Embrace Action
Wordless Wednesday.
Time for Action
I love you!
Hugs, JanBeek
Posts tagged ‘hugs’
Embrace a Tree
Hug a tree for me
Find one you can wrap your arms
Around and hang on
Trees are like people
Some are so big that you can’t
Quite get around them
Like giant redwoods
All you can do is admire
Their magnificence
Some are just loners
They stand apart from others
Saying “Look at me!”
Some are connected
So tightly to each other
There’s no room to join
Others form a line
Saying, “Come and join us, but
You must look like us.”
Others welcome all
They are so hospitable
You just flock to them
Some are quite fruitful
They produce enough to share
And do every day
Others hide their fruit
Above gnarled exterior
Daring you to touch
Some are cold, distant
Dark and often depressing
Warning, “Keep away!”
I love trees who shine
Like bright, colorful people
Beckoning us near
Prickly trees are
Ones we try to steer clear of
Lest we should get caught
The young and tender
Beckon us to hold them tight
And protect their growth
Trees that nourish us
Are like the fruit-filled people
Who say, “Let me share.
Come see what I have.
Come taste of its sweet goodness.
I am rich with love.”
“Come sit beside me
Please let me give you some rest.
Come and embrace me.”
“I won’t hold my love
High above and out of reach;
Won’t put you at risk.”
“I’ll spread out my arms
And keep you safe from all harm.
I’ll listen. You talk!
Tell me your troubles.
Sit beneath my shade and rest.
Come, embrace a tree.”
We come in colors
Bright and shining as the sun.
Bare – when summer’s done
Trees are like people:
We hide our troubles inside
Deceptive faces.
Let’s learn from our trees.
Let’s let true colors shine through;
Show your true beauty.
Unlike this odd tree,
Keep your roots firmly grounded.
Embrace a tree now!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
Tell me, what’s your favorite tree?
Which one is like you?
See ya tomorrow.
“Give some tree the gift of green again.
Let one bird sing.”
—From “When Autumn Came” by Faiz Ahmed Faiz
     translated by Naomi Lazard
Embrace One Another
My word for 2021 is “Embrace.”
Each day during my devotional time,
I am prompted with a word or two
that tells me what to embrace today.
Yesterday it was “Silence.”
Did you miss me?
I was silent.
No blog.
Today
I am prompted to say,
“Embrace One Another.”
You may be thinking, “But…
How can we embrace one another
in the midst of this pandemic
when Social Distancing
is required?”
How?
that you can hug like that today?
However,
I am afraid that
many people will respond,
“No, I can’t hug anyone like that right now.”
So, are there other ways to “Embrace One Another”
besides hugging? Think about that!
What can you do?
Write!
You embrace me when you
embrace my ideas,
respond to my post,
send me a text,
smile at me,
affirm
me.
How can I embrace you
without being able
to come close and
hug you tight?
I’ll pray for you
and text you.
Respond.
Send me a picture of a flower
e-mail jan@janbeek.blog
Send me a comment
telling me that
you do care!
Embrace.
Now!
Thanks for visiting my blog today.
Will you take the next step?
Embrace One Another.
Embrace me!
God Bless
You!
See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek
Embrace God
Just As God Embraces Us…
… we need to embrace God! We need to lean on Him and let Him enfold us in His loving care. We need God now more than ever! Feel God hugging you as you reach out to Him.
Today during our ZOOM worship service, Rev. Steve Hundley delivered a powerful Pastoral Prayer. As he explained to us (the two dozen members of the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church in Ennis, MT who logged in) during his introduction to the prayer, “I am relying heavily on the prayers of the Reverend Dr. Peter Marshall, who was elected Chaplain of the United States Senate on Jan. 4, 1947.”
PASTORAL PRAYER:Â
“We know, Almighty God, that in this desperate hour, we as a nation need You. We need Your strength, Your guidance, Your wisdom. These are problems far greater than any human wisdom can solve, for what shall our leaders do in such an hour? May Your wisdom and Your guidance come upon the President, the President elect, the Senators and Congress men and women, to whom have been entrusted leadership. May the responsibility in the midst of this pandemic and civil unrest lie heavily on their hearts, until they are ready to acknowledge their helplessness and turn to You. Give them courage, and the moral integrity to confess that they don’t know what to do. Only then can they lead us as a nation beyond human wisdom to You, who alone has the answers.
Strengthen the courage of all our elected representatives—sincere men and women who want to do what is right, if only they can be sure what is right. Make it plain to them, O Lord. And then, start them out on the right way, for You know that we are hard to turn.
Forgive them for the blunders they have committed, the compromises they have made. Give to them to courage to admit mistakes. Take away from us, both as a nation and individuals, that stubborn pride which, followed by conceit, imagines itself to be above and beyond criticism.
Save our leaders, O God, from themselves and from their friends—even as You have saved them from their enemies.
- Let no personal ambition blind them to their opportunities.
- Help them to give battle to hypocrisy wherever they find it.
- Give them divine common sense and a selflessness that shall make them think of their call to service and not gain.
May they have the courage to lead the people of this Republic, considering unworthy the expediency of following the people.
Lord, we pray for the families of the thousands who have died this week alone of this terrible and relentless virus. We pray too, for the families of those who lost their lives and were injured in our nation’s capital. Bring an end to the violence that would cost just one of our citizens their lives. We pray for a peaceful transition of leadership, in our nation’s capital in the coming weeks.
We pray for those within our own community who have contracted and been exposed to the Corona virus. Heal them and protect them from any long-term effects of the virus.
We pray too for those people whose needs You place on our hearts. Hear and answer, we pray, that You will forgive us all our unworthiness; cleansing us from every ignoble thought and unworthy disposition that we may be renewed in spirit and mind and heart, through Jesus Christ, our Lord… Amen.”
Thank you for visiting JanBeek today.
I will post my sermon notes a little later.
Theme for 2021
Do you have a theme picked out for 2021?
Several of the bloggers I follow
have selected and shared
their themes
for 2021.
My husband, Bob,
said his theme is
“Don’t Let the Old Man In.”
Mine is
“Embrace”
Each day this year I will pray for
the revelations of God’s Will
for the new day,
and I will ask Him,
“What (or who) shall I embrace today?”
January 1st it was “JOY!”
There is room for JOY
In this life of mine.
There is room for it ‘cuz
This life is mighty fine.
January 2nd I embrace
God’s Will for my day.
Read His Word and
Walk in His Way.
always includes compassion!
Have a blessed weekend, dear friends.
What (or who) will you embrace today?
what they missed most in 2020
said it was HUGS!
Thank God for the people close enough to you
that you can safely hug
even in the midst of this pandemic.
What are your plans for today?
Our day will be a quiet one
here in this beautiful place.
I hope yours is as peace-filled.
God is shining His Light
down on you.
Be at peace!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow.
I CAN Embrace
I can embrace the future.
I can be ready for a fresh start.
I can take time to review
This past year and take heart.
Take heart that new beginnings
Offer us blessings to uncover.
Take heart that compassion’s awakened;
We’ve new opportunities to discover.
I can embrace the promises
That change and growth bestow.
I can be energized by
Welcoming strangers I’ve yet to know.
I can embrace the reality
Of dreams yet to fulfill,
Knowing God is ever faithful
When I’m living in His will.
I can embrace the coming year
With prayers for those in need –
And reach out to serve the hurting
With generosity – release the greed!
I embrace the coming decade
And hope to live rightly through it.
I embrace the coming vaccine –
It’ll be effective – we always knew it.
We knew that this pandemic
Could not stay with us forever.
There are too many blessed people
Out there who are creative and so clever.
But I am not waiting for the shot
To stop the misery and relieve the pain.
I embrace the fact that LOVE
Is what will make us whole again!
So, PEACE, my dear WP friends,
I send you the best medicine of all
For the end of this misery-filled year:
A smile, a virtual hug, a word of grace, an answer to your call.
Just like Bob Goff, Love Does,
He puts his cell phone number on his book covers.
Call on me … and I will answer every time:
(406) 599-9678
Happy New Year!
Big Embraces to you,
With Love, JanBeek
Only Imagine
In my journal yesterday, I created a six stanza Haiku. It’s where I’m comin’ from on this day when I delivered Bob (my sweet husband of 58 years) into the hands of a surgeon. It’s a relatively straight-forward procedure… an angiogram to determine any heart issues that were not detected with the x-rays and EKGs. Bob is in good hands… and I am here in the hotel room relaxing:
What is Heaven like?
I can only imagine.
I see glimpses here.
The help of a friend
The love of dear family
Colors of sunrise
The pureness of snow
Unconditional pet love
Hidden surprises
Gorgeous scenery
Flower pedals opening
Precious solitude
Whiskers of kittens
Soft and abundant kisses
Marvelous sunset
Magnificent Son
The warmth of welcoming arms
And eternal rest
The love of family
Thank you to Curtis Wallace for his gift of photography.
Such joy in flower petals opening – and sunflowers seeking the sun
Thank you, God, for soft and abundant kisses.
Kisses know no age
Kisses reach into our hearts
Gratefully receive
Magnificent Son
Thank you for your sacrifice
So freely given
as he undergoes his heart procedure
… and eternal rest –
That’s where my daddy is now.
What is heaven like?
I can only imagine!
When hugging arms aren’t available
Just got a call from the hospital.
Bob is out of surgery.
Heart looks good.
No blockages.
No stents needed.
Thank you, God,
for hearing and answering prayer.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek
and praying with me!
You’re the best!
See ya tomorrow.
Good Friends Are Slippers
Good Friends are Slippers,
Comfortable and Warm,
Sturdy and Reliable,
Trudging through Life’s Storm.
Always There When Needed,
Showing No Pretenses,
Listening and Loving,
Scaling Broken Fences.
Providing a Foundation
Of Sturdiness Untold.
Good Friends are Slippers –
More Comfortable when Old.
If You are Blessed with Friends
As Comfortable and Warm as Slippers,
Hang on Tight; Don’t Cut ’em Out.
Put Away the Clippers!
You Can’t Measure Their Worth
With a Ruler or Some Tape.
Good Friends are Slippers.
Don’t Let Their Warmth Escape!
Cozy hugs and warmth –
here whenever I need them!
She’s here whenever I need her!
What a blessing!
Thank you, Terry!
Keep the old and make some new;
One is silver, the other is gold.
True Friends are Slippers –
Treasures with comfort untold.
An “Old” Friend…
Best Buddies since the ’50s.
Comfortable and Warm!
May your life be warmed
With the comfort of many-a true friend.
God bless and keep them safe.
May those friendships never end.
Grateful and Loving
Who’s that Friend
Who is a Slipper
For You?
Thanks for visiting
JanBeek
Come back tomorrow…
And have a warm and comfortable week.
Here’s one of my favorite songs and singers
from the 1950’s when I was in high school.
The words fit today’s message so well!
Enjoy!!
Dinah Shore
Future Cuddles
(The poem below was written on my flight back to CA after some 4: AM cuddles with my newborn grandson in Switzerland two and a half decades ago)
Two fellow bloggers wrote yesterday about their grandchildren – and how this pandemic has taken away their ability to visit and hug them. It reminded me of this poem I wrote 26 years ago… and how much I miss my hugs and cuddles with my grandkids (and the three great-grandchildren). I decided to repost my poem and give you an updated picture of my three Swiss grandsons.
Here’s Nicky, the 26 year old for whom “The 4 o’clock Cuddle” was written. I seemed to know even when he was a newborn that someday he would have a “bearded cheek!” Hah!
The Four O’Clock Cuddle
Recalling our precious time together,
I wonder about
Future four o’clock cuddles.
Who will be there
In a decade or three?
Where will your bearded cheek
Nuzzle in four decades?
Will your big, round eyes
Remain innocent,
And your heart remain pure,
And with perfect trust,
Will you find the world
Always loves you
As I do?
Wrap your fingers
Around carefully chosen thumbs,
My dear grandson.
The world is yours,
But here
There will always be
A four o’clock cuddle.
Nicky is in the middle of this adorable picture of my three Swiss grandsons today.
Ah yes, a photo only a Grammy could call ADORABLE” … It’s a kiddie pool in the back of Nick’s new house that he’s sharing with two or three buddies in Switzerland. Here he is flanked by his brothers: Mike (28) and Chris (24)… Oh Lordy! I miss them!!
What kind of cuddles are you missing these days?
Tell me about ’em!!
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek
He Left Us
He Left Us
He left us his roses and hydrangeas,
and his garden with zucchini,
but he forgot to take the old wheelbarrow,
and he forgot the bocci ball court.
He left his mother’s crucifix on my wall,
his watch in the top dresser drawer,
the Balsamic vinegar in the cupboard,
but he forgot to take his Gallo Burgundy.
He left in each of us his love of family,
his teary-eyed sentimentality, and he left
the aches and pains of his earthly body,
but he forgot to take his spray paint, and
his love of convertibles with the top down.
He left the wife he loved so faithfully,
the family and neighbors who miss him so,
and the unconditional love; but he
forgot the collection of nude calendars,
and he forgot to take his twinkle.
I know – I have it!
I thank God that my daddy and I had such a wonderful relationship. I am so grateful for Dad’s unconditional love and warm hugs. This photo was taken in the early 1960s when I was in college… home for Father’s Day weekend.
And here is my dad with Mom, “the wife he loved so faithfully,” at their 30th anniversary, back in 1968. Can you see the twinkle is his eye? He and Mom were married for nearly 60 years before he died in 1998.
Happy Father’s Day to my dear hubby, Bob, father of our children, Ty & DeAna. In this photo, he was enjoying a day out on the Madison River last year on Father’s Day weekend. The weather prevented us from getting out today, but the fish are waiting. We’ll get out there soon.
Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there.
How will you spend YOUR day?
In another couple decades, when Bob & I leave this earth,
his poem will look far different from my dad’s.
Parts may be the same, because
he will leave his unconditional love
in the hearts of all who know him, but
other parts will be quite a contrast:
no Gallo Burgundy for him!
And he won’t leave his Runquist Wines behind… no way!!
It will all have been consumed…
(Sante’ – as we “prost” in Switzerland)
Enjoy your Father’s Day.
See ya tomorrow.
Hugs, JanBeek
