Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘honesty’

Be An Intrepid Christian!

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An intrepid Christian
Is resolute and fearless,
Has fortitude and endurance,
But is never cheerless!

An intrepid Christian
Is teachable and submissive,
Attentive and humble,
But never repressive.

An intrepid Christian
Is expectant and devout,
Delivers The Word quietly –
But rarely has to shout!

An intrepid Christian
Demonstrates integrity,
Walks the Talk –
But never belittles you or me.

If you believe Donald Trump is a Christian, did you listen to his belittling of Savannah Guthrie after his last Town Hall meeting? Think about the way he insults reporters who are questioning him. Be honest with yourself. Can this man we call our president really be a Christ follower? I am so fed up with his insults to women that I cannot remain quiet any longer. Listen to this!!

If you are an Intrepid Christian,
And you have the right to vote
In the United States of America,
Please listen and take note.

Please help us return to
Decency and civility here.
Help us elect a kind and capable team
And listen to the U.S. cheer!

Don’t forget to vote
if you haven’t already!


PLEASE believe me when I say
The Democrats will not take your guns away.
The Democrats will not let illegal immigrants in
to take all your money and jobs!
The Democrats believe in the Constitution;
They will not destroy it.
They will improve our immigration system,
create safer gun laws,
protect Medicare
and preserve coverage of those with
pre-existing conditions.
Democrats will restore our foreign relations.
The Democrats will not kill all the unborn babies.
The right to control our own bodies
is not synonymous with unwarranted abortion!

As a life-long Christian and Republican
who has become a Democrat recently
(for obvious reasons),
I believe in the Right to Life.
But I also think a woman who carries a baby
because of rape or incest, or a woman
whose life is endangered
has the right to choose.
Don’t you?

Weigh the rhetoric and please believe me…
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
are Intrepid Christians!!


Can’t we just LOVE ONE ANOTHER
and stop hurling insults??

Thanks for visiting.
See ya tomorrow.

Love,
JanBeek

Children of Light and of Darkness

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò
Titular Archbishop of Ulpiana
Former Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America
has written a letter to President Donald Trump:

In his letter, Archbishop Viganò addressed President Trump saying,

“In recent months we have been witnessing the formation of two opposing sides that I would call Biblical: the children of light and the children of darkness.”

He goes on to say,
“On the one hand there are those who, although they have a thousand defects and weaknesses, are motivated by the desire to do good, to be honest, to raise a family, to engage in work, to give prosperity to their homeland, to help the needy, and, in obedience to the Law of God, to merit the Kingdom of Heaven.

“On the other hand, there are those who serve themselves, who do not hold any moral principles, who want to demolish the family and the nation, exploit workers to make themselves unduly wealthy, foment internal divisions and wars, and accumulate power and money: for them the fallacious illusion of temporal well-being will one day – if they do not repent – yield to the terrible fate that awaits them, far from God, in eternal damnation.”

I find it inconceivable that the good man, Archbishop Viganò, goes on to align the first side he has identified with President Trump and the Republican party. If I was into labels, I could easily align them differently. Who’s to say which people as a group fall into which category? And what good comes of such lumping and labeling as a practice anyway? His divisive language is appalling to me – especially coming from a man of God.

Archbishop Viganò goes on in his letter:

“In society, Mr. President, these two opposing realities co-exist as eternal enemies, just as God and Satan are eternal enemies. And it appears that the children of darkness – whom we may easily identify with the deep state which you wisely oppose and which is fiercely waging war against you in these days – have decided to show their cards, so to speak, by now revealing their plans.”

He ends his letter by suggesting that President Trump should …

“… not accept being deceived by a minority of dishonest people with unavowable purposes. It is necessary that the good, the children of light, come together and make their voices heard.”

My friends, we are in a state of division and chaos in the United States. With COVID-19 putting people in isolation and the marches and riots protesting racial injustice pulling people together in proximity too close for comfort, we are in need of healing.

To suggest and label a portion of our society as people who are in the business of serving themselves, not holding any moral principles, demolishing the family and the nation, exploiting workers to make themselves unduly wealthy, fomenting internal divisions and wars, and accumulating power and money, is uncalled for!

What we need is words of love and unity coming from the clergy. Not more divisiveness! Not labeling. Not ushering Donald Trump and his followers into heaven while he condemns those who do not support his actions and policies to “eternal damnation.”

I worship a God who teaches people have the right to disagree with one another without name calling.

I worship a God who teaches me not to be the judge. That’s Jesus’ job!

I worship a God who teaches us to love one another – “Love your neighbor as yourself.” He teaches that you ALL are my neighbors.

I am a “Child of the Light” – and I am not here to to point fingers at anyone.

Why can’t we just love one another?

7 Qualities of Great Leaders

Coming Election

During this period of time from now to November 2020, we in the USA will be looking carefully for the qualities we seek in a good leader… wanting to elect a great leader … someone worthy of following.

Our Ideas & Biblical Principles

I asked Bob this morning, “If you had to name just seven qualities you think are essential for effective leaders, what would they be?”

His answers didn’t totally match the Biblical principles that prompted this blog title, but some were right on. I was reading 1 Timothy 3:1-3 during my devotional time up in my angel room this morning. This is what it said:

“… If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach… temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.”

An overseer is one who sees over his followers. A supervisor, head, manager, head honcho! And s/he must lead with qualities worthy of emulation.

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Bob said,

  1. Honesty
  2. Integrity
  3. Intelligence
  4. Experience
  5. Compassion
  6. Interdependence (not someone who thinks s/he can do it all alone)
  7. Respect

The Bible went on to say in 1 Timothy 3:6-7 (The parenthesis are my additions):

“He must not be a recent convert (in other words, s/he needs experience in his/her area of leadership), or he may become conceited… He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace…”

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If the leader’s reputation is tarnished, it is like handing his/her followers a handful of worms. They just come crawling out…

1 Timothy 3:8-10 says,

“Deacons, likewise, are to be [persons] of respect, sincere… and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.”

Being a deacon is often considered synonymous with being an “elder.” In the Catholic church, it is a position below that of priest. In the protestant church, an elder is part of the ruling or decision-making body. A deacon is a part of a group of leaders elected to reach out in service to the congregation and the community at large. All religions have “deacons” whose job it is to be the hands and feet of God – serving those in need. Deacons are respected leaders whose job it is to serve those who count on them.

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Your Ideas & Mine

So have you come up with your own list of seven qualities a good leader needs? Will you let those qualities guide your decision when you vote in your next election?

Before you read on, make your own list. What are the seven qualities you deem most important in an effective leader?

These are the ones I gleaned from my study of the third chapter of 1 Timothy:

  1. competent (gained from applicable experience)
  2. wise (wisdom borne of Godly counsel, intelligence and study)
  3. mature (mentally and spiritually solid)
  4. gentle (compassionate & not quarrelsome)
  5. self-controlled (exhibiting peace and unity)
  6. respectable (leading a life worthy of emulation)
  7. generous (always giving his/her best to/for followers)
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May we each live a life
That is worthy of emulation –
A life that is an open book.

One step at a time…

Tell me, what are the qualities
that are on your list for great leaders?
See ya tomorrow.

Have a Super Saturday!
Hugs,
JanBeek

What Do You Choose?

What Do You Choose?

Choose love

How About YOU?

pexels-photo-887349-2

Let’s Just Keep on Loving One Another!

See ya tomorrow.

Are You Leader or Follower?

Leader or Follower?

Some days I’m the leader;
Other days I like to follow.
But sometimes following
Is more than I can swallow.

animal beast big carnivore

Sometimes the folks who lead
Don’t seem to care the least
About the folks they’re leading;
They’re like this ugly beast.

The beast who tells us lies,
Who says “Do as I say,
But not as I do,” you know?
He tries to force his way.

We are not stupid sheep;
We know which way is right.
So stand your ground, my friends.
Don’t let him push his might.

The one who makes the rules,
Usually wins the game, they say.
But, some rules should be constant –
Don’t let him lead you astray.

My Inspiration

This poem was inspired by a Time Magazine article titled, “Whose standards will Democrats embrace?” by the eloquent former editor of Time Magazine, Nancy Gibbs.
This topic of leaders and followers is heavy on my heart. It’s not the simple kind of following that I wrote about years ago when I was looking at healthy parent-child relationships:

Follow Me

Days Gone By

When I was a youngster, one of the popular TV programs was “Father Knows Best.” I related to that … and so did a lot of my peers. Mom and Dad talked things over. They  presented a righteous front of solidarity. Sometimes Mom (in fact usually Mom) laid down the laws. Together, they enforced them. We were the “Leave it to Beaver” generation whose nuclear family lived by the universal rules spelled out in the Ten Commandments. “Do not lie” was paramount among them. “Love One Another,” was another. “Be kind to your neighbor,” right?

Appreciate one another’s differences. Know that we all are part of one body – and the head needs the hand; the leg needs the foot. We need to live in harmony.

What has happened to our Rules to Live By??

Trust & Integrity

Trust is gained

Through integrity;

Integrity is given

As a Godly gift.

No one can take

Integrity from us.

We give it away;

We waste it;

We chip away at the

Fullness of our integrity

When we fail to:

  • Keep our word
  • Tell the truth
  • Follow through
  • Live honestly
  • Defend the weak

Trust begins internally;

We can’t trust others

Until we trust ourselves first.

We can’t trust ourselves

If we lack integrity.

The two are integrally related.

Ask God daily for help

With faith, honesty, and integrity.

Divine guidance increases

Our trust and integrity.

 

prayer time

God bless you!

Don’t Pretend

I’ve never been good
At pretending or faking
I give it away

Whatever it is
You can read it in my eyes
Eyes never tell lies

Romans 12:9.jpg

Genuinely love
Don’t pretend your affection
Sincerity wins

Love with a clean heart
Hold tightly to your loved ones
They are your pure joy!

 

Here we are today with our dear friend, holding tightly to one another, appreciating the pure joy of being together. Enjoying the opportunity to see them in their new home. Lovely, isn’t it? It was a beautiful day in southern California… the kind of blue sky, sunshiny day that drew us here. And the friendships maintained are true bonuses. No pretending necessary.

 

bobsarahjan-laq-1:19

Who do you love with a genuine affection? How do you delight and honor one another?

Live Well, Live Wisely

LIVE WELL, LIVE WISELY

app apple application communication

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There’s something to be said for staying hungry!

But, is that foolishness? Is it living well? Living wisely?

Well, it depends upon what you are hungry FOR!

To live wisely and well, I find I must remain hungry for soul food!

 

abundance agriculture bananas batch

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Yes, the kind of soul food you find in the healthy section of a grocery store helps, but that’s not all!

 

It’s not the kind of soul food you find deep fried …

fried meat on top of white plate

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The soul food for which I hunger is found in the soul-finder, the heart stimulant, the words of Scripture.

close up of heart shape

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My go-to Bible is The Message, by Eugene H. Peterson. This brilliant theologian recently died (like within the month)… what a loss! His translated words of the Bible speak to me. I hunger for the messages translated into everyday English – helping me learn ways to live well, and live wisely. Here is a perfect example:

James 3:13-18

“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live; not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom – it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”

 

Live well. Live Wisely.

I ask myself:

Is your life an open book?
Can anyone open the pages and take a look?
Are there hidden pockets tucked inside?
Times you’ve cheated, fudged, or lied?

Is there mean-spirited ambition
Hidden in the corners of your heart?
Do you claw your way to the top
Instead of helping others get a start?

Do you ever boast and boost yourself,
Trying to look smarter than you are?
Are you hot one day and cold the next,
Playing the golf of life well over par?

Do you sow discontent or seeds of envy
By flaunting talents, putting others down?
Or are you humble, discreet and honest?
Do you cause a smile instead of a frown?

Living well includes treating yourself
With honor and true respect,
Giving others the credit they deserve, and
Sharing with love more than they expect.

Do you see a neighbor in dire need?
Do you step up to lend a hand?
Part of living wisely and living well
Is finding the gold nuggets in the sand.

Search for beauty among the ugly.
Look beyond the outer shell.
Share your heart and soul with abandon…
Then you’ll know you’re living well.

 

Are you living well and wisely?

What is Truth?

T elling

R eal

U nderstandings,

T alking

H onestly

And how can we tell who’s telling the truth? How can we know who’s being honest? Each talks from his/her own understanding, right? Each tells his/her own truth. Are there any absolutes these days?

So, lie detector test results aren’t allowed in court, huh? So that means you don’t have to take one?

So, the FBI doesn’t draw conclusions, huh? So that means you should not ask them to investigate?

So, one side points fingers at the other side. And nobody believes anybody else any more.

What is Truth anyway?

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