Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘patience’

Quality Friends

Today’s Prompt was:

What qualities do you value most in a friend?

(Couldn’t narrow it down to just one quality!)

Quality friends are plentiful

But you gotta keep in touch

Sparkling Example of Sweetness

You gotta love and hug’em

Generosity

Celebrate birthdays and such

Christlikeness

Show your appreciation

Helpfulness

For all they do for you,

Faithful Longevity

And never let their friendship

Thoughtfulness & Sharing

Get away from you.

Consistent Inclusion

Let them know their faith walk

Love & Hospitality

Helps you walk your faith, too.

Genuine Concern

And don’t forget to tell them

Compassion & Companionship

How their integrity influences you.

Patience & Love

Besides integrity and cheerfulness

Faithfulness

Their daily contact is a gift!

Devotion

What qualities of friendship

Generosity

Give you a daily lift?

Thank you for being my blogging friends!
I appreciate your faithful visits and comments.
Have a lovely weekend!
Hugs,
JanBeek

P.S.
My niece, Jodie,
and her forever best friend, Melissa,
are coming to spend next week with us.
I can hardly wait!

Wish on a Dandelion

If you could wish
On a dandelion today,
What would you with for?
What would you say?

Laura Sullivan is a Grammy Award-winning musician whose music inspires me. She makes me want to wish on a dandelion.

I wish for peace
And an end to all wars.
I wish for love
And joy to be yours.

I wish for plenty
To be shared with all,
For hope and grace
To never be in shortfall.

I wish for gentleness
And patience to abound,
For music and laughter
To be found all around.

I wish for health
And for patience every day.
I wonder what you’d wish for –
What will you have to say?

boy wearing orange shirt blowing on dandelion
Photo by Sharefaith on Pexels.com

Wish upon a dandelion.
Let your imagination fly.
Wish for what you want the most;
Wish for things you cannot buy.

Back in 2020
When the pandemic was raging,
Laura Sullivan wrote this
(I found it quite engaging):

I wished for an end to
That horrible virus time.
My sister died in the middle of it.
Couldn’t see her; T’was a crime!

I wished upon a dandelion
That our world would soon be well;
That once the pandemic was over
We’d get outta this COVID hell.

But, it appears to me this virus
Is sticking around like the flu.
So, let’s wish upon a dandelion
That it stays away from me and you.

Photo by Edward Jenner on Pexels.com

Lord, be with my special friends
Who visited my blog today.
Help them remain healthy;
Keep all the bugs at bay!

Help them know that wishes
On dandelions can come true.
I wish for peace and love and joy –
Not just for me, but also for you!

What’s your wish today?


(If you don’t have a dandelion available,
remember, a star will do!!)

This is such a classic… I never get tired of hearing it!

A star or a dandelion,
Which one will it be?
Makes no difference –
Make a wish and share with me:

What will you wish for today?

JanBeek
sends love and cheer!

Patience & Tenacity

This title has been nagging at me
for the past few days.
Patience and Tenacity-
We all need them!

Impatience causes
Untold distresses for us.
Slow down. Breathe deeply.

Choose tenacity –
Hold tight to the task at hand –
Perseverance reaps rewards.

Healing progresses
On its own slow timetable –
Just like most progress.

Photo by icon0.com on Pexels.com

My hand’s not ready
To grasp yours firmly today.
It’s stiff and it’s sore.

But with some patience
And lots of tenacity,
That day is coming.

Photo by Swapnil Sharma on Pexels.com

Meantime, I can reach
With my strong dominant hand
And accept your help.

Tonight Bob & I had a wonderful dinner provided by our friends/neighbors. We had a lovely day made brighter by some sunshine and an ice cream treat to celebrate the good news: the pins are out – and my broken finger is healing in its socket perfectly! God is good!! Thank you for your prayers. I feel them!!

We went outside and took off our Montana winter jackets,
and enjoyed our ice cream in the soooo welcomed sunshine!

Yay!! We think summer
is thinking seriously
about staying around for awhile.

Patience, Jan!
Tenacity is the word of the day
for our prayers for warmer weather, too!

HOPE is the measure
of faith in His promises.
Hang in there, my friends!

Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold fast the confession
of our hope
without wavering
for He who promised
is faithful.”

Have a wonderful rest of your week.
Each day it will be easier for me to post.
Meantime – easy does it!
Stay in touch, please.

See ya later, alligator!


Love to you,
JanBeek

Embrace Preparedness

Nothing like being prepared! It allows a sense of ease after all the struggle of getting there!

Plane ready – and so were we!
Waiting in Chicago for the flight to London

Where’s a gourmet sit-down restaurant when you need it? Heck we can get fast food anywhere. We wanted something special. Message: relax and be patient. Save the fancy meal for when you’re with DeDe!! OK…

De’s there… waiting for us.

Flight takes off in an hour … we’re praying all goes smoothly. Thank you for the good wishes.

I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

Love, JanBeek

Embrace Waiting

Our
Pastor Nominating Committee
has been working for months –
Seems like a year already –
Trying to find the person
God has in mind for us.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

In this COVID-19 pandemic world,
It is an on-line ballgame.
Research, paperwork, phone calls,
ZOOM meetings, waiting –
It’s easy to become discouraged.
BUT…

Embrace Waiting!

Isaiah 64:4

“Be encouraged,
knowing that God has planned
good things for those who wait.”

Yesterday the Lord reinforced
the idea of spontaneity
And so I wrote about it.
Today, He said, “Flip the page!”

Photo by Anete Lusina on Pexels.com

The other side of spontaneity is patience.
The other side of the coin says, “Wait!”
The next page tells us to set aside
Frustration and replace it with trust.

Today’s message in the
Daily Readings for Devoted Living,
In Touch Magazine says,

“Sometimes… it may seem
He’s unconcerned about us,
because our prayers aren’t answered
as quickly as we expect.
When that happens,
we need to remember
it doesn’t mean God has stopped working.
He is actively involved in our lives,
but often in ways that are not visible.”

Hidden Lake, Montana

Behind the trees,
out of our sight,
there may be the answer
we are looking for.
Wait for the right answer!
Don’t settle for less.

In Touch Magazine‘s message today
went on to remind me,
“God orchestrates circumstances,
changes people’s hearts,
and protects his children
from making foolish decisions
that could have disastrous consequences.”

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

“Waiting times
are opportunities
for growth in
character,
obedience,
faith,
and
service.”

Today in the Word
from Moody Bible Institute
carried that same theme
in my devotional today,

“What about you?
Are you feeling stuck in God’s waiting room today?
While it is no doubt frustrating,
these times of delay
are not necessarily
a deviation from God’s plan.
Trust God’s hand
to set the next stage for your life.
Let Him work in and through you,
even during your waiting time.”

John Mayer sang a song
“Waiting on the World to Change” –
but I don’t think that’s what
God has in mind for you.
I think God is asking you
to pray about your uncertainly.
God is asking us to
study His Word and
learn from Him how to move forward.
How is this song a different message?

In our period of waiting,
God does not want us to feel powerless.
We struggle with fear, insecurity,
doubt, and a feeling of lack of power,
but Christ is working in our hearts.
As I sit in God’s waiting room,
I pray for discernment,
courage of conviction,
confidence and wisdom.

If you are also feeling like you’re in God’s waiting room,
Pray with me,
“Lord,
use this time
when nothing
seems to be happening.
Use it for Your purposes.
All our days are Yours.
Amen!”

Embrace Waiting

Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.

I’ll be waiting for your answer to my question,
“How did that song by John Mayer
send a different message about waiting?”

Are you waiting for the world to change?

See ya tomorrow.

Embrace Patience

An Elfchen is an Elevensie …
A poetic form that has 11 words,
1+2+3+4+1 = 11

It’s fun. Try it!

Open
Your petals
To fully bloom
Takes time; Embrace patience
Love

We all have it

Love
Flows out
And creates beauty
From what was dormant
Shine!

Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova on Pexels.com

Slow
And steady
Wins the race
Take each step faithfully
Patience

I love you!

Disagreements
Become larger
When they smoulder
Bring them to light
Patiently

Hostility
Becomes Hatred
When we’re misunderstood
Explore ideas with respect
Honor

Exercise compassion with
love
consideration
and
respect

Embrace Patience

Let’s just love one another, okay?
See ya tomorrow.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
Bee well!!

The Best You

The best version of you
Is understanding and sweet.
You are loving and forgiving,
Compassionate to all you meet.

The best version of yourself
Is gentle and filled with peace.
You are an overflowing vessel
Of joyfulness that’ll never cease.

Your self’s very best version
Is an example of great patience.
You sparkle with faithfulness
And reflect the Holy Spirit’s radiance.

Our DeDe
Photo by Godisable Jacob on Pexels.com

The best version of yourself
Is generous with everything you’ve got.
You reach out to feed and help others,
Never hoarding what’s in your pot.

When you look deep into your best,
You see a person who is humble and kind.
And if others don’t seem to see it,
Don’t worry, my friend. They must be blind!

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com
Photo by Godisable Jacob on Pexels.com
Photo by Min An on Pexels.com
Photo by Roy Reyna on Pexels.com

The best version of yourself
Is mighty, strong, and wise.
Bee it, beelieve it, and beehave it …
Bee your best self… Never compromise!

I love my best self!
I love your best self!!
Hello, in there… Come on out!
Don’t keep your love trapped on a shelf.

Thank you for bein’ you!



Ya Gotta Get Better

I’m praying for you –
Ya just gotta get better.
Can’t live without you!

With COVID-19,
Too many lives are now lost –
Many in peril.

Be patient, my friends.
Please don’t open up too soon.
Keep yourself healthy.

Losing a dear one
To this invisible beast:
Unfathomable!

Bee well!

Is there someone out there who needs our prayers?
Pass this song along to them – – –
“Soon You’ll Get Better” –
Put their name in the comments below
and I will add their name to my prayer list.

I believe in the Power of Prayer.

We all need reassuring words – especially now.
Have faith in what will be.

Photo by Jayberrytech on Pexels.com


#Hugs4Happiness

Thanks for visiting.
See ya tomorrow.


Be Tenderhearted

Be Tenderhearted

Sometimes I am all business.
I put process ahead of persons,
process ahead of poetry,
the poetry of God’s whispers.

Sometimes I am too concerned
about the process to see
the point of the pin
that pricks at pained heartstrings.

Sometimes I’m caught in calendar,
all deadlines ahead of doorways
that lead to peace with patience,
that open to compassion with courage.

Sometimes God rises to reveal
a hardened heart that hears,
“Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry,
and plow through the process!”

Sometimes when I stop to see
the mangled mess I’ve made
with focus on the failures,
God stops my steps.

He points to the positives;
He gathers up the good
And puts the process behind,
Trading it for tenderheartedness.

He helps me humbly see
the covenant, the cross on Calvary,
the limitless love of letting
God’s grace return to the gathering.

Return it to the wondrous whispers
that only tenderness and transparency
can reveal as we enter the center
of God’s tender heart – and hear.

Hear His poetry, hold His hand,
sing His songs and shout “Shalom!”
Take His tender heart that tugs
at your heartstrings. Take it home.

Be Tenderhearted.

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com



Growing in God’s Grace, Jan Beekman, poet

Increased LOVE, like FAITH, takes EFFORT

Loving Takes Effort

I wrote this post back in February of 2012 as a new blogger. I decided today would be a good day to revive and update it, because it is as pertinent today (maybe even more pertinent) as it was eight years ago!

monk in front of children near brown concrete building
Photo by Suraphat Nuea-on on Pexels.com

Work at Loving!

Like you, I want to be more kind, more loving, more at peace. In giving, we receive. Kindness is reciprocal. Peace of mind is a gift to those who live in the fullness of LOVE. But, in a world full of hate and devisiveness, illnesses like depression and the current Corona Virus, we have to work at loving and finding peace!

Photo by Marius Venter on Pexels.com

Very few of us have the privilege of finding a spot like this one where we can sit quietly at the top of a peaceful place and just breathe the clear air slowly.

Where can we find peace in the midst of our bustling real world?

Work to Find Time to Know Him

I schedule TIME each morning to be with the Holy Spirit. In my quiet meditation time that morning back in 2012, I stumbled upon 2Peter 1:2-7. The question that starts that scripture caught my heart. “Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace?”

I was reading the Living Bible, paraphrased – a large print copy that used to belong to my father-in-law. Gratefully, I inherited it when he passed on to his eternal home. This passage was underlined. Grandpa Beekman had double-underlined the next sentence, “Then learn to know Him better and better.”

Meditation and Study Time

My sanctuary time each morning is all aboutgetting to know Him better, and listening for His still small voice. As I study God’s Word, and get to know Him better, there are many benefits. The rest of this passage spells them out – and I easily connected the idea of “increased faith” with the reality of “increased love.” But there is a long pathway that leads to increased love (which equates to more of God’s kindness and peace). It takes plain old good, hard work!

2Peter 1:3
“For as you know Him better,
He will give you, through His great power,
everything you need for living a truly good life:
He even shares His own glory
and His own goodness with us!”

Photo by Wendy van Zyl on Pexels.com

Study to Know His Goodness and His Promises

I have added the capitals to “His.” The Bible doesn’t capitalize it. For me, the word requires a capital case letter when the him/his is not just any old him or his, but the One HIM, our Lord and Savior, God. So, when I share in His glory and goodness, it is special indeed! The scripture doesn’t stop there, though.

2Peter 1, Verse 4-
“And by that same mighty power,
He has given us all the other
rich and wonderful blessings He promised;
for instance, the promise to save us
from the lust and rottenness all around us,
and to give us His own character.”


Wow! What a promise!! How can I attain such blessings? Some would say it is totally by His grace. I don’t have to DO anything. Just because I BELIEVE I am His “chosen,” I will receive all these blessings. Well, not according to 2Peter 1: 5-7. Read on!

Work at Increased Faith

“BUT, to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what He wants you to do.”

(That’s always a trick to discern what He wants me to do!)

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

With Patience, Put Aside Your Own Desires

“Next, learn to put aside your own desires
so that you will become patient and godly,
gladly letting God have His way with you.”

I am reminded of my oldest grandson, Mikey.
He’s now 28, but when he was barely able
to pull himself up by his mother’s apron strings
and stand knee-high next to her,
he would tug on that apron
as she warmed his bottle in hot water on the stove.
Sure he was starving to death,
he would cry,
“Paaaay-shuns! Paaaay-shuns!”

(Ah yes, we long for paaay-shuns
even as we are barely able to verbalize a sentence!)

“Are you ready to go out and play in the snow with me?” Xander asked.

Walk the Path to Grow in the Capacity to Love

“This will make possible the next step,
which is for you to enjoy other people
and to like them,
and finally you will grow
to love them deeply.”

Grow to love.
Grow in faith.
Work at it.

Take the path that has “exercise stops” along the way.

  • Exercise your goodness first – the goodness Christ has given you.
  • Then stop to exercise wisdom – the knowledge we gain as we study God’s Word and practice being more and more like Christ.
  • Next, exercise selflessness and self-control, the fruits that the Holy Spirit has planted in you.
  • Practice patience and gentleness.
  • Your next stop on the exercise trail is labeled “Gratitude.” It is there that you learn to be grateful for the gifts you have been given while you focus on the gifts in others.

Put On Your Jesus Glasses

When you put on your Jesus glasses, you see the goodness, compassion, and faithfulness of others as God sees them. When you put on your Jesus glasses and appreciate all that is unique and wonderful about others, you see them as God’s creations. You have exercised enough now to love them.

Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com

Love Takes Effort!

Love is a gift worth working for. Thank God, He has freely loved us long before we knew how to love Him back. But now we do! We are getting to know God better and better. Praise the Lord!

The Bottom Line

Yes, the bottom line is the key:

Love One Another.

red love balloon
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

What will you do today to demonstrate your love for others?
Tell me about it!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
Do tell me about your loving plans.
See ya tomorrow.

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