Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘spring’

Make Way!

The scriptures and the devotionals that popped up this week
all point the way to our preparation for spring.
Get ready!
Be prepared!
Make way for the new!!
It will come, won’t it?
Eventually?

I am more than ready for our ice (used to be snow) piles
to melt and allow the bulbs to wake up and begin to sprout!

Isaiah 43:16,18-19-

This is what the Lord says,
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing…”

But, I do remember those former things!!

These were the last of them from last spring.

I am ready to hang my spring wreath
and I am ready to “Spring Up!”
my clocks tonight in preparation for
Daylight Savings Time.

I am ready to keep that time schedule
all year round to give us more hours of daylight
in our waking hours. How about you?

Get ready for a sunny Sunday!
I am ready for more sunshine.
How about you?

I love it when my friend, Lisa,
sends me photos of her sunrises
above the lake near her home in North Carolina.

I’m ready for a ride on “Lucille”
(our redheaded ATV who is a “Ball”)
into the springtime wildflowers
on our mountain trails around here.

Right now, looks like that’s a couple months away.

This year we won’t have our TazE
(our beloved Boston Terrier
traveled over the Rainbow Bridge
last December. We miss her!)

to keep us company on our rides.
She was sure a great trail companion!

We saw some mighty PURDY sites together on those rides!
Sometimes we’d take the trail all the way over to Pony, Montana,
the cute little town northwest of us where there is a
cute little tavern. We’d meet our other ATV friends there.

So, get ready, my friends.
Make way for the realization of
those dreams once more
when we can take that ride again!

But, will springtime ever come to Montana?

Have faith!
It will!!

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 
ESV 

For everything there is a season,
and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill,
and a time to heal (that’s my time right now);
a time to break down,
and a time to build up;
a time to weep,
and
a time to laugh (that’s ALWAYS now!);
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance (let’s do!!);
a time to cast away stones,
and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace (let’s do that, too),
and a time to refrain from embracing; …

May your storms diminish
and your sunshine increase;
May your troubles decrease
and your joys abound.


May your eyes clearly see
the beauty all around you.


God bless you, my friends.
Make way for those blessings!
They are coming!
Rest assured!!

Love and Lotsa Hugs,
JanBeek

P.S. My eyes are healing after the cataract surgery last week. Thank you for your prayers. The farsighted vision is bright and clear – beautiful colors. Single lens replacement instead of the multiple variety was my only option. It has to do with the age of these tired 83 year old eyes and the shape they were in. But I’m not complaining. Another follow-up appointment is scheduled in 3 weeks. I’ll keep you posted. Thinking positively!

1st Day of Spring

It’s first day of spring.
You may have some daffodils –
But we have some snow!

It’s cold and blowy –
Not inviting to go out –
But what about drifts?

Just inside this door
The carpet’s vulnerable –
Melting snow flows in.

No, Bob, don’t shovel!
Our neighbor is young and strong.
Pay him for the job.

He hauled sledfulls out
After the last heavy storm;
He has a system.

“No, I won’t bother –
I want to do it myself.”
Not good for your heart!

But, does he listen?
Oh no! He’s independent.
Happy Springtime, folks!

Inside the foyer,
Looking out at blowing snow,
It’s pretty – but cold!


Come back inside, Bob.
Tomorrow’s a better day.
Snow won’t melt tonight!

What’s YOUR springtime like?

Praying for sunshine.
Whatever the weather is
Praying for world peace.

Join me!

With Love & Hugs,

Bob & Jan


Embrace Friends

Time to embrace friends
Time to invite them again
Leave the masks behind

Time to hug our friends
Time to share a laugh or two
A welcome relief!

May 21st and it’s snowing outside!!
Loved having the Feldmans & Lyons
here to meet Mary Grace
and share a meal with us
My Native American pancho
is just what MGR needed
to go out and face the bitter cold
The wind blew the snow
It fell and swirled all around
Indian blanket

Just grin and bear it
Don’t worry, spring will return
We will survive this!

My daffodils are probably toast
And the crocus will wait to return next year
They’re buried under four inches of powder
But the ground needs the moisture – never fear
The snow will melt and the sun will shine
By Sunday we could be wearing shorts
Keep an eye on the weatherman
But don’t put too much stock in his reports!

Pray for good weather Sunday!

We’re getting ready for Pentecost Sunday
Mary Grace will preach for the congregation
Afterward, at a special meeting, members will vote.
I’m praying we’ll have cause for celebration.

Pray with me, will you, my friends?
Have a wonderful weekend.
Thanks for dropping by.
See ya tomorrow.

JanBeek

Embrace Monday

Monday

Embrace Monday now
It’s the only day you have
Live today fully!!

Embrace this new week
It’s the only week you have
Live this week fully

Today is the day
To be completely alive
Tomorrow’s not here

Morning will slip by
Gone – in the blink of an eye
But, there’s afternoon

Wet your plants today
Dance a jig in your front yard
Go ahead, be weird

Yes, you can be weird
Yes, you can be silly, too
Walk in the sunshine

Each minute is new
Each breath is God’s gift to you
Take none for granted

Embrace your beauty
Embrace it every Monday
Embrace Monday every day

Embrace your husband
Embrace the friends that you love
Be weird with others!

It’s okay to laugh
At the funny thoughts that come
Embrace your weirdness

Let’s Embrace Monday
It’s the only day we have
Tomorrow’s not here

Thanks for popping in on JanBeek

See ya tomorrow.
Maybe…

The Change

ABD2F950-F294-4398-8BF2-76E67CE398C1

It was a snowy, blowy day –
How the wind blew!
How the trees shook!
How the temperatures dropped!

It was a calm and blue-sky day –
How the icicles hung!
How the snow sparkled!
How the birds sang!

It was an emerging, awakening day –
How the earth breathed!
How the buds swelled!
How the world smiled in relief!

Spring is here!!

Praise God!
The daffodil tells us
The welcomed change
is here at last!

Photo by Anthony on Pexels.com


Have a Beautiful spring day.
Thanks for visiting JanBeek.

Tell me how the changing seasons affect you.
I love hearing from you.

Remembering May Poles

The Way it Was

When I was a child at Bonita Elementary School in Crows Landing, California, May Day was a very special occasion. We always created a May Pole around the flag pole at the front of the beautiful, two-story brick building. We dressed in colorful clothes and practiced days in advance to be sure we knew how to weave the ribbons properly. Parents came to watch as students assembled in the front of the school. The band played. The principal spoke, and teachers did special art projects in the classrooms.

I especially remember Mrs. Horwedel, my 4th grade teacher, who had us go out into the fields near the school and pick wild flowers. Then we made paper baskets, filled them with the flowers, and created unique cards.

They weren’t as pretty as the one pictured here, of course, but we thought they were! Some of us took them home to give to our mom. Others hung them on a doorknob of a friend’s house as they walked toward home. (You hang it, ring the doorbell, and run to hide). It’s a surprise! A few decided to hang them on the door of a favorite teacher’s classroom.

Today’s World

In today’s world, there are few schools surrounded by fields with wildflowers, and buying flowers is too expensive. So, the tradition of the May Day baskets has pretty much gone by the wayside, right?

But May Poles didn’t cost much. Just a few bucks for some crepe paper or ribbon strips, and time to practice. I think it’s a shame that in most places we seem to have forgotten this day’s history and we have failed to preserve it.

History of May Day Celebrations

According to Wikipedia, “May Day is a public holiday usually celebrated on 1 May or the first Monday of May. It is an ancient festival of Spring[1] and a current traditional spring holiday in many European cultures. Dances, singing, and cake are usually part of the festivities.”

Moving Forward

Let’s get back to dances, singing, and cake! Let’s reinstate the celebration of spring. Let’s recreate the May Pole. Let’s make it a part of our “new normal” once this VOVID-19 pandemic allows us to go back to our schools and hug our neighbors. What do you think?

I hope your day was a happy, memorable one.

What are your favorite May Day memories?

See ya tomorrow.
JanBeek

Smile!

Let’s see a warm smile –
It will warm your heart and mine.
It reflects kindness.

Kindness is in you.
This is SO worth repeating –
Let your kindness out!

Like the morning sun,
Kindness can hide behind clouds.
The Son overcomes!

Look for openings
Where God’s Light can shine through you.
Kindness is SON RISE!

Happy SONday!
SMILE!!
I remembered SPRING UP
and turned my clocks ahead an hour.
Did you?

Time to get ready for church.

See ya later.

Encouraging Spring

beautiful bird bloom blossomSaw our first robin
But no blossoms were in sight
Encouraging spring

.
I want it all now
The flowers, the birds, and spring
Praying for patience!

.

Calendar Says It’s Spring

The calendar says it’s spring,
But the weather says it ain’t.
Hoar frost greeted my morning.
“Smile,” it said.
I replied, “I cain’t!”

Home- TOPS- Lenten Brkfst

Then off I went to Lenten Breakfast
While I marveled at the frost.
I skidded on the icy drive.
“Relax,” I thought.
Then wondered, “At what cost?”

I made it to the breakfast
With the help of neighborly folks.
The place was bright and cheerful.
“Let’s eat,” they invited.
I laughed at friendly jokes.

Lenten Brkfst

My next stop was at TOPS*
Where I weigh in to keep off pounds.
My KOPS** buddies inspire me.
“Did you eat all your breakfast?”
“Nope, I left one of the rounds!”

Paper Hat

My reward was to wear the hat
That signified I’d lost the most weight.
What a treat – worth the feat!
“Keep up the good work!” they encouraged.
I headed home – feeling great!

The calendar says it’s spring,
But the weather says, “Not yet!”
White stuff still covers the ground.
“Smile,” it said.
Sun sparkled. I sang, “You bet!”

Are you enjoying this first day of spring?
What did YOU do??

 

  • * TOPS = Take Off Pounds Sensibly
  • ** KOPS = Keep Off Pounds Sensibly
  • Check it out, if you need encouragement to
    “keep off pounds sensibly”, too.  Log in to  http://www.tops.org

Buried

IMG_0069

Buried under snow
There are dormant daffodil
Waiting to emerge
.
The thermometer
Finally rose a little
Will spring really come?

.
Be patient, tulips
Be patient, sweet daffodil
Soon the snow will melt

Image 2

You think?

Tag Cloud

%d bloggers like this: