Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘sorrow’

Love Returned

In his prompt today, David at

ben Alexander

ben Alexander, The Skeptic’s Kaddish 

invited us to try our hand
at a poetry form
that is new to me:

Sijo

A Korean verse form related to haiku and tanka and comprised of three lines of 14-16 syllables each, for a total of 44-46 syllables. Each line contains a pause near the middle, similar to a caesura, though the break need not be metrical. The first half of the line contains six to nine syllables; the second half should contain no fewer than five. Originally intended as songs, sijo can treat romantic, metaphysical, or spiritual themes. Whatever the subject, the first line introduces an idea or story, the second supplies a “turn,” and the third provides closure. Modern sijo are sometimes printed in six lines.

David did a fantastic job with the form. Click on his name & blog title above to read his contribution.
I told him I was not sure I was even going to try… it sounds too complicated! But… with the following meme as a prompt, here goes:

Your mind will always believe, if you are ever truthful;
But when you are deceitful, you feed it sorrow, deep grief.
Feed your mind sincere love and truth, and it will be returned to you.

Bob & I send our love and deep peace
to you and your loved ones today.

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
Will you try your hand at Sijo?

Category:

blessings, contentment, Faith, happiness, Love, Poetry, Promises, Sharing, truth, writing

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Embrace Bible Study

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Tonight I enjoyed sharing the Bible
with friends at our local nursing center.
It’s a privilege to get to know these folks
whose hearts are soft and tender.

The Bible lesson tonight from Psalms
was about how to handle despair.
We all face such emotions at times –
especially during holidays everywhere.

When our families are far away
and we have no way of traveling,
it feels to some they are “trapped”
and their lives are unraveling.

But while Psalm 42 begins in sorrow,
expressing ways life is unfair,
the tone quickly changes to joy
when touting the wonders of prayer.

Psalm 42: 1-8

1 As the deerf pants for streams of water,g

so my soul pantsh for you, my God.

2 My soul thirstsi for God, for the living God.j

When can I gok and meet with God?

3 My tearsl have been my food

day and night,

while people say to me all day long,

“Where is your God?”m

4 These things I remember

as I pour out my soul:n

how I used to go to the house of Godo

under the protection of the Mighty Oned

with shouts of joyp and praiseq

among the festive throng.r

5 Why, my soul, are you downcast?s

Why so disturbedt within me?

Put your hope in God,u

for I will yet praisev him,

my Saviorw and my God.x

6 My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remembery you

from the land of the Jordan,z

the heights of Hermona—from Mount Mizar.

7 Deep calls to deepb

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.c

8 By day the Lord directs his love,d

at nighte his songf is with me—

a prayer to the God of my life.g

Photo by Oliver Sju00f6stru00f6m on Pexels.com

We talked about the way a waterfall
endlessly sends its spray below
and washes away all debris
in its consistent, cleansing flow.

God does that for each of us
when we turn to Him in prayer.
He washes away despair and
replaces it with love beyond compare.

At night God’s song reverberates
in our souls as we fall asleep.
“Joy to the World” we sang –
His peace is ours to keep.

May the peace of the Baby Jesus
be yours these precious holidays.
Live at peace with others –
and share Christ’s love always!

Tell others about the Good News
and let them know that God’s Word
is your ticket to peace and joy.
Let your actions be love that’s heard.

Lead or join a Bible Study
and let the message come alive
in the way you live each day.
Let’s all help the Good News to thrive.

Amen?

Merry Christmas season, my friends.
Be sure to take time for Bible Study each day…
It’ll brighten your path with the Lord’s Word as a lantern.

Do you have a favorite verse that speaks to you today?

See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, Christmas, Faith, Giving, Jesus, Love, music, Poetry, prayer, Serving One Another

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Embrace Karfreitag

Embrace Karfreitag!
That’s German for “Sorrowful Friday.”
The same day named “Guode Friday”
in Old English back in the 1200’s.

I always wondered how it got named “Good.”
What’s good about the Friday when Christ died?
I’m more apt to agree with the Germans”
It’s a sorrowful day!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Baltimore Catechism from 1885
says it is “Good Friday”
because it’s the day
Jesus showed his great love for mankind.

Matthew 27:46

And about three o’clock
Jesus cried with a loud voice,
“Eli, Eli, lema tabachthani?”
that is,
“My God, my God,
why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:59-61

“Joseph took the body,
wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
and placed it in his own new tomb…
He rolled a big stone in front
of the entrance to the tomb and went away.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
were sitting there opposite the tomb.”

Today is the day when Jesus seems gone.
Mary and Mary Magdalene
wept in front of the giant rock
that was between them and the One they loved.
Can you imagine their despair?

The reason I am embracing “Karfreitag!”
is because I think it would be a shame
to jump from Sorrowful Friday
to the joy of Easter morning
without sitting for a day
and contemplating the
sorrow that surrounded
Christ’s death.

Imagine yourself at the tomb.
Imagine the shock of finding
Jesus gone…
with the stone rolled away.

Tomorrow is called
“Holy Saturday.”
This is all that is written about it:

The next day the Pharisees
and chief priests went to Pilate.
“Sir, they said, we remember
that while he was still alive
that deceiver said,
‘After three days I will rise again.’
So give the order
for the tomb
to be made secure
until the third day…”

What would you have thought
if you had seen this scene
on the day after Jesus died?

Holy Saturday
is a day to pause
gather our thoughts,
process what happened,
and get ready for the
beautiful message
of Easter.

See you tomorrow.
Love to you,
JanBeek

Before you go,
treat yourself to this wonderful rendition
of one of my favorite hymns
by a phenomenal boys’ choir …
joined by the wonderful men’s voices
of the King’s College Choir.
You’ll be glad you did!


Category:

Belief, Bible Lessons, Faith, God, holidays, Jesus, Life and Death, Love, music, truth

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Who Hears Your Sorrow?

Who hears your sorrow
When it’s hidden in your heart?
Only those who care

Be the one who cares
Listen closely with your heart
Practice love each day

Be that very one
Who hears the hidden sorrow
And reaches to love

Photo by David Cassolato on Pexels.com

Have a Blessed Saturday.
See ya later.

Hugs from JanBeek

Category:

friendship, Giving, Haiku, happiness, Life's Challenges, Living in Christ's Family, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, peace, Poetry, Serving One Another, Sharing

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Let Him Out!

heart shaped red neon signage

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Let Him Out!

There are days
And then there are
Advent Days.

Days of Waiting –
Days of Unknowing –
Days of Sorrow.

Your life feels
Oppressive.
Hope eludes you.

adult art conceptual dark

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This Christmas Eve
Let’s recall
Mary’s waiting.

Let’s remember
Mary’s sweet song –
Her ready acceptance.

pexels-photo-266094.jpeg

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Thousands of years
Later, we need
Her true faith.

Wouldn’t it be
Super great if
All news was good?

Wouldn’t we love
All suffering
To instantly cease?

What joy if
All war and hunger
Were eliminated now!

We’d like God
To bring us
The Promised Peace.

photo of woman wearing white top

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But, His Way
Is not our way.
His definitions differ.

We look at basics
With greedy eyes.
We look for Plenty.

God defines PLENTY
In heart-felt ways.
He needs “Let Out!”

So, open your heart.
Invite God out
Through your heart.

See your PLENTY
Through God’s eyes.
Focus on others.

Like Mary, sing of
God’s grace, and
Birth His Light.

abstract art blur bokeh

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God bless you!
Merry Christmas Eve.
Follow that star!!

people having bonfire at desert at night

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Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, Christmas, Faith, God, happiness, Heartache, holidays, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, music, peace, prayer

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Let Us Pray

In the wake of the horrendous events in Newtown, Connecticut yesterday, the Rev. Jean Johnson in Ennis, Montana sent this prayer to her friends. Thoughtful and well-written, it is worth sharing.

Let us pray…………
Loving God,
you are nearest when we need you most.
In this hour of sorrow we turn to you,
trusting in your loving mercy.
Your love cares for us in life
and watches over us in death.
We bless you for our Savior’s joy in little children
and for the assurance that of such is the kingdom of heaven.
In our sorrow,
make us strong to commit ourselves, and those we love,
to your unfailing care.
In our perplexity,
help us to trust where we cannot understand.
There are days when the burdens we carry are heavy on our shoulders and weigh us down,
when the road seems dreary and endless,
the skies gray and threatening,
when our lives have no music in them,
and our hearts are heavy with pain
and we have lost courage.
Flood the path with light,
turn our eyes to Your promises,
tune our hearts to brave music;
gives us a  sense of companionship and community;
quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage all who journey with us on the road of life.
Write Your blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart,
there to remain so indelibly engraven,
that no prosperity,
no adversity,
shall ever move me from Your love.
Be to me a strong tower of defense,
a comforter in tribulation,
a deliverer in distress,
a very present help in trouble
and a guide  through the many temptations and dangers of this life.
In the name of Jesus the Christ we pray………….   Amen.

Category:

Life and Death

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