Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘life’s meaning’

Alive for a Reason

You’re alive for a reason.
What is it?

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I’m alive because…
My purpose in life is to…

I’d love to see how you complete
one or both of those sentences.

I have given them a lot of thought lately.


Write your sentence before you look below for what I wrote.

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I’m alive for a reason.
I’m alive because my number hasn’t come up yet!
My purpose in life is
– to love
– to accept love gratefully,
– to spread that love far and wide
– and to help others seek the Source
of that joyous, peace-filled love.

I don’t love because I expect love in return…
(but that usually happens).
I love because God first loved me,
my parents loved me,
and I have been blessed with family and friends who love me.
My cup overflows… and I NEED to share it.

How did you finish the sentence?

I hope you had (have) a loving family too.
My daddy was the world’s greatest hugger!

Have a great weekend.
Live for your purpose!
See ya tomorrow.
Love,
JanBeek

Love is Louder

God bless the Jefferson County Mental Health Local Advisory Council here in Montana!

Let’s all shout it out, “LOVE IS LOUDER!”

Let’s make it true!!

Th distance between me and my friend, Carol Orr, is from here to Eternity … but our love is louder than the distance! I was her Senior Companion – and she was my friend and mentor… always right for a laugh and a hug … always ready to share her 95 years of wisdom from her beautiful, sparkling soul.

LOVE is LOUDER than death! LOVE is LOUDER than disguises! LOVE sees through the darkness to the sparkle beneath and behind. LOVE brings out the best in us and in others. Let your LOVE SHINE!!

The motivational video below tells us, “One of life’s gifts is that its greatest moments are often disguised.” Our inability to see through the dark glasses finds us sometimes lost in a state of hopelessness. We live disguised as people behind a gloom of despair, seeing life as lost and hard.

My friend, Carol, was an upbeat person who enjoyed life to its fullest I posted a blog about her back on August 15, 2018 when she was in the hospital, looking toward the end of her time on earth. If you have time, check it out at

https://janbeek.blog/2019/07/28/95-years-of-life-lessons/

Carol spent her last months in our local nursing home, The Manor, hooked up to oxygen, and knowing her time was short, but LOVE was LOUDER than impending death. She never lost her smile nor her sense of humor. Ah, we should all be so blessed!

When all hope of living an eternity on earth, or of solving all the earth’s problems is lost, we need to take off the disguises, toss the dark glasses, and take each moment to see life’s infinite possibilities. What you seek is waiting. You are never too old to seek LOVE and you are never through positively influencing others – even (and maybe most especially) after leaving this earth.

Love is LOUDER

LOUDER than ANYTHING!


Every day you are :

  • smarter and
  • stronger and
  • better equipped
  • wiser and
  • sharper and
  • braver

What you seek is waiting for you.
Go for it!

Love is Louder

Shout it Out!!
I LOVE YOU!!!
See ya tomorrow.
Hugs,
JanBeek

Adding Meaning to Life. D=Decode

D = Decode

Thank you for exploring with me A to Z ways
of adding more meaning to our daily lives,
ways to decode the world around us,
ways to live more intentionally
to fulfill our purpose.

atlas ball shaped business compass

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D = Decode

Today we are on the letter D. I could have used the word DEVOTION, because it is so important that we express our praise and devotion to our Maker and offer thanks to Him every day. But, instead, I decided to use the word DECODE – – – with an emphasis on devotion.

Decode the World Around Us

D ecide
E veryday to
C ompassionately love
O thers and
D eal with
E verything fairly

Decide to
Look for
and fight for
Justice
Equality
and Balance

photo of rocks piled on top of each other

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Decode with Devotion

belief bible book business

 

In their book, Spiritual Literacy,
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
wrote the following,
“Express your feelings of …
adoration through devotional practices.
Pray with words and pray through your actions.”

Decode through Prayer and Bible Study

In a world filled with hate, cruelty, and divisiveness, we can find ways through prayer and Bible study to decode the world around us and live more lovingly, more purposefully, and more intentionally as Brothers and Sisters. Our adoration must be directed heavenward and to one another… not on things that are temporary. Pray fervently for our leaders, for world peace, and for the understanding of friends and family, allies and foes.

Pray for the wisdom to see and understand and act on God’s purposes for you today.

Yesterday was the 25th of April. Each day I read a chapter in Proverbs to correspond with the day of the month (Proverbs has 31 chapters). Chapter 25’s subheading in my Eugene H. Peterson’s translation, The Message, is “The Right Word at the Right Time.”

Find wisdom in the Book of Wisdom, Proverbs, which contains the wise sayings of Solomon:

Proverbs 25: 8
“Don’t jump to conclusions –
There may be
a perfectly good explanation
for what you saw.”

So, we reserve judgement – and as we seek to decode what we see and hear, we look for ways to be affirmative or compassionately corrective.

Verses 11 and 12 say,
“The right word at the right time
is like a custom-made piece of jewelry,
And a wise friend’s timely reprimand
is like a gold ring slipped on your finger.”

 

 

Decoding the World through Friendships

Proverbs 25:13
“Reliable friends who do what they say
are like cool drinks in sweltering heat –
Refreshing!”

woman drinking water

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Be a reliable friend.
See and fulfill your purpose through the gift of reliability!
Be a cool drink in the sweltering heat of friends’ lives!

Decode the World though Giving

Give generosity instead of animosity. You get what you give!
Give goodness instead of rudeness. You get what you give!
But, don’t give to get! Let your motives be pure love.
Give without expecting anything in return.

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Just Do it!

Step out in Faith!!
Your world will clear up,
detangle, be kinder,
and you will live in greater inner peace –
if you decode with devotion,
prayer, Bible study,
friendship,
and selfless giving.

close up photography of red and black nike running shoe

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Yes, as Nike says,
“Just do it!”

Adding Meaning to Life A =Attention

A = Attention

How can paying attention add new greater meaning to life?

Duh! That seems like such a rhetorical question, doesn’t it?

In their book, Spiritual Literacy, with a sub-title of “Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life,” authors Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat wrote: “Pay attention. Stay awake and totally alert. See with receptive eyes and discover a world of ceaseless wonders.”

What are some “ceaseless wonders” that add meaning to your days?

Do you pay special attention to:

  • daily sunrises?

landscape nature sky sunset

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  • trees in bloom?

white flowers in bloom

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  • grass greening?

alpine clouds daylight europe

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  • waterfalls?

landscape photography of waterfalls surrounded by green leafed plants

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  • ocean waves?

ocean wave

Photo by Simon Clayton on Pexels.com

  • wild animals?

brown deer standing on snow

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  • the unconditional love of precious pets

black dog beside little girl

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  • the companionship of friends

silhouette of people jumping

Photo by vjapratama on Pexels.com

  • the laughter of children?
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  • a beautiful, nutritional meal?

beef-string-beans-1.jpg

  • a warm, comfortable bed?

woman lying on bed holding white bear plush toy

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

  • a beautiful sunset?

Sunset@Placerville

Paying attention to these and other “ceaseless wonders”
WILL add meaning to your life.

What other “ceaseless wonders” are a part of your daily observations?
How do they add greater meaning to your life?

 

See you tomorrow…

What would you list as your “B” word

for adding meaning to

and defining purpose in your life?

Adding Meaning to Your Daily Life

Looking for Greater Meaning

I am always exploring ways to add more meaning to my daily life. Are you?

I want a greater understanding of:

  • who I am,
  • how to decode the world around me
  • what my purpose is here on earth,
  • and how I can live more intentionally to fulfill that purpose.

Do we need to have reached some “state of enlightenment”
in order to decode the world around us?

photography of book page

In their book, Spiritual Literacy,
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
wrote the following,
“Some traditions do see such understanding as
a gift or ‘awakening,’ but we believe it is a skill
that can be developed.”

Seeing the Spirit Within

“Such understanding” is defined by the Brussats as the ability to decode the world around us by seeing the sacred in everyday life. They suggest that we look to see the working of the Holy Spirit in our common activities: cooking, eating, working, walking, listening, visiting, praying … Recognize the Spirit moving in our lives through encounters with places, things, people, nature, and animals. Know that the message of the Holy Spirit personifies the greatest commandment: Love One Another. Cultivate the ability, the skill, to tune into the Spirit within you.

close up of tree against sky

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Loving Unconditionally

Loving One Another unconditionally is made possible by our ability to see the divine in one another. When we value each other’s gifts, when we see every other human being  as a Child of One Creator, then we are better able to respond to the Spirit within us.

In his foreword to Spiritual Literacy, Thomas Moore wrote, “It’s odd that after thousands of years of great spiritual example… we have to remind ourselves that spirituality is to be found in everyday life.”

Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy

The Brussats created an Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy with pointers on how certain practices can spell greater meaning in our daily lives.

I have an affection for using the alphabet as a stimulus for positive thoughts. I wrote an A-Z series last year on the subject, “What Makes Me Happy?” It was the start of my 180 consecutive days of blogging here at JanBeek.

So, I am naturally attracted to the Brussat’s Alphabet of Spiritual Literacy. I intend to use it as a new A-Z series here on JanBeek. In so doing, I hope to encourage you, my readers, to cultivate a spiritual vision while keeping an eye on the secular world. I hope to learn with you how we can unite our world views with our spiritual views. Wake up our Spiritual Literacy!

Restore Lost Bonds

I don’t want to live in La-La Land. I don’t want to experience a broad, impenetrable chasm between my social and my spiritual life. Thomas Moore explained that the Brussat’s purpose in writing Spiritual Literacy was to “restore lost bonds between spirit and matter, body and mind, church and home, work and prayer.”

I want my secular and spiritual lives to be in alignment. Do you?

Joint Effort

Let’s explore together ways to add more meaning to our daily lives, ways to decode the world around us, ways to live more intentionally to fulfill our purpose. Okay? Are you with me?

Let’s begin with A.

Tomorrow.

A = Attention

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