Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘peace’

Embrace Contentment


Romans 12:18

“If it is possible,
so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.”

With all the strife in the world today,
the least we can do is to live in peace
with ourselves, our neighbors, our families.
And if we see someone in need,
reach out a helping hand.
Heaven knows, regardless of how bad
things seem to be for us,
it never is hard to find someone
who is worse off than we are.

He complained about
Having no shoes for his feet
Others had no feet

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Be contented with the little things.
They really aren’t so little after all!

Philippians 4:11-13

“Not that I am speaking of being in need,
for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.
I know how to be brought low,
and I know how to abound.
In any and every circumstance,
I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need.
I can do all things
through him who strengthens me.”

These photos were sent to me by Daughter #2 in Maryland.
That tornado and car pile-up were about 8 miles from her home.
She is thanking God for the fact that the strong winds
she had at her house didn’t knock down trees
or create a power outage.

Philippians 4:6

Keep praying!

Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Pray with Me

God Almighty, I honor and praise You
for the works of Your hands,
for the beauty of the earth,
for the love You have for Your people
and for the animals.
I ask you now to protect
those who are ravaged by tornadoes
and floods, fires, and hurricanes,
wars and injustices.
Help us to know and trust
that You are with us
and You hear and answer
the fervent prayers of Your people.

Save us, Lord.
Bring peace.
Bring safety.
Bring rain to those who need it
and sunshine to those
who need freedom from flooding.

Help us find contentment
in Your care and promises.

Amen

Jan’s black eye fading

Find contentment in little blessings (some of them are not so little):

  • my black & blue eyes are healing
  • the bump on my forehead is decreasing
  • our smoky valley has cleared a little (we can see the mountains again)
  • the firefighters are diligently working to contain the wildfires
  • my grandson, Chris, made it safely to Colombia (that’s him & his girlfriend, Natalia’s picture behind me there)
  • so far our granddaughter’s house in South Lake Tahoe has not caught fire – and they are safely evacuated to stay with their other grandparents in southern CA
  • our son & his wife’s house is safe from the fires (and they are graciously housing a family who were evacuated from theirs)
  • my husband’s doctor has okayed his fishing trip to Alaska (he leaves next Monday) – in spite of some health scares this week – he is better :o)
  • you came to visit my blog and share the message of contentment in your life (in spite of challenges) – I look forward to your comments ❤

God bless you!
See ya tomorrow (God Willing)

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, contentment, Faith, Family, friendship, Giving, God, Gratitude, Haiku, kindness, Life's Challenges, Love, nature, optimism, prayer, relationships, Serving One Another

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Embrace the Spreading of Unity


https://www.wcax.com/app/2021/08/08/vermont-artist-spreads-symbol-unity-around-world/

Click on that link!
It will take you to a video
about the spreading of unity
as a theme on a painted cow.

I loved it…
and decided it was
too good to keep to myself.

Unity is Power.

Ban Divisiveness!

Bee amazed at the World Cow Maze
shown on the video that is linked above.

We’re all spots on the same cow!
Check out that link above to see how
this huge maze
in a corn field was created.
A-MAZE-ing!!

Embrace the spread of Unity.
In it lies our future as a world at peace!

What can you and I do to spread
the concept of UNITY
in our corner of the world today?

Let there be peace on earth…
and let it begin with me.

Have a peace-filled day.
See ya tomorrow (God willing).

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Animals, art, Living in Harmony, Love, music, peace, relationships

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Embrace Day’s End


Sunset
Cooling down
Illuminating the clouds
Allowing colors to change
Night

Do play this beautiful music
and hear the soothing sounds
as you read on…

Sit
Find peace
Embrace day’s end
Reflect on today’s highlights
Breathe

Observe
Changing seasons
Time passing by
Snow melting in mountains
Notice

Capture
Time slowing
Night creeping in
Birds finding their nest
Sleep

Imagine
Better tomorrows
Problems being solved
God’s blessings poured down
Nightfall

Clouds
Drifting by
Silently gathering momentum
Taking troubles with them
Peace

Beautiful wonderful and majestic
Ocean Sunset Guincho Beach
I hope you’re listening to that

Glowing
Slowly disappearing
Taking struggles away
Timeless tides – shifting sands
Goodnight!



See you tomorrow (God willing!)
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

blessings, contentment, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, nature, peace, photography, Poetry, writing

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Embrace Playfulness


Doesn’t that word make you smile?
PLAYFULNESS is underrated!
We all need to have days when
we determine it is the Word of the Day!
Today was that day for me!

Photo by Chevanon Photography on Pexels.com

It started with a day to celebrate
my friend, Sue’s birthday.
We met at a local coffee shop
and shared some quality one-on-one time.

We talked about the ways
people whose ideas may differ
in some areas of life
can love each other
for all their commonalities.

Then I spent a couple hours playing
Scrabble with a friend who is
recuperating from surgery.
A little playfulness is good for us all.

Playing in the sandbox
would be a welcome next activity.
Do you have a sandbox available?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I’d love to be at the ocean right now
Playing in the sand with you –
Jumping in the waves, and
drawing hearts on the beach.

Let’s spend time
listening to the waves crash against the shore
and enjoying the chance to
embrace playfulness!
Photo by Daniel Torobekov on Pexels.com

It’s a good day to embrace playfulness.
It’s a beautiful blue-sky, no wind afternoon.
Bob & I are headed to play with friends
Who are so dear… and so much fun to play with!

Terry & Jim – really fun-filled friends!

The Bible reinforces the idea of playfulness:

“Moreover, it is God’s gift that all should
eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.”

Ecclesiastes 3:13

Eating
Drinking
and taking pleasure
in the company
of our “Hood”

Do you have friends who embrace playfulness?

I didn’t get this posted yesterday.
I was having too much fun playing.
So here we are another day…

Bob, TazE & I
are headed out
with friends
on our ATV
(Lucille – the redhead
on which we have a “Ball”)

I wish you could come and enjoy this playfulness with us!


What kind of play is your favorite?
What will you do to enjoy playfulness today?

Whatever it is…
Take joy!

I send my love.
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, contentment, Faith, Family, friendship, happiness, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, relationships

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Embrace World Peace


Tomorrow is Independence Day in the USA. July 4th… a day to celebrate America’s beginning. Dwight Roth posts about it quite poignantly. Check it out:

https://rothpoetry.wordpress.com/2021/07/03/independence-day-all-men-are-created-equal/

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could really embrace and LIVE that sense of equality our constitution espouses?

Where do you find places where world-wide peace is the major goal? How is it expressed?

In addition to poets like Dwight Roth, I love folks like Bob Goff, author of “Love Does.” He wrote:

“Every day God invites us on the same kind of adventure. It’s not a trip where He sends us a rigid itinerary, He simply invites us. God asks what it is He’s made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world He made. And then, leaning over us, He whispers, “Let’s go do that together.”
― Bob Goff

Bob Goff’s books, “Love Does,” and “Everybody, Always” spell out in clear terms how the “love with actions and in truth” can make such a impact on your own peace – and can matter to the world at large. Check them out, if you have not read them already.

“Jesus talked to His friends a lot about how we should identify ourselves. He said it wouldn’t be what we said we believed or all the good we hoped to do someday. Nope, He said we would identify ourselves simply by how we loved people. It’s tempting to think there is more to it, but there’s not. Love isn’t something we fall into; love is someone we become.”
― Bob Goff, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People

That’s the only way we can work toward world peace…
One person, one act, one decision at a time.

It’s not really pride that is my motivator…
It is gratitude and love and a faith that
runs deep in my soul.
Thank You, God, for Your many blessings.
Thank you for Your love.
I pray that everyone in the world can feel it.

Thank you for the joy and peace that are mine.
May they radiate through me.
May I generously shine them on all I meet.

Feel the love.
Feel the peace.

Have a very Happy 4th of July!

See ya tomorrow (God willing)

Peace be with you!

Category:

Bible Lessons, God, Gratitude, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, relationships, writing

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Embrace Clarity


Photo by Dominika Roseclay on Pexels.com

Embrace clarity
Leave the fuzzy world behind
Sharpen your vision


Twenty-twenty was
Supposed to bring clarity
20//20 sight

Instead it brought blur
A virus, a pandemic
It’s not over yet

But we are not stuck
In a myopian world
Bring on clarity

Leave myopia
Move to joy and clarity
Clear up tomorrow

See yourself clearly
Find the lion inside you
Share it with your friends

Terry, Jan & Mary Grace
Still a little fuzzy!

Define your purpose
Clearly share joy with others
Spread love, peace, and faith

Jim & Bob

Open your eyes wide
To new possibilities
Shove grumbles aside

Twenty-twentyone
Has seen many improvements
Keep the ball rolling

Brilliant clarity
Can be ours if we only
See ourselves clearly

2 Corinthians 9:8

“God is able to bless you abundantly
so that in all things at all times,
having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work.”

Just kidding!!

Real clarity
Is coming for sure this year
Let’s all embrace it!

Peace, My Friends
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, contentment, Faith, friendship, Haiku, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, peace, Poetry, prayer, relationships

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The 7 Step Prayer Process


Has anyone ever taught you HOW to pray? Here is a 7 step process that my grand-nephew was studying today. I listened in.

  1. GRATITUDE: Get comfortable. Be still. Deeply breathe in. Breathe out by anxiety.
    Express Gratitude to God. Tell God what you are grateful for.
  2. AWARENESS. Revisit the times in the past 24 hours when you were the best version of yourself. Then talk to God about the times when you were not the best version of yourself. Talk to Him abut hw you will handle the situation better in the future.
  3. SIGNIFICANT MOMENT… recall a moment when you felt God was trying to teach you something through an event or action. Talk to God about that significant moment.
  4. PEACE: Ask God to forgive you for anything you have done that you feel badly bout. Ask for forgiveness, and ask God to fill Yyou with deep, deep, peace.
  5. FREEDOM: Ask God to help you be the best version of yourself. Ask him how you can change to be the person He made you to be. Ask God for the Courage and Strength to make this change in your life.
  6. OTHERS: Lift up to God anyone you feel you want to lift to Hi today. Ask for the specific way you want God to bless the people in your life that you care about. One at a time, bring them to God.
  7. OUR FATHER: Pray the prayer you might often say by rote. But this time, say it slowly and find meaning in each phrase:
    Our Father, who art in heaven
    Hallowed be Thy name
    Thy kingdom come
    Thy will be done
    On earth as it is in heaven
    Give us this day our daily bread
    And forgive us our debts
    As we forgive our debtors
    Lead us not into temptation
    But deliver us from evil
    For Thine is the Kingdom,
    And the Power,
    And the Glory
    Forever.
    Amen

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Love, peace, prayer

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Embrace Pianists


Laura Sullivan is a contemporary musician
whose original compositions
and renditions on the piano
accompanied by various instrumentalists
are a joy to listen to.

I almost always have music going on in the background while at home. Besides Laura Sullivan, I also put on You.Tube videos like this one: Water of Life – Peaceful Instrumental Hymns. Maybe, listening to this You.Tube hour and a half of music while you go about your business, you will embrace pianists, too.

Enjoy listening and watching –

Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Do you have a favorite pianist?
(Roger Williams is one of mine.
I ask Alexa to shuffle songs by him frequently).

Is there some other instrument you enjoy listening to?

Do you play an instrument?

We couldn’t afford a piano when I was a kid growing up, but we bought a little accordion from my “sorta cousin” who lived next door. That accordion only had 8 bass keys, so it was limited to songs in the key of F, C, G or A.

Eventually my parents bought me a bigger one – with 120 bass keys – and that has been my instrument for at least 70 years of my life. The left hand buttons do not translate well to the left hand on a piano, but it is a fun instrument to play.

Embrace the Piano Accordion! When you play it, it’s like carrying a party on your back!

My maiden name is DeAngeles…
Yes, Italian… so you can imagine
that the Italian numbers
have always been my favorites.

Isn’t that a beautiful accordion in that video? And the scenes of Italy are enchanting. But, at the University of the Pacific where I was a student in the early 60s, I was told the accordion is not a “real instrument.” The professors and students made fun of my instrumental choice.

It’s true, the accordion does not have the capability of the piano.

I wish I had access to a piano as a kid growing up!

The piano is an instrument that provides a lifetime of ecstasy!
Even with arthritic fingers, a good pianist can still make it talk.
Notice how Roger Williams’ little finger curls up a lot of the time.
Interesting how he uses it sometimes, but not others.
My fingers do that, too…

My other instrument is the clarinet.
I can’t play it anymore.
My fingers won’t cover all the holes!
You don’t have to worry about that with a piano!

You can share a lot of love, joy and peace
if you can sit down at the piano and make it talk.
Know someone who can do that?
Embrace that pianist!!

What instrument brings love, joy and peace into your life?

Category:

Living in Harmony, Love, music, peace

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Clear Conscience


Yesterday I wrote about embracing a clear conscience. Then I went up to my sanctuary and read some of my devotionals. As is often the case, I was astounded at how God synchronizes my reading and writing and my life.

One of my devotionals is a Bible Study published by the Moody Bible Institute, Today in the Word.

My friend, Caroline, and I are studying the books of 1st & 2nd Thessalonians. The topic on Wednesday was “Living with Integrity.” Integrity is one of my favorite words … one of the most important life concepts. Without it, there is no way we can have a clear conscience!!

Thessalonians 4:11

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.”

Photo by Gary Barnes on Pexels.com

A quiet life is one that knows when to tune out the thunder, avoid the noise and the crowds, and settle into a peaceful place where introspection is possible.

If we never steal ourselves away from the hustle and bustle long enough to look at ourselves honestly and listen to the Holy Spirit directing us, and analyze our thoughts and actions, how can we hope to live a life of quiet integrity with a clear conscience?

The Moody devotional reminded me:

“A quiet life does not mean moving to the country.
It can be described as taking care of one’s own responsibilities,
as opposed to meddling in others’ affairs.
Such a person is peaceable and respectful of others.”

When we stop,
take a break,
slow down,
and look around us
and inside our souls,
we open ourselves
to discover
the beauty
and the peace
around
and
in
us.

Peace be with you, my friends…
Peace – inside and out.

Amen

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.

I love hearing about how you’re doing…
What’s your secret to a clear conscience
and a peaceful existence?

See ya later! (God willing)

Category:

Bible Lessons, contentment, Faith, God, happiness, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, peace, prayer

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Embrace This Moment


Embrace this moment
Let it be all that you need
Soak every part in

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com

I’m outta here…

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

happiness, health, Love, mental health, peace, Poetry

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