I am sharing this post today from a new blogging friend because I think it is so beautifully written … and so powerful. S/He wrote it about three months ago, but it is timeless. Read on and see if you agree…
… I was inspired by a podcast episode that I was asked to be a part of concerning prayer. I chose …
A Prayer for Humanity
Each day as I read my Daily Guideposts
and reflect on what the message
means to me, I create a “Take-Away.”
I have a page or two on which I record them.
Here are the take-aways from July.
Which one or two resonates with you
as a “Take-away” for the month
that you can carry with you into August?
I read both
Mornings with Jesus
and
Daily Guideposts
each morning
up in my sanctuary.
Been doing it for over a decade now.
They help me plan my day
and start off on the right foot.
With the “Take-Away”
tucked in my heart,
I head down the circle staircase
with this 12 step prayer
spoken to God on my way:
Dear God,
And at that point, I am at the bottom… ready to start my day.
Thank you for the
1. love,
2. joy, and
3. peace (that are mine) –
Help me with:
4. patience,
5. kindness,
6. goodness, and
7. faithfulness (which brings blessings).
Help me with
8. gentleness, and
9. self-control.
10. Help me live humbly
with an attitude of gratitude,
and a response of
11. generosity, forgiveness,
12. obedience and integrity.
In Jesus’ name,
AMEN.
Which of the Take-Aways from June or July will you carry into August with you?
Have an Awesome month!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
Are you a fruitcake?
Filled with fruits of the spirit?
Let me hear a YES!!
Do you grant to God
Permission to infuse you
With His divine gifts?
What are those divine gifts?
Do you have them memorized?
Are they yours – living fruits in you?
Each day as I walk down
the circular staircase
from my sanctuary,
I repeat my 12 step program:
Thank You, God, for the
1) Love,
2) Joy, and
3) Peace
that are mine!
Give me help, God, with
these Fruits of the Spirit
that I need help to exhibit:
4) Patience,
5) Kindness,
6) Goodness,
7) Faithfulness
(which brings blessings).
8) Gentleness, and
9) Self-control.
Help me
10) live humbly
with an attitude of gratitude
and
11) a response of generosity,
forgiveness,
12) Obedience and Integrity.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
When you pray daily
Asking God to give you fruits,
Trust, my friends, He will!
Be fruity!
Oh, and don’t forget to
keep smiling, my friends.
Fruity people are happy folks!!
Be a fruitcake!
Happy and content is how God created us.
Let’s claim that idea!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing) –
Hugs!
If you’re happy
and you know it,
you can be a little fruity
like Jack Hartmann
and sing along
with this song for
all kids and young at heart!
He’s a fruitcake personified!!
What is on your prayer list?
Who are on your prayer list?
Do you pray daily – multiple times each day?
The Bible tells us,
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,
give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us.
John 5:14
The big question is –
How do we know if what we are praying is in God’s will?
Tune in to the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave us the Spirit as a helper
when He left earth and ascended into heaven.
Take advantage of that gift! It is ours by God’s grace!
God’s Holy Spirit gives us
the Fruits of the Spirit –
and daily we must pray for
their presence to live in our lives.
I find the first three are mine…
I accept them with deep gratitude.
Not everyone has the LOVE, JOY, and PEACE
that are mine automatically. I know that!
I do not take them for granted.
And if you lack them, I pray
God will provide you today
with LOVE, JOY, and PEACE.
But, the other six? Oh Lord, I ask for help –
Help with them everyday so that I may show more
kindness
goodness
faithfulness
(which brings blessings)
gentleness
and
self-control.
Join us now as we come to God in prayer.
We pray humbly for all people to have:
Love
Food
Medical care
Shelter
Peace
Respect
Freedom
Unity
Faith
Healing
Hope
Comfort
and
Security.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek
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
Dear Friends,
I really appreciate all the Happy Birthday wishes extended my way this past weekend. Thank you so much!
Even though I am happy to tell you I am starting my 83rd year on earth, I am also happy to tell you that I am a fan of Jack Benny. Now, if you are too young to remember who Jack Benny was (or you are in another country where Jack Benny was not a nationally known figure), let me tell you: Jack Benny was a comedian who embraced 39 – and decided to stay that age forever more!
Actually, I embrace aging (I wrote a blog using that title once) – I I have no desire to be stuck at 39 or any other age.
How about you?
http://www.janbeek.blog/embrace-aging
Each year brings new insights. Each year brings new joys. Each year brings new challenges. I don’t want to miss any of them.
How about you?
“Wisdom belongs to the aged, and understanding to the old. Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers. Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. Those who are older should speak, for wisdom comes with age.”
Each day I pray for wisdom. Each day I ask God to increase my understanding and I thank the Holy Spirit for the fruits of the spirit that are mine: LOVE, JOY AND PEACE. And I ask God to help me with the other fruits of the spirit: patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control… those that I work to increase as I mature in my faith.
How about you?
As I gather up those birthdays and mature in my faith, I remember to keep a child-like spirit. Enjoy that song. Sing it often. Teach it to your grandchildren. Sing it with your great-grandchildren. Put it in your heart.
You can’t be a lemon or a grape if you wanna be a fruit of the spirit!! Who wants to grow up to be a lemon anyway?
Work on that patience, Jan … your great-grandchildren need to see you model it! And your grand-dog needs you to exercise that gentleness and kindness, too. Ain’t always easy.
How about you?
On my birthday, Ty (our son) and Bob went out fishing (not catching… just fishing) … and that required a lot of patience! I went along for the joy of the ride. It was cool on the water in the morning, but the afternoon warmed up.
That evening Ty and our daughter-in-law, Monika, Bob & I went in to Bozeman for dinner and dessert. We had a delightful time at a table out front of “Hooked Sushi” enjoying the music being played down the sidewalk a half a block, and the people and dogs walking by. Such fun!
Only in a college town would you find this kind of vibrancy. I love it!
We went after dinner to a very popular ice cream store … and had great fun with some college students who were in line ahead of us. Look at this cute kid! (Ya, I had fun teasing him …)
Sunday afternoon Bob, Ty & Monika went kayaking/paddleboarding while TazE & I found a shady spot and relaxed.
You can barely see the mountains outlined back there… not a typically beautiful day on Ennis Lake. Pray for the forest fires to be contained and the firefighters to be safe!
What are you doing this Monday evening besides surfing the net?
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Hugs,
JanBeek
And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
When I ask God each day
To help me live in the Fruits of the Spirit,
I begin by thanking the Lord for
The love, joy and peace that are mine,
But then I ask Him to help me with
The patience, kindness, and goodness
Which do not always come naturally.
I ask for help with the faithfulness
Which brings blessings, and then
Help with gentleness and self control.
Those nine fruits of the spirit are God’s gifts.
Because I have the love, joy and peace,
I can give them away … and they return to me.
When I give love, I exhibit God’s gift through
My actions – and He multiplies it in me.
God’s goodness is exhibited in the gentle breeze;
It is felt in the warmth of the sunshine and in the
Heartfelt hugs of a friend who finally can come visit.
It is evident in every bird’s song and every flower’s blooming.
God’s goodness is in my hospitality – my open door.
God’s goodness is in my phone call or the note I send.
God’s goodness prompts me to share the Good News
And invite you to love God and trust His promises – as I do.
God’s goodness is in you!
Embrace Goodness –
And share it freely.
It will return to you overflowing!
Join the “Spread Goodness” Challenge –
Be the goodness you want to see in this world.
What can you decide to do right now
That will spread GOODNESS in your path?
As Nike says,
“Just do it!”
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing).
I climb the stairs each day,
Then I turn on the light.
Sometimes it’s still dark out.
I rock ’til it gets bright.
Sipping my cup o’ coffee,
Rocking as I pray,
I meditate and read His Word
As I welcome each new day.
I can rock away troubles;
I can sit here and be still.
I can listen to the Spirit,
And discern the Father’s Will.
I can rock in my wicker chair
Until my head and heart are clear.
I can feel the Lord’s presence
And thank God He’s ever near.
And when my rocking’s over
I thank Jesus for his time,
And slowly I descend the stairs
(It’s my 12-step program climb).
Climb down to face the world.
Climb down to start my day.
Use the Fruits of the Spirit
In a thoughtful kind of way:
8. Help me with GENTLENESS,
9. and SELF-CONTROL.
10. Help me live HUMBLY with an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
11. and a response of GENEROSITY, FORGIVENESS,
12. OBEDIENCE and INTEGRITY.
IN JESUS NAME, AMEN!
And now I am at the bottom of the stairs where these words greet me across from the front door – “The Greatest of These is Love” – and these angels smile at me on the wall beneath the stairs:
I rock! And my day will rock, too
Because I have taken time to pray.
I rock! And you will rock, too
Because I pray for you, too, each day.
On the back side of this page
Is a list of each WordPress friend.
I ask the Lord to guard you.
Rock on! Accept the love I send.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
Have a love-filled day!
See ya tomorrow.
Meantime, enjoy this song that was a hit in 1955
(I was a sophomore in high school…
great memories of rockin’ school dances!!)
Sanctuary time
Starts with prayer and devotions
Up the down staircase
Jesus prays with me
Angels surround me up here
Dark changes to light
Look out the window
The mountains can’t hide the Son
Where I am He is
12 Step Program
On my way down the up staircase, after an hour that begins my day with the JOY of God’s Holy Spirit guiding my thoughts and helping me plan my actions for the day ahead, I recite my own “12 Step Program.”
And on that AMEN, I am on the floor of my foyer, over which the sanctuary waits for tomorrow where I have my Bibles, Daily Guideposts, Thankfulness Journal, inspirational books, and a collection of crosses and angels.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
God bless you!
Have a PEACEful Thursday.
See ya later.
Does temptation lift
Its ugly head around you?
Cookies and parties?
Do you look at fun
As life’s diversion from Christ?
That’s not His intent!
Christianity
Is built sure on nothing less
Than Christ’s love and joy
He intends for us
To experience His FUN
In the Spirit’s fruit:
Galatians 5:22-23
“When the Holy Spirit
controls our lives,
he will produce this kind
of fruit in us,
love, JOY, peace.
patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, and self-control.
Yesterday I went
To a FUN cookie exchange
Temptation abounds!
In his book,
Daily Inspirations for the Purpose Driven Life,
Rick Warren wrote,
“God uses the opposite situation of each fruit to allow us a choice.
Integrity is built by defeating the temptation…”
When I learn, “No Thanks,”
I grow (through the temptation)
In spirit, not pounds!
Good luck with the fruit of self-control today!
See ya later!
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
