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Today is Friday, August 29th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5430
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The topic of our ecumenical Bible study on Wednesday was on the topic of making choices on what to do with our daily lives. Our leader used a writing by Mary Sutherland. She was a volunteer extraordinary. Picking everything! But it landed her into clinical depression.
Lots of things are good but we can't choose them all.
Choose GREAT over GOOD!
We were given a graphic to enhance our thinking:
"People before things;
People before projects;
Family before friends;
Spouse before children;*
Spouse before parents;*
Tithe before wants;
Bible before opinions;
Jesus before all."
By Jo Ann Leavell
(*written as husband)
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Today is Thursday, August 28th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5429
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Our church sermon on Sunday looked at the topic "God does not give us more than we can handle!"
We broke in to small groups to discuss our thoughts on the topic. Added in were several Bible verses. Then we went back together to hear the sermon.
"How powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead."
~ 2 Corinthians 1:8 & 9 LAB
"Shall I look to the mountain gods for help? No! My help is from Jehovah who made the mountains! And the heavens too!"
~ Psalm 121:1 & 2 LAB
Bad news: "God does not give us more than we can handle!"
Good news: We can't handle ANYTHING without His help! We have to keep our eyes on Him. And not on things that surround us! We are going to need His help!
Praise God!!
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Today is Wednesday, August 27th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5428
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I get week day emails from Max Lucado. This is yesterday's:
LET THIRSTY SOULS COME
"Let’s pray prayers like this one: God, please release living water upon and through your children. Let us be sources of life and love everywhere we go.
"One of the most famous revivals happened early in the twentieth century in Wales. One hundred thousand people came to Christ in less than a year. Almost-empty bars were closed for lack of business. Magistrates saw their courts emptied of criminals. Miners even had to retrain the mules that worked in the coal mines. Many of the animals had been trained to respond to vulgar commands. But when the men got cleaned up, their language did as well, and the mules had to learn a new vocabulary.
"May the need arise to retrain some mules today. Let the thirsty souls come to Christ. And let the rivers of living water flow again."
***
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Today is Tuesday, August 26th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5427
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A prayer from "365 Days of Prayer for Women" by Stephanie Sample from several days ago. They are all good, but some I like better than others. This is a good one:
MY COMFORTER
"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you,
because I am humble and gentle at heart,
and you will find rest for your souls."
~ Matthew 11:29 NLT
"Jesus, just to say your name quiets my racing heart. To remember all you are and all you have done brings comfort to my soul. I need that today, Lord. Your presence, your gentleness, your quiet example of a life at peace: the comfort of your love restores my hope. How can I began to thank you for the relief you bring? What can I give you? You are my comforter, Jesus. Your selfless hands wipe away every anxious tear. Your strong arms lift my burdens, replacing them with the easy task of loving you in return."
"What burden are you carrying that you need to give to Jesus?"
***
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Today is Monday, August 25th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5426
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I am making my way through the book of John. John chaper 17 has three headings: Jesus prays for himself; Jesus prays for his disciples; and Jesus prays for future believers. this is a portion of the second part. As Jesus was making His final journey before His crucifixion, He prayed for His disciples:
"My plea is not for the world
but for those You have given Me
because they belong to You.
And all of them, since they are Mine,
belong to You;
and You have given them back to Me
with everything else of Yours,
and so they are My glory!"
~ John 17: 9 & 10 LAB
*
Bible Commentary: "Jesus said that His disciples are His glory. What a fantastic truth, that Jesus glories in us and that our lives can bring Him joy. Are we living in a way that brings Him Joy? Does He glory in us?"
*
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Today is Friday, August 22nd, 2025; Karen's Korner #5425
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Yesterday's Max Lucado in my computer inbox:
"Christianity is on the decline in our country. The number of believers has dropped 12 percent in the last decade. Major depression is on the rise. The increase is found in all age groups but is rising fastest among teens and young adults. The increase in suicide is alarming. According to federal data on the US suicide rate, it is the highest it has been since World War II.
"Yet we have this hope: revival can come at any moment! At the right hour God will open the floodgate and release his Spirit like a flowing river into society. This was the promise of Jesus. 'Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice…’If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow from that person’s heart'” (John 7:37-38 NCV)."
***
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Today is Thursday, August 21st, 2025; Karen's Korner #5424
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"And now this word to all of you: You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds."~ 1 Peter 3:8 LAB
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Bible Commentary: "Peter (writer) lists five key elements that should characterize any group of believers: 1) harmony--pursuing the same goals;
2) sympathy--being responsive to others' needs;
3) love--seeing one another as brothers and sisters;
4) tender hearts--being affectionately sensitive; and
5) humble minds--beng willing to encourage one another and rejoice in each other's successes. These five qualities go a long way toward helping believers serve God effectively."
****
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Today is Wednesday, August 20th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5423
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EQUIPPED TO SERVE"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same God." ~ 1 Corinthians 12:4 - 5 NIV
"What God commands you and me to do, He equips us for. It’s that simple.
“If you want to discover your spiritual gifts, start obeying God. Responding to His command with ‘I can’t’ is invalid, because He will never command you to do something that He has not equipped and empowered you to do. As you serve Him, you will find that He has given you the gifts that are necessary to follow through in obedience. Any of them. All of them. And if you lack any that you need, God will bring people alongside you who have the gifts that you don’t. Working together, you will accomplish the task to the glory of God.
“And that’s the body of Christ! That’s the church. Individual members of the family, each obeying his or her call, exercising the particular gifts the Spirit has given, so that our work is not in vain but produces eternal results. So get to work! You’re equipped!
By Anne Graham Lotz
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Today is Tuesday, August 19th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5422
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Just for fun, I looked back 20 years to read some of the things I wrote and sent out for Karen's Korner. Here is something from August 2005!
Today is Tuesday, August 2nd, 2005; Karen's Korner #602 When we traveled to Australia and New Zealand last February, we asked our neighbor to water our houseplants. Since they are stashed in lots of places around our house, it would have been a lot of work for Sue to care for them easily. I grouped them all together in and around our dining room table. Imagine my surprise, when we returned home after five weeks to find one philodendron in our television room, hanging on to life by a thread. It wasn't Sue's fault. I had told her where they would all be! I thought about just throwing the plant away. It was too late for it be restored to anything that looked decent. Well, maybe I would give it a drink or two and see what happens!
It's surprising what a cup of water will do for something that is thirsty! The hardy plant began to show signs of renewal and rebirth. I pulled off the yellow leaves. Chopped off the vines which were beyond repair. If it didn't survive, I could toss it out later!
Unbelievably, the green viny plant looks better today than before our trip last winter. I look at it and still can't believe it!!
I wonder if that can happen to us spiritually? Has it been awhile since we darkened the church doors or cracked open the Bible to see what is inside to water our sagging spirits? If there was a study group or class at the church, would we debate about going because we might be the dumbest in the group? What about a prayer group? Do we not go because the others seem to know how to pray and we don't?
Maybe, just maybe, there could be some water for a thirsty soul in one of those places. And maybe, just maybe, our droopy lives can be watered and experience regrowth after a lengthy period of time in the desert.
***
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Today is Monday, August 18th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5421
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It was the evening of Passover and Jesus was eating supper with his disciples. As He spent time with them, the Bible says,"And how He loved his disciples." ~ John 13:3 LAB
The Bible Commentary on this short verse says,
"There is a deep truth in the simple phrase, 'And how He loved his disciples!' Jesus knew He would be betrayed by one of them and denied by another, and that all of them would desert Him for a time. Still He loved them. God knows us completely, as Jesus knew His disciples. He knows the sins we have committed and the ones we will yet commit. Still, He loves us. How do we respond to that kind of love?
***
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