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Posts tagged ‘God’

Dec. 15 Word of the Day

Using the prompts from @sanctifiedart,
I am enjoying the opportunity to share
the “Words for the Beginning”
each day with you during this Advent season.

Today’s Word is:
WORTHY

AI generated that picture above when I put in the prompt.
The guy looks a little like my grandson, Jordan.
Jordy was adopted into the Beekman family as a 3 year old.
His birth mother couldn’t stay off drugs long enough to keep him.
What a shame, huh?
The courts took him away and put him in foster care more than once.
His birth mother was given many chances.
He was worthy of a loving, drug-free family.
So when I think of the word WORTHY, our grandchildren come to mind.
Our son and daughter-in-law adopted four worthy children.
We are so blessed!

Ty is on the left. Monika is on the right.
They are the “worthy” adoptive parents
who opened their homes and hearts
to those dear children…
and the blessings continue.
What picture comes to your mind
when you think of the word “worthy“?

“Worthy is the lamb”
came immediately to my mind…
but it’s not that kind of lamb,
It is the Lamb of God.
Do you know that song?

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
Revelation 4:11

You are loved.
You are blessed to be a blessing.
You are enough!
Have a blessed Sunday, dear friends.
And tell me,
what image comes to your mind
when you think of the word, worthy?

Come back tomorrow for the Monday Word of the Day.

Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, children, Faith, Family, God, Jesus, Love, relationships

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Dec. 14 -Word of the Day

Using the prompts from @sanctifiedart,
I am enjoying the opportunity to share
the “Words for the Beginning”
each day with you during this Advent season.

Today’s Word is:
GOODNESS
When I put the prompt in AI, it generated
an assortment of blond, blue-eyed,
smiling 20-year-old females.
I kept asking AI to try again until finally it
generated something different.
I got this!

Goodness me!
That’s not what the word conjures up in my mind.
When I think of goodness, I think of the innocence
of babies and young children
and the unconditional love of our furry friends
(maybe that’s what that AI image is depicting).

These are the images that come to my mind
when I think of the word GOODNESS.

I also think of the goodness of a meal lovingly prepared
and shared generously with friends.

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

I asked Bob what image comes to mind
when he hears the word GOODNESS.
His answer surprised me. He said,
“Mothers… and the loving environment a good mother creates.
THAT’S GOODNESS!”

The goodness a good mother exudes
is certainly multiplied when she has
the support of her children’s father, too.
Loving families RADIATE goodness!

What does the Bible say about goodness?

There is more about the root word, GOOD,
than there is about GOODNESS.

So, goodness is a God-like quality in people.
It is a purity and innocence in children and animals.
It is a gift of delectable taste from a skilled chef.
It is a unifying force in a family.

You don’t have to be a 20-something, blue-eyed blond
to exhibit goodness!!
You are in the land of the living…
and goodness is in you
and all around you.
All you have to do is open your heart to it
and exhibit the goodness that is in you!

Aren’t you grateful for that?

What image does the word GOODNESS bring to your mind?

Join me again tomorrow for another
Word of the Day.

Love ya,
JanBeek

P.S. My maiden name is DeAngeles.
It means “Of Angels.”
Do you see the angelic goodness in me?

Category:

Bible Lessons, children, Faith, kindness, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, pets, relationships

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Dec. 13 Word of the Day

Happy Friday the 13th to you!
Using the prompts from @sanctifiedart,
I am enjoying the opportunity to share
the “Words for the Beginning”
each day with you during this Advent season.

Today’s Word is:

When I put the prompt in AI, it generated the word above.
What image would you display if you were depicting enough?
Here is my choice:

Bob Perks wrote that poem
Unfortunately, he often doesn’t get credit for it.
He has a book by the same title,
but it is no longer in print.
I love this poem… and Bob Perks!

Several others have used his theme
and written their own “Enough” poems.
Here is another.

This poem was posted on New Years Eve 2013
Posted by blogger, Doina , at 11:11 PM 

I want to join the bloggers who are wishing you enough.
May you live with a sense of “Enough” by:
1. Counting your blessings
2. Knowing you have more than 99.9% of all the folks on earth
3. Focusing on your can’s, not your can’ts
4. Appreciating your HAVEs and not worrying about the HAVE NOTs
5. Reaching out in love to those who have less
6. Prioritizing your needs – and allowing your faith to guide you

My office used to look a little like this:

Obviously I had more than enough “stuff.”
Getting rid of the excess,
Clearing out the clutter
Helped me receive that sense of ENOUGH.

My desk will never look as clean as these:

If I had to maintain that level of cleanliness,
I would be fired in a nano-second!
So, there is a middle ground on this sense of “enough.”
God does bless us with “stuff.” It’s not all bad.
But the key is moderation, don’t you think?

Share what you have. Reach out to those without.
God will bless your generosity.
Ask for what you need. That’s okay!!
And remember, YOU are enough, too!!

If you have “enough,”
make your requests
on behalf of others’ needs!

God bless you, dear blogging friends.
May this be a day of “Enoughness” for you.
Friday the 13th can be your lucky day!

See ya tomorrow
with another
“Word of the Day.”

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, God, Gratitude, Love, optimism, Poetry, prayer

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Dec. 12 Word of the Day

Happy Thursday to you!
Using the prompts from @sanctifiedart,
I am enjoying the opportunity to share
the “Words for the Beginning”
each day with you during this Advent season.

Today’s Word is:

When you think of that word,
what picture comes to mind?
I asked AI to generate a picture
and this is what they sent:

I was happy to see AI’s first response
was people connecting, not some mechanisms!

I imagine the image below
is not the kind of connection that
@sanctifiedart envisioned when they
selected CONNECTION for
today’s Word.

When I think of connection,
I think about social media
and about telephone connections
and about the way we feel
when we maintain
long-distance relationships.

Media type connections
can be a blessings
or
they can be a curse.

When we see people
ignoring their companions-at-hand
while they keep their focus on their cell phones,
it feels like such a waste!


For me to make connections
that really matter,
connections that last over time
and that satisfy my heartfelt needs,
I need physical contact.
I need hugs.
I need face-to-face.
I need kisses.

How about you??

What images does that word
CONNECTION
conjure up for you?

What connection in your life
fills your heart with
love
hope
and
joy?

Besides my dear husband
with whom I will celebrate
63 years next February,
the other vital connection
is described in
this scripture:

I imagine myself as a
Child of God,
reaching out constantly
to connect with God.

My fingers grasp His Hand
just like a little child
reaching for his or her father.
My connection to God,
my Heavenly Father,
is my most important
CONNECTION.

WHAT’S YOURS?

See you tomorrow
with the next Word of the Day.
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek
and following along.
I appreciate my connection with YOU!

God bless you!!

Category:

Bible Lessons, blogging, Faith, friendship, God, Gratitude, Living in Harmony, Love, relationships

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Dec. 11 Word of the Day

Using the prompts from @sanctifiedart,
I am enjoying the opportunity to share
the “Words for the Beginning”
each day with you during this Advent season.

Today’s word is:
PEACEMAKER

I don’t know who this guy is that AI generated when I put the word in. Do you? He doesn’t look like someone I’d turn to when I was wanting some peace. Does he look like a peacemaker to you?

My idea of a peacemaker is:

… the One who holds the world in His hands
… the One who made the world and sent His Son to save us
… the One who gave His life that I might have eternal life

My Peacemaker lifts me up when I fall
He reaches out to the lost and brings them in
He reaches into our hearts and saves us from our sin
He shows us the Way to live in love and harmony

I hope you know my Peacemaker
He lives in my heart
I hope He lives in your heart, too
I pray His peace permeates our world
We need Him now more than ever!

The peace of Christ be with you.

Spread His Love.
Be a peacemaker, too!

See you tomorrow with another Word of the Day.
Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Serving One Another

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Words of the Day

“A Sanctified Art” is the Advent program
my friends at church and I
are using this Christmas season.

It was suggested that we take or find a photo inspired by the Word of the Day
and share it daily on social media. I have been remiss.
We’re already nine days into Advent and I have not posted
these words or photos for you to see.

But, I have colored the quilt pattern that contains the words…
and I have contemplated the meaning of each of the words
as they came due. It’s not too late to begin sharing.
Today’s word is: “Embrace.”

You might expect me to post a picture of Bob & me embracing,
but I’m not going to be so predictable!

It’s easy to embrace those we love,
but learning to embrace the storms of life…
that’s a different story!

kid hiding on pillows

Yesterday’s word was “Together.”
That was a much easier word to embrace!
It was our bonus daughter, Elaina’s birthday –
and she was able to be together with her daughter and son-in-law to celebrate.

And a Happy Birthday to you, dear LainaLainaLaina!!

It was a party day for our son, Ty and his wife, Monika,
and they were able to host a large group of leaders from their church.
There is such joy in that kind of togetherness!

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We returned recently from a three week trip to Switzerland …
and the togetherness with our daughter, DeAna, was magical!

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When you think of the joy of togetherness, what comes to your mind?
And in terms of embracing the storms of life,
what is a storm you are facing?
Tell me about it… and I will certainly
add your resolution to my prayer requests.

See ya tomorrow with the word of the day
for beginning your December 10th.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

blogging, Christmas, Faith, Family, friendship, God, Life's Challenges, relationships, writing

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Time with Family

Hello, my WP Friends!
How are you this lovely December weekend?
I hope your Thanksgiving was everything you dreamed of…
and your December has started off nicely.
What are you looking forward to?
We just enjoyed a 3 week trip to Switzerland
where we spent quality time with our daughter
and her family… highlighted by meeting our
Number One Swiss Great-Grandchild.
Now we are anticipating our Christmas trip
to California where we will spend quality time with
our son, our daughter-in-law, Monika, and our grandchildren.
Here is our daughter-in-law, Monika,
with our great-grandchild, Mable. Aren’t they a cutie?

You can see how Grandma Monika is enjoying her granddaughter.
We expect to get in on some of that love in just a couple of weeks.
Christmas needs to be “FAMILY TIME”
Don’t you agree?

How about you?
Do you have fun plans for this holiday season?

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas season
filled with all your favorite people, events, and treats.
Be sure to celebrate “The Reason for the Season.”
Go to church. Worship the One who gives us HOPE.
Pray for peace in our war-torn world.
Attend those special events that are happening in your community.
Bob & I went last night to our local “Christmas Stroll”
and enjoyed the “Parade of Lights” in our little town.
What special events do you anticipate in your town/city?

I couldn’t get my video of last night’s little parade
to show up here… so here is one generated by AI.
It’s obviously in a larger venue that our little town.
But, you get the idea, right?
Christmas is a season of celebrations!
I hope you and your family enjoy every opportunity
that your community offers you.
And don’t forget the “Reason for the Season.”

Enjoy family time as you pass along the
REAL Christmas story to the next generation.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Christmas, Faith, Family, Jesus, Montana

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Shop with Love

Let us Shop with Love
For it is the thought that counts!
That’s my “take-away.”

It’s the thought that counts
December’s gift-giving time…
Choose gifts carefully.

Select gifts with love
Let’s not get caught in frenzy
Of merchandising

My “Walking in Grace”
The Daily Devotional
Encourages me

Each day’s “Take Away”
Gives me a thought to ponder
Let’s do a review

of the last half of November:

  • Boldly share God’s love
  • Fix your eyes upon Jesus; look into His face
  • Let generosity be your natural resonse
  • Pray about your temper; control it!
  • Whatever your pain, God’ll get you through it
  • Lord, keep my heart and hands open!
  • Overlook annoyances; Focus on the good
  • Don’t let feat or anything separate you from God
  • Follow the path God has set before you
  • Pursue peace always!
  • Sing hymns of praise
  • Take joy in celebrations
  • Rejoice and give thanks always
  • Take everything to God in prayer
  • Shop with love; It’s the thought that counts!

“Every good gift and perfect gift is from above.”
James 1:17

“LORD, all good gifts come from you,
even little ones.”
-Gail Thorell Schilling
Walking in Grace

May your gift choosing
be blessed activities
Selected with love

Choose the perfect gift
for each person you shop for.
Have a blessed time!

Here’s to a glorious time!
A Happy Advent!
You are a blessing!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Christmas, friendship, Giving, Haiku, holidays, Love, Poetry, prayer, Serving One Another

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Family Time

Thanksgiving is coming here in the USA.
It’s a time to especially thank God for:

Your children and their father,
Your dear husband
who puts up with you every day
(or for you dads out there:
Thank God for the mother of your children
who puts up with you every day)
Are you fortunate to have a spouse and kids?

Thank God for your in-laws:
For your son-in-law
and your daughter-in-law,
And for their parents.
Are you fortunate enough to have
a good relationship with you in-law’s parents?

We are blessed to have this
sweet, nutty, fun-loving daughter
in Switzerland. As we approach
Thanksgiving, we especially are
thankful that we had the strength
and the stamina to visit her this month!

If you have a child who
married someone from another country,
I hope you know the joy of being able
to travel to see him/her.

God is so good to bless us
with the ability to go to Switzerland.
We now are planning our Christmas trip
to spend time with our son, Ty, and
his family in California.
Thank you, dear Lord, for the
resources and the strength and the help
with choosing our flights
and being able to have that
Family Time.

C’mas 2020

That CA family has grown by two more
great-grandchildren since that photo.
It includes Bob & me with our son & his wife,
her parents, 3 of our grandchildren,
and one great-granddaughter, Cosette.
Family Time is so precious!

I pray that your holidays coming up
find you surrounded by loving family
and friends who are like “chosen family.”
God bless you!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, children, Christmas, Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, Love, relationships, Travel

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Love is a Mystery

In church today
our affirmation of faith began,
“God’s sovereign love is a mystery…”

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

God’s sovereign love
is a mystery beyond the reach
of the human mind.

Photo by Amber Lamoreaux on Pexels.com

Human thought ascribes to God
superlatives of
power,
wisdom,
and goodness.

But God reveals His love
in Jesus Christ
by showing power
in the form of a servant.

God reveals
His love
in the folly
of the cross.

He reveals
His love
and His goodness
in receiving sinners.

The power of God’s love
to transform the world
discloses that the Lord
is Creator of all things.

He made all things
to serve the purpose
of His Love.
You and I serve His purpose!

God bless our dear daughter
who serves with love
every day.
I am so grateful
for her love.
It is no mystery!

The mystery for me
is why Jesus
blesses me so richly
with His love
and the love of
friends and family
while others
seem without.

AI generated this photo
when I asked for
“Children in Poverty”
Guess what?
All those “without”
are not brown skinned!

Set aside your prejudices.
Look around you.
There are people
right in your town or city,
Maybe in your neighborhood,
who are “without”.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Love is a mystery.
Poverty knows no color.
Hugs know no color.
Generosity is multi-colored.

God’s sovereign love
is no mystery.
It is there for all.
It is a gift.
Unwrap it!!
And then share!!!

Photo by Lum3n.com on Pexels.com

Now, with whom
will you share your
gift of love?

I send my love to you today.
It’s what the world needs…
More love!
Don’t you agree?

God bless you!
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, children, God, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, relationships, Serving One Another

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