The world needs your cheer Be excited for today Be inspiring
You can lift others Out of their pessimism Make joy contagious
Faith is the power That helps you stay connected To joy that abounds
So, just keep the faith Keep letting God shine through you He’ll keep you upbeat!
Cheers!
What are you feeling positive about today? Share your good news! We all need your smile.
(My good news is that my hand is healing. The swelling is going down. I was able to get my watch on today… It fit over my hand for the first time since the fall and broken finger April 20th. The fingers are learning to bend again. That’s my good news. What’s yours?)
You know where I am going with this. You know that I begin each morning in my sanctuary where I focus on scripture, devotionals, and my angels.
I have a collection of these wonderful angels. Most were given to me as gifts from dear friends. Each has a story to tell – each reminds me of someone special. Some have wings, others do not. I focus on their message. “Lift someone up today.” “Let the Chains of Love bind you to others.”
It was my first devo today that caused me to choose the word FOCUS as my focus.
Then each scripture I read – and each of the other devotionals seemed to reinforce those thoughts until I got to the last one for the morning. It was in a book titled, “Ever Faithful” by David Jeremiah.
And what do you think the title for today is? “Clouded Vision”
And the scripture for today?
1 Peter 3:8
Finally, all of you, be of one mind, having compassion for one another, love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous.”
The story accompanying the title and scripture could not have been more perfect! (Thank you, David Jeremiah, for this!)
Be Thou my vision, O Lord of Heart! Music that calms the soul…
Have a great weekend, my friends. I am off to clean my windows. I need to see the world around me more clearly. How about you?
Embrace thoughtfulness. Express appreciation. Take none for granted.
Express thoughtfulness. Embrace opportunities To show gratitude.
Thank you, WordPress friends, For being so very kind. I love your comments!
“But I rejoice with a deep and holy joy that now at length you have revived your thoughtfulness for my welfare. Indeed you have always been thoughtful for me,”
Phil. 4:10
True Friends express thoughtfulness to one another
Ba no kuuki wo yomu culture in Japan. The ability of “Sensing someone’s feelings” generates thoughtfulness in Japanese culture and “understanding the situation without words”
A Thoughtful Tenacious Man
Thoughtful is not just how you treat others, but it is how you treat yourself, too. It is how you embrace life.
Steve Jobs is a man who faced many challenges in his life – experienced enormous success – and endured failures that would have devastated a more thoughtful, tenacious man.
A while after he knew his life span was limited, he gave an address to a group of college graduates. It is labeled as “One of the Greatest Speeches Ever.” It will give you pause to be thoughtful … and to experience the rest of your life much more thoughtfully. Do take time to hear it (even if you have done so already).
Ten thoughtful take-aways from Steve’s message:
Your beginnings in life do not have to define your life’s endings
Being a drop-out does not have to make you a loser. Trust that it will work out OK.
Tenaciously stumble into opportunities as you discover them. Grab them!
Dropping out may give you a chance to drop in to something better.
Find what you love and thoughtfully pursue it.
Don’t be afraid to start over; enjoy the lightness of being a beginner again.
Don’t lose faith.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
Live each day as if it is your last.
Death clears out the old to make room for the new… your life is limited. Make the most of it.
Embrace Thoughtfulness. Live thoughtfully!
What did you think of that Steve Jobs address?
Thanks for visiting – and thoughtfully responding.
When I searched to see if I have used this theme of tenacity already this year, I found a link to “Tenacity Defined” written a couple of years ago … before I started the current “Embrace” series. So, I decided it was OK to use the theme again because I have whole different take on it now.
So much has happened in these last three years since that 2018 post. Among the defining “happenings” is COVID-19. Impacting my view of life has been the way in which the pandemic exposed some of our worst tendencies. The issue of racism raised its ugly head. (I guess it never really was hidden)… but … In spite of the tenacity of people who to this day follow the non-violent teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr., there has been an increase in violent crime – and especially racially motivated hatred.
I saw images of people of Asian descent being knocked to the ground, innocent little Chinese ladies being beaten, and people standing by observing these horrendous acts – and doing nothing to stop them.
Where does tenacity fit in to this line of thinking?
Jeremy Liew from Riverside, Connecticut wrote in Time Magazine this week, “The last year made me comfortable with being uncomfortable.” In his article titled, Newfound Empathy, he explains his discomfort, ending with, “I am still uncomfortable, but now I am confident. I appreciate who I am. I am grateful for what I have – my education and health, and my three annoying sisters.”
Jeremy’s tenacious attitude, at the tender young age of 13, does not come magically. He must have some role models out there who are helping him appreciate his uniqueness, and value his attributes.
The song’s theme of “Never Give Up” reminds me that change comes slowly, but it comes. Like MLK,Jr. in his “I Have a Dream” speech, we need to adopt that attitude of hope. Tenaciously hang on to HOPE. And then we need to live it! We need to be able to say, along with Jeremy Liew, “I am confident.”
Mom’s cardboard of poems
In 1936, when she was a bride, transplanted from Washington to central California, my mom had a habit of cutting favorite poems out of the newspaper and taping them to a piece of cardboard. She hung that cardboard inside her kitchen cabinet.
It is now hanging inside my kitchen cabinet here in Montana. I treasure it… and I hold tenaciously to the lessons those various poems teach me. What a legacy, huh? The poem above was brought to mind today by Ann Koplow’s wonderful blog. She titled her post:
“Wouldn’t life be lots more happy, If we praised the good we see? For there’s such a lot of goodness In the worst of you and me.”
It takes TENACITY to look for and find the good in others. But it is so worth it!! I have a plaque in my dining room that reminds me of this fact. Here it is:
In that Time Magazine article, Jeremy Liew went on to explain, “I was uncomfortable being singled out for how I look (I am an Asian American Pacific Islander). A year ago, people looked at me as f I had COVID-19 or brought it to my community…”
Since when do we traumatize people because of the way they look? Since when do we marginalize them and make them feel inferior?
You say, “Since time immortal”??
Well, I say, “Well, It is time to make a change!”
As the song at the top of this blog says, “I will take a chance to be who I’m meant to be. I won’t let fear keep me from trying. It’s time for me to make a change. Start living the life I want. I’m gonna reach for the sky way up high. I’m never giving up. It’s up to me to see who I can be. Make change reality. I’m never giving up.”
Not only do I need to live the life I want and be who God made me to be, but I need to spread that message to others. Find the gold in them. Encourage them to be all that God made them to be, too.
One of my favorite bloggers is Cristian Mihai “The Art of Blogging” … If you go to his About page and read his explanation of who he is, you will see that it ends with these 4 lines:
“Sometimes I think I am who I am because someone has to be.
I believe it’s always strangers who ask the most difficult question.
‘Who are you?‘
I just wrote 1,500 words and I’m still not sure you know who I am.“
That last link is one of Cristian’s blogs that I think is so powerful that I told him he needs to bookmark it and read it when he is 80, because he writes about the trials of being a 20-something-year-old. He writes it now as a 31-year-old who has wisened beyond his years. He looks at life through very unique lenses. He is tenacious about passing along to others “The Art of Blogging” with the hope of improving us all.
The road to our best self is a long and arduous one. No one ever said it was gonna be easy. After all, we’re only human! But in our humanity is a divine core. We were made in God’s image. We are His Beloved. So, when I talk about finding the gold, that’s the core I am talking about.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.
Do you have something you are needing to do? Something you might feel ill equipped to accomplish? Or maybe, just not as strong as you thought you might be… and needing to take it one baby step at a time? Well, that’s where tenacity comes in. Start slowly… work yourself up to the full extent of your power … the power of the Holy Spirit in you.
3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Lisa Glines’ photo
Every morning, my friend Lisa and I exchange a prayer with/for one another Often it includes a photo of our morning scene. She lives on the east coast. Her sunrises usually differ from mine. Her sky beyond that iconic dead tree is full of life… full of promise for each new day. The lake beyond differs from my Madison Range here in my Montana morning.
Together we pray for one another… for God to guide us and grant us peace. I take such comfort in her prayers.
Do you have a prayer partner who lifts you up in prayer each morning? If not, I highly recommend you find one. Find a friend who will send you his/her sunrise. Enjoy beginning your day with a mutual prayer for love, joy, peace, health, happiness, and safety.
Turn your morning over to God and ask Him to guide your footsteps each day. Embrace Mornings. Embrace Prayer. Embrace Life.
Montana and North Carolina sunrises
Have a beautiful morning. Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you! Didja make that corned beef recipe I shared yesterday? Mine’s in the crockpot.
This quote came in the mail today from Billy Mills, national spokesperson for “Running Strong for American Indian Youth” – a project associated with Christian Relief Service.
The synchronicity of the arrival of this in mailbox today was not lost on me. I already had spent my hour up in my sanctuary reading my Bible, devotionals, and praying for you – and other family and friends on my prayer list (yes, you are there!). Among the names on my list is “Native American Youth.” Lord knows their needs and yours.
The word that was my “Take-Away” from that time upstairs today was “Perseverance.” And that’s BEFORE the mail came with this gift! Go back up and read it again… “Collective Perseverance…” and HOPE …Resilience and Certainty in tomorrow – – – Tomorrow: a better day!
Persevere in those choices!!
It’s perseverance That changes maybe’s to YES. Chase the doubt away!
To make an impact Just practice perseverance. Keep your dreams alive.
God says you are Unique… Designed for Greatness!!
Being persistent As you work to problem solve: The road to success!
I can’t just sit here Expecting success to come. Gotta go get it!
It’s perseverance – Working to make it happen That completes the goal.
What are you working To complete with great success? Live with that purpose.
Persevere with Purpose
But tenacity Ain’t easy when we don’t see The results we need.
Positivity Is hard to always maintain When we keep failing.
But unless we fail, We’re not trying hard enough! Gotta fail to learn.
3 “Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance,character;andcharacter,hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.…”
Romans 5:3-4
Don’t let the fact that There’s certain failure keep you From taking chances!
Folks who developed The vaccines we are using Failed many times.
Before succeeding, They conjured up their courage And kept on trying.
That’s the way it is! So Embrace Perseverance And live your purpose.
1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” Hebrews 12:1
Do you ever wonder what’s real and what’s not? Do you wonder what’s truth and what’s fiction? Do you wonder why certain things happen? Do you wonder what tomorrow will bring?
What if you grew up with a dad Who was a Special Effects Artist? What would the world seem like To you if this was your daily reality?
Special Effects Video
Ever wonder what life would be like If you had not met the person who Is front and center in your life now? Who would be with you instead?
Smooshed kisses – Watch out noses!!
Ever wonder how God created The beauty of a rainbow or sunset? The colors of the variety of birds? Or every zebra’s stripes unique?
Photo by Jessica Lewis on Pexels.com Double rainbows – no less!!
Ever wonder how He could make Each snowflake different? Each eye unique – unlike any other? Each voice to sound like no other?
Photo by Egor Kamelev on Pexels.com No two are alike… amazing!!
Each eye is unique. No two are the same. Amazing!!
Did you ever wonder if our eyes grow over our lifetime? When we’re born, our eyes are about two-thirds smaller than they’ll be when we reach adulthood. People’s eyes stop growing in length by the age of 20-21, when they reach about 24 millimeters. But the weight of the eyes’ lenses continue to increase over time. Isn’t that a wonder?
Ever wonder how I knew that? Used to be we had a huge set of encyclopedia that we bought from a door-to-door salesman. Encyclopedia Britannica. Outdated by the time it was published. Ask Siri today. Ask Alexa. Carry your encyclopedia in your pocket. Ever wonder how our kids could survive without their cell phones?… And about those voices:
People recognize us by our voices.
Ever wonder what life would be like If the only thing we bothered to talk about Was the good that we see in others? This is a poem my mom had memorized:
Wouldn’t this old world be better If the folks we meet would say “I know something good about you,” And then treat us just that way?
Wouldn’t it be fine and dandy If each handclasp warm and true Carried with it this assurance, “I know something good about you”?
Wouldn’t life be lots more happy If the good that’s in us all Were the only thing about us That folks bothered to recall?
Wouldn’t life be lots more happy If we praised the good we see? For there’s such a lot of goodness In the worst of you and me.
Wouldn’t it be nice to practice That fine way of thinking, too? You know something good about me! I know something good about you.
(Louis C. Shimon)
Mom posted that poem along with many others on a cardboard that she had hanging inside her kitchen cabinet door. She gathered the poems as a new bride in 1937. They were cut from the weekly newspaper. I have that cardboard posted inside my kitchen cabinet door here in Montana. It’s fading fast and becoming harder and harder to read… but I have most of them memorized now, too!
Ever wonder what your life would be like If you were born to a different mother? You wouldn’t be you, would you? What if your mother had different attributes?
My mother loved poetry (obviously) – And so that love of words well spoken Rubbed off on me – and I wonder What would life be like without poetry?
I wonder what life will be like when there is no more COVID-19.
Ever wonder what this world would be like Without the wonder of music? The streams would have to stop and The wind would have to cease.
Ever wonder how one could live happily Without having a sense of wonder? What do you wonder about, my friend? What gives you a sense of awe and wonder?
(By the way, that “Nature Sounds” video will play for 10 hours. Do you think the image or sound will change after a while? Ever wonder how they did that?)
Sending my love and hugs. Thanks for visiting JanBeek. Wonder which of your friends would like a link to this post?
Bob & Jan at breakfast on our 59th anniversary yesterday.
Thank you for all your positive comments and good wishes. I wonder what blogging would be like if I didn’t have YOU in it? Not a pretty thought!
This is Vissoie, Switzerland. Our daughter and son-in-law have a restaurant here. Isn’t it beautiful?
We missed our visit with them this year. We are not even able to go to California to celebrate Christmas with our son and his family there. I bet we are not alone. Many of you are missing your visits with your family this Christmas, too.
We’ll miss being with our son, Ty, and having my sister, Sally with us this year.
What are you missing?
Photo by Maximiliano Ignacio Pinilla Alvarado on Pexels.com
Like this sad looking dog, we can sit around and look all mopey. We can focus on what we’re missing. Or we can go to Ann Kaplow’s blog this morning, try focusing on the positive, and answer her question, “Can you find something to celebrate in today’s images?”
Celebrate the fact that even though we feel the darkness of this Coronavirus and the isolation caused by this pandemic, we also can experience the LIGHT! The Light still shines – and we can reflect it!
Focus on the Reason for the Season
Let us not focus On the things we are missing But on our blessings
Life is so full of things to say Thank You to God for… Lift your eyes to the sky And look for so many more.
The ability to look at life Through eyes of gratitude And find JOY even in times of trouble, That’s a healthy attitude!
Reaching out to friends Who will hear and join you in prayer – And believing in its power… You will find real JOY there!
Make friends who’ll pray with you…
Philippians 4:4-6
“Rejoice in the Lord always… Let your gentleness be evident to all… Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
… Good friends hug and cry with you, too!
Good friends join hands in mutual support!
Thank you for your love, prayers and support yesterday when I was waiting for the results of Bob’s angiogram procedure. You’re a treasure.
I reJOYce in your presence in my life. Have a blessed weekend. See ya tomorrow. Love & Hugs, JanBeek
Enjoy this beautiful, inspiring song and… … Keep Lookin’ Up!!
janbeek 