Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘friendship’

Free to “Bee”

It’s a different kind of Independence Day weekend in the USA. Our little town of Ennis WILL have its annual rodeo tonight. Social distancing is easy in that outdoor venue. But we will not have the 4th of July parade. Our population of 1,000 grows on that day to about 6,000 typically – and the sidewalks are wall-to-wall people. So for public safety, it was cancelled. We are free to just BEE this year… and grateful to bee alive!

The rodeo will happen as usual, but the crowd will be greatly diminished.

We’ll miss the parade, but we’ll celebrate here at home –
quietly thanking God for our freedom and renewed health.

Yesterday Bob was delighted to be able to spend a day on the Madison River with our friend, Scott. The fishing was good – and the weather was beautiful. The wildlife were out enjoying the sunshine, too.

Scott took this picture of the moose who entertained the fishermen.

He managed to get four of the five fox babies in one photo. He said they were quite entertaining!

Yesterday while Bob was out fishing and I was recuperating from my surgery, a couple of my girlfriends and a dear couple from our church made sure I was well taken care of. Terry (on the left) made bran muffins for my breakfast and gave me a darling, soft and cuddly angel blanket. Elaine (on the right) brought lunch and we shared it as we visited for a couple of hours. Then later in the day other friends brought us a delicious dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes, salad, and cookies for dessert. Yum!!!

Today is Terry’s birthday! Happy Birthday to my sweet, beautiful friend.<3

I know I am super blessed to have such wonderful friends.
I hope you are equally gifted.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

On another topic, you may have noticed that yesterday’s blog “Learn to Say NO,” with a series of Haiku was all in capital letters. I was not intending to shout at you. I was just trying to enlarge this font that WordPress suddenly has decided to use as a default. I found out how to enlarge the first letter in each new text entry. That’s fun, but do you have advice for how I can default back to a larger text for the body of my posts?

I hope you’re having a fun-filled weekend…
even if it’s not the typical Independence Day celebration.
Happy 4th of July weekend!

Celebrate your FREEDOM to BEE!
See ya tomorrow.
Love from JanBeek

Learning to Say No

Saying no is hard
I much prefer the word YES
Do you understand?

Health is compromised
Saying YES to everything
So, learn to say NO

“Not yet” is better
It doesn’t sound so harsh
It keeps doors open

I like open doors
Closed doors are a frustration
You know what I mean?

But there are those times
When limitations are placed
On us – and we rest

Today is that day
I say YES to getting help
No to stubbornness

I let God define
What I am doing today
Happiness is rest!

I seek happiness
By letting others help me
Thank God for helpers!

Satisfying rest
Is good for the heart and soul
God bless you, my friends!

We had a wonderful sunrise this morning in our Madison Valley.

These are the beautiful roses Bob got for me yesterday to help with my healing. Aren’t they gorgeous?

The view from my bed is beautiful… and I brought a few of the roses into my bedroom so I could enjoy them while I rest and read my devotionals and say my prayers. My prayer list keeps growing! I started it in January… and just keep adding to it. This is just page one of two!

God is good. He hears our prayers… and He responds. I feel His loving comfort today. Thank you for being here with me as I recuperate from yesterday’s hernia surgery.

TazE is here in bed with me, too.
Sweet puppy!

Have a restful day – if you can.
Practice saying NO when the time is right!

See ya tomorrow.
Hugs from JanBeek

June was Bustin’ Out All Over!

Yup, June was Bustin’

Yup, June was bustin’ out all over… and I’m glad it is behind us! My hernia is gone. I’m on the road to recovery. I appreciate all your prayers and good wishes.

The surgery that was scheduled for 12:45 yesterday ended up not happening until 4:30, so they kept me overnight. I was so glad they did! The nurses and assistants at Deaconess Hospital in Bozeman were so kind and efficient. I really needed that extra time of TLC before returning home… and Bob needed a good night’s sleep before driving that hour up and hour back to get me.

June’s Behind Us

Now that June is behind us – and I am on the way to healing, let’s pray that our world can put the last 4 or 5 months behind it, too… and we ALL can heal. Find a vaccine for COVID-19, learn to love one another unconditionally, appreciate our uniqueness, live each day with a prayer and a song, and put the One God back into the center of our being!

June was a Bust!

Yup, June was quite the month… June was not “a love song sweetly sung” as this Rogers and Hammerstein suggested. It was a BUST from my perspective! But I tried to keep my attitude positive anyway. Upbeat music like this was one way to do it. Another way to stay positive in the midst of turmoil was to be sure to go up to my sanctuary every morning, spend time reading my Bible and devotionals, and listen for God’s voice to tell me how best to spend each day.

Focus on the Positive

If you have followed my blog for a while, you know I read and am inspired by a book with spirit-lifting devotionals, Daily Guideposts, every day. Each day the devotional starts out with a scripture. Then one of about 50 writers is assigned to write a reflection on it and then end with a prayer. I meditate on the message and write a “Take Away” on the page. It’s a thought I carry with me that day. I record them at the end of each month’s pages where there are two pages with a blank line for each day.

Here are my June pages. Read the Take Aways and see one of the sources for my ability to remain positive in the midst of this pandemic, this social unrest, protests, riots, and my anticipated surgery. These are the thoughts I carried around each day:

Be Grateful

Wherever you are, you have reasons to be grateful.
Just look around you. You can see!
Breathe deeply. You’re alive!
Soak in the beauty. You can feel!
Relax and sing. You have a voice!
Grab a snack. You have food!
Thank God.

The view from my hospital bed

Look Around You

I had the prettiest room in the hospital! A corner room with a view of the sunset last night and the sunrise this morning. No need to concentrate on the pain when I can concentrate on the view instead, right?

Bob came and got me at 10: this morning. I was grateful for my expedited release. There was a major storm predicted, and we had a one hour drive to get home. We were safely inside before the rain came down and the thunder clapped. And now, the sun is out again!

Look carefully at the horizon. Those are not more clouds.
That’s snow on the Tobacco Root Range. Yup, snow… July 1st!

So, as this day comes to a close, I want to thank you again for your love and prayers. I will take it easy for a while and let Bob and our friends and neighbors pamper me. I hope you feel my love being returned to you. Thank you for being my friend here on WordPress. You mean a lot to me.

Have a great rest of your week. If you’re in the USA, you know this weekend is our Independence Day. We usually have parades and barbecues and family here to celebrate with us. Not this year. This has been a different year, hasn’t it?

Keep your spirits up. Maybe you can use one of those “Take Aways” each day to help you.

Thanks for visiting.
See ya tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

If You’re Happy…

If you’re happy and you know it,
How do you show it?

In this joyful video,
Children from around the world
Teach us how to let others know it…

I dare you to play this video and NOT SMILE!!
Come on, sing along – and JUST DO IT!!

A-Z What Makes You Happy

Years ago I did an A-Z series on what makes me happy. It started when I was stuck at a railroad track with a stalled train blocking my way to a luncheon engagement. I already was late, and now I was grumbling. Of course, my mood and grumbles didn’t move the train. I decided to change my mood and start thinking happy thoughts instead of growling at the Lord.

Those minutes sitting at the train tracks turned into a 26 day blogging series that included a letter a day: A = ______, B = ______, C = _______ …. you get the idea.

Today I found a new friend… I reposted her blog from today on WordPress and then started to peruse her site. What a delight!

Abide In God

Her by-line says her mission is: “Seeking faith and wisdom in God’s word, a supportive website for the Christian journey.” In her “About” section, I found her picture. I love being able to visualize my fellow bloggers, don’t you?

There is such kindness in her eyes!

Get to Know Blogging Friends

I am having fun getting better acquainted with this delightful mother of a 23-year-old daughter and grandmother of a darling little boy and adorable twin girls. She (I have yet to discover her name) reminds me very much of my across the street neighbor, Penny. So for now that’s what I will call her.

P.S. I just received a response from “Penny.” Her name is Lesley!

Today if I did the A-Z exercise in what makes me happy, I’d have to substitute A = apples (or whatever I said way back then) to A = Abide in God.

What would you put for your A = ______ ?

Pursue Connections

Lesley has a few sub-blogs. If you click on “Abide in God” up there, you will see her other sub-titles. One of them is “Today I am Thankful for…” But when I click there, it says its content is password protected. Lesley – if you are reading this, I want to join that part of your journey. How do I get in? I am knocking at the door!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Hello, Lesley – Let me in… I like your link to supportive websites and the reference to James 1:5

With supportive friends like you out there, and the Bible as our guide, this Christian walk can be more do-able! It makes me happy to know that I have you as a soul sister whose purpose matches mine. Together, we can:

Today what makes me happy includes: F = Finding your blog and Following it.

Another blog I follow that makes me happy every day is: D = Derrick’s garden! derrickjknight – If you don’t know Derrick and Jackie, do yourself a favor and go meet them today!

I come to their garden alone … not really alone, for Jackie & Nugget are there… and Derrick is behind the camera, and the dew is not still on the roses:

Jackie, Derrick’s dear wife (master gardener) is busy at work. Her smile makes me happy. J = Jackie’s smile!
(Thanks, Derrick, for your beautiful photography.)

Thank you, Jackie, for sharing your wonderful gardening results with us. I can’t grow roses here in Montana. The antelope eat the buds and chew off the leaves! So I am deeeelighted that you share yours.

Be Happy With What You Have

Show others your joy!
A part of being happy
Is looking around.

Appreciate life
And be thankful for your friends;
Share in their blessings.

Don’t focus on lack.
But look at what you have got,
And thank our Father.

Have a Wonderful Week!
Thank you for visiting JanBeek today.
I hope it made you happy.

Share with me something that brings you joy.


See ya tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

Sky Writing

Paul Holdorf clouds

The day began in wondrous splendor

With a sky of amazing hue

It carried on until the evening

Mixing gray with white with blue.

The sunrise was super amazing

Grab the camera! Catch the gleam!

Find the Angels in formation

Rays extend in glorious beam.

You might wonder at the Master

Who created all we see.

How’d He come up with these paintings

That He shares with you and me?  


Sharing Our Writing

Today my Writers’ Group friend, Janet Muirhead Hill, joined me to share what we’ve been working on. (I was disappointed that three others who might have joined us were unavailable today. Hopefully they’ll be here for our next meeting).

I was inspired to write the poem you see above. Janet shared the book she has just completed and published, Prism. It was started by her deceased sister, Joan Bochmann, who knowing she was leaving this earth before she could complete it, asked Janet to promise she’d finish it for her. Here it is… available on Amazon … I have my own autographed copy… yay!

Janet's Prism

Writing Together

During our time together, Janet and I used a prompt by

Clint Bulongo, life’s adventure world.

Hi — life’s adventure Zambia.

and we finished these two incomplete sentences:

  1. It is the world outside where we find …
  2. It is the world inside where we find …

Do click on Clint’s link above and see how he finished those sentences. His site is a new discovery. Living in Africa, his photos are phenomenal, and the way he helps us glimpse at his beautiful country through his words and photos is such a gift!

I wrote the following using his prompts:

“It is the world outside where we find
birds, trees, clouds, friends, travel opportunities, and space.
It is the world inside where we find
peace, God, self-confidence, acceptance, and opportunities.
We are especially blessed when
from the inside
we can hear and see the birds,
we can look out at trees, clouds and blue sky,
we can feel peace and acceptance from friends,
we can plan travel and invite friends to travel here,
and from the inside
we have space to grow spiritually
and the self-confidence to capture opportunities to do so.”

From the inside, we remain child-like,
free to paint as well as write,
free to dance as well as stand,
free to openly express our true selves.
Free!

Dance and Create

After that initial activity prompted by Clint Bulongo’s blog, we tried our hand at creating “Eifchen.” This form of poetry was introduced to me this morning by bigskybuckeyeLifeElfchen

Life’s Snapshots (Elfchen Series #19)

Using his definition of this German-inspired poetry, Janet and I wrote our own “Elevenies.” I wish I had saved hers to share with you. Richard, at bigskybuckeye had three of them on his post. Here’s one of his:

Change

Overwhelmed
Life’s pace
Quickens and races
Time to reorder life’s
Priorities

And here is one that I wrote:

Eleven

Numbers
Bear meaning
Forty is magical
Seven represents God’s completion
Prioritize

Try your hand at an “Eifchen”! Dance with it freely, like my Boston Terrier, Taze, is dancing up there. Don’t let anything stifle you!!

After sharing our “Elevenies,” we read to one another some samples we brought with us of writing we had been working on at home.

Share Your Writing

Janet shared an introduction she has written to go with her book, Prism.

Then I shared some of my journal writing. One of the things I shared was the peace prayer of St. Francis of Assisi sung by Susan Boyle. Janet was not familiar with Susan’s angelic voice. This is too beautiful to keep to myself. I’ve shared it with you before, but it is worth hearing again:

I sang along with the words to the song, written on a page in my journal. Janet listened – enthralled – to this gorgeous rendition of the prayer.

Then Janet said, “Oh yes, I used to have that prayer memorized. Haven’t thought about it in a while.”

Time to put those words in our souls, my friends.

Make Me a Channel of Your Peace, Lord.
Help me seek to console,
to understand,
to bring hope and light,
and to just love!

Do you have a place for writing,
and people who love to write
with whom to share your writing?
Tell me about it – and them.


See ya tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

One More Sunset

After I posted a few sunsets tonight, my friend, Fran, sent me this photo of her sunset! She lives on the Madison River half way between me and Yellowstone National Park.

Take a look at this!! How would you like to have THAT view out your back door tonight?

Thank you Fran!

We Need One Another

None of us on earth lives alone.
Each of us is kin the the other.
We need one another –
You are my sister, my brother.

I will defend your right
To live in peace and justice.
I will work to be an example
Of the love we need, so you can trust us!

Trust us to work together
To make this earth a place of care,
Care for all God’s creation –
A place we equally share.

No man is an island
No man stands alone.
Each man’s joy is joy to me;
Each man’s grief is my own.

We need one another,
So I will defend
Each man as my brother,
Each man as my friend.

We need one another
So I will defend
Each woman as my sister,
Each woman as my friend.

Recently I posted this picture on my blog along with a series of photos that exemplified random acts of kindness. This woman could easily be me. The man she is standing beside is a friend from across the world whom she met playing Words with Friends.

I play Words with Friends with a myriad of people from all over the world. Some of them are busy chatting with me between plays, asking questions, helping us get to know one another.

I’d like to picture one of them wearing a “Love Felt” heartfelt t-shirt like that fellow … and then coming to visit me. I have WordPress friends that I invite to come to Montana and visit me, too.

Might you do that someday?

Each one of you is my brother/sister … each one of you is my friend. We need one another. What would it be like to be writing a blog everyday and have no one out there to read it and respond? Pretty sad!

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com

Thank you for reading over my shoulder.
Thank you for being my friend.
Thank you for being the holder
Of my heartfelt thoughts that have no end!

We need one another.

See ya tomorrow.

Virtual hugs from
JanBeek

Walk the Talk

My 2020 resolution is to “Walk the Talk.” It is a daily commitment. What was your 2020 resolution?

Try to “Walk the Talk.”
Try to live your commitments.
Express them daily.

Today I walked with my TOPS friends. Here are two of them with me: Cherrie & Jeannie. We walked in our Lion’s Club Park. Did a lot of talking as we walked. Tried to solve all the world’s problems!

Valais, Switzerland

No, this isn’t my walking path… it’s my daughter, DeAna’s, in Sierre, Switzerland. She walks this trail up into the Alps – often joined by one or two of her three sons. Yesterday she sent this photo. Our grandson, Chris, was her walking partner.

DeAna “walked the talk” with Chrissy as they navigated the trail on the terraced mountainsides and enjoyed the outdoor time together.

Here is DeAna, our daughter, with her new haircut.
No, she’s not in Paris. That’s just her “photo op!”

.

And before that haircut:

She says she’d like to be on a tropical island!
I’d say being in Switzerland is not a bad option!

Today De’s walk was with Christine, a friend who was one of their waitresses for almost 20 years in the restaurant they once owned on main street in Sierre.

Christine – on the balcony overlooking the Swiss valley

Half way up the Alps from their city is a beautiful little place called Vissoie, De and Andre’ have purchased a new restaurant… new to them, but with a long history in this Alpine village.

It has that typical Swiss chalet appearance with a hotel attached above and on the right. They take possession in October, I think.

Isn’t this an inviting spot? As they plan for this new venture, they get to “Walk the Talk” of trust. Trust that this pandemic world will not always keep people sequestered and afraid to go out and dine together. Trust that the people of Vissoie and the surrounding communities will accept them and frequent their dining hall. Trust that visitors will stay in their hotel.

My prayers are with them, of course, as I encourage them in this exciting new time on their lives.

Lion’s Club Park, Ennis, Montana

As my lady friends and I walked the trail in our beautiful park, we talked about family, commitments, future events, the racial injustice that is sparking protests all over the USA, and the COVID-19 situation that is far from over.

My goal is encouragement and positivity. I share my faith here on WordPress, and I share the Source of my Joy with my walking friends.

Photo by Andre Furtado on Pexels.com

Follow the sunshine
Follow the Almighty Son
Joy’s in commitment

Walk the Talk!
And be grateful for where you are!!


See ya tomorrow.
Have a Blessed Wednesday.

Love,
JanBeek

Image

Will You Be My Neighbor?

Two For Sale signs went up in our “hood” this week.

That Mercer sign is for a 7 acre parcel right next door to us.
We could be next-door neighbors!

The ERA sign is at the end of the cul-de-sac – just a stone’s throw away – down where you see the telephone poles in the first photo.

Mercer sign w our house

See, there’s our house up there –  just beyond the sign. Aren’t you looking for wide open spaces and Big Sky, fresh air and a friendly, cheerful, inclusive neighborhood? Here we are!! You can build your dream house right here.

Hocking House - blue sky

This beautiful home with the best neighbors imaginable, Rex and Penny, could be your neighbors … besides us, the Beekmans with the robin babies in our back yard. Hey, look closely! That one on the right has her eyes open!

2 baby robins

This nest is on this porch where I am sitting right now with my laptop, Rita and Robbie are coming and going, feeding their babies, paying no attention to me! I love it!!

The nest is in the shadow just left of the small bedroom window. My chair is in the sun with my tabletop in the shade. I have a bird’s eye view of the robin activity.

3 joggers - cartoon

This morning was a beautiful, sunny. warm, still day – perfect for a walk in Lion’s Club Park by the Madison River that is less than 5 minutes from us. I met a couple of TOPS friends and we walked around by the river, the baseball field, the playground…

Madison thru weeds

From this view of the river, there is a bench, a painted sculpted fish, and a gorgeous view of the Madison Range across the valley.

Come go for a walk with me. There are benches along the way, picnic tables, barbecue pits, a baseball field and a playground. Young children usually flock here. But, I was early. They started to arrive as I was leaving.

On the way to the post office after my walk, I passed another For Sale sign. Our friend, Niel, died recently after a long battle with cancer. His cozy little house in town is for sale. Maybe you’d prefer this. You’d be on a smaller lot in a more modest neighborhood downtown. Look at this lovely place. Interested? Call the ERA number on the sign at the top of this post.

Niel Kent house

Your neighbors across the street have this lovely tree – and these beautiful opium poppies. What a great little town our Ennis, Montana is!!

Driving home from there, I took the golf course route. Here’s the scene just a mile from our home:

They keep it well maintained and lots of our neighbors love getting out on the course on a day like today.

Peaceful, beautiful, clean, clear, friendly …
 … what more could you ask?

Oh, I forgot to add there’s a darling little lake at Lion’s Club Park where the kids can fish and keep the trout they catch. The Madison River has a “catch and release” policy to preserve the natives. And there’s an old tractor at the park where the kids can climb and pretend FARMER. We have a lot of cattle and wheat farming in our Madison Valley.

But it’s best known for the Madison River and the fly fishing.

fish on Madison - painting

Will you come and be my neighbor?
Caroline & Chuck are building right down the hill from us.
They’d be great neighbors for ya, too!!

CBD92DE9-1A2D-407B-9293-6BD4FCA70A8B
Have a Wonderful Wednesday.
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

10 Ways to Bee Open to God

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Listening to God
Is a daily endeavor
It takes intention
His Words are clever

God speaks through Jesus
Jesus, His Holy Son
And He speaks through the Spirit
The Holy Spirit, that’s the One!

Listening to God
Takes a willing heart
It takes a willing spirit
Here’s the way to start:

  1. Bee still
  2. Bee open
  3. Bee teachable
  4. Bee attentive
  5. Bee humble
  6. Bee submissive
  7. Bee expectant
  8. Bee responsive
  9. Bee-lieve
  10. Bee-ware… and aware!
Yes, #1 on the list is “Bee Still!”
Bee silent – listen – and JUST LOVE!

Isaiah 50:4

“The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,

    to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

    wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.”

Does the Lord “waken your ear” each morning to listen? Every morning my friend, Lisa, who lives across the continent from me – over on the east coast – sends me a picture of where she is and assures me that she has me in prayers. Her pictures show me a scene so different from my own.

Each One Has Their Own Way

In our different environments, each of us is listening and praying. Each of us in our own way. We are open to God’s word – and open to whatever message He has for our day. We share special prayers for one another. It is a beautiful way to start each day.

Do you have a special friend who helps you to Bee more open, teachable, and attentive?

Do you have a system for Beeing more expectant and responsive?

If so, I’d love to have you share with me ways you are open to hearing God speak to you each day.

Photo by Keilah Gepte on Pexels.com

Through His Word and through music, God speaks to me most clearly. How about you? Which of those ten “Bees” are most helpful to you when you want to tune in to God’s voice?

Have a Fabulous Friday, my friends.
Bee well!
See ya later.
JanBeek