A fun writing by Rhonda Benton, as their family reflects on mom, grandma, great-grandma on a long life well lived, which makes for lots of memories over many years!

I submitted it to OUR IOWA magazine for possible publication. Just because it is sent in, doesn't mean it will be included in an upcoming magazine. Time will tell.

I hope Karen's Korner readers enjoy it as much as I do!

A Party for an Absent Honoree

"My teenage grandson fondly remembers his great grandmother who passed away eleven years ago. She was still living in our family home on an acreage by Dows. In 2024 he remembered that her birthday was in April and she would have been 100 years old. He suggested we have a 100^th birthday party to celebrate her life and our memories.

"I am part of a large extended family: five sisters and many brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. We are always happy for any reason to get together. So I decided to host a 100^th birthday party for our deceased mother.

"For the menu I choose foods our mother made for us as we were growing up. The two main courses were homemade spaghetti sauce and spaghetti with spareribs. The salad was green Jell-o with canned pears. Adding a relish tray and some homemade dinner rolls rounded out the main course.

"Every year for our birthdays, our mother made and decorated a homemade angel food cake. We always had to be careful when it was in the oven because a bump or loud noise could cause it to fall. I am not sure if that would happen or she just wanted us out of the kitchen. I had never made an angel food cake from scratch.  I practiced twice before the party. Although they never seemed to be as tall as my mother’s, they were tasty. She frosted them with 7-minute frosting made in a double boiler set. Sorry Mom, not everything was the same as my fluffy white frosting was made from a mix, thank you Betty Crocker.

"After the meal,  children played King’s Corner as that is what Grandma had played with them. The adults were content to sit around and reminisce. It was a fun evening honoring a wonderful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother."

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It might be a good day to 'praise God'. Sometimes the news leaves us with more question marks than answers. Sometimes pretty scary! So here we go. It's the final chapter of Psalms; 150!

My Bible introduction to it says, "A closing hymn of praise. God's creation praises Him everywhere in every way. We should join this rejoicing song of praise." The writer is listed as 'anonymous'.


Praise and thankfulness subtracts from fears and anxiety; adds to peace and good mental health.

"Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord!

Praise Him in His Temple, and in the heavens He made with mighty power.

Praise Him for His mighty works.

Praise His unequaled greatness.

Praise Him with the trumpet and with lute and harp.

Praise Him with the drums and dancing.

Praise Him with stringed instruments and horns.

Praise Him with the cymbals, yes, clanging cymbals.

Let everything alive give praises to the Lord!

You praise Him!

Hallelujah!!


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I am just finishing up reading 1 John. Filled with love verses! And the one I picked is the same one from Friday! The Bible is a big book and I picked the same one again!?

The difference is the Bible Commentary on the verse. So indulge me:

"Dear friends,
let us practice loving each other,
for love comes from God
and those who are loving and kind
show that they are the children of God,
and that they are getting to know Him better."

~ 1 John 4:7 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "Everyone believes love is important, but we usually think of it as a feeling. In reality, love is a choice and an action. God is the source of our love; He loved us enough to sacrifice His son for us. Jesus is our example of what it means to love; everything He did in life and death was supremely loving. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to love. God's love always involves a choice and an action, and our love should be like His.

"How well is our love for God displayed; in the choices we make and the actions we take?"


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Happy Valentine's Day!

We need to have a 'dose of God's Love' for all of us! And how He thinks about us!

Number #12, taken from "100 Things God Loves About You':

GOD LOVES THE WAY YOU LOVE

"Dear friends,
let us love one another,
for love comes from God.
Everyone who loves has been
born of God and knows God."

~ 1 John 4:7

"Love. That's really what it's all about, despite what those misguided bumper stickers, might say about the hokey-pokey. To be more precise, it's all about choosing love because love is a choice. Sometimes it's an easy one. Other times.....well, it just isn't.

"When you choose to walk away instead of striking back, when you choose to honor the parent  who isn't so honorable, when you chooses to return evil for with kindness, God smiles......and He loves you for it."

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It's almost Valentine's Day. Time for a dose of LOVE:

"See how very much our heavenly Father
LOVES us,
for He allows us to be called His children----
think of it----
and we really are!

But since most people don't know God,
naturally they don't understand
that we are His children."

~ 1 John 3:1 LAB

Bible Commentary:  "As believers, our self-worth is based on the fact that God loves us and calls us His children. We are His children, NOW, not just sometime in the distant future. Knowing that we are His children encourages us to live as Jesus did."

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School teachers will sometimes give their students, helps in taking tests. One I remember is True and False questions. Words like all, always, never, none - are most generally 'false'.

Stands pretty true except for in the Bible. Lots of examples. Here are a few:

"Be glad for ALL God is planning for you.
Be patient in trouble,
and prayerful ALWAYS."

~ Romans 12:12 LAB

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""I am with you
ALWAYS,
even to the end of the world."
(Jesus' last words as he was leaving this world.)

~ Matthew 28:20 LAB

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"'For God has said,
'I will
NEVER, NEVER
fail you nor foresake you.'"

~ Hebrews 13:5 LAB

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Today's entry from "365 Days of Prayer for Women" by Stephanie Sample, February 11;

THE MIRROR

"If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: 
everything old has passed away;
see, everything has become new!"

~ 2 Corinthians 3:17 NRSV

"Lord, you make all things new.
The moment I chose to love you, 
you began a transforming work in me.
You washed me clean.
Years of sin, guilt, regret, and grime----
gone!
It's more than I can grasp,
this new self.
As incredible as it is,
I believe I am forgiven.
But new?
Change?
I don't know.
Help me understand that the old self,
the one that needed
defenses, regrets, grudges, and contention,
is truly gone.
Bring me to your mirror, Father,
and linger with me
until I comprehend that
this loving, joyful gracious, peaceful person is me!
I have become
new."


~ How do we see ourselves in God's mirror?"

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At Sunday School class yesterday, we looked at Psalm 25. My Bible says it was written by David and the theme is "A prayer for defense, guidance, and pardon. As we trust in God, He grants these same requests for us."

As you can tell, not only do I like various Bible verses, I also enjoy the Bible commentaries on those various topics. They tend to read like today's newspaper.

"The Lord is good and glad to teach the proper path to all who go astray;

He will teach the ways that are right and best to those who humbly turn to Him.

And when we obey Him, every path He guides us on is fragrant with His lovingkindness and His truth."

~ Psalm 25:8 - 10 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "We are bombarded today with unlimited appeals to 'go my way'. TV advertising alone places hundreds of options before us, in addition to appeals made by political parties, cults, false religions, and dozens of other groups (and this was written before email, facebook, etc.). Numerous organizations including Christian organizations seek to motivate us to 'support the cause'. Add to the dozens of decisions we must make concerning our jobs, our families, our money, our society, and we become desperate for someone to show us the right way. If we find ourselves pulled in several directions, we need to remember the Lord 'will teach the ways that are right and best to those who humbly turn to Him' (verse 9)."

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(A Karen's Korner on Saturday to make up for the missing one from Monday! Sorry for the format change from yesterday. I have been experiencing some computer problems. It was yesterday's by Max Lucado.)

Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling" for today:

"I am above all things:  your problems, your pain, and the swirling events in this every-changing world. When you behold My Face, you rise above circumstances and rest with Me in heavenly realms. This is the way of Peace, living in the Light of my Presence. I guarantee that you will always have problems in this life, but they must not become your focus. When you feel yourself sinking in the sea of circumstances, say, 'Help me, Jesus!', and I will draw you back to Me. If you have to say that thousands of times daily, don't be discouraged. I know your weaknesses, and I meet you in that very place."

~ Taken from Ephesians 2:6; Matthew 14:28 - 32

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