"baptizing them into
the name
of the Father,
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit..." 
(Matthew 28:19)

This was the topic of Chad Chapman's communion meditation on Sunday. "Many people, often when they become a new believer or just in general, have trouble with how God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit can all be one."

He shared a concept that works for him. "Think of the sun. That is God the Father, the source. The light that comes from the sun, that's Jesus, the son of God. Then the heat that we feel, that is the Holy Spirit, that's the power, the presence. Three parts, but one being."

"Father God, we are so grateful for your teachings and also for the multiple ways we can be taught from You.  You truly do meet us where we are. Amen."

***

Today’s entry from Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence” (July 2):
 

“I AM the Truth: the One who came to set you free. As the Holy Spirit controls your mind and actions more fully, you become free in Me. You are increasingly released to become the one I created you to be. This is a work that I do in you as you yield to My Spirit, I can do My best handiwork when you sit in the stillness of My Presence, focusing your entire being on Me.
 
“Let My thoughts bust freely upon your consciousness, stimulating abundant Life. I am and Way and the Truth and the Life. As you follow Me, I lead you along paths of newness:  ways you have never imagined. Don’t worry about what is on the road up ahead. I want to find your security in knowing Me, the One who died to set you free.”

~ Taken from John 8:32; Philippians 2:13; John14:6

"At the Flood, the Lord
showed his control of all creation.
Now he continues to unveil his power.
He will give his people strength.
He will bless them with peace."

~ Psalm 29:10 & 11 LAB

* 

Bible Commentary:  "Throughout history, God has revealed his power through mighty miracles over nature, such as the great Flood. He promises to continue to reveal his power. In Ephesians, Paul urged us to understand how great God's power is. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is available to all who believe. When we feel weak and limited, we need to remember that God can give us strength. The power that controls creation and raises the dead is available to us."

Praise God!

Happy 4th of July!
Happy Independence Day
as our country celebrates
its 249th birthday!
Our 250th next year!!

“Don’t be weary in prayer,

Keep at it:
Watch for God’s answers
And remember to be
Thankful when they come.”
 
~ Colossians 4:2 LAB
 
*
 
Our hearts are broken,
God,
When we hear of the lives lost
In the flash flooding in Texas.
We are especially saddened by
The loss of those precious children
For what should have been a happy event!
Keep our hearts and minds bent to them.
The families need You.
You make sense when nothing makes sense.
You say ‘all things work together for good’.
Show us; show them!
You are the ‘GREAT I AM!”
We need You all the time,
But especially right now!
Thank You for being our Heavenly Father!
Amen.
 
****

Our minister conducts six 4-week sessions on some topics during the calendar year. Topics might be ‘stress’ or ‘anxiety’. Right now, he is leading a small group Thursday evenings on the topic of ‘humility’. I attend when my schedule allows.
 
The Bible definition of humility:  “an attitude of lowliness and obedience, grounded in the recognition of one’s status before God as his creatures.”

 
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility
count others more significant than yourselves.”
Paul’s writing in Philippians 2:3

 
In the hand outs, we read “humility is not about weakness or self-deprecation, but rather a strength of character that allows for genuine self-awareness, respect for others, and a focus on somethings greater than oneself.”
 
Humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself, it’s about thinking of yourself less.
 
According to a Bible commentary near Colossians 2, states, “True humility is viewing ourselves as we really are from God’s perspective and acting accordingly. False humility is self-centered; true humility is God-centered.
 
We tend to think too highly of ourselves; or not highly enough. Putting ourselves down. The only right perspective is with God’s help!
 

Like everything else, God.
We need your help to see ourselves
As You see us.
And help us to do the same thing
With all the people in our lives.
Amen.

Yesterday's Max Lucado:

A REMINDER FROM THE SPIRIT

"I recall an afternoon early in my ministry when the invitation of Jesus to the weary became the invitation of Jesus to Max. I was supposed to be studying, but I could not concentrate. I thought that I had to fix everyone’s problems, shoulder everyone’s burdens, and never grow weary in doing so. After some moments I bowed my head and sighed, and this scripture came to mind: 'Come to me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28 NASB).

"It was the pronoun me that got me. I had been turning to everyone and everything but him. Now why did that verse come to mind? Simple—the Holy Spirit, my teacher, reminded me. And the Spirit of Christ will do this for you, my friend."

**

This is a prayer taken from the book “The Birthright” by John Sheasby. Much of the book, he tells about the prodigal son who wandered away from his father and his home. But then returns.

 
Our Father, who are in heaven….
 
“How beautiful those words sound when I say them.
Our Father!
Affectionate, loving, compassionate, good.
Our Father!
You are ours, which also means you are mine!
 
Forever, you are mine. Lord, and forever I am yours.
How wonderful those words sound when I say them,
How absolutely wonderful those words sound when I say them,
How absolutely, incredibly, unbelievably wonderful!
 
Thank you for all the pictures of you
That Jesus left behind….
Pictures of your goodness,
Your kindness, your mercy.
Use those pictures, Father, to retore the faded ones,
The bent ones, the torn ones, the distorted ones,
So I might see you for who you are, know you for
Who you are,
Love you for who you are.
And use those same pictures to restore the distorted,
Pictures I have of myself,
So that I might see myself for who I am, know myself,
 
For who I am, love myself for who I am.
Which is yours
Forever and always…….yours!”
 
***

For fun, today's 'Korner, is taken from a July entry, ten years ago:

The Wonderful Someone

"It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send him to you."

~ John 16:7 KJV

"The very promise Jesus gave us contains a name for the Holy Spirit that reveals the uniqueness of His nearness in our loneliness. This name, 'Comforter', is equally translated from the Greek text into six other names, each of which describes a slightly different aspect of the Holy Spirit's precious, personal ministry in our lives:

* Comforter:  One Who relieves of mental distress;

* Counselor:  One Who gives advice and manages causes;

* Helper:  One Who furnishes relief or support;

* Intercessor:  One Who acts between parties to reconcile differences;

* Advocate:  One Who pleads the cause of another;

*Strengthener:  One Who causes strength and endurance;

* Standby:  One Who can be always relied upon.

"Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to have Someone with these attributes in your life? If you belong to Jesus, you do have that wonderful Someone. You have the Holy Spirit.

~ Anne Graham Lotz

***

In case, we sometimes get weary of the things happening in ‘the’ world; ‘our’ world.
 
Yesterday’s (July 14) “365 Days of Prayer for Women) by Stephanie Sample:
 
 

Beautiful Future
 
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
And no mind has imagines
What God has prepared
For those who love him.”
 
~ 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT

 
“Lord, I get anxious about the future. I try to imagine it, and it seems so vague and uncertain; all blurry around the edges. I know you know, and I know it is good---so much better than anything I am even capable of conjuring up. This beautiful future Is your promise to those who love you, and oh, how I love you. Forgive my anxiety, God. I don’t want to dishonor you, and I do trust you, Lord, with my life. I love that it is beyond my imagining, because what I imagine is pretty great. I’m excited to get there and see what you’ve done.”
 

How do we imagine what God has prepared for each one of us?”


***

 Equal time. Now and then (yesterday), Karen’s Korner was something from ‘365 Days of Prayer for Women”.
 

Today’s is from “One-Minute Insights for Men” by Jim George. Here we go. 

RESTORING HOPE

 
“When worry strikes, we usually get discouraged or even depressed. We respond to life negatively, and take our eyes off God and His promises to take care of us. The next time worry strikes, here’s how you can restore your hope.
 

“PRAY – ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
And supplication…let your request be made known to God”
(Philippians 3:6)
 
“TRUST – Refuse to worry about circumstances beyond your control.
Remember, they are still in God’s control.
(Psalm 135:6)
 
“GIVE THANKS – ‘In everything give thanks’
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).
When you thank God
Even for the hard things in life,
You are saying,
‘Lord, I am confident You will use this for my good.’”
 

“Lord, it’s so easy for me to focus on the negative.
Help me redeem my worried thoughts by using
Them as reminders to pray, to express my trust in
You and to give thanks.
Amen.”
 
****

"A dull axe requires great strength.
be wise and sharpen the blade."

~ Ecclesiastes 10:10 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "Trying to do anything without the necessary skills and tools is like chopping with a dull axe. If our tools are dull, we sharpen it to do a better job. Simillarly, if we lack skills,we should sharpen them through training and practice. In each situation, sharpening the axe means recognizing where a problem exists, acquiring or honing the skills (or tools) to do the job better, and then going out and doing it. We need to find the areas of our lives where our 'axe' is dull, and sharpen our skills so we can be more effective for God's work."

*

God,
we are going to need your help
for us to become 'sharp'.
As we get older,
it becomes harder 
to learn new things.
Do new things 
for You and Your Kingdom.
Help us.
Direct us.
In Your Son's Name.
Amen.

A dose of 'God's Love' to take us into the weekend!

One entry (#18) from "100 Things God Loves About You" byTama Fortner:

GOD LOVES YOU --
IMPERFECTIONS AND ALL.

"But he said to me,
'My grace is sufficient for you,
for my power
is made perfect in weakness.;"
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

"So maybe you can't spell Wednesday (Why is there a 'd' in there, anyway?). Or can't boil water. Or you're late everywhere you go. God still loves you.

"Or maybe your struggles go a little deeper than spelling or cooking or clocks. A weakness for gossip? Procrastinating about prayer? A too-short temper with a too-long memory? God still loves you. Why? Because your imperfections are an invitation for His grace. They remind you that you need Him. They let Him work in your life, to make you more like Him. Yes, God still loves you...imperfections and all."

***

I enjoyed today's Max Lucado:

SEALED WITH THE SPIRIT

"To whom does the Trinity entrust your protection? You “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit'(Ephesians 1:13 ESV). We have been once-and-for-all-time sealed by the Spirit for redemption.

"Seal—you know the verb. You twist a jar to seal the pickles. You notarize the contract to seal the deal. Sealing declares ownership and secures contents. Sealing says, 'This is mine, and this is protected.'

"When you accepted Christ, God sealed you with the Spirit. He cocooned you, assuring your safekeeping. Satan might woo you, discourage you, and, for a time, influence you. But he cannot have you. Christ 'has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption' (Ephesians 4:30 NLT).

***

Our ecumenical Wednesday Bible study group has been meeting for a number of years. Recently, our leader asked us to memorize a verse or two from the Bible. Never been asked to do that before.

As we get older, we memorize slower and don't do as well remembering. But we can still do it.

So here is our verses. Of course, we can't repeat it together, because we have so many versions. This is mine. See what you can do with it:

"As long as I live,
I'll wholeheartedly obey.
Make me walk along
the right paths
for I know
how delightful
they really are."

~ Psalm 119:34 & 35 LAB
Life Application Bible

***

An entry from "365 Days on Prayer for Women" by Stephanie Sample. From the wrong day (July 12), I like it!

BELOVED CHILD

"You are altogether beautiful, my love;
there is no flaw in you."
~ Song of Solomon 4:7 ESV

"God, you make such beautiful things! I start to list them off:  babies, flowers, sunsets, birds, snow---and I realize there is no end. More beautiful than anything by far are those I love. A mother's arms, a father's hand, a child's face all leave me breathless and filled with gratitude. Thank you, Lord, for such a lovely world. I know that to those who love me, I add to its beauty. This humbles me. In the mirror I see things I'd like to change:  flaws, imperfections, and signs of age. Behind me, hands resting proudly on my shoulders, your eyes see your beautiful, beloved child. To you, I am more beautiful than the sunset. I am as lovely as a rose."

"Do you know that God sees you as beautiful?"

****

(My apologies for the lateness of yesterday's 'korner'. Sometimes things get stuck and don't go out and I didn't catch it until later in the day!)

(Also I will be away from my computer this coming week. Look for the next Karen's Korner on Monday, August 4!)


This coming Monday, July 28, it will be 26 years since our daughter Merry died.

I had about 26 years of my life without her, before she was born.

She was 26 when she passed away.

And now 26 years without her.

But there are 26 years. And more coming into eternity; when we get to be together again!

Some people hate anniversaries like this. I like to celerate Merry's memory. I have a book where people, lot of people, wrote her memories. Me included.

Here is one of mine:

When Merry was a baby and I would rock her, I know she was one side or the other of one, when I would sing "You are my sunshine" or "Jesus loves me", she would make sounds and go up and down at just the right spots.

I should have known it could have been an indication of an upcoming hobby or career of music.

Or as one person penned at the end of my writing:

"The song has ended
but the melody lingers on!"
~ Irving Berlin

*

Thank You,
God,
for taking care of 'things'.
Merry,
me
our family
life
eternity.
You make sense
out of things that
sometimes make
no sense!
Amen.