Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘happiness’

Just Be Happy

It’s the middle of the night here in Ennis, Montana, USA.
I can’t sleep.
Do you ever have that problem?
What do you do about it?

There’s an old song that comes to mind.
These may not be the exact words,
but it goes something like this:
When you’re troubled and you can’t sleep,
Count your blessings instead of sheep;
and you’ll fall asleep
counting your blessings.”

See you later!
After some restful sleep…
If I can just get TazE to stop waking me up!

.
.
.

OK, just be happy…
Life is good-
Even at 3: in the morning!!

Sharing Sunshine

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Thank God

 

Click on this link for a cheery message today:
https://passcodelove.com/2019/09/05/wake-up-sunshine

I read the blog whose link I posted above – and it brought sunshine to me on this gloomy, gray Friday morning. I hope it brightens your day, too. It is so true… we can’t rely on outward circumstances to bring us our joy. The door opens inward!

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When things look cloudy and gray
Just turn your focus away
From the things that are dark and gloomy
Let joy spring from your heart today.

Life IS an amazing journey
It DOES all begin and end with LOVE
So open the door to your heart’s love
And let JOY bring you strength from above.

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You may be facing some darkness
Your skies may be cloudy and gray
But they don’t have to dampen your spirits
Let the Son shine in to brighten your day.

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Have a bright and beautiful Friday.
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See ya later!

Ten Ways to Keep Marriage Alive

Ten Ways to Keep Marriage Alive

 

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Bob and I have been married more than 57 years. Our love for one another is more alive today than it ever has been. (I read that statement to him just now and asked if he agreed. Of course, he said, “Of course,” That’s part of the secret, guys! Ya gotta readily agree on things like that!)

How do we do it? How do we keep love alive after all these years? What is a healthy marriage anyway?

Jane Smiley, in her book, At Paradise Gate, wrote the following:

“You know what getting married is? It’s agreeing to take this person who right now is at the top of his form, full of hopes and ideas, feeling good, wildly interested in you because you’re the same way, and sticking by him while he slowly disintegrates. And he does the same for you. You’re his responsibility now, and he is yours. If no one else will take care of him, you will. If everyone else rejects you, he won’t.

What do you think love is? Going to bed all the time? Poo! Don’t be weak. Have some spine! He’s yours and you’re his. He doesn’t beat you or abuse you, and you’ve made the same bargain. Now that you know what it’s like to be married, now that all the gold leaf has sort of worn off, you can make something of it; you can really learn to love each other.”

I love that take on marriage by Jane Smiley. It coincides with my opinion on what it takes to make a marriage work. Here is my list:
Ten Constant Steps toward Being Married Happily Ever After:

  1. Accept and Respect one another’s differences, and celebrate your areas of sameness.
  2. Stick by one another – even as you slowly disintegrate.
  3. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Be forgiving.
  4. Defend one another to a hostile world.
  5. Be strong in your faith; pray and laugh and play together.
  6. Be a diligent partner, doing more than your share without bitterness or resentment or complaint.
  7. Praise one another for the little things.
  8. Never take one another for granted.
  9. Always be trustworthy; don’t stab one another in the back!
  10. Practice the art of compromise – with God as your Constant Guide.

Keep Learning

Yes, when all the gold leaf has sort of worn off and you’re each comfortable in your own space, keep the space open and inviting. Invite one another in. Keep on learning to love one another as long as you both shall live.

You’re in this box together. You’re in it for the long haul. Enjoy the ride!

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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Hang tight!!


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See ya later.

 

What Do You See?

What Do You See?

Photo by Josiel Miranda on Pexels.com

When you open your eyes
To look at this world
What kinds of sights
To your eyes are unfurled?

Do you see through glasses
That are sparkling and bright
Or is your vision clouded
By the absence of light?

Pray to have eyes
That can see the best
In the sights around you
Let go of the rest

Pray that your heart
Can forgive the worst
Of the behavior
Of those who thirst

They thirst for a mind
That forgives all the bad
And remembers the things
That make us feel glad

They thirst for a soul
That has peace, faith, and joy
It seems that they focus
On the things that annoy

But that’s not our life
We each have a choice
We can focus on things
That make us rejoice

I see your new posts
I see your concerns
I see into your heart
I know that it yearns

I pray that your worries
Your doubts and your fears
Can be seen through glasses
That wipe away tears

Wouldn’t it be nice if
All glasses had a set
Of windshield wipers?
They’d be bestsellers, I bet!

See ya tomorrow


Holding Hands

Everything I ever needed to know
I learned in kindergarten!
Never stop holding hands!

Bob helped me down the steep Mount Baldy hillside

Holding hands is underrated
It’s akin to holding hearts
When you stop holding hands
That’s when the trouble starts

Dancing with your loved one
In the kitchen or bedroom
Keeps your relationship fresh
As when you were bride and groom

Expressing how I love you
In words both clear and sweet
Helps our love stay fresh as
The day you swept me off my feet

You know, I never ever want to
Take our love, Honey, for granted.
Hand-holding, dancing, expressing –
Grows our love right where we’re planted.

80th birthday bouquet

No need to buy me flowers
Although a rose or two don’t hurt
Just hold my hand, kiss me, and
Remember how I love it when you flirt!

My sweet husband of 57 1/2 years
Never stop holding my hand!

I wish you love

See you tomorrow

Twin Falls, Idaho

We are at Elevation 486, an upscale restaurant “Food and Spirits for the New West.” We had a delicious dinner and have enjoyed beautiful 80 degrees lowering into the 70s as we ate, drank, visited and watched the sunset from our patio seats.

Come enjoy it vicariously with us.

We had a good night’s sleep after that beautiful meal.

Now we’re ready to continue my birthday week of celebrating!!

Good morning, my friends. Have a beautiful day. We’re headed home!

See ya tomorrow.

Stay Positive

Stay Positive

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Today is my Happy Day!

Today is a good day to be alive!

I get to go out four-wheeling in the mountains with friends.

Bob is going fishing – and I don’t drive the four-wheeler.

I could, but only to the grocery store and back on flat, back roads.

Not on rough, rocky, twisty-turny steep and dangerous mountain trails!

Well, they don’t have to be dangerous… but they woud be if I was driving!

So, a friend whose wife is choosing to go to a meeting instead of going ATVing

Has invited me to occupy his empty seat in his Polaris Ranger side-by-side.

We’ll be with a few other “Happy, Warm, and Genuine People.”

Stay tuned for pictures. It should be a beautiful day!

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See ya later!

7 Steps to Happiness

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Happiness is easier to CREATE than it is to FIND.

CREATE it!

Just
Love One Another

photo of couple sitting on hammock

Photo by Artem Beliaikin @belart84 on Pexels.com

Love and Appreciate

It’s never too late

Listen and Learn

Find that for which you yearn

Accept and Smile

And go the extra mile

Feel and Do

Do what God has given you

Love and Appreciate

It’s never too late!

red rose

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Here’s a red rose of love for you.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
Tell me something or someone you
are loving right now!

I am loving YOU!!
Have a great week.

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See ya tomorrow.

Gift from the Heart

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The best kind of gift
Is the unexpected one
The gift from the heart

 

The Givers

It was Mother’s Day weekend. I went into Bozeman, our nearest city, to do a little shopping, get my nails done, and run a few errands.

After dear Jayson finished my manicure, while I was sitting there letting my nails dry, he and his adorable wife, Hannah (who is a pedicure expert), went into the back room. They came out wearing great big grins and carrying a gorgeous orchid plant and card.

“Happy Mother’s Day,” they said, as they handed the card and plant to me.

What a sweet, unexpected gift! The orchid sits on my kitchen counter… a daily reminder of these two lovely people.

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Another time a “Gift from the Heart” was received totally unexpected was when my former kindergarten student – from 1962 – came to visit us.  Ty (he was so adorable, I named my son – born in 1965, after him) came to Montana from California with his wife, Roxanne. Can you imagine the joy that brought us?

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I can’t think of a gift more precious than a visit from a former student! The gift of your presence, your time… So heartfelt!

Have you revisited a teacher who impacted your life? You should try it. Believe me, it is indescribably wonderful!!

 

Later, after Ty left, he and his wife sent us a thank you gift… a gift from his hands and heart. Knowing how strong y faith is, and sharing the love of the Trinity, Ty made me a cross. I have it hanging in a spot of honor on my dining room wall where I see it multiple times every day… and thank God for Ty and Roxanne, and their gift from the heart.

 

Have you been given a gift from the heart?
One that was totally unexpected?
Or have you given one to somebody “just because”??

Tell me about it!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See you tomorrow.

Songs, Smiles & Stability

Songs, Smiles & Stability

 

woman playing ukulele

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Thanks for joining me on our A-Z journey
to find ways to
Add More Meaning
and
Discover Clearer Purpose
in Life

Today’s letter
is “S”

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Songs

Yesterday my second great-grandchild was born. My grandson, Jordan, and his “significant other” Joss, live in Sacramento. The care Joss received was wonderful at the hospital when she arrived by ambulance to deliver a little girl one month prematurely. By the grace of God, all that baby girl’s fingers and toes are perfect and at last report, she was nursing and cooing. No smiles yet, but those will come. Meantime, I am singing praises to God, the Creator for this little treasure.

https://deyspublishing.wordpress.com/2019/05/10/bring-forth/
The link above will take you to my friend, Dorothy’s blog.
Her topic today, “Bring Forth” fits today’s “S” themes perfectly…
Thank you, Dorothy!

Sing to the Lord
is one of my favorites.
I can get it here with my Amazon Music.
Can you? Try clicking on it and look for
Faithful Servant album by the Herbster Trio

(But don’t forget to come back.. there’s more good stuff here!)

https://music.amazon.com/albums/
Hallelujah!

Smiles

I am smiling as I sit here this afternoon volunteering at our Madison Valley Medical Center in Ennis, Montana. The smiles are a result of my anticipated hug time with Cosette, my new great-granddaughter, named after a main character in Les Miserables.

Another thought that brings smiles is the party we are planning at our house tomorrow for my Ennis granddaughter’s 25th birthday and our great-grandson’s 2nd birthday.

I am also smiling because I am reading a small booklet that I received in the mail today from Red Cloud Indian School in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The booklet, titled Whispers of the Lakota, is filled with poetry written by 9th and 10th graders. I am soooo impressed with the depth of these poems. I called the school and asked for permission to share a couple of them with you. They agreed.

This one is by Isabelle, a 10th grader,

THE HERO IN ME

“She smiles, she laughs, she hurts,
…     she cries.
She holds it all inside.
She lives, she flies, she soars,
She dies.
She is the one I idolize.
She loves, she gives, she cares,
She is
The one I know I will someday
…     Be
A hero, a mother, a child, a soul,
…      the woman inside of me.”

Such a perfect poem for this Mother’s Day weekend, don’t you think?
Thank you, Isabelle, for letting me share it. I love it!

Kudos to your 9th and 10th grade English teacher who drew these marvelously thoughtful, intimate poems out of his-her students’ hearts!

Stability

My prayer for Cosette, my new great-granddaughter, born prematurely to this couple who have not yet yielded to the commitment of marriage, is that she will grow in an atmosphere of unconditional love, a home where her best interests are in her parents’ vision, and a family who will give her joy, nourishment, and stability.

On this topic, let me share another poem from  Whispers of the Lakota  by a 10th grader named Jessie:

LIFE

“We often call it a gift, a mystery.
We have the power to make and take.
Let’s think about this
I know we can all relate
A brand new human, bright-eyed to the world
We cannot tell time, we cannot tell where or when
Something will happen but we can see that brand new
Baby Boy or Baby Girl
Life is a treasure, a gift not to be destroyed
You cannot throw a child away as if it were a toy.
The actions you take can certainly make or break
Take the time to consider the life
You make.

What amazing insight for a 10th grader to exhibit, huh?  What might Jessie have seen in his/her young life to have been able to write so poignantly from the heart – the soul – of the human spirit?

If the poem is from Jessie’s experience, then we might assume Jessie has seen life taken for granted – and has experienced (or known up close about) the unspeakable act of the “throw-away child.” A life destroyed. How sad! Thank you, Jessie, for encouraging and believing in the right to life for these defenseless little treasures.

More Meaning/ Clearer Purpose

This blog series, devoted to adding more meaning and discovering clearer purpose
in life, could not have been enhanced more than by the words of these young people.  Thank you, Red Cloud Indian School, for the work you do with these Lakota students! The way you love them and teach them and help them learn is so appreciated!

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Red Cloud Indian School provides stability of place, stability of community, and stability of heart to children who need all of those so much. It is the largest privately funded Indian School in the USA, educating more than 600 students on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in a remote part of South Dakota since 1888. They teach the children not to run away from challenges and difficulties, but to stay and work through problems. They educate and nurture them. God bless the school and their students and staff!

Songs, Smiles and Stability

I hope today’s message has lived up to its promise to put a song of praise and thanksgiving in your hearts, give you reasons to smile, and has given you pause – as you think of the person(s) in your life who provided you with a sense of stability.

Happy Mother’s Day weekend!

See you tomorrow!