Loving One Another

Posts tagged ‘neighbors’

Thoughtfulness


Top of Mt Baldy

Yesterday Bob & I took our ATV, our dog, our lunches, and our stamina on a ride with friends up to the top of Mt Baldy in the Tobacco Root Mountains. From my sanctuary window, I can see the snow-topped mountain off to the north-west of us.

Mt. Baldy out my sanctuary window

Hard for you to see, with the sunlight reflections on the glass, but it’s out there through the angels in the distance… the tallest of the snow capped mountains.

What does all that have to do with thoughtfulness? Well, without the help of our friends, we wouldn’t have ventured up there!

First of all, some of the trails were really, really rocky and rough. We wouldn’t chance it alone!

Rocky trail up to Mt Baldy

Secondly, I could not have made that climb up from the trail where we left the ATVs without the help of my buddies!

Jan, Caroline & Penny on top!

With kind thoughtfulness, they each took one of my arms and climbed with me. They stopped to rest when my breathing got to panting instead. God bless ‘em!

View from Mt. Baldy’s top

At the 10,788 ft. level, the view was spectacular and the air coming off the snow on the peaks beside us was crisp and fresh.

I hope you’re as blessed as we are to have such thoughtful friends!

Rex in top of Mt. Baldy

Our buddy/neighbor/guide was Rex, who (with his wife, Penny) led the way. We’d have been lost without him!

Bob, Jan & TazE

Have a thoughtful day, my friends. Who can you help with his/her climb today?

See ya tomorrow

Category:

blessings, friendship, Gratitude, Love, Montana, nature, photography, Travel

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80 Years Young


I may have just turned 80,

But you can never tell

Unless I first admit it

Because life has treated me well

I still am full of vigor

I’m feisty, keen and healthy

I have a heart so full of love

I’m blessed and spiritually wealthy

I count my blessings every day

And live with gratitude

My family is a source of strength

My great grandkids lift my altitude

This month of July has been

A series of events so dear

I’m glad you’ve shared them with me

By visiting and celebrating with me here

The birthday party was a great success

The food and friends were amazing

One neighbor’s grandson

Kept returning to the table -grazing!

Tenderloin and chicken thighs

Wine and beer and water, too

The guests all brought potluck

Salads, appetizers, and focaccia, too!

The weather cooperated

It didn’t rain til we were in bed

It could have been a nasty day

But it was absolutely perfect instead!

Our dog had fun roaming the yard

And gathering nibbles wherever she went

The house was decorated beautifully

God bless a daughter #2 who’s Heaven-Sent!

My neighbors Janet and Charley

Were helpful beyond all measure

Add Rex & BW who helped set up & clean

They were an absolute treasure!

If you’ve hosted a party

For fifty folks or more,

You know it takes teamwork –

Yup, we had help galore!

I hope when you turn 80,

You feel as equally blessed.

Just count your blessings everyday

And start being that helpful guest!

My heart overflows!

See ya tomorrow

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Family, friendship, Gratitude, happiness, Love, Poetry

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Ace the Course


Ace the Course

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Happy Sunday, my friends. Did you get a chance to go to church? Our sermon today at Madison Valley Presbyterian in Ennis, MT was based on the Good Samaritan story in Luke 10:25-37 and the questions, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” and “Who is my neighbor?”

You all know the story of the Good Samaritan, so you may be wondering as I did, “How can there be a new twist on this old scripture lesson?”

Well, these are my poetic notes as I listened and recorded my “Take-aways” from today’s sermon, titled “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

ACE THE COURSE

What do I have to do
To ace the course?
Depends on the
Course, of course!

What do I have to do
To get to Heaven?
Ah, that course requires
Forgiveness – more than 70×7.

What do I have to do
To forgive and to love
As was demonstrated
By our Lord above?

I need to love
My neighbors ALL.
Who are my neighbors?
Whom should I call?

Call on the needy.
Call on the one in the ditch.
Call on the leper –
Help him scratch his itch!

Call on the lowly,
The good-for-nothing guys.
Don’t limit your call
To the powerful and wise.

Call on the lazy ones.
Call on the poor of heart.
Call on the merciless –
That’s the place to start.

If you wanna ACE
The course to Eternity,
You gotta reach out
And do good to ALL for FREE.

Don’t reach out for gain.
Don’t expect your reward to start.
You’re in this course to gain
An A+ with your loving heart!

BEE the LOVE

See ya tomorrow.

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

Bible Lessons, God, Love, Montana, Poetry, writing

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Celebrate July 4th, Ennis, MT


Celebrate July 4th in Ennis, MT

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Independence Day in Ennis, Montana is like stepping back 50 years.

The Firemen put on a pancake breakfast and feed over 800 people.

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The parade blocks off Hiway 287 traffic for two hours. The floats are simple. The horses are wonderful. The old cars are fun to see. The children are delightful.

Grand Marshalls' buggy

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This video taken when we were watching it from Main Street a couple years ago gives you a real good glimpse of our parade. My friend, Mary Oliver, was Grand Marshall.

This year we watched from across the way from our Manor, the nursing home. The residents come out in their wheelchairs to enjoy the festivities. Some voolunteers served them rootbeer floats and presented the with July 4th hats or crowns. Adorable!!

Betty Blue-eyes

It was overcast and a little cool
when the sun went behind a cloud,
but it did not rain on our parade!
Thank you, God!

Manor residents ready for parade

Manor ice cream floats

I volunteered at our Senior Center to offer coffee, water, donuts, and restroom facilities to the more than 6,000 visitors who came to our little town of 1,000 residents on this special occasion.

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My friend, Lynn,
who is President of our Sr. Center Board of Directors,
spear-headed the effort.

Lynn @ ESC

The rodeo is good-ole western down-home country.

And after the rodeo, we all have a BBQ
or invite neighbors and friends to come home with us.

July 4- girl

The neighbors invite the neighbors to come dine with them in their welcoming homes.

Ducsays home sign

Dinner at Ducsays

What a lovely evening we had!
Just look at that view from our neighbor’s patio!
(Our house is beyond the trees to the left.)

You gotta experience it to believe it.

Maybe next year YOU can come to Ennis, Montana to experience the Firemen’s breakfast, the parade, the hospitality of the Sr. Center and the residents’ homes, and the rodeo.

Hope you had a Happy 4th of July.

What did you do if you were in the USA? And if you’re in another country, do you have similar celebratory experiences to celebrate your country’s independence or founding? Tell me about it!

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Thanks for joining me!
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See ya tomorrow.

Category:

children, Family, friendship, holidays, Love, Montana

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Love Uniqueness


Love Uniqueness

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Photo by Daniel Reche from Pexels


Sermon notes
from message based on
John 17:20-26
“That They May Be One.”


Jesus prayed for Oneness
For each divided sect.
As He is One with God,
He prayed we will show respect.

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.
The ways in which we
Polarize ourselves here
Is tiring. It saddens me.
It brings no one cheer.
.
All people are more similar
Than different from each other.
We establish boundaries
To separate from our brothers.
.
We do it to prove that
We are right and we’re accepted.
We name others as losers
And place them outside  –  rejected.
.
Jesus prayed that we would just
Love One another – differences and all.
He prayed for our Oneness.
Honor uniqueness; stand tall!
.
Oneness is not about eliminating
The differences we see.
It’s about loving our uniqueness.
Love your neighbor, even your enemy!
.
It is about Oneness with God;
It’s a boundary-less love.
It’s only possible with help
From the Divine Source above.
.
If we call ourselves Christian,
We must stop bickering and be
The loving children our Creator intended.
Love differences;  love even me!

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.
Be one with all.
In Christ’s Love we Pray,
Amen.
.

JanBeek’s poetic notes
from a sermon
by Rev. Jean Johnson
at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
Ennis, Montana
June 2, 2019

What will you do today to demontrate your love for one another?
pexels-photo-887349
See you tomorrow

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Jesus, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, prayer, respect

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Adding Meaning to Life C=Connections


C = Connections

In their book, Spiritual Literacy,
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
wrote the following,
“Cultivate the art of making connections.
See how your life is intimately related
to all life on the planet.”

 

Different Kinds of Connections

The connections we have with our family and friends enrich and add meaning to our lives. For most of us, that’s a given.

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But what about random connections?

The poem by John Donne reminds us,

“No man is an island,
“Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own,
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me
Because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore send not to know
For whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.”

Our lives are richer, fuller, more meaningful when we realize “No man is an island,” and we allow our hearts and our bodies to be touched by the lives of others. Feel the connections!

Feel the Intimacy

All of us are connected, whether we know it or not! We may feel the connections, but do we feel the intimacy?

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Gunilla Norris wrote, “This is intimacy: its touch is ever new, revealing the precious moments we have to live and to connect with things. No love is ever lost in this universe.”

Connection with Things

Some people say they have never felt closer to God than in their garden or out in the woods or on a river. They connect to the plants, the trees, the water, the earth… and the intimacy they feel with things fuels a greater love and appreciation of the divine. Out in nature, they are freer to be their true selves.

Are you one of those people?

agriculture backyard blur close up

 

people riding jon boats

 

Connections Make Us Stronger

Like a chain, linked together, we are stronger, more effective, when we are connected.

We can keep evil at bay more convincingly when we are connected. We protect one another.

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We can invite more joy and create more good when we are connected.

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Today I am volunteering again at the Medical Center. As a “Purple Lady,” I am connected to a group of ladies who “woman the desk” five days a week, greet people who enter the door, and help them feel welcomed and taken care of. Our fund raiser each year (a Home Tour event) raises thousands of dollars. The money is donated to the hospital for needs such as x-ray machines, physical therapy equipment, a crash cart, blanket warmers, etc. Connections make us stronger and more effective… and friendships are formed that enrich our lives immeasurably!

What connections have added meaning and enrichment to your life?

Category:

blessings, friendship, Giving, Living in Harmony, Love, Serving One Another

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Who is My Neighbor?


Book Review

Who is My Neighbor?

I just received a new book to share with our darling Sunday School class tomorrow. We have read the Bible story of the Good Samaritan – and acted it out. Now it’s time to give it a new, colorful twist!

Who Is My Neighbor? is a creative story that’s sure to prompt rich conversations, encouraging new ways of seeing our neighbors and ourselves. It’s ideal for our 3-to7-year-olds.

Blues and Yellows don’t mix, and that’s how it’s always been. No one remembers why. But then comes the day Midnight Blue takes a tumble along the road. His friends Navy Blue and Powder Blue don’t even stop to help. It’s only when Yellow comes along that everything changes – forever.

We will share the book with our kiddoes tomorrow and do a little art project mixing blue and yellow to see the result of our “Green Growth.”

The Foreword of the book reads,

“Love your neighbor as yourself,

and love the stranger,

because you know what it was like

to be a stranger.”

Available from http://www.TheThoughtfulChristian.com  –  or call 800-554-4694

Category:

Bible Lessons, children, friendship, learning, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, Serving One Another, writing

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