Loving One Another

Posts tagged ‘gratitude’

You Are Mine


As this day – a day in the USA to remember and honor our veterans – draws to an end, I am encouraged by the ways God reassures us of our destiny… and theirs.

My heart goes out to the parents, spouses, children, and loved ones of our fallen heroes. God bless those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country and our freedom.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

But my greatest gratitude goes to my Lord who assures us that He will bring us home … and He will be our strength, our light, our hope.

In 1991 David Haas, inspired by Ps. 46:10, Isaiah 43:1 and John 14:27 wrote “You Are Mine,” a song that speaks to my soul.

“I will come to you in the silence,

I will lift you from all your fear.

You will hear my voice,

I claim you as my choice,

Be still and know I am here.

I am hope for all who are hopeless,

I am sight for all who long to see.

In the shadows of the night,

I will be your light,

Come and rest in me.

Do not be afraid, I am with you.

I have called you each by name.

Come and follow me,

I will bring you home;

I love you and you are mine.

I am the strength for all the despairing,

Healing for the ones who dwell in shame.

All the blind will see, the lame will all run free,

And all will know my name.

I am the word that leads to all freedom,

I am the peace the world cannot give.

I will call your name,

Embracing all your pain,

Stand up now, walk and live!

Do not be afraid, I am with you.

I have called you each by name.

Come and follow me, I will bring you home;

I love you and you are mine.


Our loved ones who sacrificed their lives
For our freedom and for our safety
Are home in the arms of our Lord.

He said, “You are mine.”

And He meant it for Eternity.

In His Promises there is peace and assurance.

God bless you. Believe! You belong to Him.

And He has your loved ones in His Hand.

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Belief, Faith, Giving, Gratitude, Love, Poetry, Serving One Another

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God Bless Our Veterans


Last night we attended a dinner celebrating the 244th birthday of the United States Marine Corps and honoring our veterans.

The gentleman on the left in this photo is Don Bowen, a Marine veteran. He and his wife, Toni, invited us to attend. Don and Toni are the realtors who had our house built. They lived in it for the first 6 years before we bought it. I have a special spot in my heart for this couple.

The birthday cake was cut by the oldest Marine present (91) and served by the youngest one (42). I thought that was a nice tradition.

All branches of the service were recognized with a toast to their service to our country. Bob served in the army when we first were married.

Handsome dude, huh?

That opportunity to live in Germany while Bob served in the military got our marriage off to a wonderful start. I was stripped from my comfort zones: family, friends, language, culture, job… and placed in a “strange land” where I needed to rely on my husband, my inner core, my faith, and my ability to learn and adapt.

I landed a job (by God’s Grace) teaching first graders on the army base – it was mid-year, February – so it really was a God-thing!! And we became life-long friends with the Schallers, whose chalet we shared. Ah memories!

On this Veterans Day, I think back to those years of service and I remember all who sacrificed for our freedom. I live in gratitude – forever thankful for all who served and who are serving in our military today.

In a perfect world, we would need no armies. We would just love one another, and we’d all live in peace. Ah, I long for that day. But, I’m afraid it won’t come til Heaven. Nevertheless, I will strive for that peace in my life.

You, too, right?

See ya later!

Category:

Awards, Family, Giving, God, Gratitude, holidays, Love, peace, Serving One Another

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Prayers for Cliff


Prayers Requested

A couple days ago I asked you to pray for my cousin, Cliff, who had esophageal cancer and had his esophagus removed. I know some of you are praying people who take requests like mine to heart and actually add CLIFF HURN to your prayer list. I want you to know how much I and his family appreciate it!

Prayers Answered

Today I received the following news from Cliff’s daughter, Heidi:

“You can see from the smiles that Cliff had a great day… and of course it helps that he’s surrounded by his favorite ladies 😉 The nasal tube is gone – good news since that means he can wear his CPAP and get some sleep, he has a new feeding tube installed near his tummy, and he finally gets to eat ice chips! Who knew these milestones would be so exciting!?”

Cliff with wife, Janine, on the right –
flanked by his beautiful daughters

Continued Prayers

Continue those prayers, please.
We are hoping Cliff can go home on Monday.
His wife, Janine is a nurse.
Between his daughters, spouse, and God, he is in good hands.

I’m grateful for answered prayers.
See ya tomorrow.

Category:

blessings, Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, Life's Challenges, Love

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As I Get Older


As I get older, I realize:

  • things aren’t so urgent
  • laughter is a great anecdote for stress
  • it’s okay to be a bit off color
  • forgiveness is imperative
  • friends are priceless treasures
  • love dissolves distances
  • I may not always be right
  • But then again…
Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com

Groucho Marx was one of my favorite comedians. He and Red Skelton always made my dad laugh. I can still remember him sitting in front of our black and white picture on the TV back in the late 40s, laughing til his eyes were teary at Groucho’s jokes. As I recall a few I am reminded that humor really is a way to share kindness because when we laugh, the “endorfins” brighten our spirit and feed the corners of our brains.

As I grow older, I remember it’s important to
Lighten up and laugh more often! Groucho said,

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend,
inside a dog, it’s too dark to read.”

“Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them…
well, I have others.”

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble,
finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly,
and applying the wrong remedies.”

“Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.”

“I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening.
But this wasn’t it.”

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Don’t you love that Santa picture? Reminds me that everyday is a gift…
And we shouldn’t wait for once a year to open it.
Keep the sparkle alive as you grow older –
And make every day a day of
… kindness
… gratitude
… and remembering why you walked into that room!

See ya later!

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Christmas, Family, Gratitude, happiness, Love, mental health

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In Your Life


There is a reason
I am in your life right now
You are blessing mine

It’s Gratitude and Kindness month
I am grateful for your kindness:
Reading JanBeek,
Joining me on this blogging journey,
Caring enough to leave a comment –
Writing your own inspirational posts –
Ah yes, you are a blessing!

Thank you!
What feels like a blessing to you today?

See ya later!

Category:

blessings, blogging, friendship, Giving, Gratitude, Haiku, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, Sharing

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Quilts of Valor


Today our Ennis Arts Association had a guest speaker, Kathy Coontz, who represents the Federation, Quilts of Valor, in our state of Montana. Kathy is such an inspiration!! I love her quilts and her enthusiasm.

Happy Kathy Coontz

Can you see what a delight she is?

The Quilts of Valor Foundation is a nation-wide service effort that delivers quilts to service members and veterans. Its mission is to cover service men and women and veterans touched by our war(s) with comforting and healing hugs in the form of beautiful, warm, red, white and blue quilts.

Kathy w quilt

Kathy told us the recipients do not have to have served in a “declared war.” Regardless of the conflict or the branch of service, the rank or the job (Clerk Typist Specialist 4 – behind a desk in Germany in 1961-2 was my husband’s job), we owe them a thank you for their service to our country. The quilts are stitched with love, prayers, gratitude, and healing thoughts. It’s the quilters’ way of saying, “Thank you for your service, sacrifice, and valor.”

3 veterans - QOV

In their brochure explaining the program, QOV quoted one recipient, a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan from ’05 to ’07.

Spc. JMcK, US Army, wrote,
“As silly as it might sound for a soldier with over three years in Iraq and Afghanistan to say, that blanket became a true item of comfort and peace for the road ahead.”

If you know a U.S. service man or woman or a veteran who might appreciate a Quilt of Valor, you can log on to http://www.QOVF.org and fill out an application. You also can discover on that site how to donate to the cause, join the organization, or designate a gift for a specific QOVF group or particular state.

It was a wonderful presentation. I wish more people in our Madison Valley had been there to hear Kathy’s message.

Do you have a Quilts Of Valor organization near you? Or do you know of a veteran who’d benefit? Think about it! There’s nothing like a warm blanket hug! My daughter DeDe sent me a blanket hug for Christmas last year. I love it!!

Jan - blanket hugSee ya later.

 

 

 

Category:

art, Awards, Giving, Gratitude, Love, Montana, Serving One Another

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Bee Love Award


On my last post, I said, “See ya tomorrow,” and expected to “bee” on my way,

but then I got this award from Yeka at YBP – It’s All About Love:

Thank you, Yeka!

Yeka accompanied the award with this note:

“Hi friends!

As you’d know by now, I’m all about LOVE! And I believe in spreading love with the highest levels of passion!

In gratitude to you for your gracious outpouring of love, I’d love to give back love a billionfold. This is my happy way of saying THANK YOU!!!

What better way to do that than to SHARE THE LOVE! I’ve come up with a special award that I believe we should all receive and generously pass on.

I’d like to start off our happy LOVE FLOW by nominating  fellow bloggers who live out love and inspiration here on our WP community.

My intention is to spread our LOVE community-wide and so I’d appreciate your happy participation. And if you choose not to participate, I hope your nomination puts a smile in your heart knowing that you are loved and appreciated.”

Her nomination DID put a smile on my face… and so I continued reading and she helped me know how to do #1 … although it’s not quite at the top.

I thank you, Yeka for this award. Let me share your guidelines:

  1.    Attach the BEE LOVE AWARD LOGO on top of your post.
  2.    PIng back to YBP, IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE.
  3.    Thank your fellow blogger who nominated you.
  4.    Share your Definition of LOVE and How You Live Out LOVE.
  5.    Nominate your  fellow bloggers who live out love and inspiration on WP.  (Love knows no limits, so nominate as many fellow bloggers you’d like to shine your light on!)

Reka’s Definition of LOVE:

“Love is the ultimate reason we were born.
We live for love.
We live through love.
We live to love.“

How Reka is Living Out LOVE:

She wrote: “LOVE is action to me. So, in my own simple way, I love by helping others become the best versions of themselves. I help them realize how sweetly blessed and richly loved they truly are. I celebrate them!”

Reka’s BEE LOVE AWARD Nominees (I am just showing you mine… it’s part of her 1st Batch ….. She said there are “More Happy Batches to come!!!” You can see them when you click on the link to her original blog.

Jan, JANBEEK

How I Live Out Love

Live a life of gratitude.
I thank all my blogging friends
who visit me here.
I love you!
❤️
Bee the love I want to see in others.
Look for those in need and reach out in love to help.
Pray daily for friends and family, and
Thank the Lord each day for the
Love, Joy, and Peace that He gives me.
Spread it!

I nominate YOU,
my love-filled readers,
for this “Bee Love Award.”
You’re awesome!

Category:

Awards, blessings, Giving, God, Gratitude, Love

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