Bob’s surgery (the insertion of a cochlear implant) is done. Lots of prayers for him… and they are really appreciated. Thank you, my WordPress friends. Now, the request is for successful healing and a safe drive home tomorrow (it’s 400 miles) and there’s a possibility of snow.
Bob – after surgeryMe… now… just sitting the sit!
And praying for all this to be worth it. Ultimately- better hearing. Please!
Bob’s in surgery as I type this. He’s getting a cochlear implant. Praying the surgery goes without a hitch and the end result will bring him back into the world of better hearing. Prayers appreciated.
Bob was prepped by very excellent folks here at Billings Hospital
How about March showers and hail and snow and rain bring April’s flowers?
April is one of my favorite months. Our family has so many April birthdays! What was going on 9 months ago?
This month of March was filled with challenges. March madness included our granddaughter, Faith, who fell ill while vacationing in Switzerland. “I’m a million times better” she says… “today compared to yesterday.” Yay! Answered prayers 👌🏽❤️🙏🏽
That’s my dear granddaughter in a hospital in Switzerland. Please pray for Faithy… She’s moving out of ICU and into a regular hospital room today. Looking forward to continuing her vacation with hubby, Kyle, 3-yr-old Mable, and Kyle’s mother. They hope to visit our daughter, Faith’s Aunt DeDe, this week. They currently are about 4 1/2 hours away. God is so good! This is an answer to more than I dared hope for! I just was asking God to heal her enough so she could safely fly home to California. Auntie De will be so happy to see them and meet Mable for the first time.
God is amazing, isn’t He? He hears our prayers and answers with even more than we dare ask!
In it, we are reassured that God answers our prayers: 24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
But I didn’t ask God for Faith and family to be able to resume their vacation. I thought that would be asking too much. I just wanted her to get well and be able to travel home safely. Instead, Faith told us today that she expects to be able to resume her Swiss travels. Amazing!!
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
What have you asked God for recently? Has He answered your prayer? Have you ever asked for something and been given more than you requested? Tell me about it!
Al Rocker, the Today Show weatherman and co-host was featured this month on the cover of one of the magazines I read each month, “Guideposts.” On turning 70, he shared with readers how he is approaching life differently after a 2022 health scare.
He wrote:
“It may sound strange, considering I make my living on television and have been the weatherman and co-host of the Today show for 29 years, but in my personal life, I shy away from the spotlight. I’d musch rather celebrate someone else, make a big deal out of their birthday instead of my own. Which is why I tried my best to dissuade my wife, Deborah Roberts, from throwing a party for my birthday last August. But I knew I couldn’t stop her. It was a milestone birthday, after all – my seventieth. The truth was, I was feeling a little melancholy about turning seventy. My dad never made it to this age. He passed away at 69. Dad was my role model and inspiration for being a good husband and father. I was theoldest of six kids, and three of my siblings were adopeted, Mom and Dad brought foster children into our home, too. Sometimes people would ask why they’d taken on raising so maky children, and Dad would always say simply, “There is no limit to how much you can love.”
After describing his near-death experience, he concluded:
“My health scare reminded me that life is an ephemeral gift that we’ve been given by God, and we need to appreciate and honor it. So I spent a lot of time talking to people… telling them how I feel about them. The people I care about, the people I love, I want to make sure they know. I’ve been more intentional about that, evn after I made a full recovery and returned to the Today show.”
I challenge each of us to commit to this same message. Let your feelings out! Let the people you love, the people you care about, KNOW! Be intentional!!
Love, JanBeek
P.S. I love you for visiting my blog. I’ll love you even more if you leave a comment below so I can hear from you and respond.
In what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?
Hah! Hard work? How about YOU do that? I just wanna enjoy my retirement!
Maybe work on some creative project … but not too hard!
Enjoy the way cooling temperatures bring an early autumn, and…
smile with little Oliver because his twin, Noah, is coming home from the hospital today. His mom gave birth a week or so ago to two little angels – each nearly 8 lbs. – now, that’s hard work!!
Here’s Noah. Pray for him. Pray hard. He’s been having seizures. Pray for his complete health and happy future.
That’s Oliver, smiling because you’re hard at work praying for his brother!
God hears us. He cares. He answers prayer. Keep on praying. 🙏🏽
Are you hard at work praying? That makes me feel fulfilled: to encourage others and to help us all keep the faith. Yes! God bless you. Have a fulfilling day!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
We’re looking to thee Lord to direct our paths. It has been a miserable two weeks in the Beekman household. First Bob picked up a bug on some path somewhere, and then a few days later, the bug very generously crossed my path. We tested for COVID, but it was negative, so we did a little research. Here’s what we discovered:
Meet Mr. Paraflu! What is parainfluenza?
Parainfluenza is a broad term that healthcare providers use to describe human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) — a group of infectious organisms (pathogens). Parainfluenza viruses cause many types of lower and upper respiratory illnesses. Respiratory illnesses cause mild to serious symptoms, like sore throat, cough and shortness of breath.
Nasty bug attack Caused us to lay low eight days We’re vulnerable
For those under five And us folks in our eighties, Paraflu attacks
The symptoms linger A terrible hacking cough Listlessness, fatigue
In others’ interest, Hunker down and stay at home Hydrate and get rest
Bye bye nasty bug We missed the July 4th fun But we have survived
Now go and begone Let our health return to us Keep our loved ones safe
Trusting in the Lord And not leaning on my own Understanding’s hard
Devotionals help To keep a wise perspective “How to Walk Wisely”
In the midst of our paraflu aches and pains, we turned to the Lord in prayer, and God gave us 6 tips about how to “Walk Wisely.” Today’s In Touch devotional had this to say:
“Living committed to the Lord calls for following His wisdom. Here are six attitudes necessary for a Christ-centered lifestyle:
1. Determination. Walking in wisdom doesn’t happen automatically. We must wholeheartedly pursue righteous living. 2. Focus. To stay on the path of God’s will, we must fix out attention on His Word. As we meditate on Scripture, our mind will align with Christ’s. 3. Sensitivity to the Spirit. With determination to live a holy life and close attention to Scripture, we become more sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. 4. Trust. At times the Lord’s choice for us doesn’t appear sensible. Trusting in His perfect wisdom is necessary if we’re to walk according to His plan. 5. Courage. Some things God requires may cause us to react with fear. As our trust in Him deepens, our courage will grow, and we’ll discover the joy of embracing His choice for us. 6. Perseverance. By depending on God, we can persist and choose wisely no matter how long our challenges last.
Walking in wisdom requires that we practice a few basics: Know God, trust Him, and obey. Is this your pattern for living? Remember, a lifetime of godliness develops one choice at a time.”
In Touch Ministries, Inc. Many thanks to Founder: Charles Stanley and President C Phillip Bowen
Thank You, God, for our return to health. Bee well, my friends. May this nasty paraflu bug pass you by!
My word for 2024 is SIFT. It is an acronym for: S = Simplify I = Inventory & Itemize (to facilitate simplifying) F = Focus on the present T = Take Time to Think (before speaking or acting)
Yes, health is about what you’re eating, thinking, and saying, but it also is about what you are doing. So, my friends, let’s SIFT! Let’s simplify our lives by eliminating the “stuff” we don’t need and organizing the things we decide to keep. Let’s focus on the present and take time not just to think before speaking or acting, but also TAKE TIME TO PRAY as we sift through each day’s possibilities.
Today was what some call “Fat Tuesday.” The day before Lent, a season of 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter. It culminates at Easter when Jesus gave up His life for us all. So, some folks “give up” something as a remembrance of and in honor of Christ’s ultimate giving. “Fat Tuesday” is a silly idea… to overindulge in that thing the day before you give it up for forty days!
Overindulgence is not a Biblical concept! I hope you didn’t buy in to it!! It is diametrically opposed to the idea of Lent … a time of fasting and praying leading up to Easter.
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
So, join me, my friends, during this special season. Let’s simplify. Let’s take inventory and prioritize. Let’s focus on the now, and let’s take time to think and to pray before we speak or act. Let’s decide what we want to “give up” for 40 days to remember Jesus’ sacrifice. Let’s give this Lenten season the time and attention Christ deserves.
Yesterday’s prompt was: What skills or lessons have you learned recently?
My answer: “It took four accidents in a three month period, but I finally got the message, I think:
SLOW DOWN
AND
LOOK
WHERE YOU’re WALKING!!”
It’ll take a lot of divine guidance, but I think I can slow down and watch! Avoid any further falls!!
How about you? What lesson have you learned recently?
Today the sermon topic was based on the Bible story of Zechariah and Elizabeth’s awe-inspiring birth of baby John (later known as John the Baptist). Zechariah learned not to doubt God’s messenger who told him that he & Elizabeth would at last have a child (they were in their later years of life… maybe as old as their 90’s).
When Zechariah doubted, he was struck dumb… unable to speak for the 9 months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. But, even though Elizabeth questioned, she accepted and believed. So, she learned that great lesson, “With God all things are possible.”
Do you suppose she was awe-struck? How could she NOT be??
I would have painted them with gray hair… but nevertheless, I love this painting of Zechariah & Elizabeth. I can only imagine how awe-struck they must have been!
What causes you to be in awe these days? Have you learned to slow down and let awe envelop you?
(If you’ve followed JanBeek for awhile, you know I love taking notes in poetry as I listen to the sermon each week). So, on that awesome topic, here’s today’s encouraging sermon delivered by Rev. Mary Grace Reynolds at our Madison Valley Presbyterian Church.
I love the size & sound & the creatures in the ocean I love climbing over the sand dunes to the beach It is sitting on the grassy knoll by the shore Knowing the salty water and waves are within reach
I love oogling at sunsets and standing in the river The world gives me reason for wonder and awe Everywhere I look, I see evidence of God’s wondrous creation Regular bouts of awe are mine – they drop my jaw!
Elizabeth’s healthy baby boy brought awe To all who saw Zechariah write and confirm “John” Entering into the world of awe raises us up Out of night’s darkness, into day’s dawn
Awe can be found every day from sunrise on If we slow down and take time to really see So don’t drown in the tedious mundane of life Intentionally seek the awe – here for you and me
Let no day go by unmarveled at Appreciate the luxury of every single day We are so blessed to be here - alive Let awe and amazement be yours today
Be the #1 Marvelor today! Love and be loved – feel the pull That helps you notice all in awe Change awful to awe-full!!
Awe-men?
It may have been awful to be unable to speak for nine months. But, I’ll bet Zechariah learned new lessons every day as he watched Elizabeth grow large with child …. and as he marvelled at how amazing this turn of unbelievable events was!
Find something to marvel at today! Learn something new.
One should not lose sleep over lost blogs, right? But here I am … sleepless in Montana … feeling very disgruntled. I wrote this blog titled “Triumphant Scars” and posted it, but then I received a notice that the draft was not posted. I knew I had finished and posted it… and many of you dear readers left lovely comments. So, I deleted the unfinished draft. Figured I didn’t need it.
Well, my friends, if you have both JetPack and WordPress, BEWARE!!
JetPack did not acknowledge the completed post, and when I erased the draft, I lost the post. Does that make sense? No!! Below is all that is left of my carefully crafted post about Eli and his “Triumphant Scars.“
…He showed them [scars on] His hands and sides. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.”
John 20:20
X
X
X
Those x’s are what I put in to save room for text when I went from my phone (where I started the post because that’s where the pictures were) to my laptop where I completed the entry. I used lovely illustrations of why Eli’s scars (and yours and mine, too) are triumphant by quoting a very thoughtful and inspiring commentary in Guideposts “Mornings With Jesus.”
The bottom line: Jesus’ scars on his hands, feet and sides are proof of healing. His death and resurrection allows us, His followers, to be healed of our sins and look forward to eternity. Our scars, both the visible and the invisible ones, are proof of our healing, too. They are Triumphant Scars. That was the message.
Alas, I discovered when I deleted the draft in JetPack, I also deleted my finished post and the only thing I could retrieve in “Trash” was what you see above, the scripture, the photos and the x’s. Do any of you dear readers have any advice for me? I am so disgruntled that I’ve taken a break from blogging since then. Did you miss me? I need to get out of this funk.
Th good news is: Eli is home and recuperating from his surgery. His mom & dad and three sisters are in my daily prayers along with his grandma, Donna (whose blog, “The Father’s Feet” is where I met Eli). I hope you are continuing to pray for Eli, too.
This has been a miserable way to learn “Do Not Delete it when JetPack says your published WordPress post is still in draft form.” I’ve gotta get outta this funk and back to my positive self spreading love, joy, peace, faith and unity on JanBeek. And I’ve gotta get some sleep. This is no way to live.
