And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”
You are blessed to be a blessing. You have been given many gifts. They are meant to be shared; Pass them out – give others lifts!
Share Gifts
Whether its an ice cream That you share with your best friend Or an outing planned to surprise Your spouse, let your love extend.
Last night we shared a dinner At a restaurant – mighty fine – I had my favorite rack of lamb In a place so fine to dine.
Bob had his favorite seafood In a curry sauce with cream. We shared the blessing of the meal In this gorgeous spot… a dream!
It’s an Asian fusion restaurant In the heart of Bozeman city. The waitress, Marisa, did a great job – Shared her talent – Ain’t she pretty?
If you have the special blessing Of being able to go out for a meal With your favorite dining partner, Do it! I know just how you’ll feel…
Oh, and if that fabulous chef Tucks a surprise inside your dish, Be sure a let him/her know how much You appreciate it… and how it was delish!
My rack of lamb with broccolini Had a flower tucked inside. Oh, what fun it was to find and taste it … Some blessings like to hide!
If you’re ever in the city of Bozeman, Look up “Sweet Chili Asian Bistro.” It’s a delight – a real blessing – a treat! And, take your sweetheart when you go…
We came home to a Montana sunset That was a treat indeed for our eyes. My friend in North Carolina sent her sunset – Sadly Canadian fires created her smokey skies.
But the blessing in her mind was It could be a whole lot worse. My daughter in the Baltimore area showed The smoke there is a real curse.
Meanwhile, returning to our home A rainbow greeted us as we drew near – God’s promise wrapped in the scene – A reason always to give a cheer!!
We’re blessed with Rocky Mountain grandeur And our intent is share it with you. As the day draws to a close here, Here’s a scene for you to review:
Taken from our back patio You can see the highlighted shelf. As the sun sets to the west behind us, We thank God for nature’s wealth.
Bob mowed the lawn before the rain Came and watered the grass so green. Yes, we are blessed to be a blessing – – – Come visit us and see what I mean!
Love, JanBeek
What blessing are you blessed to share with others today?
People’s homes are in danger. Firefighters’ lives are at risk. The habitats of birds and deer, chipmunks and moose, squirrels and rabbits are being devoured.
The smoke blows in. The sun is hidden. Gray engulfs our valley. I hate gray!
And yet, as I sit here looking out at the gray, praying for rain to douse the fires and chase the smoke away, I hear the birds chirping in the trees.
They see the same gray sky, smell the same smoke, feel the same humid, sultry air, and yet – they sing! They dance in the leaves. They fly free – knowing a rainbow sits beyond the gray.
When is the last time you felt relief? Yesterday I told you my daughter bought a bike – Not an ordinary bike – a big ole motorcycle! She told me, “This one’s for ME!”
I thought that meant her hubby would have his, And she would have her own to ride. I told you I would not be eagerly anticipating that. Well, come to find out, she would not either!
No, Mom… I am not driving a motorcycle… We traded in our other one. Andre’ will drive. It’s for me because it is more comfortable And it has more space for carrying things.
Whew! I am relieved to say the least.
How about you? Would you be up for driving this? If that were your daughter, would you be relieved That she is not intending to be in the driver’s seat? Sitting in the rear is challenge enough!
Dream about what you want tomorrow to be. Imagine the very best possible outcome. Then pray your reality will be even more than that. Feel the sense of relief when dreams come true.
Wrap your troubles in dreams and dream your troubles away!
What a relief when sunshine follows the rain!
But don’t let the rain stop you! Embrace the rain – dance in it!
Thank you, Lord, for sparing us the worry Of a daughter driving a motorcycle On the narrow switchback Alpine roads. It’s hard enough to trust her safety as a back seat rider!!
Ah what a relief it is!
See ya tomorrow (God willing) Have a good night. JanBeek
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!
30 Days of Healing as we seek to be instruments of peace and change “Discovering God’s Vision for Your Life”
Discover “God’s Vision for Your Life” by wearing a mask… and Listen, Look, Smile as we grow in Love, Health & Healing
Dr. Jimmy said in his article, “… listening can inform us, guide us, as we grow and as we learn.”
My daughter DeAna, and her husband, Andre’ (pictured above and below here) are celebrating their 33rd anniversary today. It has been an interesting journey for them. They married when she was not quite 20 and he was 24. Young and naive, coming from a world apart – she a California girl and he a fun-loving guy who’d been working as a chef in Switzerland.
De & Andre’s wedding at UOP Chapel 1987
DeAna wore my dress and Andre’ wore Bob’s red bow tie and cummerbund as they were married in the same University of the Pacific chapel where Bob & I were wed 25 years earlier.
They remained in California four more years while De finished college, but eventually, they moved back to Andre’s hometown in Sierre, Switzerland. He missed his mountains, his family, his culture. I don’t blame him!!! De was pregnant with our first grandchild when they left. Talk about a difficult good-bye! But hey… Switzerland…. what a beautiful place to HAVE TO visit, huh?
Life was beautiful – but, oh so different – there.
Listening to Andre’s mom, Denise, was an important part of their marital success. As the years went by, DeAna and Andre’ grew in their ability to share their minds, let their dreams be known, and listen to one another.
Today as they anticipate the opening of their new restaurant, they are happier than ever.
Bob & I have been married 58 years, and we, too, are busy still learning to be better listeners. It’s a life-long process. But the effort is worth it. We, too, are happier now than ever.
Psalm 37:10-11 (MSG)
“The deeper your love, the higher it goes; every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness. Soar high in the skies, O God! Cover the whole earth with Your glory!”
Today the skies revealed a slight rainbow arching the skies … look carefully:
As I stood on the porch after the rain, listening to the thunder in the hills, the robins chirped from their nest nearby and the doves flew back onto the roof to coo at one another. Listen! The earth is alive with God’s symphonies.
The rain returned – just light sprinkles, but the birds continued their songs.
Bob came out on the porch and said, “What’s for lunch?” I responded with a shrug, “I don’t have anything planned.” “How about a hamburger and huckleberry milkshake?” he asked. Believe me, I listened, I heard, and … We were in the car in a jiffy.
That’s a happy smirk!
The sign over Bob’s shoulder says, “Without ICE CREAM, Life is Darkness and Chaos.”
Without good listening, Without open sharing of dreams, You’ll miss out on lots of hamburgers and milkshakes!
We went to Bozeman; it’s an hour’s drive through the beautiful Madison River canyon.
Yesterday was a lovely 60 degree, blue sky day. Looking closely, we could see the grass is beginning to turn green. That silo house is about our halfway point.
Getting closer to Bozeman, the Bridger Mountains loomed majestically ahead of us. What a backdrop for a town, huh?
Shopping
Keeping the recommended six feet distance from everyone, we picked up a few groceries, some flowers and Easter cards, and then went to the pharmacy to pick up our prescriptions before heading back home.
There’s the silo house tucked down in a little valley, seen from the opposite direction with the Tobacco Root Mountains across the horizon. What a beautiful view!
Celebrating
While Bob drove us back toward our Madison Valley home, I wrote on the Easter cards and divvied up the roses to deliver to friends. It was Maundy Thursday… a day to commemorate Christ’s Last Supper, trial, and death. A somber time. Yellow roses help me remember the glorious sunrise that’s coming!
Yes, Easter’s on its way. We’re all on a “Stay at Home” routine (except for essential travel). Getting groceries and medications are considered essential. So are flowers and Easter cards!
First stop was at the home of two of our Sunday School children. We had not seen them since this Coronavirus lockdown began.
A few roses, a card to cheer them, a six-feet-distance hug, blow ’em a kiss … and we were on our way back home.
But First…
Some more deliveries… roses and cards to our neighbors… drop ’em off at their doorsteps… let ’em know we’re thinking of them. One neighbor put the roses in a vase, snapped a picture, and sent us a cheery message.
See how they brightened up their living room?
Yesterday
… all my troubles seemed so far away.
God’s rainbow… God’s promise
Yes, our troubles seem to fade as we reflect on the reflections of yesterday…
a day to take a little outing, pick up a few necessary items, and spread a little cheer
a day to look for the rainbow that promises a better tomorrow
a day to remember the Lord’s Last Supper and His death on the cross, BUT
a day to look forward to three days later… the Resurrection, and the Promise fulfilled.
Yesterday’s gone. Today is a day to spread the Good News.
What can you do to cheer up a neighbor’s day?
Easter is Coming!Take comfort! Claim peace! Spread LOVE! Take joy!
I wish you were near, my WordPress friends. It’s “Good Friday!” I’d deliver a few roses to you, too.
In the smiles of children (and other friends, too, of course)
In the gorgeous sunset here in Ennis, MT last night
Ah yes, I see God in the sunsets …
In the water and in reflections,
And … at work in me and my loved ones
Ernesto Cardenal, a Nicaraguan poet and priest wrote, “Everything in nature has a trademark, God’s trademark: the stripes on a shell and the stripes on a zebra; the grain of the wood and the veins of the dry leaf; the markings on the dragonfly’s wings and the pattern of stars on a photographic plate; the panther’s coat and the epidermal cells of the lily petal; the structure of atoms and galaxies. All bear God’s fingerprints.”
Where do you see God’s fingerprints? Where do you FEEL God?
.
2 Corinthians 4:18 “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen.”
In reflecting on that scripture, Erika Bentsen wrote in today’s Daily Guideposts, “Dear Lord, please forgive us when we are tempted to doubt. Just as leaves are stirred by unseen winds, stir our hearts with the breath of Your real presence.”
Amen
