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Come On In!

Revelation 3:20

²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

Come on in!
I can have a meal ready for you in minutes.
Our home is a place where we welcome all who welcome all!
We want you to feel at home here!

Come sit on the porch and enjoy the view to the north!

Turn your head to the east and enjoy the Madison Range.

Or just walk right in – because we don’t have a solid wood door where I can put a beautiful knocker. Our front doors are glass. The entry welcomes you with words on the wall that say “The greatest of these is love.” The word art was a Mother’s Day gift from our son & his wife, that first May after we moved here.

Hah!
You can’t read it… it’s backward for some reason…
and it’s blurry… but trust me,
it says, “The Greatest of These is Love”
right above the windows.

Those are the stairs that lead up to my sanctuary –
my “Angel Room.”

A few years later I asked my friend, Lexi,
to paint a red rose next to those words.

So, that is what you see when you enter our home here in Ennis, Montana.

Our Dream House

But, this house has not always been my “dream home.” I don’t have a photo of my original dream house. It was in Heber City, Utah. I lived with that house on my screensaver in California for a year. We were ready to retire, looking for a place away from the growing congestion of California. We saw it near Salt Lake City, Utah. We toured it, fell in love with it, put a bid on it, and I dreamed of living there. But, the Lord had other ideas, I guess. The owner never responded to our perfectly generous offer, even after we went back a year later and put another bid on it.

The house was made of logs from the 1988 Yellowstone fire. Many of the logs still had the scorch marks on them. The front door was a massive wood entry with no handle. It had a lovely knocker like the one pictured at the top of this blog.

When you knocked on the door and someone came to let you in, a painting of Jesus (clearer and more beautiful than the one below) was on the wall just inside. The scripture from Revelations 3:20 was written beneath the painting.

The house seemed God-inspired – and I longed to live there.

However, it seems that Utah was not the place God had in mind for us.

This house, in this Pintail Ridge neighborhood, with lovely neighbors, this church in Ennis with these friends… this was (is) God’s dream house for us. When we put in a bid here, everything went like clockwork. (By the way, the trees were much smaller 15 years ago, and you could see the house from Mallards Roost Road clearly. Now we have a lovely forest!)

You can even see the sanctuary windows
and that back porch where I invite you to sit with me.

In God’s Will

Have you ever noticed that when you are walking in God’s will, the path seems smoother?

When you are walking in God’s will, deals ultimately work out better than you could have dreamed.

When you tune in to God’s will for your life, you end up in a better spot than any place you could have imagined for yourself!!

So, come on in, my friends!
Mi casa es su casa!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.

Thank you – so many of you-
who sent your love following yesterday’s blog
when I told you about my heavy heart
following the death of my cousin, Cliff.
Your outreach warmed my heart.

God bless and Keep you!
See you tomorrow.
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, flowers, God, Gratitude, happiness, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Montana, mountains, music, peace, relationships, Travel

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Family Connections

Family Connections

Baby robins often hover
Near the nest that was their home.
Soon they’ll spread their wings
And farther they will roam.

Like those little robins,
Our children need to fly –
Spread their wings and explore
The vastness of the sky.

But in this COVID world,
We’ve lost the freedom to soar.
Our children may be caught
Somewhere – longing for more.

If you’ve followed my blog for a year or more, you’ve met this young couple before. They are my grandson, Chris, from Switzerland, and the love of his life, Natalia, who lives in Colombia. Just before this pandemic hit us, Chris traveled to Colombia to meet his on-line girlfriend and her family in person. Now, the two must tuck in their wings and live with the limitations again of on-line romance. Neither is free to travel and face-to-face with the other.

When they were 2 and 4, this brother-sister duo joined our family. Hope Morgan and Samuel Leland were in foster care and God knew they needed to be Beekmans! Now Hope lives here – only a hour from us in Big Sky – and Samuel (who has special needs) had been living happily in a group home near Sacramento. They are now in their late 20’s.

Hope has two of our three great-grandchildren.

Samuel, in the group home, has been in a quarantine mode since this pandemic hit. Life is pretty empty when you can’t go out – and you can’t have visitors. Some of you may know the feeling. Family Connections are SO important!

Family Gatherings

Years ago, when the grandchildren were teens, we would often drive or fly to be together as a family. Now the family is spread out over several states and even across into Europe. Family Connections are sooo important to us! We live in Montana, and this group shot was taken at a gathering in California.

In the picture above you see (l to r) nephew Zak, Samuel, Bob’s sister Bonnie, her husband Stan, sister-in-law Ann beside Bob’s brother, Bruce, granddaughter Faith with her sister Hope (I’m between them), Bob, grandson Jordan, and behind him – daughter-in-law Monika (mom of Sam, Jordan, Hope & Faith) and lastly, Bob’s sister-in-law Marge. I think our son, Ty was taking the picture.

Yes, Family Connections are important to all of us!!

Gathering the Flock

When will we be able to gather the flock again? Is there a foreseeable end to this isolation?

Ty and Monika were so concerned about Sam and his isolation in the group home that they went yesterday to get him. He is now living back in the nest! God bless them for responding to the felt need!

Sam (left) with two friends at Sam’s high school graduation

Returning to the Nest

Sam may not be able to hug friends and visit up close during this pandemic, but at least from his home, he has his parents to hug, and he can see friends from a safe social distance. He is no longer isolated. Social connections are so important to our mental and physical health!

So, unlike the robin parents,
We are free to go and rescue.
Thank you, Ty and Monika,
For returning Sam to the nest and to you!

God bless you!

Have a Happy Weekend.
I hope you have opportunities to make Family Connections.
Tell me about them!

Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, children, Family, happiness, health, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Montana, Poetry, relationships

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Where the Deer and the Antelope Play

What did you do today?

We spent the day in Bozeman, Montana. Bob & I had much-overdue dental appointments to get our teeth cleaned. Then we did our grocery shopping, bought a tree to plant at our church where a tree died and needs to be replaced, and then had “linner” (lunch + dinner) before heading home.

It was a rainy drive home.

Got rainier as time went by.

When we arrived home, our neighborhood antelope were there to greet us.

Look carefully – there’s mama antelope followed by her two babies in the field.

Yesterday I watched them out my living room window.

A second antelope joined them. She has little ones, too, but they weren’t with her. Probably hiding in the grasses – not too far off.

It is such fun to watch them.

A Fun Place to Live

In the picture below, our house is behind those trees… a wonderland for birds – and a haven for us. That field on the left is where the antelope were today.

Isn’t it fun to live in a neighborhood where the deer and the antelope play? You know that song, right? Home on the Range, a favorite from my childhood.

“Home, home on the range,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.”

Sing it with Roy and me:

Do You Remember Roy Rogers?

You may be too young to remember this cowboy – or you’re living in a different part of the world. Roy Rogers was my favorite when I was a child back in the 1940s. As a real treat, my sister and I would go to the Saturday matinee at the little theater in Newman, California. I loved Roy Rogers even more than the Micky Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and Popeye cartoons! That’s really saying something.

Roy’s sidekick was Trigger, his beautiful palomino. His wife, Dale Evans, was his singing partner. As a child, I was sure Dale Evans would grow old and die – but Roy Rogers would never grow old. And after is wife died, then I intended to marry him!

Did you ever have childhood fantasies like I did?

Did you dress up and pretend to be a princess when you were a child? Or did you imagine yourself to be Roy Rogers’ wife and ride away into the wild blue yonder?

Well, if you dreamed of being a princess on a horse riding off into the wild, blue yonder, come to Montana. This is the place where such dreams come true!

Join us where the deer and the antelope play!

Hope you had a good day.
Tell me about it...
or share a childhood fantasy.

See ya tomorrow.
Hugs, JanBeek

Category:

Animals, children, Living in Harmony, Love, Memories, Montana, music, Travel, trees

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Problems Are Opportunities

We are in a bit of a mess right now
But we will as a world of people
Get through this problem of COVID-19
If we focus on the possibilities.

We have to see the problem, though.
We can’t ignore it and decide
This is just a bunch of media hype.
Opportunities for containing it are coming.

The people who are working on a cure
Have to view the problem clearly.
They won’t create a vaccine or treatment
If they are convinced it’s only a hoax.

This major, world-wide problem is
An opportunity for people to see
A new and better world where people
Come together to create positive change.

Factories shut down and air quality improves.
Tourists are convinced to stay home, and
The waters in the canals of Venice are
Beginning to exhibit less pollution.

Schools are closed and parents are at home,
Schooling their children the best they can,
And hopefully spending quality time together.
Shut off the TV; limit screen time; TALK!

This problem IS providing us with opportunities.
Which ones are you taking advantage of?
Which closet got cleaned? What book did you read?
What distant friend did you call to reconnect?

Problems provide possibilities for creativity.
Use yours to make this corner of your world
A little brighter for your family and neighbors.
Remain positive. Spread hope. God bless you!

See ya tomorrow.
Sleep tight!

Hugs, JanBeek

Category:

books, children, Family, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, relationships, Serving One Another, teaching, truth

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Memories of Childhood

I remember glimpses of my childhood – an Ozzie & Harriet family with Dad going off to work and Mom staying home…

I remember our small, sparkly white house on the end of Fig Lane in Newman, at the center of California’s hot San Joaquin Valley…

I remember sitting around the radio in the living room listening as a family to “The Cisco Kid” and “One Man’s Family” and “Inner Sanctum” …

I remember Dad’s three-tiered tulip bed and the day I picked a bouquet of them and got into trouble…

I remember being scolded, and as I stood there with a fist-full of the precious blooms saying to Dad, “I no pick the flaws… maybe Sally pick the flaws!”

I remember walking down Fig Lane with my sister, Sally, headed to P Street School wearing my Mary Jane’s…

I remember how proud I was of those new shoes…

I remember trips every September to San Francisco to get new school clothes: new shoes, a new dress, underwear, a sweater, a coat… the essentials…

I remember eating crab legs at Fisherman’s Wharf while I gazed at the boats coming in and going out of the harbor…

I remember my first plane trip, flying to Seattle to be with my mom’s family there when her mom died…

I remember Dewey Wright, my first true love, and the Valentine card he gave me in kindergarten, and how he chased me around the playground until I caught him …

I remember moving from that little white house at the end of Fig Lane to a house out in the country right next door to my Dad’s mom…

I remember the day my cousin, Billy, came to live with us – and how upset he was – and how upset I was when he tore our doll house apart and scattered our toys…

I remember dashing past a gobbling turkey who chased me to my grandma’s back door after school…

I remember my father’s tears when his mother died…

I remember moving out to that God-forsaken place twenty miles from nowhere to begin life anew, with Dad going into business with Uncle Igino and Uncle Melio …

I remember the smell of the Pacific Tallow Works that was about 150 yards from our house, and how impossible it was to close up the house tight enough …

I remember Tiofila and Engracia and Dalia, my sweet little Spanish-speaking playmates, whose mom made fantastic tortillas, and the day they were transported back to Mexico by some cruel authorities…

I remember crying for days when I heard Dalia had died on that trip back to Mexico …

I remember Manuel Ynzunza, his basketball skill, and our first kiss out behind the cafeteria … oh, the thrill of it…

I remember “Dimples,” my Cocker Spaniel who had four puppies – and the fascination of observing the births …

I remember riding a horse, unable to control it, and being pushed into a barbed wire fence, putting a gash in my right leg …

I remember how impossible it was for Mom to leave the office unattended to take me to the doctor (she was Dad’s secretary-bookkeeper), so she taped my gash closed and how it healed leaving a big scar …

I remember the day my Aunt Jean, Billy’s mom, came to take him back … how I was filled with mixed emotions, sorrow and relief …

I remember my mom’s older sister, Aunt Evelyn, coming from Washington to visit and bringing clothes my cousins had outgrown, and Mom spending nights altering them to fit Sally & me …

I remember walking at least a mile (seemed like five) to catch the school bus and riding for at least an hour (seemed like five) while we picked up other kids to go to Crows Landing Elementary School…

I remember Mrs Yetter, my third grade teacher, who was almost bald…

I remember my fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Ethel Horwedle, and how she wrote her cursive E, and how she let me sing to the tunes of the square dance records, and let me teach the class new square dance moves…

I remember Mrs. Marlow, the principal’s wife who was my 7th and 8th grade teacher… how she let me go during spelling class to help the kindergarten teacher (because, “You don’t need the spelling lesson,” she’d say after giving me a pre-test on which I always got 100%) …

I remember wearing an “I Like Ike” button and learning in 8th grade about each of his cabinet members as they were one-by-one appointed…

I remember Howard Thorkelson, our class genius, who got polio when we were in 8th grade and was gone a long time… returning in a neck and back brace for our graduation…

I remember learning to play the clarinet and doing so well that the band leader invited me to play with the high school band…

I remember being too small to fit into a high school band uniform, and having suspenders that pulled the pants up under my armpits…

I remember playing an accordion duet with Evelyn at our 8th grade graduation, but don’t remember Evelyn’s last name …

This was my first accordion. It’s over 100 years old!

I don’t remember a lot of things, but I remember feeling cared for, and feeling like I could become whatever I set my mind to, and not realizing we were poor…

We actually weren’t you know. We had each other. We had love. We had everything.

I remember…

Category:

Animals, children, contentment, Family, happiness, Life and Death, Love, Memories, relationships

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Beautiful Scenery

When I posted this morning, I told you today was a beautiful day to travel. We stayed in a lovely Wyndham Hotel (La Quina in Twin Falls) last night. I highly recommend it.

It was a terrible day to travel yesterday. But today made up for it.

Let me show you some of the sights we enjoyed on our trip home. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did. The camera doesn’t do them justice, but you can get the idea.

First, entering the Island Park, Idaho area,
we marveled at frosty trees.

Then the evergreens were partially snow-sprinkled.

Traveling on, the trees were snow-laden!

The snow-covered evergreens were magnificent!

These Jack Fences were
deep in the snow
with powder puff toppings.
So picturesque!

Blue sky re-emerged, the sun peeked through, and the trees sparkled. I’m sorry the camera didn’t capture the sparkling for you! But you can imagine.

Approaching our home, the Madison Range was a welcomed sight.

The tracks in the snow are evidence that our neighbor came down our driveway earlier today. He blew off our walkway and prepared a clear spot for us to enter the house. God bless him!

Are you blessed with helpful neighbors like ours?
I hope so!

It was a wonderful trip to California and back. We had a marvelous set of experiences with family and friends. Thank you for traveling along vicariously with us!

But, as much as we enjoyed the trip, the friends, the time with family, the sun-filled desert, the reunions with colleagues and former classmates, the Tahoe area skiing, etc., you know…. there’s NO PLACE LIKE HOME!

It’s good to be back in the Madison Valley
where the Madison River
beckons people from all over to the world
to come and fly fish…
and where the big sky
smiles a welcome
and neighbors are so grand.

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
Which of my photos from today’s travel did you like best?

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

blessings, Fishing, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, Love, Memories, Montana, mountains, nature, photography, Travel

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Teach Us to Number

Psalm 90:12
(The prayer of Moses – the man of God)

“Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

80th Birthday – 2018

A year ago this day, we also were here in Placerville with our son and his family, joined by friends who came to celebrate Bob’s 80th birthday. The picture above shows Bob with the card Ty & Monika created for him using candy bars to accentuate the message.

Aging Gracefully?

The days between then and now find us both slowing down a bit. He finds it necessary to catch cat naps during the day more often. Outdoor chores take a toll on the back and leg muscles. Physical activities (like downhill skiing) are still fun, but hours on the slopes, taking the double diamond runs, without a break… well that’s not a good idea anymore.

How can we accept the aging process that seems to limit our energy? Well, duh … what’s the alternative? We die – or we become grumpy – or we listen to our bodies and take those breaks when the need arises! Aging gracefully means thanking God for all the things we CAN still do … and not focusing on the things we CAN’T do anymore… at least not at the speed and length of time we used to. Right?

Number our Days

We know our days are numbered… and only God has the answer. We know Jesus Christ promised He would come again and take all who believe with Him to our eternal home. Only God has the number of that day, too. So, our job is not to worry about what the numbers are, but to live fully for as long as He gives us.

Living Fully

That photo of Bob with our son, Ty, granddaughter, Faith, and her husband, Kyle was taken at our house in Montana last Thanksgiving.

A year ago Bob went skiing with Ty & Faith here in the Sierra Nevada mountains. This year, the crowds and the conditions caused Bob to say, “Let’s wait til we come back through in January and ski then.”

Someday Bob’s skiing may be limited to pulling our great-grandchildren on a sled in the snow… that is if we are fortunate enough to live long enough to gracefully accept the limitations that numbered days may bring!

Meantime, there are spring times and summers, autumns and early winters when the fishing is great in Ennis, Montana…

And there is always yard work that beckons him to keep the lawn trimmed, the flowers healthy, and the weeds at bay…

… and in the winter there is rarely a time when there is not snow to shovel!

We look forward to the numbered day on our ATV when we can enjoy with friends the beauty of the mountain trails above our Madison Valley.

Gain a Heart of Wisdom

Yes, looking at what we CAN do and not dwelling on the things we find more difficult to do as we add to the number of our days… that’s part of wisdom.

So is taking time daily to read God’s Word, and apply his principles to our lives.

In Psalm 90,
Moses’ prayer also says,
(in verse 10)
“Our days may come to seventy years,
or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass and fly away.”

Thank God, Bob can say, “The best of them are here and now… and with God’s blessings the best are also yet to come.”

They may quickly pass (as we age they seem to fly by more quickly with each sunrise and sunset), but we do not focus on the trouble and sorrow.

Focus on your blessings, my friends. Focus on the CANS, not the CAN’Ts!!

Enjoy each day… and look for the wisdom it contains.

BOB!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek
on the occasion of this wonderful 81st birthday.
See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Bible Lessons, Family, Fishing, flowers, friendship, God, Gratitude, happiness, Jesus, life, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Love, Montana

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Feeling Blessed

I am truly blessed
With a talented family.
They’re so generous!

My daughter-in-law,
The day after Thanksgiving,
Helped transform the house.

This is just a glimpse
Of her decorating skills.
I feel very blessed!

There are touches of Christmas everywhere I look.

I hope you are feeling blessed
by helpful family and friends, too.
What are your December plans?

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Christmas, Family, Gratitude, Haiku, Poetry, Serving One Another

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Gratitude and Joy

I live gratefully
With thanks for family and friends
Gratitude brings joy

The Flights Were Great!

I hope you had a joy-filled day of gratitude, too – on that day we call Thanksgiving here in the USA. We arrived safely (thanks to my niece, Jodie) at the Pittsburgh airport around 5: AM. Our flight to Minneapolis arrived on time, with no difficulties – and we had a nice breakfast in their lovely airport. The 6:15 AM flight to Bozeman was on time and encountered no problems.

Problems Began After Landing

The problems came after we landed in Bozeman, MT and Bob tried to find our car in long-term parking. He wandered in the wrong parking lot for a half hour before realizing the car was in the next lot over. By then, I knew he was in some kind of trouble as I stood in the warmth of the airport with our luggage waiting for him.

I prayed to God, “Please help Bob solve whatever trouble he has encountered.”

Prayer Works

About that same time, Bob reported later, he realized he had not sought God’s help, so he also prayed to find the car. That’s when God nudged him to go to the next parking lot over… and sure enough, there it was. BUT, it was covered in snow… and the snow had more than one layer during the time we were gone. The under-layer was iced on.

Be Prepared

Anyone who has lived through a winter in this part of the world, should know what to carry in the trunk of your car. An emergency kit needs to include a blanket or two, gloves, a hat or two, an ice/snow scraper, etc. Our trunk had a can of de-icer and a blanket, but none of the rest of those items. It took Bob 20 minutes to clear away enough of the ice and snow to make the car safe to drive.

Yes, we know what we need to add to our emergency supply to be prepared in the future!

Home Safely

It was snowing lightly as we began the 60 miles toward home, but it let up as we crossed over the mountain pass and followed the Madison River into Madison County and our valley. The roads were clear – and we praised God for a wonderful homecoming!

Family Greeted Us

At home, we were greeted by our son, his wife, two grand-daughters and their husbands, and two of our great-grandchildren. Happy Thanksgiving!! The smell of turkey assailed my nostrils when I opened the door – and hugs all around said, “Welcome Home!”

Monika, our daughter-in-law, with Sienna, our great-granddaughter

I am grateful to our dear friends, Gail & Harold, who took care of TazE while we were gone.

Here’s our granddaughter, Hope, with Sienna

The smell of turkey roasting was so inviting!

The sweet potatoes are ready for the marshmallows

It was a wonderful meal…
and great fellowship.
I hope you had a great day, too.
Now on to “Black Friday!”

Some call this “Black Friday” –
a day when merchants encourage shoppers
to come to their stores – big sales everywhere!

Only Thing Black

The only thing black about today for me is my coffee and the night sky! I am up early and enjoying some quiet time.

I hope yours is a Fabulous Friday with delicious coffee (or tea) to warm you inside, and a cozy home filled with love to warm you through and through.

Eternally Grateful

While my family is still asleep, I am up in my sanctuary, thanking God for:

answered prayers
a safe trip to Pennsylvania and back
the chance to see my sis in her new setting
the generosity of my niece, Jodie, and her husband, Bill
the gracious hospitality of the McSparrons in Kutztown, PA
the opportunity to participate in a bit of the life of Liam, our great-nephew
Liam’s big heart and wonderful work ethic
the love and care my niece, Jodie, gives to her family and my sis (her mom)
our son and his family who greeted us with love and a luscious Thanksgiving dinner when we returned home

Life is Good!