Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘religion’

Who is My Neighbor?

Book Review

Who is My Neighbor?

I just received a new book to share with our darling Sunday School class tomorrow. We have read the Bible story of the Good Samaritan – and acted it out. Now it’s time to give it a new, colorful twist!

Who Is My Neighbor? is a creative story that’s sure to prompt rich conversations, encouraging new ways of seeing our neighbors and ourselves. It’s ideal for our 3-to7-year-olds.

Blues and Yellows don’t mix, and that’s how it’s always been. No one remembers why. But then comes the day Midnight Blue takes a tumble along the road. His friends Navy Blue and Powder Blue don’t even stop to help. It’s only when Yellow comes along that everything changes – forever.

We will share the book with our kiddoes tomorrow and do a little art project mixing blue and yellow to see the result of our “Green Growth.”

The Foreword of the book reads,

“Love your neighbor as yourself,

and love the stranger,

because you know what it was like

to be a stranger.”

Available from http://www.TheThoughtfulChristian.com  –  or call 800-554-4694

31 Daily Take-Aways

Happy 31st of March to you!

How do you start your day?
I read “A Spirit-lifting Devotional” each morning called “Daily Guideposts.”

Each morning as I meditate on the day’s message, I summarize the “Take-Away” for that day in one to seven words- and write it on the blanks provided on two pages at the end of each month.

I also use that page to pray about what God wants me to do that day. I plan the day out at the top of the page. Sometimes it happens just like that. Other days, God intervenes and unexpected things happen. Here is today’s plan:

I write the chosen words on the page provided and review the messages for the month. These are the 31 “Take-Aways” for this month of March:

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Prayer for Today:

Today I am praying to keep a humble spirit.
I ask God to help me see the Extraordinary in the Ordinary.

I remember that Jesus hears and answers us every time we pray.
He may not always say YES, but if we pray with a humble heart,
and ask Him to put a right spirit in us, and we pray in His Will,
we are more likely to get a positive response.

What is your prayer for today?

beads cross prayer rosary

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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Have a blessed Sunday, my friends!

Know Whose You Are

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Sundays are special days.
We go early to church in the morning
because we have the privilege of teaching
the cutest little 3 1/2 to 6 year olds
in the whole wide world!

Here are a couple of the dearhearts…
Aren’t they adorable?
They provide the highlight of our week!!

Then we attend worship service,
and I take sermon notes
to share with my husband on the way home.
(He tunes out and goes out to
the Madison River or Big Sky ski slopes
in his mind…
and says on the way home,
“What was the sermon about?”)
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So, here it is, my friends.
If you didn’t make it to church this morning,
or if you did – and missed the message
as your miind wandered as minds will do –
Here are my notes for you:

Stand Firm: God is With Us” – based on Luke 13:1-9; delivered by Rev. Jean Johnson

I renamed it: Know Whose You Are

I can withstand anything
Except temptation!
No man knows how bad he is
Until he strives to be good.

Yes, we need forgiveness
And repeated second chances.
It’s not the temptation –
It’s our response to it that matters.

Temptation is a common
Human experience.
To wish it away
Is to wish for death.

God promises a way out.
He doesn’t tolerate a
No-win situation.
It’s our task to endure.

Through the grace of God,
God provides a way.
In the story of Joseph,
We see a man of honor.

He was a good man who
Was wrongly accused of sin,
Thrown into prison because he was
Persistent in his resistance.

Joseph remained loyal
His God without turning back.
When we know whose we are,
Then we know who we are.

That’s what makes persistence possible.
Joseph left temptation.
She was left holding his coat.
He knew it was time to leave.

Embarrassed by his refusal,
She managed to get him jailed.
But, in the prison, Joseph
Fulfilled more of God’s plan.

Resistance is rarely rewarded
By those who’ve been resisted.
Our reward often is not on earth,
But sometimes it is. Hold fast!

God is faithful, and
In the end we won’t be
Disappointed, if we’re true
To our God. The Lord is with you!

Stand firm!

 

 

Our Prayer

Christ prays for my needs

I pray for needs of others

Thank God for blessings

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I thank Him for health

I ask Him what’s on His heart

We pray for world peace

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We pray everyday

I’m grateful for His grace

It’s so undeserved

Do you believe Christ intercedes for you?

Do you understand how much
God’s heart hurts for the needs of this world?

Do you accept His grace and BELIEVE
you can live the life of  
Love, Joy and Peace that He offers you?

Do you?

 

Sunday Morning Divisions

Are you in sanctuary or synagogue or temple or church today?
God Bless You!

 

In my quiet time this morning, Carol Mackey reflected on 1 Cor. 1:10 in which Paul wrote to the people of Corinth, “Now I plead with you… that you speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind…”

Carol wrote in Guideposts’ Mornings with Jesus, “Sunday morning at eleven o’clock is the most segregated hour of the week.”

 

two people outside yellow and black wooden building

I was prompted in thinking about that statement to create this Haiku x4:

Sunday Mornings

Segregation thrives
most in Sunday morning pews.
Where’s our unity?

white tealight candles lit during nighttime
Race and culture,
Ideology and thoughts
Pull worship apart.

building architecture church old
It must sadden God;
It must grieve Jesus’ heart
To see divisions.

aerial photography of brown roofed white concrete building surrounded by trees
Instead of focus
On our obvious fractures,
Focus on One God!

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All Photos here are by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Many people are unaware that the first five books of the Bible are the Jewish Torah.

Everything on earth is created by our One God.
On that we who worship the One God can agree, right?


As we worship God,
how can we use that worship time
as a time of

UNITY
and not
DIVISION?

What’s Your Image of Afghanistan?

Last night Bob & I attended a documentary at the Emerson Theater in Bozeman, MT. The topic: “Angels Are Made of Light.”

What is your perception of the people of Afghanistan?

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Photo by Somchai Kongkamsri on Pexels.com

Before the documentary, our response to that question was, “War-torn, depressed, aggressive, beaten-down, varied, down-trodden and fearful.”

 

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After seeing the documentary, our response is, “Resourceful, hopeful in the midst of what might look hopeless, tenacious, clean, basically healthy looking, and respectful of their elders.”

The newspaper review that prompted us to attend was glowing. We met Jason, the reviewer last night. Sorry I didn’t catch his last name. The newspaper page we have doesn’t list it. I’ll edit this and include it when I find out, because I will quote him:

“It is not a complete and objective telling of the country’s history, but rather a series of powerful semblances from those who lived through it. The imagery is vivid, and the contrast between the historic images of the city (Kabul), in times of greater prosperity, and those of the present day are stark reminders of how much the country has changed.”

Jason’s review hooked us in when he wrote, “The cinematography is simply exceptional. Langley is a true craftsman, and he works brilliantly with natural light.”

We were intrigued by the opportunity to  “linger up close with the film’s subjects for long moments… ”  The concentration of subjects was on the school children – – – especially a group of Afghani boys of about 10 -14 years of age. We wanted to “feel their breathing, see them thinking, working, watching the world go by.” And we did!

grayscale photo of group of children

“Over the course of the film,” Jason, the reviewer promised we would “accompany the students through lessons in history, poetry, social studies, and math.” And we did!

He wrote, “In the end, the film itself is a lesson in humanity, found right there, on the streets, in broad daylight.” And it was!

The documentary promised to “narrow the gap in our minds between us and them.” And it did!

It was indeed eye-opening.

We all are God’s children. Let’s do whatever we can to:

JUST LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

It begins with trying to understand one another. Set aside those prior perceptions, and get the real picture! I’m grateful for “Angels Are Made of Light” and the Bozeman Doc Series for bringing documentaries such as this one to our community.

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Loss, Lament & Loyalty

Loss, Lament, and Loyalty

 

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Sermon Notes by Jan Beekman
from the sermon today
based on the scripture – Mark 12:38-44 –
Preached by Rev. Jean Johnson
at the Madison Valley Presbyterian Church
in Ennis, Montana

 

Naomi’s son had died.
She was alone and old.
Her future was grim.
What had she been told?

 

“Deal with your losses –
Send your daughters-in-law
Back to their homes.”
But, the plan had a flaw.

 

Ruth did not want to return!
She told Naomi she’d stay.
Orpha decided to go back.
Each woman to her own way.

 

We each have a choice.
We think we’re paralyzed, but we’re not.
We may lack energy and will power;
We may feel in our losses, we’re caught.

 

Ruth knew she couldn’t run
From the pain life threw at her.
She chose to stay and face her life,
And be in a place she could matter.

 

To turn evil into something good,
She was loyal to her mother-in-law.
She broke ties with her past
And looked ahead at what she saw.

 

She saw through eyes of faith.
Naomi had taught her to use God’s eyes –
Do more than just endure;
Keep your faith and be kind and wise.

 

To endure the evil of today’s world,
Cling to one another in love –
And look out for those in need.
Use your discerning power from God above.

 

Amen?

Mass Shootings in Pittsburgh

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Photo by Ivandrei Pretorius on Pexels.com

When will the atrocities end?

When will we as a nation send

A clear and strong message to say

“Stop these mass shootings today”

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Our hearts are hurting for the ones today

Who lost their lives; hate killed Jewish friends who pray.

They were brutally killed because some looney man

Chose to open fire on innocent folks. He had a plan.

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But I believe and so do you, my friend,

That this insanity has got to end.

If our legislators can’t ban assault weapons today,

Then we need to vote them out – send ’em on their way.

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Armed guards in our schools or worship places

Won’t stop the carnage or remove antisemitic traces.

More guns is not the answer to stopping hate, I know.

Initiate better gun control – increase mental health – help love grow.

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Each of us has a role to play; we must shout out now.

Raise our voices in protest and outrage and figure out how

America can regain its heritage as a Land of the Free –

Safe for everyone – regardless of the color or religion we may be.

K = Kindness

Day #11 in the A-Z series of “What Makes Me Happy?”

KINDNESS

 

woman holding heart cut out

This picture tells all. Notice the word on her shirt behind the heart. It says, “Volunteer.” A big heart full of love reaches out to help others, exudes kindness, and makes the world a better place.

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When you’re tempted to be surley
In response to evil – speak your mind –
Remember you were taught quite early
Always to be kind.

When you’re tempted to lash back
At some person mean and rude,
Remember repercussions of attack
Return for whatever you exude.

Kindness is the only way
To be happy in your soul;
So in everything you do and say,
Let only kindness be your goal.

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Photo by Suraphat Nuea-on on Pexels.com

People around the world are happier
when they reach out to help others.
Whatever motivates you to be kinder, gentler,
more compassionate…
think on these things.

For me, my daily devotional time upstairs in my sanctuary
sets my heart on the right path as I study His Word
and learn of His Ways.

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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Isaiah 63:7a – “I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord…”
and let His examples lead me.

 

What “K” word makes you happy? And what act of kindness are you planning today? Think about it!

 

E is for Easter

This is Day 5 of my A-Z series on “What Makes Me Happy?”

 

Easter

Like Christmas, Easter has been commercialized to the point that most images depicting this special day of the year are Easter eggs, bunnies, baskets, and parades with ladies in their Easter bonnets.

I told you, my blogging friends yesterday that I’d try another new (to me) poetry form today. The Punnett is a 9 line poem. It’s supposed to have a biological topic. I’ll do that with doves of peace after the Easter punnett. No rhyme scheme. First line part of or an offspring of the last line. Word count on the lines: 1/2/1/2/4/2/1/2/1

Easter

Fun Holiday

Bunnies

Decorated Eggs

What about Jesus Christ?

Who’s He?

Redeemer

Risen Indeed!

Baskets

Is that all Easter is? Has it been so commercialized that people don’t realize its connection to Christmas? Jesus Christ came for Easter! Our Savior was born on Christmas to die on that Easter morning and rise again three days later that we might be free!

What Peace I have in knowing the true meaning of Easter! Free from sin! Guaranteed eternal life! What joy I receive daily in the Promise of Peace!

Here is my punnett with a biological topic:

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Doves

in pairs

cooing

always devoted

joined together for life

perfect examples

loving

bringing joy

Peace

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Oh, sorry about that! But you did laugh, right?
I was looking for a picture of a dove.

I found ducks and turkeys, bluebirds and eagles, swans and long-necked cranes,
but no doves! Can you imagine that?

The dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit
that lives joyfully in our hearts.
God sent the Holy Spirit as our guide,
our reminder of all Jesus taught
as He lived a life of love and light
during His ministry on earth.

May the joy of Easter’s true meaning bring you peace every day.
May the Holy Spirit live in your heart!

Thank you for visiting JanBeek! Thank you to the many who have added your names as followers. I appreciate getting to know you through your comments.

 

What “E” word makes YOU happy? If you’d like to, try responding using a Punnett 🤪✌🏽