Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘grief’

Embrace Emotions

The Scream by Edvard Munch

My second grandson was the screamer.
He spent the first couple years of his life doing it.
He certainly knew how to let his emotions out!

Screaming may not be the best way as an adult
To emote your emotions!
What are some healthy ways to let these feelings out?

Fear

But some fear is real and intended
It’s good to embrace fear when a bear is growling at you
It’s good to fear a runaway truck or an avalanche
Know when to embrace fear!

Anger

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Screaming in anger at a situation you can’t control
may not be the best way to embrace your emotion
But anger in itself is not wrong
Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers
Embrace righteous anger!

Sadness/Grief

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

In Daily Guideposts today, Erika Bentson wrote,

“Cowgirls don’t cry!”
She admitted that she is “not the type to carry tissues”
but instead she can “brush over ]her] feelings.”
“Mourning doesn’t come easily to me,” is how she began.
Even in the face of her father’s death, she “stayed strong – mostly.”

In the end of the article, Erika quoted a friend who told her,
“Tears are a testament to what a great dad he was.”
She encouraged her to let the emotions show.
“Don’t be ashamed that you’re human,” she told her.

Embrace your sadness!
Allow your grief to play out!

Ezekiel 36:26

“I will give you a new heart,
and I will put a new spirit in you.
I will take your stony, stubborn heart
and give you a tender, responsive heart.”

Embrace your tears!
Let them flow.

Shame

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Speaking of
“Don’t be ashamed that you’re human,”
what about it?
Does shame have a place in our emotional outlet?

Psalm 34:4-5

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

Psalm 31:17

“O Lord, let me not be put to shame,
for I call upon You;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go silently to Sheol.”

Where does that emotion of shame fit in?
When we have screwed up and we know it,
When we have said something without thinking,
When we have done something to hurt someone else,
It is the shame we feel that causes remorse.
It is the remorse that leads to repentance.
It is the repentance that leads to “calling out”
And it is calling out that leads to forgiveness.
Do not wallow in shame.
Face your actions,
face your emotions,
and clear your conscience.

Confront your shame and eliminate it!

Despair

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Do not despair!
Replace despair with hope.
Despair is not a healthy emotion.
We are humans, prone to error,
But we are not desperate!

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed…”

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This is one of my favorite verses.
It is my faith that keeps me from despair-
And my prayer for you is that regardless of your circumstance,
you also can have the faith “which surpasses all understanding.”

Do not embrace despair!

Peacefulness

I feared that my second grandson, the Screamer,
would grow up to be a very disgruntled human being.
I should never have let that emotion embrace me.
Embrace the peacefulness of hope!
Embrace the peacefulness of letting go.
Embrace the peacefulness of knowing
God’s got this!!

There’s Nick – at peace with self and nature.

The emotions that accompany peacefulness
are joy, contentment, satisfaction, and submission.

Nick and Celine’s slippers with their peaceful dog

Embrace Peace!

Pride

What about that emotion of pride?
Pride in self? Pride in your accomplishments –
Pride in the person your children or grandchildren have become –
What about pride?

Proverbs 11:2

“When pride comes,
then comes disgrace,
but with the humble is wisdom.”

Romans 12:16

“Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be haughty,
but associate with the lowly.
Never be wise in your own sight.”

Bob is reading a book right now titled, Soul Survivor, by Philip Yancey.
In it he learned about thirteen people who influenced Yancey’s life.
One of them is Gandhi who always traveled third class.
When asked why, his response was,
“Because there is no fourth class.”

Humility

In the last years of his life, Gandhi adopted a man with leprosy.
Daily he bathed him and changed that man’s bandaged.

Proverbs 22:4

“The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life.”

Gandhi was invited to meet the King of England.
Gandhi approached the king wearing only his loincloth.
A bystander asked him why he was dressed so scantily.
He responded, “He is wearing enough clothes for both of us,”

Gandhi embraced the emotion of humility to the extreme.
As a result, he was indeed rewarded with “honor and life,”
but his riches were not in gold and silver,
for he disdained material possessions,
his riches were in honor, peace, and a meaningful life.

When you go to Google and enter Gandhi’s name,
Mahatma Gandhi – Wikipedia, it will tell you:
“Mahatma Gandhi,
as he is known by his followers with reverence,
preached the philosophy of non-violence
which has become even more relevant today.
His commitment to non-violence
and satyagraha (peaceful resistance)
gave hope to marginalized sections of India.”

Humility is a Wonderful Emotional Outlet!

Embrace the emotions
associated with humility:

joy
compassion
contentment
satisfaction
and leave all your worries behind!

See ya tomorrow.

Tell Me:
Which emotion will you embrace more today?
And which will you try to release?

Thanks for visiting JanBeek!

Embrace Hearts

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

As I write this,
my heart is breaking.

Broken-Hearted

I just discovered this morning that my dear friend, Leena’s son, Vince, died suddenly on Friday. No warning! He was about the age of my son, Ty. Vince worked at our local grocery store. I saw him there often … always a smile, always a cheerful greeting. He was at work Friday. Friday night after dinner, he was sitting in his chair at home with his parents, and he just stopped breathing. Can you imagine the shock??

Photo by burak kostak on Pexels.com

Prayers for All Grieving

My heart is broken
for Leena and Bob and their family.
My prayers go out to all of you
who have lost a loved one this year.

Your hearts are grieving, too,
as you face this first Valentine’s Day
without that special person.
God bless you! Link heartstrings with mine.

Heart strings

In our ZOOM church service this morning,
I provided the “special music.”
It was inspired by the February 14th message
in Charles Stanley’s In Touch Daily Devotional.

“When facing all kinds of difficulties,
many of us have a tendency to power through
in our own strength. But the reality is
that’s never effective – at least not for long.
God wants us to come closer to Him.

When we stay focused on Jesus,
we can take comfort in knowing
He’ll lead us through the hard places.

As you continue walking with Him,
trust that He already knows
what will happen in your life –
and that regardless of what lies ahead,
He will never leave you.”

EMBRACE HEARTS
Lord, link mine to yours –
And link ours to one another.
Photo by ATC Comm Photo on Pexels.com
Where He Leads Me, I Will Follow

Embrace Hearts with one another –
Offer your love and support to heal.
Heal the broken-hearted by sharing.
Share your love with a song or a meal.

Not everyone has a heart full of love today;
Some are feeling quite empty.
Lord, fill their hearts with the love of God –
And encourage others to “Go With Him” today.

Hugs from JanBeek
See ya tomorrow.

Dogs in Heaven?

Today a good friend of ours
Is having to say good-bye
To her furry companion
Such days make me cry

Photo by Julia Volk on Pexels.com

The doggy’s name is Hannah.
She’s been a faithful friend.
Companionship and a love –
Giving comfort to the end

Photo by Szabu00f3 Viktor on Pexels.com

I wrote this poem for my friend, Fran, as a comfort as she sees Hannah off on her final journey. Bon Voyage, dear pup. You’ve been a treasured friend for over 15 years. You’ve earned you eternal reward!

I Believe

I don’t have to understand
In order to believe.
I just have to trust –
And know it’s okay to grieve.

When tragedy strikes –
Like the death of a friend –
I don’t have to comprehend
Why my friend’s life must end.

I can just believe
There’s a heaven and a hell.
My friend will ascend
To eternity to dwell.

In heaven are the ones
Who lived by the Cross.
They accepted God’s grace,
So their death is not loss.

There are people and pets
In that paradise up high.
I don’t have to understand –
Just anticipate the sky!

Photo by Ruvim on Pexels.com

Rest in Peace, Sweet Hannah.
Your cross to bear has ended –
Your life you shared and blended.
Your soul to heaven ascended.

See ya round the bend!

Have a blessed Saturday.
Say a prayer for my friend, Fran.

These pictures below are from a book by Cynthia Rylant titled, “Dog Heaven.” It was a gift to us from the Colorado State Veterinary Hospital staff after our beloved Boston, Angela, died following a two year bout with cancer.

And thank God there are fields for romping in Heaven.

See ya round the bend.
(Do you have a pet waiting for you in Heaven?)

God bless ya!
JanBeek

Another Angel in Heaven

Phyllis Wasick and me –
about 10 years ago

The older we get,
The more ready we must be
For our angel friends
To leave you and me.

They ascend to heaven
Where loved ones wait
To greet them in song
At the pearly gate.

Today’s selfie

When our hair turns silver
And wrinkles show our age,
We have to be ready
To turn the eternal page.

The eighties are great;
It’s a decade of reflection
And a time to appreciate
Every earthly connection.

But it also is a time
When we look at this season
As the winter of our years,
And we search for life’s reason.

Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

We look at life differently
Than we did in our teens.
We see through our experience
What life is – what purpose means.

It’s not about what we can get,
Or what riches we acquire.
It’s about the love we give
To the people we admire.

It’s about reaching out to strangers
Who are falling between the crack.
It’s about filling their needs –
Helping give the things they lack.

Photo by Luis Dalvan on Pexels.com

Reaching up in prayer and praise
I thank the Lord for all His gifts.
As long as I have life and breath,
I’ll reach out to give others lifts.

I hope you’ll use your senior years
To do the same – to spread your love –
Because we are blessed to be a blessing.
For every day, I thank. God above.

My Prayer for You

When your time comes
To say good-bye to earth,
May the angels welcome you
And your friends rejoice at your New Birth!
Amen

Welcome to Heaven, Phyllis.
I miss you here…
But I rejoice at your Eternal Reunion.
May all who were blessed by your presence
And who entered the pearly gates before you did
Be there to welcome you HOME.
God bless you!
Keep the light on!

Love,
JanBeek

Each Man as My Brother

Each man as my brother,
Each woman as my sister
Each one as my friend
We need one another…

When I was in college back in the late 50s and early 60s, we sang this song in the A Cappella choir at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. I loved it then. I love it even more now. We need it!!

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

Each woman as my sister,
Each one as my friend.

Lord, heal our nation.
Almighty God, step in and heal our divisions.
Help us understand our Oneness.
Help us just LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!

Lie down, my friends.
Put your feet up.
Fold your hands.
Click that arrow up there –
And pray this as a prayer with me
As we sing that song together,

“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.”
Each woman as my sister,
With love that knows no end.

Beth Guckenberger,
from her book, Reckless Faith: Let Go and Be Led,

“Hope is reborn in the form of faith,
faith that God will take over,
even if you can’t see how.”

Rest in that thought!!

You are in my thoughts,
in my prayers,
in my heart.

Bee well.
Just love!

See ya later,
JanBeek

Helping Grieving People

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

While perusing FaceBook this evening, I came across this article that I thought was so well written. The author, Nancy Guthrie, said what many of us know, “… for those who’ve recently lost someone they love, the holidays can seem more like something to survive than to enjoy.”

Nancy Guthrie is a guest writer on the FB page, desiringGod.
She goes on to write,

“While those of us who surround grieving people
can’t fix the pain of loss,
we can bring comfort
as we come alongside
those who hurt
with special sensitivity
to what grief is like
during the holidays.
Grieving people wish
we all knew at least five truths,
among others, at Christmas.”

You can click on the link below to see the full article,
learn what those five truths are,
and learn a little more about Nancy Guthrie.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-grieving-people-wish-you-knew-at-christmas?fbclid=IwAR2buan3Tk0KSKt7VSpZt5F2mooNoXdrXSFY1xekAcI2jxvg-svWkBOn3DQ

If you know someone who recently lost a spouse, a child, or a close friend, you may be interested in passing this article along to their loved ones. I found it very helpful.

Photo by Wallace Chuck on Pexels.com

Do not suffer alone.
Do not let your loved ones suffer in silence.
Reach out in love.

Have a beautiful week.

Let me know if you found this FB article
on desiringGod helpful.

See ya tomorrow.

Everyone Needs Help Sometimes

This is the end of National Suicide Prevention Week,
But it is not the end of our need to reach out and help.

Everyone needs a little help sometimes –
And some of us need more help more often than others.

So print this chart of help providers
And have it ready to give to a friend in need.

We are told that the best help we can give
Is just to be there, to care, to listen.

No one should be left to feel unloved, unnecessary,
Unwanted, unappreciated. Every life matters!

You matter. I matter.
Don’t doubt it for a moment!

See ya later.

Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge
 A friend sent me this link to Humane Goods website. She saw that I had posted a reference to the “Rainbow Bridge” in relation to my friend, Carol, passing.

I found it very interesting – and thought I would pass it along to you, my WordPress friends.

After reading it, I decided I would like to enter that “other-worldly place consisting of a sunny, green meadow and multi-colored, prismatic bridge … [that] eventually crosses … to heaven.”

No reason it should be reserved only for our pets!!

I like to think both Carol and her beloved pet, “Basta” are romping in that green meadow, whole and strong and playing awhile before crossing over the Rainbow Bridge together!!

Here’s Basta!

Basta

Where Does the Term “Rainbow Bridge” Come From and Why is It Synonymous with the Loss of a Pet?

Over the course of several years, the term Rainbow Bridge has become synonymous with animal lovers who have lost a pet.

You may hear a grief-stricken owner say their deceased pet has “crossed the Rainbow Bridge” or say “I’ll meet you at the Rainbow Bridge” in reference to the pet.

However, have you wondered what exactly the “Rainbow Bridge” is, where it came from, and how it became so widely used?

Although there is still some speculation as to how the term came about, pet lovers do have a number of answers which we’ll cover in this article.

What is the Rainbow Bridge?

The “Rainbow Bridge” refers to an other-worldly place consisting of a sunny, green meadow and multi-colored, prismatic bridge the pet eventually crosses that leads it to heaven.

The term is believed to have originated in several works of poetry from the 1980s and 1990s that were meant to help relieve deceased pet owners of the pain of their loss.

According to poems, upon death, the pet finds itself in a lush, green meadow filled with sunshine. The pet’s health is fully restored and it can run and play as it did in its prime with unlimited food and water.

There, the pet waits until its human companion dies and is reunited with them in the meadow. Together, they cross the Rainbow Bridge to heaven.

Where Did the Rainbow Bridge Idea Come From?

The concept for the pet Rainbow Bridge may have been based on the Bifröst bridge of Norse Mythology.

The Bifrost bridge was said to be a burning rainbow bridge that reaches between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, the realm of the gods.

The first reference to a meadow in which pets await their owners can be found in the book Beautiful Joe’s Paradise by Margaret Marshall Saunders.

Beautiful Joe’s Paradise is a sequel to the book Beautiful Joe, which was one of the first that helped raise awareness toward animal cruelty and told the story Beautiful Joe, a dog from the town of Meaford, Ontario

In Beautiful Joe’s Paradise, pets await their owners in a grassland and help one another heal from cruelty they endured during their lives. However, the book makes no mention of a Rainbow Bridge and the pets eventually ascend into heaven by balloon.

Who Wrote the Original Rainbow Bridge Poem?

The first appearance of the Rainbow Bridge in relation to animals is believed to come from a poem by Paul C. Dahm, a grief counselor in Oregon. He wrote the first Rainbow Bridge poem in prose style as seen below:

“Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….”

The popular rhyming version by Steve and Diane Bodofsky came later and was inspired by this original version.

How Did the Term “Rainbow Bridge” Become So Popular?

Steve Bodofsky believed the original poem by Paul C. Dahm was great, but needed “a bit of coaxing to bring out the meter and rhyme”.

Together with his wife they created their own rhyming version of the Rainbow Bridge poem which they shared with friends shown below:

Another popular Rainbow Bridge poem that helped popularize the concept worldwide came later from Steve and Diane Bodofsky, a couple that operated a ferret rescue.

“By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,

Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.

Where the friends of man and woman do run,

When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,

Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.

On this golden land, they wait and they play,

Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,

For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.

Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,

Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,

Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.

All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,

Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;

Together again, both person and pet.

So they run to each other, these friends from long past,

The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,

Has turned into joy once more in each heart.

They embrace with a love that will last forever,

And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

© 1998 Steve and Diane Bodofsky. All Rights Reserved.

(I hope I have not violated copyright laws by posting this for you!)

Upon getting positive feedback, they collaborated with a graphic design artist to produce Rainbow Bridge Fine Art Print and Rainbow Bridge Sympathy Cards and thus began increasing popularity of the term.

It’s debated when exactly the term Rainbow Bridge was first mentioned online, but the term began circulating in articles and websites as early as 1993 and possibly before that.

The rise of pet forums and pet groups, especially public Facebook pet owner groups, helped Rainbow Bridge reach the mainstream term that it is today.

Rainbow Bridge and Memorials

The reason the term because so popular is because most pet owners view their pet as more than just “a cat” or “a dog”.

The thought of reuniting with that specific animal companion is a heartwarming feeling in a very painful, emotional time.

In addition to printed versions of the poem in sympathy cards, there are now several “Rainbow Bridge” memorials one can buy to honor their pet or to give to someone who is grief-stricken.

In fact, Humane Goods is proud to have made our own memorial, the Rainbow Bridge Memorial Chimes.

These chimes are multi-colored and made of high-quality material for a beautiful sound. Each chime has a special remembrance seal at the bottom which catches the wind for the chime.

You can get more information about them here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2Q1R94

In Conclusion

Today, it’s widely accepted that all types of animals not just cats and dogs, are eligible to cross the Rainbow Bridge and make it to heaven.

For animals that did not have an owner, it’s assumed they go straight to heaven and that the Rainbow Bridge is meant for pets who wish to cross together with their still-alive human companion.

As losing an animal is a devastating event, it’s easy to see why this term gained so much popularity in just a few decades and will most likely continue to be widely used.

What do you think about the Rainbow Bridge story? Do you have any pets that have “crossed the Rainbow Bridge”? Let us know below.


Hope you enjoyed this site and explanation as much as I did.

Many thanks to my friend, Carol Perry, for sending me the Humane Goods link.

Do you have a beloved pet you look forward to seeing in that meadow someday
– and crossing the Rainbow Bridge with your four-legged friend?

Tell me about him/her!

pexels-photo-887349
See you tomorrow.

Sunday Morning Divisions

Are you in sanctuary or synagogue or temple or church today?
God Bless You!

 

In my quiet time this morning, Carol Mackey reflected on 1 Cor. 1:10 in which Paul wrote to the people of Corinth, “Now I plead with you… that you speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind…”

Carol wrote in Guideposts’ Mornings with Jesus, “Sunday morning at eleven o’clock is the most segregated hour of the week.”

 

two people outside yellow and black wooden building

I was prompted in thinking about that statement to create this Haiku x4:

Sunday Mornings

Segregation thrives
most in Sunday morning pews.
Where’s our unity?

white tealight candles lit during nighttime
Race and culture,
Ideology and thoughts
Pull worship apart.

building architecture church old
It must sadden God;
It must grieve Jesus’ heart
To see divisions.

aerial photography of brown roofed white concrete building surrounded by trees
Instead of focus
On our obvious fractures,
Focus on One God!

.

 

bible blur christ christianity

All Photos here are by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Many people are unaware that the first five books of the Bible are the Jewish Torah.

Everything on earth is created by our One God.
On that we who worship the One God can agree, right?


As we worship God,
how can we use that worship time
as a time of

UNITY
and not
DIVISION?

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