I looked in the mirror, My face reflected there Showed lines of fear and worry, The strain of daily care. I looked into a quiet pool, Green branches framed my face. Snow-white cloud passed overhead, Some care seemed to erase.
I found myself in a shady nook My cares confessed to Him. I felt Him near and knew that He was looking deep within. I looked into His loving eyes; Reflecting back to me Was one I’d never truly known … The “Self” He’d helped me be. I looked into the mirror. Sweet peace reflected there. His perfect love had touched my life. He had erased all care.
Isaiah 43:4-5a. “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men to exchange for your life. Do not be afraid for I am with you…”
I knew where we were going… HOME! And I knew God was with us, guarding and guiding us. I learned as we were at the “41 miles to go” mark that a woman about my age had died in a tragic accident the day before on this very stretch of road. Her demise was a jack-knifed semi. She hit black ice and slid into it when she was trying to turn and avoid it. It was a clear day – at 4: o’clock in the afternoon. We were traveling home on that two-lane road in the dark. A host of family and friends were praying for our safe travel. We TRUSTED God’s guidance as we crept along, blinded by the bright headlights of on-coming semis.
At about the “20 miles to go” mark, if I had my window down, I could have reached out and touched the big doe that was preparing to cross the road in front of us. We didn’t see the deer until we were almost on top of it… or it on top of us! You can imagine how we prayed prayers of gratitude all the rest of the way home!!
This morning, in my wonderful upstairs space that I call my “sanctuairee,” I was reading a commentary by Rev. Dr. David Jeremiah. It was for me!!
“Praising God for Miracles”
“Among the stories connected to the memory of Francis of Assisi is this one: One day Francis gathered his friends at a remote monastery in central Italy. When he asked them about their journeys, each brother had an exciting tale to report. One had been riding his mule across a narrow bridge that spanned a deep gorge. When the mule bolted, the man was nearly thrown into the ravine. He praised God he hadn’t been killed.
Another brother had nearly drowned fording a river, but he said, ‘God in His grace provided a tree that had fallen across the water. I was able to grasp a branch and pull myself to safety.’ Other brothers expressed similar stories of God’s protection.
Then someone asked Francis about his trip. ‘I experienced the greatest miracle of all,’ said the famous friar. ‘I had a smooth, pleasant, and uneventful journey.’
We should always remember to praise God for His miracles in whatever form they come. He blesses, heals, rescues, delivers, helps, and uplifts more times every day than we can count. We should always be saying, ‘Thank You, Lord!’
Psalm 121:2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth”
Thank you, David Jeremiah, for your timely message this day. It’s a perfect one!
So, on this journey called life, I choose to trust God. I may not know where He is taking me tomorrow, but I know if I trust in Him, and ask for His guidance, and look for His direction, He will not fail me.
Choose to TRUST
Looking again at the scripture Dr. Jeremiah chose for today’s devotional, I am reminded of Martin Luther King Day yesterday… and the way he gave his life for his principles of Freedom, Equality for all, and Non-violence.
Yes, God said, “I will give men to exchange for your life.”
I pray we all will remember the men and women who gave their lives so that we might enjoy the peace we have today. It is still going on in those war-torn places around the world. God bless our faithful warriors who fight to keep us free and those servants of God world-wide who choose to TRUST in God’s protection as they fight to maintain their county’s freedom. Amen
Thank You, God, for the way You bless, heal, rescue, deliver, help, and uplift us more times every day than we can count.
Help us follow Your example of love and spread Your Good News with Trust and Assurance every day. Amen
The storms that ushered in the 2023 new year along the Pacific coast in California were amazing! These waves, called “King Tides” were between 45 and 50 feet tall!
The swells were increased by winds up to 50 mph on New Years eve and they crashed into the shores, washing away the cliffs, bringing houses down into the ocean.
The winds also brought down trees all over the Carmel, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach area where we are visiting family and friends. Fortunately, our friends did not lose any trees, but their neighbors had a tree land on their house.
Down the road a bit some houses were completely destroyed. Large trees were totally uprooted. Amazingly we have not heard of any deaths.
Can you imagine having this happening to your vehicle? Driving in this area is dangerous at best right now. Roads are washed out and trees have fallen across roadways.
My heart goes out to the people who have lost homes, businesses, vehicles, etc. We are feeling so grateful that our friends have not lost any of those things. Bob’s brother and sister-in-law have lost power and water service in their home, and their neighbor’s house has a tree in the middle of the roof, but no one was hurt.
The ocean along this central Pacific coast is beautiful, but given the rains and heavy winds of this last week, it can be treacherous. Many of the homes and businesses that built too close to the shore are regretting it today.
When we started our trip from Paso Robles to Pebble Beach, God sent a rainbow. It was an amazing sign telling us He would be with us – and our trip would be a safe one. God is good!
I have some wonderful photos of us with family/friends here… I will post some tomorrow. Right now, I just want to enjoy their company. Carpe’ Diem! Right? Bee present.
Is it hard for you to ask for help? Some people find it very difficult. Some people feel like they are a burden. They want to be self-sufficient.
Bob and I have learned Self-sufficiency is harder as you age. Asking for help is imperative, Especially when you are stuck!!
That red dot out there is the back – The back light of our car. We high-centered in.a snow drift. That’s about 50 yards out.
It is freezing out there – Brrr! We walked home and left the car. Brrrr… Help! We can’t do it – Can’t dig ourselves out.
It’s not the first time We needed help this week – Not the first time this year. What would we do alone??
Thank God for friends and neighbors. Thank God for Bobcats & snow blowers And friends who come to help. We would be toast without them!
Tomorrow’s sunrise promises us A better day – a chance to get out A chance to go to church and thank God For the HELP we receive from so many
Matthew 7:7
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
Do not be afraid to ask Do not be too proud to admit You need help – can’t do it all yourself Let others help… and ask God for help, too!
No request is too small.
We reached out yestersay We asked our friend, Joe, for help He came and helped Bob Unbury our snow fence
Earlier this month I reached out And asked my friend, Susan P, For help with my Christmas decorations She came – we did it together – God bless her!
I couldn’t have done this without her!
May the Lord bless and keep you May your neighbors and friends Be the help you need when in distress Don’t be afraid to cry out: HELP!!
There is no joy in aloneness When you are craving assistance People want to help you They want to be asked. So do!
Do ask for HELP when you need it Ask for HELP when you want it You will be blessed and so will your helper We all need to be needed!!
This is my adorable 10-year-old friend Hailey helps to give me a sense of purpose Each week she joins me in my sanctuary We study scripture and read devotionals
I am so grateful for her and her mom They let me know they needed something In helping them, I am the one who is blessed You, too, can be the helper as well as the one who’s helped
Reach out today and make someone’s life better In the process, you will make your own richer, too. Help is a two-way street – Don’t miss it! God bless you, my dear WP friends… you help
You help by reading my blog and commenting You help by posting your stories and inspiration You never know just who needs what you write You never know who you’re he[ping today! Thanks for dropping by JanBeek today.
Your “likes” and comments lift my spirits. I’m headed to go see your blog right now, too. Thanks for your HELP!!
Thousands of years before His birth, Isaiah predicted Him:
Isaiah 9:6
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Then, when Isaiah’s prediction came true, Jesus came to earth… the Prince of Peace, Here to show us how to find His peace, Here to show us how to live.
Ephesians2:14 put it this way:
“Jesus is our peace” Because Jesus “came and preached peace to you who were far away and those who were near.”
Jesus came, lived to show us and teach us, and died to save us. Believing that is the road to His grace. Believing that is the way to Eternal Life. Believing that is the path to peace.
Dr. John Koessler wrote:
“Those who know the peace of Christ become agents of peace themselves. When Jesus first sent His disciples to proclaim the kingdom, He told them, ‘As you enter the home, give it your greeting.’ Matthew 10:12 (the traditional Jewish greeting, Shalom) This was more than a social formality, Christians are offering peace through faith in Christ to others. The shalom of Christ is more than a greeting. It is a promise. There is more to peace than a personal experience. For the Christian, peace is a person. Jesus is our peace.”
That’s the luncheon at our Madison Valley Woman’s Club yesterday. 45 ladies showed up from our little Ennis community!
My dear friend, Susan P, came and helped me decorate our house from tree to…
…fireplace mantle and lotsa places around the house. She did things I could never do by myself. God bless her!
Those candles on the mantle are battery operated and can be set to change colors!!
Isn’t that fun? They can all be one of any choice of 8 colors or they can rotate. Good ole CostCo. They have lotsa fun things to get you in the holiday spirit!
But nothing depicts the Christmas season quite as well as this treasure that I found at our Christmas bazaar last Saturday. It’s a manger scene made by a darling lady in Nairobi. She used the bark from banana trees!!
It’s not Christmas unless we recognize the nativity as central to the holiday!
Is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas at your house? Tell me about it!
Have fun fixing your home to reflect this holiday season in a way that is meaningful for you.
For me and my family, it’s Christmas…
Thanking God for the gift of Baby Jesus, sharing time with family & friends, sending out cards, decorating with trees, candles, music and presents…
and the fun has just begun!
Our TazE looks just like this Boston on the right. She has decided the blanket under the tree is her bed. She thinks the presents are for her. Help!
Have fun this Christmas season… and good luck keeping your dog, cat or kids out from under the Christmas tree!
I was up in my sanctuairee this morning reflecting on the subject of waiting, anticipating the coming of Christmas – and I realized, Oh Lord, help me my God!! I mixed up Lent and Advent!! I said we had 40 days of waiting for the Christ Child during Advent! No, no, no… Lent is the 40 days of waiting for Easter, Advent is the 4 weeks before Christmas with 4 Sundays to celebrate the coming of the Baby in the manger. It might be the period of time the Wise Men followed the star to find the manger scene and present their gifts to the Savior.
But there is a mystery about the Wise men and their travel to follow the star. The wise men arrived after the birth. If they saw the star at the moment of Jesus’ birth, then it would have taken at least a few months for the wise men to arrive.
Regardless of the time it took the Wise Men to travel, since when did Nov. 27 to Dec. 25 equal 40 days?? Sheesh!!
The season of Advent is celebrated over four Sundays before Christmas – this year, those Sundays are Nov. 27 and Dec. 4, 11, and 18. The Advent season ends at sundown on Christmas Eve. The end of Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical or church year for Christians.
So, this season of “Waiting” is a time when my Jewish friends wait, too. They celebrate Hanukkah. The word Hanukkah is Hebrew for “dedication,” which refers to the rededication of the temple after the Maccabees’ victory. They need to wait for that season to begin on December 19th. Hanukkah, (Hebrew: “Dedication”) also spelled Ḥanukka, Chanukah, or Chanukkah, also called Feast of Dedication, Festival of Lights, or Feast of the Maccabees, Jewish festival that begins on Kislev 25 (usually in December, according to the Gregorian calendar) and is celebrated for eight days. Hanukkah reaffirms the ideals of Judaism and often involves a festival with lighting of candles each day of the festival. Although not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, Hanukkah came to be widely celebrated and remains one of the most popular Jewish religious observances. Hanukkah is celebrated from Monday, December 19 to Monday, December 26 in 2022.
The menorah is a symbol of Hanukkah. The menorah is meant to spread light to others. It is traditionally placed in a window,on a table or outside your door. Jewish faithfuls are supposed to light the menorah just after dark each night of Hanukkah.
As Christians, we pause and take time to put up our Christmas tree, decorate our home, our church, our community, and purchase the presents we want to give to our loved ones. Santa Claus has usurped the place of Jesus Christ as the central Christmas figure in many homes. It’s not Santa’s birthday we wait for and celebrate, however.
It’s not 40 days til Christmas! It’s coming sooner than you think… sooner than I imagined! We need to approach this season as innocent children… a Child of God … waiting expectantly. Focusing on the real Reason for the Season.
Jesus actually tells us to be like children and to come to Him full of faith and trust. The popular children‘s song “Jesus Loves the Little Children” reminds us that “all are precious in His sight” and no matter your race, gender or nationality, God wants to see all children come to Him.
So, forgive my “Ooops!” from yesterday… and get busy, my friends. Finish up those Thanksgiving leftovers, and get in the spirit! And let’s look – as through the eyes of a child – at what Advent really means:
Thanks for visiting JanBeek and my OOOPS today! See ya tomorrow.
Hugs to you and your loved ones!
By the way, I am missing the Bell Choir this year. Our director, Jan Thomas, is moving from Ennis to Bozeman. Tomorrow the moving van comes. Keep her and her hubby in prayer, wouldja? They are going to be sorely missed in our community.
We are WAITING for a new bell choir director to emerge. Got any recommendations?
JanBeek 