Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘relationships’

Take Joy!

The following poem was inspired by the message from our visiting pastor this morning, Phil Taylen.

Be anxious about nothing
Let your requests be known
To God who hears your pleas
In you, His love has always shone

Read one chapter of Philippians each day for a week
Your life will catch the contagious joy
God has a plan for your life
He’s sending that message daily through His Boy!

Don’t let your struggles pull you down
Lean on Jesus and celebrate His love
Behold, the Savior of the world is here
God sent His Son for us from Heaven above.

Philippians 2:2
New International Version
then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
New Living Translation
Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
English Standard Version
complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Hallelujah!
Take Joy!!

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Faith, God, Love, Poetry

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Surgery Done

Bob’s surgery (the insertion of a cochlear implant) is done. Lots of prayers for him… and they are really appreciated. Thank you, my WordPress friends. Now, the request is for successful healing and a safe drive home tomorrow (it’s 400 miles) and there’s a possibility of snow.

Bob – after surgery
Me… now… just sitting the sit!

And praying for all this to be worth it. Ultimately- better hearing. Please!

Love, JanBeek

Category:

blessings, courage, Gratitude, health, Life's Challenges, prayer, Travel

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Sit a Spell

The bench is waiting
Make a picnic lunch and come
You’re good company

Look for me to join
With you and a few good friends
Cherish the friendships

Come and sit a spell
We don’t need to be hurried
Feel how love abounds

Let’s talk about love
I’ve read “Love Walked Among Us”
Paul Miller is great

What are you reading?
Let’s share a “Book Talk” today
Come and sit a spell

Hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

books, contentment, friendship, Haiku, Poetry, Sharing

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Holding On to Hope

The inspired, hopeful scripture
and another inspirational Sunday sermon
from our dear Interim Pastor,
Brian Conklin,
yesterday at
Madison Valley Presbyterian Church

The Glorious New Creation

17 For I am about to create new heavens
    and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
    or come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
    in what I am creating,
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy
    and its people as a delight.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem
    and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it
    or the cry of distress.
20 No more shall there be in it
    an infant who lives but a few days
    or an old person who does not live out a lifetime,
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
    and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed.
21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;
    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
22 They shall not build and another inhabit;
    they shall not plant and another eat,
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
    and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
23 They shall not labor in vain
    or bear children for calamity,[a]
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—
    and their descendants as well.
24 Before they call I will answer,
    while they are yet speaking I will hear.
25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together;
    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
    but the serpent—its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
            says the Lord.

The world seems very fragile
Seems everything’s falling apart
Between despair and hope we are
Wondering how to take heart

Promises and warnings go hand in hand
Isaiah speaks of a new world beginning
He promises the Kingdom has arrived
But Luke reports Jesus’ warnings of sinning

Luke 21:5-19
NRSV Updated Edition

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

Signs and Persecutions

7 They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’[a] and, ‘The time is near!’[b] Do not go after them.

9 “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

12 “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, 15 for I will give you words[c] and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Jesus tells of a world that trembles
He encourages us to stand and endure
“By your endurance you will save your soul”
Dig deep into your heart and persevere

We’re caught between joy and sorrow
We’re asked to trust God even when we
Can’t see evidence of His promises
The Kingdom of God is now and not yet to see

Where you see the church planted, you see
Signposts that point to the kingdom to come
God’s love wins out over human nature
So keep speaking peace over poverty and slum

God’s love holds us together when we feel
The world is falling apart at the seams
May we see even now glimpses of this
New Heaven and New Earth – and know what it means.

Amen?

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, Living in Christ's Family, optimism, Poetry, sermon notes

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Embrace Your Uniqueness

What makes you unique?
Your fingerprint and your eyes,
Your hair and your smile.

Your conversation,
And your own brand of whimsy.
Do you embrace these?

Bob Goff wrote today,
“God made you this way
On purpose, freckles and all.”

He had lots of spots –
As a kid, lots of freckles.
He was teased a lot.

His grandma told him
“Those spots are angel kisses.”
So be proud of them!

“Don’t tell anyone,”
She cautioned him not to share –
“Friends would be jealous!”

That very mean boy
Who teased Bob, calling him Spot,
Wilted his soft heart.

With grandma’s advice
His insecurities left,
Finding acceptance.

Accept uniqueness!
Embrace how you’re different.
Congratulations!

Love,
JanBeek

P.S. Bob Goff puts this message at the end of each of his books:

CONNECT WITH BOB
“Bob’s passion is people.
He’d love to hear from you
if you want to email him at info@bobgoff.com.
You can also follow him on Instagram and X: @bobgoff.
Here’s his cell phone number if you want to give him a call:
(619)985-4747.”

Now how unique is that??

Category:

blessings, blogging, Haiku, life, Love, mental health, Poetry, self-esteem, Sharing, writing

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Grateful Heart

If you start each day
With a heart of gratitude
You will smile more

If you end each day
With a heart of gratitude
You will sleep better

If you live each day
With a heart of gratitude
You’ll see more blessings

From early sunrise
To the setting of the sun
Have a grateful heart

Swiftly flow the days
So, live each one gratefully
Giving God the praise

Love,
JanBeek

I am grateful for you,
my blogging friends
who read and comment.
Thank you!

Category:

blessings, contentment, Gratitude, Haiku, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, music, Poetry

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Have You Ever Crossed Your Parents?

The “Six Sentence Story Blog Hop” from GirlieOnTheEdge1.wordpress.com for this week is CROSS.

As a child I obeyed without question whatever my mom or dad told me to do.

Likewise, I did not do what they told me I was not supposed to do.

I was a very obedient child.

But as a teenager who began to exert my independence, I had ideas of my own, and they didn’t always coincide with those of my parents.

Oh boy, do I vividly remember those first verbal clashes when I wanted to go my own way – and we crossed paths and mine wasn’t the direction my parents thought was okay!

I asserted my will and to my increasingly cross parents, I shouted, “It’s not up to you!”

“Don’t be so bold, you sassy thing!”
Love,
JanBeek

PS – Have you ever crossed your parents?

Category:

blogging, children, Love, relationships, respect

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Ain’t Love Grand?

My youngest grandson has had a long-distance relationship
with a girl from Colombia for more than 4 years.
With the help of FaceTime
and occasional visits to/from Switzerland,
they have kept love alive.

Now she’s visiting him in the flesh. Ain’t love grand? God bless ‘em!

When Bob & I were dating
and when we were engaged
(back in the early 1960’s),
he was in the army,
stationed in Germany.
We went two weeks between communication
– one letter at a time.

Ain’t technology grand?
Now we have instant communication!

What was your dating experience
with your loved one?
Was it also way back when?
I’d love to hear about
your “Grand Love”
experience!

Hugs,
JanBeek

1959
1960
(his sister’s wedding)

1962
Ain’t love grand?

63 years later…
Yes,
Love is Grand!!

Category:

Family, happiness, Living in Harmony, Love, Memories, relationships

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Turn Back with Gratitude

My sermon notes try to capture the essence of what I hear each Sunday. Our pastor, Brian Conklin, delivered this inspiring message last Sunday:

Issues of faith, leprosy, and other skin troubles
Are the topics we are looking at today.
God is whispering to us to pay attention,
Live with humility, and show our gratitude.

Naaman, the man in 2Kings 5, was a man of great wealth
Whose skin disease stripped away his power.
A small, captured servant girl told Naaman
There was a man in Israel, Elisha, who could heal him.

Naaman went to Elisha’s house and was greeted
By a servant who told him to go to the Jordan river
And dip himself seven time for healing,
He does go, after anger and reluctance, and was healed.

It was his listening and obeying God in humility
That was his true source of healing.
Then, (in Luke 17) there were ten lepers who were healed
And only one turned back in gratitude, and was made whole.

Ten were healed, but only one was transformed.
Faith is about trusting in the next step,
Even in transition, fatigue, illness, and reluctance.
Healing is about the restoration of relationship.

God meets us in our obedience, humility, and gratitude.
Trust enough to step forward – then healing begins.
When you are blessed, do you turn back?
Do you stop, remember, and reflect in an
Attitude of Gratitude?

Give thanks always, knowing our faithful God
Will make you whole in your transformation.
Sometimes the solution seems too simple –
But if it takes seven dips in the river, do it!

And then, don’t forget to turn back to God
And express your heartfelt gratitude
For the ways He is faithful and always
Answers your prayers with His mercy and compassion.

Amen?
Amen!

What answered prayer are you especially grateful for today?

Love ya,
JanBeek

Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, blessings, Faith, God, Gratitude, Life's Challenges, sermon notes, writing

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I Can Pick a Fight

I can pick a fight

No, it won’t be that kind of fight!

I’m picking to fight for more
love
unity
and respect
in this world!

With gentleness and respect
I choose to fight for
a better world

Fight to
replace controversies
and arguments
with more
love and joy.

Love,
JanBeek

ben Alexander (David)
from the Skeptic’s Kaddish blog
https://skepticskaddish.com/
invited us to write a poem or prose
with exactly 49 words today.
So, the blog above does that.
Thank you, David, for the challenge.

Category:

blogging, kindness, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, optimism, peace, writing

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