1 Cor. 12:7 “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits.“
What were you given? Wouldn’t it be fun to have your family and friends tell you what gifts they see working in you? I had that unique experience yesterday at a meeting of our church’s elder board (The Session).
The “gift” I most align myself with is: “Intercessor.” My daily prayer time and the lists of people I pray for daily are an integral part of my life. I am grateful God gave me the gift of praying for others.
In today’s devotional by Bob Goff, he dealt with this subject. Quoting 1Cor. 12:7, he went on to say,
” God has created us ro come together and form a beautiful community that highlights what we each have been given and can contribute.”
Using the familiar story of Stone Soup, Bob Goff wrote, “You know where this story ends already: the soup becomes a delicious simmering pot made up of everyone’s contributions… We all need to throw in what we’ve got and it will be enough.”
What other gift attributes did my friends identify for me? writing bedrock firecracker cooking music (and as mentioned:) prayer warrior
Of course, the one that surprised me the most was “Firecracker.” Is that a gift? Should I associate that with being explosive or being a sparkler? There are many ways to define our gifts, aren’t there? What’s yours? Ask a friend. Bob Goff ended his devotional in “Catching Whimsy” with this faith step:
Ask the people around you. “What are you good at? What lights you up and makes you spring out of bed?”
Here are the gifts my friends identified in each of my fellow church elders’ lives. For privacy’s sake, I will identify them only by their initials
PC patience, music, steadiness, kindness, calmness, humor
CD steadfastness, empathy, compassion, devotion, humor, determination
SH faithfulness, dependability, devotion. willingness, generosity, commitment, obedience
We began our Session meeting in prayer with this scripture as our guiding principle: 1 Cor. 12:1 paraphrased “Don’t be ignorant friends. A variety of gifts are given- We all are made to drink in One Spirit.”
We can (or can we?) control how others see us. Would I have liked others to see in me dependability, thoughtfulness, initiative, wisdom? Of course! Those weren’t mentioned. What can I do about it?
Live mindfully. Love outlandishly. Purpose my life to “Show who God is.”
Are you with me? Throw your gifts in the pot, and let’s make Stone Soup into God’s Love Soup.
We All have Gifts to give All others do, too Embrace
Embrace The gifts Celebrate others’ gifts Open them with care Receive
Gifts
Recognize And see What others give To enhance your life Appreciate
Name Your gifts Use them lovingly Share them with humility Blessings
Gifts are blessings to be shared
Share Love and Time and compassion Remember that you matter Engage
Engage In life With your heart Wide open to receive Gifts
Gifts Don’t always Come all wrapped In pretty Christmas packages Discern
Precious Loving gifts Often are disguised In very simple acts of Humility
You Have gifts Unique to you Never underestimate your impact Shine
Shine Your gifts With loving kindness Embrace the many opportunities Smile!
Thanks For coming To JanBeek today Your loving presence here Matters
Elfchen or Elevensie is a poetic form that uses eleven words in a configuration of 1,2,3,4,1. Did you recognize it as you read my post today? If you haven’t already, you should try it. It’s fun! Thank you, Richard at Big Sky Buckeye for inspiring me and sharing your gift! Check out his blog, my friends.
See ya tomorrow
P.S. I found this insightful You.Tube presentation on the subject of GIFTS… gifts of the Holy Spirit. I thought it was quite well done – and a good addition to the topic, Embrace Gifts. If you have time, I highly recommend it.
Blog title and ideas inspired during my devotional time this morning with Strength & Grace, Daily Devotions from Guideposts
James 1:17
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
Bless the artists who
Enrich our lives with meaning
Far beyond our eyes.
They see far more than
Our limited vision does.
God bless our artists!
Today our Ennis Arts Asociation met at one of the art display and sales stores right here in our little town of less than 1000 residents – in the gallery called “Artists on Main.”
My sub-title here on Jan Beek is “Love One Another.” We show our love in so many ways. One of them is through our respect for one another’s artistic expression… another is through our love of hospitality. Read on to see our very sincere invitation.
Today the Ennis Arts Association featured a session on Pottery. Folks like me, who have no experience in the workings of clay and wheels and all that jargon, went to see how it’s done – start to finish.
My friend, Carol Clarkson, who runs the Artists on Main Gallery showed us how she takes the various parts that she formed the day before and puts them together to make a teapot.
Look up there on the right, and you will see the basic pot, its lid, and potential spouts.
She put them together for a teapot that has such character!
I can hardly wait to see it fired and painted and glazed and ready as a finish product.
Our second potter, Sherry Jarvis, demonstrated her skills on the potters wheel. She creates bowls, vases, ornaments, and free-form items that are as enchanting as she is.
Working with clay is just one form of art that entices the visitors to visit our little town’s Artists on Main shop. You will find many items to encourage you if you come to Ennis. And when you do so, be sure to look us (the Beekmans) up.
The gallery has such an eclectic collection.
Come and see!
The painitngs are beautiful and varied.
The leather journals are inviting.
I love the assortment of wooden bowls and spoons that are each unique and beautiful.
Stained glass decorate the front window
as well as colorful
stained glass paintings that appear as collages
Ennis, Montana has at least five art galleries
showcasing art from creative Montana artists… and beyond.
You need to come and visit our quaint little town!
Bob & I have a spot here that welcomes friends unconditionally.
Hospitality is one of my spiritual gifts. You’d feel welcome in our home because you are one of my WordPress friends. We have a lot in common – and I would love to get to know you on a face-to-face basis.
We are only an hour from Yellowstone National Park. You could use our home as “home base” as you travel to see this amazing site:
You’ll be inspired to create art -written and visual arts – based on the sites you see in our Montana wonderland.
Art is Life.
Come and experience it with us!
Write us at our e-mail address: bobjanbeek@icloud.com
Put in the title of the e-mail these code words: WordPress.MT.Visit.Art is Life!
God’s Twelve Step Program
Keeps me focused every day
As I walk downstairs
My first hour each day
Spent in my sanctu-aerie
Starts my day off right
Then as I walk down
The twelve steps to the “real world,”
This is what I pray:
Thank You, God, for the LOVE
JOY, and
PEACE that are mine.
Help me with PATIENCE,
KINDNESS,
GOODNESS, and
FAITHFULNESS (which brings blessings),
GENTLENESS, and
SELF-CONTROL.
Help me live HUMBLY
With an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE, and
A response of GENEROSITY, FORGIVENESS, OBEDIENCE and INTEGRITY.
In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!
When I get to the seventh step, this is what I see:
(the words above the front door spell “blessings”)
A metal sculpture gift from our friends, Terry & Jim
And as I look down, I continue with steps 8 -12
And at the “Amen” I come face to face with this:
She’s one of three angels on the wall
at the bottom of the stairs
(a gift from Norbert and Elke of Germany).
Norbert was 6 years old in 1962 when Bob & I were married.
We lived in the downstairs of the Schallers’ chalet.
Bob was in the army; his base just over the hill.
We have stayed in touch with Norbert through the years.
Such a blessing!
I’ve named this precious angel “Elke,”
in honor of Elke Schaller.
She and Norbert created the three angels.
“Angel Elke” reminds me in my coming and going
to keep that 12 step program in my heart.
I walk to the kitchen and look out.
Here is a neighborhood treasure to greet me!
Well, my friends, it is Sunday. As such, you know I attended church this morning. Listening carefully to the message from Rev. Jean Johnson, I did my usual: I took my notes poetically. The sermon was based on Mark’s account of the disciples’ conversation with Jesus shortly before His death. In Mark chapter 10, verses 34-45, Jesus delivers His famous message of “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” The story unfolded this way:
Downward Mobility
Jesus told the disciples
His destiny: the cross.
He warned of His death.
They couldn’t accept the loss.
He told them of the cruelty
That would precede His rise.
So why did all that followed
Come as such a surprise?
James and John asked Him
If they could sit left and right
Of Him in His glory
(Requests that proved them not so bright!).
They didn’t see the meaning
Of the future Jesus faced.
They didn’t see the torture
And know how the pain would taste.
Jesus tried to redirect
The thoughts of James and John.
He tried to reexplain
The path the Christ was on.
The other disciples were jealous
That the two made their pleas first.
They thought James and John
Would be first to end their thirst.
But Jesus rebuked the ones
Who jockeyed to be at His side.
He told them their requests
Showed unsightly, unhealthy pride.
“He who would be first,” He said,
“Must be willing to be last.”
The disciples puzzled at this
Until long after the first Easter had passed.
The way of Jesus is a path
Of downward mobility for all
Who come to serve and give
Their lives in answer to Christ’s call.
Don’t try to read the notes on the bulletin cover below… they are what I typed above. I just am posting them here to show you the form in which they first appear from Jean’s sermon to my ears through my fingertips to the bulletin cover. Yes, I listen and write simultaneously. I am often asked, “How do you do that?”
My only answer is, “It’s a gift.” I hope you appreciated my sharing it with you today. It was a sermon that spoke to my heart because indeed, I have come to serve and to give and to answer Christ’s call to share my talents.
A fruitful life is a colorful life –
Divided into seven parts each week.
Each part spreads its own seeds
In the places we go to the people we meet.
As the parable told in the Sower of the Seeds,
Some fall on the soil of fertile ground;
But others land in rocky places
Where shallow dirt lets wind blow them around.
We seldom know when we scatter the seeds
What the end result of the planting will be.
All we can do is continue to sow,
Knowing the growth may not be something we see.
A fruitful life is a colorful life –
Spreading seeds in the rain and the snow;
A willy-nilly, free-wheeling fling –
Throwing smiles and good will wherever you go.
Some smiles are returned immediately;
Others take time to sink in.
Some good will is received gratefully;
But some deeds need repetition to link in.
Like a dormant spring bulb
Lying deep in cold soil,
The seeds of your fruit may be waiting
For warmth and water, lest they spoil.
This poem lay dormant for almost a month while Bob & I went on a trip to CA for Christmas and the new year. While traveling, we attended our “old” home church. The sermon was providential. My “sermon notes” in poetic format complete the ideas of my original unfinished entry:
From Pastor Jim Stochl, based on Mark 12:28-31
To each of us is given
A special, unique gift.
Some are teachers, others preachers,
Others encouragers who give us a lift.
A gift in the arts blesses us all,
While service is other folks’ passion.
If music is your special gift,
You need to share it in joyful fashion.
Whether your gift is administration
Or you’re blest with the gift of prayer,
Whatever God has given you in abundance,
Use it to God’s Glory everywhere!
To find and recognize your special gift,
To work for God with all your strength and love,
Is a joy with no expiration date;
So give from your heart for His Glory above.
Have you read Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life? I’m reflecting on Warren’s description of our SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences) as I write in my journal each morning. It’s a journal designed to recount the five purposes Warren has written about – and apply them in our daily walks. When I spend quality time reflecting, words bubble out like the birthdays that zip on by – faster and faster as time goes by!
Birthdays Bubble By!
When I think of the abilities My God has given me – The music, joy, enthusiasm – And birthdays that bubble by with glee, I want to share them all.
When I think of the personality My God has gifted me – The confidence and gregariousness That come bubbling out so easily, I want to care for all.
When I think of the experiences My God has granted me – The love, the depth of sweet success That radiate so freely, I want to bare my all.
When I think of the future My God has promised me – The peace, the quiet wisdom That grow so constantly, I want to heed God’s call!
Do birthdays bubble by for you? Does acknowledging your gifts of S.H.A.P.E. make you want to heed God’s call? What is Your God calling you to do with your Spiritual Gifts, your Heart full of love and gratitude, your Abilities and Personality, and your Experiences? Share, Care, Bare your soul to the Giver of your gifts, and Heed God’s call today! You are made wondrously unique – and what you have to give is unique. Birthdays bubble by – – – time’s awastin’ – – – Let’s blow outta here!!
