particular part of our walk each day. Her subtitle is FAITH.

https://thefathersfeet.wordpress.com/

I encourage you to go there
and enjoy her selected scriptures
and say the prayer for today with us.

I pray you feel His touch as I do.

As I head back down the stairs,
my heart is filled
and I am ready to face the day.

Have a blessed day.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya later.

How Gratitude Changes Lives

Gratitude Haiku x4

Live with Gratitude.
Gratefulness changes your life –
Notice little things.

Fill a daily post
In your gratitude journal;
It’s very potent!

Commit to refrain
From complaining or gossip
Or criticism.

Let your decision
To live always gratefully
Enhance every day.

What or who are you grateful for today?
It’s a great habit to repeat those thank you’s!!
See ya later.

He Left Us

He Left Us

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Happy Father’s Day!

I wrote this poem in honor of my dear Dad, Sal DeAngeles, shortly after he  died in April of 1995. I thought this was a good time to pull it out and share it with you, my dear blog readers. I hope you have equally vivid and happy memories of your Father. You can get a pretty good picture of who my daddy was by seeing what he left us… and the things he left behind.

He Left Us

He left us his roses and hydrangeas,
and his garden with zucchini,
but he forgot to take the old wheelbarrow,
and he forgot to take the bocci ball court.
.
He left his mother’s crucifix on my wall,
his watch in the top dresser drawer,
the Balsamic vinegar in the cupboard,
and his love of ravioli and French bread,
but he forgot to take his Gallo Burgundy.
.
He left in each of us his love of family,
his teary-eyed sentimentality, and he left
the aches and pains of his earthly body,
but he forgot to take his spray paint, and
his love of convertibles with the top down.
.
He left the wife he loved so well,
the family and neighbors who miss him so,
and the unconditional love, but he
forgot his collection of nude calendars,
and he forgot to take his twinkle.
I know – I have it!

 

If your dad has left this earth, try writing a poem about what he left and what he forgot to take. Have fun with it!

Happy Sunday.
Happy Father’s Day!

heart of love

See you with my sermon notes after church.
God bless you!

 

 

The Forgiving Father

Happy Sunday, my friends. Did you attend church today?

We did – and I took my usual sermon notes in poetry.
And we sang a great version of the scripture lesson.
I share it with you below.

classic close up draw expensive

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

 

The scripture the sermon was based on was Luke 15:1-32.

It is a familiar passage for most Christians.
It includes the parables of three things LOST: a Sheep, a Coin, and a Son.

The song we sang  after the sermon was a beautiful poetic summary of the scripture.
The words, written in 1999 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette are so “right on!”
I HAVE to share them with you.
.
As you read these lyrics, try singing them to the tune of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” It’s magical! It’s gorgeous!!

.
God’s Great Love is So Amazing

 

Verse 1

God’s great love is so amazing!
See a shepherd with his flocks!
Ninety-nine are safely grazing;
One is lost among the rocks.

That good shepherd goes and searches
Till he finds the one astray.
So God says to fill our churches
With the ones who’ve lost their way.

Verse 2

God in love is always seeking!
See a woman with her broom!
For a single coin she’s sweeping
Every corner of the room.

When it’s found she calls each neighbor,
Telling friends from all around.
So God says to search and labor
Till God’s precious ones are found.

Verse 3

God keeps waiting, searching, yearning!
See a father’s heartfelt joy!
Thankful for the son’s returning.
He runs out to greet his boy.

To the angry older brother,
Hear the father’s patient call.
So God says to love each other,
For in Christ, God loves us all.

man holding boy

 

My sermon notes are not as professional as the poem above.
They lack the a-b-a-b rhyme scheme.
Mine is based on an a-b-c-b scheme.
You probably can’t sing them to a chosen tune.
But they capture the message I heard being preached.
See if you can relate to how our pastor took this scripture
and spun it into a lesson for us all.

The Forgiving Father

Sermon notes 3/31/19
Jan Beekman’s “take-away” on
Rev. Jean Johnson’s message
Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
Ennis, Montana

 

Leave ninety-nine vulnerable
For the sake of finding one?
The Lost Sheep story tells us
That’s exactly what Jesus woulda done.

 

Leave a pocketful of change
For the one coin lost?
Yes, that’s what Jesus said.
Look carefully at the cost!

 

The cost of losing valued
Possessions can be very high.
We leave behind the flock
And fly off to pie in the sky!

 

Open your eyes to the One
Who is right in your midst.
The Shepherd among us
Seeks the lost. He insists.

 

The least among us are
Lost until they’re found.
We’re to be the seekers
Who search, listening for the sound.

 

Listen for the lost sheep’s plea,
And know, in fact, we are they.
We all need to be rescued
From the flighty life we live today.

 

Jesus really spoke not of
Coins and sheep, but us.
We are the ones who need
To be found. We must!

 

We must seek and be found
By Christ who loved us first.
Let’s join His rescued sheep
And rejoice as He quenches our thirst.

 

Christ shows us God’s real joy
With the parable of father and son.
The wayward boy returned home.
He was lost, now found. Victory won!

Welcome Home!
Come join the party.

Amen?

Tell me about the message at your church or temple or synagogue today.
What was your take-away?

 

 

Dogwood

Day 4 of the A-Z activity of “What Makes Me Happy.”

Little did I realize when I chose Dogwood for my D word what I would learn about this beautiful tree (now a large bush)!

Dogwood and Daddy are in the same pocket of my heart. This picture of my daddy was taken under the dogwood tree in my brother-in-law’s back yard in central California about two and a half decades ago. I treasure it because it captures my father’s sweet disposition and kindness so perfectly. That tree is not gnarled and twisted as the Legend of the Dogwood tree suggests. But the blossoms are as the legend describes in this poem I found on the Internet this morning:

I didn’t know this legend until now. How did I miss it all these years? Did you know it?

What’s the D word that makes YOU happy?

Memories of Daddy

 

image

Gentle, kind, considerate

These words describe my dad

Unconditionally loving

Always made me glad.

 

Everyone should be blessed

With a father such as mine

His faults were few and far between

Except when time to dine.

 

He burnt the the chicken to a crisp,

But he loved to barbecue

Steaks or hotdogs, ribs and such

Were treats he’d cook for you.

 

His favorite place was in a car

Driving to The City or Yosemite,

But when we arrived, he’d hate to stop

Even when I’d beg, “I have to pee!”

 

I’d ask him for help with my math

But he would always say,

”Go ask your mom, I don’t know –

I missed the lesson in school that day!”

 

He rarely darkened a church’s door

Unless a wedding or funeral required.

He said he had to work on Sundays

Or else, “Surely, you know, I’d be fired!”

 

Hah, that’s hardly possible, dear Dad,

You own the business; you’re the boss.

But even though we pleaded hard,

He’d never go. So much our loss!

 

A more endearing, Christ-like man

You’d never hope to meet.

He never spoke an unkind word,

And every stranger he was first to greet.

 

An alter boy when he was young,

He learned his Catechism well.

Church or not, as an adult,

He sparkled an angelic spell.

 

My dad was more than I could ask.

He loved me through and through.

Dad, I wish every girl and boy

Could have a Daddy just like you!

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