Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘winter’

In the Winter Now

Jem Croucher, Poet’s Corner introduced to me today a new poetry form. Her blog beautifully described “In the Autumn Now” in an aaab rhyme scheme.

For those of you unfamiliar with those poetic descriptors, the aaab scheme means the first three lines all rhyme, but not the 4th one.

The fun thing about her last line is that it was the poem’s title and it was repeated in each of the four stanzas. Brilliantly done! (There are probably other rules to this rhyme form, like 7 or 8 syllables to create rhythm on each line… but I’m not sure I can do that! So will just go with the rhyme scheme and number of lines for now.)

I’m going to try my hand at this poetry form, but as you know if you saw my post yesterday, we – here in Ennis, MT – are “In the Winter Now.” Alas, our fall colors are buried under several inches of snow. Beautiful, but – oh my – too early for me!

From my kitchen window

October snow fell softly

The view from our dining room
Through the screen of my bathroom window –
Look up – can you see the icicles?

October snow – unseasonable
Way too early – unreasonable
Return of colors – unfeasible
In the Winter now

Lack of wind – delightful
Snow in clusters – rightful
Blue sky returning – eyeful
In the Winter now

Howling winds return – disappointing
Wind chimes play – enjoying
Returning storm looms – annoying
In the Winter now

Tasting falling snowflakes – purely
Venturing out in the snow – securely
Getting skis ready – prematurely
In the Winter now

Wanna try your hand at this poetic form?
Go ahead … give it your best shot.
It’s fun!

For a really good example of the form,
check out Jem’s
In the autumn now
It’s delightful!

Send your poem to Jem Croucher
She’d be delighted to hear from you.

Speaking of fun –
Look at that photo of us –
100 years ago –
Ready for winter!

Hah!
See ya later.
Stay warm.
Love, JanBeek

Montana Springtime

Montana Springtime
Blowy snowy mighty cold
Poor little robins

Finding protection
Under patio lawn chair
Smart little birdies

Robin copycat
Decided to follow suit
Safe under the stool

God help the lone dove
Perched on a branch shivering
Where’s your nest, loved one?

Montana springtime
You tried to arrive last week
Whoops! A false alarm!!

Meantime, snuggle up!
Stay warm!


Send us some sunshine, will you?
I’m committed to staying positive…
and finding a way to stay warm
just like those robins.
You, too?

Thanks for visiting JanBeek
See ya tomorrow (God willing)

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

I Love Winter!

Cozy
Still October
Should be Autumn
The Snow came Early
Winter.

“Elevenie”
Five Lines
Contains eleven words:
One, Two, Three, Four,
One

Cold
White peaks
Mountains are Beautiful
Looking from Warm Inside
Comfy.

Smart
Found Spot
Best Place Ever
Claimed Pillow at Fireplace
TazE!

Ready
Looking Forward
It’s Holiday Time
Trick or Treat Here
Candy!

October
Loves Orange
Roast the Seeds
Better than the Candy
Jack-o-Lanterns

Visiting
Pumpkin Patches
Enjoy the Fun
Keep Winter at Bay
Halloween 🎃

Clouds
Circle Mountains
Snow Covers Peaks
Can’t Hold Off Winter
Brrrrrr!!

Bundle Up!

Hey!
Yes, YOU!
Thanks for visiting.
I have missed you.
Welcome!


Leave a message and tell me how you’re doing!
Love ya…
JanBeek

Cold Inspired Prayer

The coldness of this Montana winter
inspired our Rev. Steve Hundley
to pray to our Lord using snow and ice
as metaphors that grabbed my attention
last Sunday at our church.

Photo by Engin Akyurt on Pexels.com

I asked Steve for permission to share his Pastoral Prayer with you. I think it is so poetically and beautifully written, I hope you will appreciate it as much as I do.

“We come to You, O Lord,
at a time when much of our valley
has been gripped by snow and cold –
when roads have been clogged
and winds have been strong
and some have struggled to keep warm.

Let the coldness of this season
raise the question
of our own spiritual temperatures.

  • Has our relationship to You been frozen and stiff?
  • Are the ways of our hearts clogged by snowdrifts of apathy and indifference?
  • Do the lines of communication between us sag and break beneath the iciness of neglect or doubt?

Send now a warming trend into our lives.
Let there be a melting of our hearts,
and a surrender to Your will and Your Way.
Grant that the icicles of pride and loneliness
may fall from our hearts,
and that the heat of Your love and grace
may break up the ice floes that have kept us apart.

Transform us into centers of warmth
that will radiate Your presence
into the cold-hearted world around us.
Show us how to be Your light,
like the warmth of the sun, warming the earth.

Grant peace to those who are anxious
and renewal to those who are tired.
Instill in our nation a longing
and a desire for the common good.
Let Christ come and touch us now
so that all our problems may be small ones,
dwarfed in the magnitude and beauty
of His presence.

For in Christ there is no coldness,
but eternal springtime.”

Photo by Sebastian Voortman on Pexels.com

This is a prayer that I will read each morning during these cold, winter months … and pray to our Lord that indeed He will “transform [me] into a center of warmth that … radiates [God’s] presence into the cold-hearted world around us.”

Will you join me?

Radiate His grace, warmth and LOVE!!

Thanks for visiting JanBeek.
See ya later.

Bee a Joy-Bringer!

Bee a Joy-Bringer!
Why not spread lots of sweetness?
Plenty to be found!

animal bee bloom blooming

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

There are so many reasons
To be joyful every day.
Open my eyes, Lord,
To the smiles in my way.

Mountains to climb
I can carry all the troubles,
See the gloom and the doom,
Or I can listen to the birds
As their song fills this room.

animals avian birds branch

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I can marvel at snow
Or complain of the drifts.

Open my heart, Lord,
To be ready for shifts.

Shift gears to the joy
Each fresh, new day brings.
Help me bee a joy-bringer;
Turn winter hearts into springs!

Tag Cloud

%d