Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘living’

Share Your Saltiness!

Share Your Saltiness!

.

(If you’ve followed my blog

for awhile, you know it’s my habit

to take poetic notes while listening

to Rev. Jean Johnson’s sermons

in our Ennis, Montana Presbyterian Church.

If you’re new to JanBeek, now you know!

Here are my notes from today’s message

based on the scripture in Mark 9:38-50)

.

I take salt for granted.

I simply know it’s good.

I understand it preserves

and flavors food – as it should.

.

Salt is a part of life.

It’s here among us all.

So, why did Jesus talk

About lack of salt this fall?

.

Where’s the Good News

In Jesus’ message of salt?

If salt loses its taste,

Am I, dear Lord, at fault?

.

We, as the church, are called

To be the Salt of the Earth.

If we lose our saltiness,

We forget our Christian birth.

.

Born into the faith, we’re given

The spices of zest and grace.

We’re called to season every need,

To help each hurting face.

.

Our salt is meant to sprinkle

Both saint and sinner – the same.

Remember, we all are sinners, too,

So share your saltiness in Jesus’ name.

.

Amen?

(And this Sunday afternoon I’m wondering,

Do you s’posed Jesus might have had this

salty sharing in mind? Come on over!)

Oh goodness! Is that sacrilegious? Or just some of my saltiness spilling out?

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, Poetry, Serving One Another, Sharing

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Jesus is Walkin’ on the Water Again

Jesus is Walkin’ on the Water Again!

I saw the fish ajumpin’ –

Areachin’ for my fly.

I saw the trout acomin’ –

Then turn; I don’t know why.
.

Then Jesus walked beside me –

Come right up to my boat

And skeered them fish to leavin’.

He sure done git me goat!

.

I’ll try another bugger,

And when I set me hook,

I’ll check to make sure Jesus

Ain’t there. Take a good look!

.

Cuz sure as them’s raisin’ –

Ya, sure as there is play,

I thought I seen my Jesus

Walkin’ the river today!

.

It weren’t no sacred Sunday.

I ain’t done nothin’ wrong.

But maybe He’s attracted

To the river’s bubblin’ song.

.

I sure as heck cain’t blame Him.

That river calls me, too.

I don’t suppose that river song

Has ever attracted you.
.

Huh?

Ya ain’t the only one!!

Ya got a fish story to tell!??

Category:

Fishing, Jesus

Tagged with:

Is Resolve in Your DNA?

My husband shared with me

in a conversation this morning

that he thinks people either have it

or they don’t.

“Resolve is in your DNA,” he said.

I totally disagree.

I believe the ability to be persistent,

the tendancy to follow through,

the earnest decision to act on something,

the willingness to actually do it,

all are opportunities that are new,

New every morning.

What do you think?

Does “Resolve” need to be a part

of your DNA?

Or can you find new Resolve today?

What can you Resolve to do what

you have been putting off?

Away with procrastination!

Find and polish your Resolve today!

Category:

Life's Challenges, peace

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Is Contentment a Worthy Goal?

Carving out time to

Own a beautiful home

Neatly placed at

The end of a rabbit-bush lane

Energized my early years.

Now that I have it, I

Thought I’d be content.

My goal has been met.

Every day I can look at life with

Newness; ready to

Take on a new goal.

Category:

blessings, contentment, Gratitude, learning, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, peace

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Why Pray?

God directs your path

When you take time to listen

To His Voice in prayer.

Hah! You thought I was gonna write something about how God answers your needs when you speak to God in faith, right? Well, that’s true, too. Especially when you believe God is here; God hears; God loves you and wants what’s best for you; God answers.

But, the main reason I pray is not to speak and request. The main reason I pray is to listen. In my silence, God speaks to my heart.

My day goes better if I take time to hear God’s Guidance before I begin the hard task of living intentionally today.

Prayer is not a one-way street. We are never alone when we pray. As Charles Stanley wrote in his devotional for today’s reflection “In Touch” magazine, prayer is “… a divine appointment with Almighty God.”

Do you keep that appointment daily? Do you invite the Holy Spirit in? Do you listen and absorb as the Creator creates in you a new spirit of love, joy and peace to guide today’s footsteps?

Take time to pray before you begin each day. Take time to listen. Keep that divine appointment!

God bless you.

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, Haiku, prayer

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Remaining Useful

When your hair is sparkling silver

And your chest is wrinkled skin,

How can your life be useful?

How can you keep your grin?

I’ll tell you all my secret –

It’s not too hard to know.

You have to find your niches

And stay useful as you grow.

You can’t let age impale you

And make you feel extinct.

You have to keep on growing

And keep your life distinct!

So find out where your passions

Lead you to volunteer –

And soon skin and hair tone

Will bring you cause to cheer!

It’s only when we’ve given

A life of service sincere

That we can join the chorus

In a heartfelt round of cheer.

We must resolve to remain useful.

We must share our time with glee.

Then the outer image fades away,

And our joy is all they see!

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Giving, Life's Challenges, Love, Serving One Another

Tagged with:

Unconditional Love

U ntil

N eeds

C olor

O n-going

N atural

D ecisions,

I t’s

T ime

I

O wn

N earsightedness

A nd

L earn

L ove

O penly

V isits

E veryone.

Even in my frustration, seeing my granddaughter doesn’t always insist that my great-grandson wear the glasses designed to correct his lazy eye problem, I must check my own vision. Am I so nearsighted that I fail to see her unconditional love? Am I so blind that I can’t recognize the fact that she’s doing her best? Am I so oblivious that I can’t observe her own struggles? Am I too judgmental to tilt the scales toward compassion? Lord, I hope not! What needs need to color my observations? What “natural decisions” need to be modified by unconditional love?

Maybe all of them. You think?

Sit down and play with those thoughts for awhile.

Category:

children, Family, Giving, learning, Life's Challenges, Love

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95 Years of Life Lessons

Living Fully Every Day

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My 95 years young friend, Carol, was in the hospital. Her face lit up when I walked in. It was a joy to see her. We chatted about her recent birthday, the family who came from far and near to celebrate with her, and about my trip this year to visit our daughter and grandkids in Switzerland. I shared that one of my grandsons may come to live with us for a time – and how Bob & I look forward to sharing life with him for awhile.

I told Carol, “With eight decades of living under our belts, we find joy in sharing some of the pearls of wit and wisdom we’ve picked up along the path.”

I asked Carol if she would share some of her life lessons with me. I don’t think I was prepared for the depth of her sharing. But, as soon as she began, I knew I was in for a treat. I grabbed a paper and pen and asked her if she would mind if I took notes. Carol used to be a writer, too … but she finds it hard to set pen to paper these days. So, knowing I love to write, she grinned widely, and nodded.

“Here are some things I have learned as I’ve grown older:

  1. Life softens.
  2. Things aren’t so urgent.
  3. I can fall in love at all ages.
  4. Life constantly changes – be open!
  5. It takes judgement to realize the possibilities life holds.
  6. We’re happier if we count our blessings.
  7. Our lives become more dimensional with years.
  8. Love is huge!
  9. We all must take responsibility for ourselves and our actions.
  10. . Life comes together in a natural and beautiful way.”

I read her list of life lessons back to her – choking up more than once in the process of doing so. Such wisdom! Such articulation!

“I want to be you when I grow up,” I told her. “I hope I can learn and internalize those lessons as beautifully as you have done.”

Carol and I hugged – and as I left her, she called after me, “It all comes down to living fully every day.”

May you, my dear blogging friends, live fully every day, too. Reach out to a loved one and ask, “What have you learned as you’ve grown older?” Their answers may surprise you.

Share one of your life lessons with me today.

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Family, Gratitude, learning, Life and Death, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, prayer, Sharing

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Parade

Parade

Parades are fun

They help us show

The things we do

To folks we know

They help us bring

New folks to town

They feature horses

Cowboy and clown

And let the people

Show their pride

And patriotism

Set differences aside

July the 4th

Is an excellent day

To honor your country

In this perfect way

Happy Independence Day!

Congratulations to

Vickey Gordon

Grand Marshall of

Ennis, Montana’s

July 4, 2018

Parade

Category:

Awards, holidays, Love, Montana

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FATHER

The poem below is one I found in a box of my mom’s favorite poems. She had this one memorized and used to recite it (along with others she had committed to memory) at various public gatherings and her Rebekah’s Lodge meetings.

FATHER

Used to wonder just why Father

Never had much time for play;

Used to wonder why he’d rather

Work each minute of the day.

Used to wonder why he never

Loafed along the road and shirked.

Can’t recall a single time whenever

Father played, while others worked.

Father never dressed in fashion,

Sort of hated clothing new;

Style with him was not a passion,

He had other things in view.

Boys are blind to much that’s going

On about ’em day by day.

And I had no way of knowing

What became of Father’s pay.

All I knew was when I needed

Shoes, I got ’em on the spot

Everything for which I pleaded

Somehow, Father always got.

Wondered, season after season,

Why he never took a rest

And that I might be the reason,

That, I never even guessed.

Wanted me to go to college

Dad was great on learning stuff

Always said that having knowledge

Helped a man through places rough.

But I thought it too much bother,

And I loitered day by day,

Wasting time, ignoring a Father,

Now I know I’ll have to pay.

Saw his cheeks were getting paler,

Didn’t understand just why;

Saw his body growing frailer,

Then at last I saw him die.

Rest had come, his tasks had ended,

Calm was written on his brow;

Father’s life was big and splendid –

And I understand it now.

Poet Unknown

Category:

Family, Gratitude, Life and Death, respect

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