Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘life’

Wonderful Family Time

The end of 2025

Found us loving life

Spending it with family

Avoiding stress and strife

All should be so blessed

To have such happy love

We don’t take it for granted

Such love is from above!

May you experience such love, too!!
Bob’s brother Bill and Marge
Our love for each other
My cousin, Adrian DeAngelis & Laura
Bob’s 1969 wrestling student, Kevin with wife, Kim
Time with in-laws, the Paynes
Contact with our DollyWolly, DeDe, in Switzerland
Visit with Bob’s nephew, Bryan, and his sweet wife, Michelle
… in their beautiful home
Opportunity to attend church at Harvest – such sweet memories here!
Christmas with granddaughter Faith and her hubby
So proud of our son, Ty, and the life he is living
Ty’s wife, Monika, the perfect partner!
Great food and precious Mable, our great-granddaughter
Time in CA wine country: life can’t get much better!
Thank you, Ty & Monika
May your life be so blessed, too!!

Love, JanBeek

& my happy 87th birthday boy, BionicBob

Happy 87th

Hard to believe! BionicBob is 87 today! Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet husband! I’m so glad he is here, hearing, and healing!!

Great visiting with old friends!

Feeling loved and pampered!

Staying with my dear cousin, Adrian & Laura DeAngelis
Visiting former students ❤️👍🏽 Yes, this is Kevin from Bob’s 1969 wrestling program!!
Time in Placerville with family … precious!
Blessed to have each other!

Happy New Year, dear friends. We send our love.

Hugs, JanBeek

Surgery Done

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 surgery
Me… now… just sitting the sit!

And praying for all this to be worth it. Ultimately- better hearing. Please!

Love, JanBeek

Resilience

Richard (Dick) Peterson has a blog titled From Big Sky Buckeye

In it, Dick shares entries from his journals. Today’s entry said:

“Resilience allows life’s next breath to continue with another step.“

AI generated that “big step” photo for me. I find it interesting that big step and next breath are used in a way that links our head to our feet. It is true for me that when I am ready to take a “big step” it has to be a decision made at the head and heart level.

What next step are you ready to take? Will it take resilience to take that next breath and continue?

Sending love your way today.
JanBeek

Embrace Your Uniqueness

What makes you unique?
Your fingerprint and your eyes,
Your hair and your smile.

Your conversation,
And your own brand of whimsy.
Do you embrace these?

Bob Goff wrote today,
“God made you this way
On purpose, freckles and all.”

He had lots of spots –
As a kid, lots of freckles.
He was teased a lot.

His grandma told him
“Those spots are angel kisses.”
So be proud of them!

“Don’t tell anyone,”
She cautioned him not to share –
“Friends would be jealous!”

That very mean boy
Who teased Bob, calling him Spot,
Wilted his soft heart.

With grandma’s advice
His insecurities left,
Finding acceptance.

Accept uniqueness!
Embrace how you’re different.
Congratulations!

Love,
JanBeek

P.S. Bob Goff puts this message at the end of each of his books:

CONNECT WITH BOB
“Bob’s passion is people.
He’d love to hear from you
if you want to email him at info@bobgoff.com.
You can also follow him on Instagram and X: @bobgoff.
Here’s his cell phone number if you want to give him a call:
(619)985-4747.”

Now how unique is that??

In the Shadow…

Ps. 17:8
Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings

The smiling face below belongs to our interim pastor, Brian Conklin, who delivered a beautiful sermon Sunday inspired by the prayer of David found in Psalm 17. I posted my sermon notes here and then (while messing around on WordPress on my phone), I accidentally erased the post. Some of my friends saw it before the mishap, I hope. Anyway… heeeeeere’s Brian…

And heeeere’s “A prayer of David”

1 Hear me, Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.
Hear my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 Let my vindication come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.

3 Though you probe my heart,
    though you examine me at night and test me,
you will find that I have planned no evil;
    my mouth has not transgressed.
4 Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
5 My steps have held to your paths;
    my feet have not stumbled.

6 I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;
    turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show me the wonders of your great love,
    you who save by your right hand
    those who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings

9 from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.

Heaven knows, I need to be one of those protected chicks under “the shadow of your wings!”

Can’t redo what I lost… Need to get to bed.
Oh well…

See ya tomorrow. It’ll be a better day.

Love,
JanBeek

Grateful Heart

If you start each day
With a heart of gratitude
You will smile more

If you end each day
With a heart of gratitude
You will sleep better

If you live each day
With a heart of gratitude
You’ll see more blessings

From early sunrise
To the setting of the sun
Have a grateful heart

Swiftly flow the days
So, live each one gratefully
Giving God the praise

Love,
JanBeek

I am grateful for you,
my blogging friends
who read and comment.
Thank you!

Happy August 1st

It’s hard to believe August is already here. The months fly by! Each new month feels like crossing over a bridge into a new chapter in our lives.

My youngest grandson has has a long-distance relationship with a girl from Colombia. They’ve been sweethearts for more than 6 years. With the help of FaceTime and occasional visits to/from Switzerland, they have kept love alive.

I can’t imagine how hard it must be to love someone who lives so far away.

Facetime may be a Godsend for distance connections, but it’s just not enough! Occasionally they manage to connect in the flesh. Ain’t love grand? God bless ‘em!

When Bob & I were dating and when we were engaged, he was in the army, stationed in Germany. We went two weeks between communication- a letter at a time.

Ain’t technology grand?

What was your dating experience with your loved one way back when? Or do you have a loved one far away now? How do you manage?

We crossed the bridge from distance to closeness 64 years ago and have remained close ever since. I’m so glad I don’t have to rely on a computer or phone screen to see my loved one.

Ain’t love grand? Especially up close!!

Have a Happy August. And keep love alive!

Hugs, JanBeek

Finishing Well

Run the race with grace
So you know you’re finishing well
Goal: the finish line!

Today’s sermon at church was titled, “Running the Race”
But the main topic of interest was “Finishing Well.”
So my sermon notes today reflect that focus.
Come and read the highlights as I heard and recorded them:

2nd Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
“6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. 8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing… 16 At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Why do people run? Pain, elation,
Personal challenge, delirium…
Concentrate on how far you’ve come
Rather than on where you’ve been.

Feeling stiff and in pain, but knowing
I have the ability to endure hard things
Gives me the ability to show up for myself
So I can therefore show up for others.

Let’s end our journey with peace in our hearts
Knowing we have run the race well.
The Lord stood by us, gave us strength
And gave us perseverance as we served with trust.

Serving in faith, fighting the good fight
For mercy, for love… We often stand alone.
Feeling lonely and isolated in life’s race,
We reach out in ministry to others.

Christ calls us to run the race in faith.
Faith transforms us in our disappointments
Into opportunities of grace and hope.
So finish the race with faithfulness.

See through the things we’ve started
With integrity, keeping the faith through change.
The glory of your finish will last forever.
Run the race… and finish well.

Amen?

Love to you – and best wishes for a race well done!
JanBeek

Are You Crispy?

I’m just crispy!

Yes, I am not old
No, I am not young either
Except in my heart

Mentally, I’m young
Every day I learn something
Something new each day

My day’s not wasted
If, at the end of the day
Something new’s added

So, what have you learned
That is new for you today?
Crispy is an age!

And extra crispy
Is an advanced age for you!
So, please enjoy it!

Hah! Enjoy your day!

Love,
JanBeek