If your pet could talk, what would be the first thing it says?
Our Kenny looks very much like this Boston. And at 2 years of age he still is very much a puppy! Even though he has calmed down some, his energy level still creates a challenge at times.
How about your pet? What would the first words be? Kenny’s other “first words” would be: LET’S PLAY!
Hugs,
JanBeek
Happy September 1st to you!
The word for the month is Devoted.
The question for the month is,
“To what or to whom are you devoted?”
Some might answer,
“I am devoted to earning money”
while others might say,
“I’m devoted to spending money…
Put on my gravestone:
Being of sound mind, I spent it all!”
Some are devoted to coffee,
getting their daily dose at Starbucks,
while others are devoted to gardening
or to reading or to raising their families.
What’s your answer?
Some of the things
that capture our devotion
are worth the time and trouble.
Others are not.
“Ezra had devoted himself to
the study and observance of
the Law of the Lord,
and to teaching its decrees
and laws in Israel.”
Ezra 7:10The word devotion means
“earnest affection for a person or cause.”
It’s a better word than commitment.
We can be committed to a cause
out of sheer duty;
but to be devoted
implies commitment plus affection.
September connotates “Back to School” for me.
As a retired educator, I never tire of teaching.
My children are grown and my grandchildren
are not close by, so my teaching audience has changed.
I am devoted to teaching the seniors in “The Manor.”
It is our local nursing home. The people there are delightful!
Because I am devoted to teaching,
I agree with the commentary I read recently
on the Ezra 7:10 scripture above:
“As our children head back to school,
it’s time for us to don our backpacks
and enroll in the Ezra School of Bible Study –
devoting ourselves to the study and observance
of God’s Word and to teaching it to others.”
The people that garner your devotion
and the causes to which you are devoted
help to define who you are.
The word for September is “Devoted.”
How do you define yours?
Love and Hugs to you from
JanBeek
This is Hillsdale High School’s winning wrestling team back in the 1970’s.
Bob was the wrestling coach. He also taught in the classroom
(safety education and behind the wheel driver’s education).
Matt Martinelli has ahold of Bob’s right leg.
And our son, Ty, is down there looking up proudly at his dad.
Ty just had his 59th birthday… and Matt is now in his 70s!
Time flies, doesn’t it?
Here’s another of Bob”s former wrestlers from back in the ’70s.
Peter is another who keeps in touch
and lets Bob know that he made a difference in his life.
What a joy it is to maintain those contacts!
Here’s our son, Ty:
Life is worth celebrating!
Even though Matt is in CA (and so is Ty),
and Peter in in Arizona,
we are blessed to stay in touch with them.
They let Bob know that Dad/CoachBeek
is a champion still!
He made a difference in their lives.
Galatians 6:9
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
Making a difference can sometimes be challenging, and it’s easy to grow weary. However, this verse reminds us to persevere in doing good. Even if we don’t see immediate results, God promises that in due time, we will reap the rewards of our efforts. Therefore, we are encouraged to press on and not lose heart in our pursuit of making a difference.
Bob feels badly that he doesn’t have
the strength and stamina that he once had,
but hey… don’t we all have to accept that?
Our bodies change as we age, right?
Bob’s with his brother, Bill, there…
Looking mighty fit, wouldn’t you say?
Both of them are blessed
to be alive and functioning
as “Champions Still” in their
mid-to-late 80’s!!
Not everyone has that privilege, right?
Blessed to be alive!
Blessed to have one another.
Blessed to continue to do good.
Blessed to be a champion still!!
Who’s a “Champion Still” in your life?
Sending love your way,
JanBeek
Today’s JetPack prompt was:
What jobs have you had?
Teacher – 24 years – loved every minute!
1961, Stockton, CA – 1st grade
1962, Germany, Wurzburg Army Base – 1st grade
1963-64, Turlock, Cunningham School – kindergarten
1964-67, Daly City, CA – K, 4th, 7th-8th
1968- 79, Hillsborough, CA – 7th/8th, K, 4th, K-6 summer school
1979-81, Hughson, CA – 1st grade & GATE classes
1982- 99, Ceres, CA – 4th grade, principal (K-8), then…
This is Lorei with me.
She was my first grade student in 1961
when I first started teaching in Stockton
before Bob & I were married.
Like so many of the students
who came after her,
my life is richer because
she has stayed connected all these years.
Teaching is not just a job.
It is a life choice, a passion, a joy!
Some of these dear kindergarteners are my Facebook friends today.
Reach out Ortners, Leslie, Pamela Pon (where are you?), Sean, Kurt, Karen…
You’re all in my heart!
… then, yes, after years in the classroom,
I spent 9 years as a Principal – – – had wonderful colleagues —
The Ceres Unified School District
was a delightful place to work.
I have so many fond memories!
This was a great staff!!
I was invited to try my hand at
working as a mentor to new principals
and as the coordinator for various programs
such as art, new teacher training,
federal and state programs, etc.
So, I went to the district office
as a curriculum coordinator.
It was too far away from the children!
I returned to my first love: the classroom.
I had these little second graders
I picture below here for two years
(as 1st & 2nd graders)…
it was a wonderful way to end a delightful career.
Recognition for a job well done
came in many forms,
but the best is knowing
I made a difference
in the lives of a few children
and maybe helped some of my colleagues
along the way, too.
I enjoyed my life as an educator immensely.
I retired in 1999, but didn’t stop working.
I supervised student teachers for a few years
at Stanislaus State College
before volunteering
for a couple of years
to teach illiterate adults how to read.
Loved doing that! So rewarding!!
But the most important of my “jobs” in my lifetime was:
… wife, mom, homemaker, sister, friend …
Never underestimate the impact
& importance of those jobs!
Take them seriously.
Some people say that there –
-on the home front-
there lies the most important
job of all!!
That photo is the whole Beekman clan
at Bob’s parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.
I love this photo …
our daughter, DeAna, and her “Swisster” Sylviane,
and our son, Ty, are on the right of this picture next to us.
So, this had to have been around 1984…
And now, volunteering is part of my life …
and those jobs I choose,
like the Senior Center
or the Food Bank,
the Manor (our local nursing home)
or church fellowship hour,
those “jobs”
are what continue to give me
a sense of purpose.
We never stop having jobs – right?
John 6:27
27 Do not work for food that spoils,
but for food that endures to eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you.
For on him God the Father
has placed his seal of approval.”
What jobs have you had?
On his blog today, Rahul Gaur invited his readers to create a poem inspired by another poet.. using opposites. Rahul”s blog site is titled:
THE HOME OF POETRY
His description of the Day 3 poetry prompt intrigued me:
NaPoWriMo Day 3: Find a shortish poem that you like, and rewrite each line, replacing each word (or as many words as you can) with words that mean the opposite. For example, you might turn “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” to “I won’t contrast you with a winter’s night.”
Then Rahul shared a poem he wrote using that “Opposite” prompt: On his blog site you can see a link to the original poem.
When I am standing on the edge
Revelling at the vista, which the mist blurs
I forget the lovely image, hers, as
She fades… fades… fades away
Over me, joy has taken me in its veil
More a creature of this world
And one less angel on the earth
I want nothing more, nothing less
When I am standing on the edge
Revelling at the vista, which the mist blurs
I think I recall the image, hers, again
She passes…passes… passes by
I want nothing less, nothing more
I picked up on Rahul’s prompt and decided to write a poem inspired by poet, Holly Haley.
The original poem: “Friendships”
Write life without friendships
And who would read it through?
Paint life without its friendships
Where is the rainbow hue?
Build life without its friendships
Who would live therein?
For friendship’s glow leads to the goal
That each of us would win.poet: Molly A. Haley
And mine:
“Enemies”
Live life with enemies
And no one would join in
Scribble life with its enemies
And forget to add a grin.
Tear down life with its enemies
And regret the choices you choose
For death darkens your door
When you’ve no friends to lose.Jan Beekman
Want to try your hand at this opposites poetry?
If so, I’d love to have you share it in the comments section here.
On the other hand, enemies are sometimes hard to find (at least for me).
If you look at everyone through your Jesus glasses, you will see the divine in them.
You will pray for them, and you will realize that they are placed in your world to teach you.
What do your enemies teach you? Well, for one thing – they teach you what you don’t want to be!!
You want that person at your back to be your friend, right?
When your friend says, “I’ve got your back,” what’s that mean?
To me it means, when my back is turned and someone intends to harm me,
my friend will be there to protect me.
Turning your back on your enemy can be dangerous!
How do we avoid having enemies?
Can we really live a life without them?
The PollyAnna in me says, “Of course!”
What do you think?
Just love one another!
Hugs to you,
JanBeek
Windows to the Soul
That’s what your eyes have been called
May I look deeply?
I want to see you
Know you at your heart’s level
Open your windows
Seek and you will find
But what are you looking for?
Look into my soul!
Every week I have the privilege
of doing a Bible Study
with a few of my favorite
residents at the Madison Valley Manor,
our local nursing home.
We spoke about the importance of
EYES,
SEEING,
FOCUS,
UNDERSTANDING.
The lesson from In Touch,
daily reading for devoted living,
was based on Gen. 25:19-34.
The title was “Spiritual Shortsightedness.“
The lesson demonstrated how focus on the temporal
rather than the eternal can cause us to make decisions
based on today’s desires or needs without considering
tomorrow’s consequences. Notice the focus here:
This is the account of the family line of Abraham’s son, Isaac, his wife Rebekah, and their twin boys, Esau and Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.” “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?” But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
The consequence of Esau’s shortsightedness was disastrous for him.
If what we choose to focus on is temporal and selfish,
our lives can be turned upside-down, too.
What are you looking at?
What are you looking for?
My friends at the nursing home and I interspersed music with our Bible reading and sharing. I played my accordion. They sang along. Do you know this one?
“Open my eyes, Lord,
I want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him
And say that I love Him.
Open my ears Lord,
And teach me to listen.
Open my eyes, Lord,
I want to see Jesus.”
When I look deeply
Into your open windows
Will I see pureness?
When looking at me
Seeing into my soul’s depths
Do you see the Lord?
He lives inside me
He helps me practice restraint
Who lives in your soul?
Open your eyes, Friend
Let me see into your heart
I know I’ll find love!
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Thanks for visiting JanBeek
I send you love from my soul’s depth.
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
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,
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
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
This week school started
Children back in their classrooms
Masks are required
Teachers wear their masks
Most children are feeling safe
God bless our teachers
Some must test daily
States requirements differ
God bless our teachers
Some still distance learn
Listening to a screen is hard
Harder than up close
Virtual lessons
Leave many students outside
Levels of comfort
Not all the children
Have the proper equipment
Nor their private space
Some live in chaos
Choose invisibility
Fearful of teasing
The choice should be theirs
But how do teachers teach blanks
God bless our teachers
Embrace our teachers
They yearn to be close and touch
Give encouragement
Send a thank you card
To a teacher in your town
Appreciate them
Times are difficult
When masks and distance require
Such separation
Some things must be taught
Up close, very personal
COVID-19 SUCKS!
Please
Send a thank you now
To a teacher in your life
Embrace your teachers!
Thank you for your prayers
for my bruised face.
It’s getting better everyday.
Pray for our teachers!
They have a tough assignment
in the midst of this pandemic.
They need our love and support.
And parents, please, set a loving example
for the sake of your children…
No more fighting!!
In the news this week
We saw some parents slugging
Over mask ideas
The damage to kids
When adults behave like this
Is so long lasting!
parenting.firstcry.com › articles › impacts-of
YOU are your children’s first teacher!
You are your child’s life-long teacher,
Your behavior sets your most lasting legacy.
Parents, be your children’s BEST teacher!!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.
See ya tomorrow (God willing)
Do you ever tell yourself, “Get a grip!”??
When life seems challenging and circumstances tax your patience,
do you ever wonder if God’s really gotcha covered?
Well, trust me –
Trust the Savior –
He’s gotta grip on you!
God’s gotta grip on me.
Our Lord’s not lettin’ us go!
Romans 8:38-39
“ For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future,
nor any powers,
neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God
that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“Gracious God, how grateful I am to rest secure in Your grip forever.”
In today’s devotional time, Daily Guideposts 2021 reminded me that while I may misplace my sunglasses or my phone occasionally, God never misplaces me!
In his comments, Bill Giovannetti recalled a time when his daughter asked him, “What if I lost God? Or what if God lost me?”
Her younger brother responded, “Right, Josie, you’re the only person in the whole wide world that God forgot about!”
Reading Romans 8:38-39 together, Bill and his son reassured Josie and asked her, “If God keeps His Word, what is that verse telling you?”
“It’s telling me God never loses His sunglasses,” she said, “Or me!”
Today Bob & I celebrated my birthday
(I’ll match Bob’s age – and be 82 tomorrow).
Our hands certainly show
the wear and tear of work and years!
But, like that hold God has on us,
we’ve got a grip on one another –
and we’re not letting go!
Taking a clue from us and God,
Xander’s got a grip on his GreatGrandma Jan
(GG – that’s me!) and he’s not letting go!
My great-granddaughter, Sienna,
gets a grip on her mommy, my granddaughter, Hope.
When children have a hold on loving, devoted parents, God smiles.
It’s a double blessings when Grandpa
gets down on the floor with his granddaughter.
Our son Ty helped Sienna learn how to get a grip on puzzle skills.
Children are blessed indeed
when they have a grandma who reads to them.
Sienna gets a grip on what books are all about
with Grandma Monika’s help.
How special to get a grip
on my great-granddaughter, Sienna,
and her mommy, Hope …
while they get a grip on TazE,
our Boston Terrier!
Not every family has the privilege of gathering 4 generations together!
Get a grip on longevity … and the joy of embracing great-grandpa!
Such fun to see TazE getting along so well with Xander!
Monika and Hope with Sienna & Xander…
They sang Happy Birthday
to help me get a grip on
turning a year older.
Not older… just more mature, right?
So nice!
Ty & Monika brought their big dog, Nakota…
… and TazE had trouble getting a grip on
having such a big buddy!
She was exhausted!
Time to get under the table
and get a grip on some rest!
Time for
me
to get some rest, too.
Never doubt that
you can rest in God’s Grip!!
Yes, He’s gotcha covered…
See ya tomorrow (God willing) –
Love,
JanBeek
It’s a beautiful evening
for a maiden fly fishing adventure.
Bob & Steve took Mary Grace out on the Madison.
Stay tuned, friends.
I’ll give you a report tomorrow to let you know how they did.
I hope they are able to catch a few big ones.
They will call when they are ready
for me to get them at the “take out” in Ennis.
Bob says, “The tug is the drug.”
Do YOU embrace fly fishing??
Hugs to You !!
Inspire to Love
Let the SonShine!
You inspire me to respond
Learning to Live; Living to Learn; Learning to Love; Living in Love
