Karen's Korner - Daily Inspirational Stories by Karen Weld
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Printable Issue 4611  Today is Monday, January 10th, 2022; Karen's Korner #4611

(FYI - I am going to be away from my computer and home; in and out the rest of the winter. This the final Karen's Korner until Tuesday, January 25!)

It is written by Anne Graham Lotz, as she tells about struggling at times with depressing thoughts. Billy Graham's daughter struggles at times with depressing thoughts? Oh, that's right she is a human being!
 

Life-Giving Power

"Your Word has given me life"

~ Psalm 119: 50 NKJV
 

"Sometimes when we are depressed, we feel lifeless. It's hard to get out of bed in the morning. We seem to have no energy to do even the most routine functions. If you are depressed by the greatness of your problems, read God's Word! That's where you find help. That's where you find joy. Let the rushing waters of the Living Word drown out all other sounds and voices. There is life-giving power in the Word of God!

"At the most difficult times in my life - the loss of a baby, the forced removal from a church, the execution of a friend, the robbery of our home - God's Word has sustained me. There have been times when I have only been capable of reading a few verses at a time, yet the supernatural life-giving power of the Word of God has not only helped me maintain my emotional and mental balance, it has given me strength to go on, even if only one day at a time."

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Printable Issue 4610  Today is Friday, January 7th, 2022; Karen's Korner #4610
Bible verse and prayer taken from a recent email by Kathy Branzell, President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force. National Day of Prayer is set annually for the first Thursday of May.
 
"Your hands made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding,
that I may learn Your commandments."

~ Psalm 119:73 NASB

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"Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, You are the Alpha and Omega, the God is, was, and is to come. You are ALL mighty, wonderful, powerful, and worthy of all praise. You are the Author and Perfecter of faith and our lives, and we have nothing to fear as we walk in the safety of the shadow of Your wings. You are our refuge and our strength. You never leave us or forsake us, and we desire to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Please increase our understanding of Your will and ways so that we can worship You with our lives. Thank you for all that You have done and will do as we commit to learn and respond to You in 2022."

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Printable Issue 4609  Today is Thursday, January 6th, 2022; Karen's Korner #4609
Number 20 from the book "100 Things God Loves About You", which I purchased to give as a gift. I like it so well I am going to keep it. Read it and re-read it! In a world filled with lots of distractions, we need to be reminded of His Love for us:
 
GOD SIMPLY LOVES TO LOVE YOU

"As the Father has loved me,
so have I loved you."

~ John 15:9
 
"Ever dream about that guy? You know THAT guy. The one who's crazy about you, who can't wait to spend time with you. The one so in love with you that he constantly sends you little gifts to let you know he's thinking about you.

"Well, THAT guy is real. No, really! No matter what your relationship status might be, THAT Guy is crazy about you, can't wait to spend time with you. He's so in love with you that He constantly sends little gifts to let you know He's thinking about you. He's God---and He simply loves to love you."
 
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Printable Issue 4608  Today is Wednesday, January 5th, 2022; Karen's Korner #4608
Several quotes from 'Side Notes', the vertical thoughts in the margins of the December/January publication of OUR IOWA magazine:

"Snowmen fall from heaven --
unassembled."
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"Faith is holding on tight
when the going gets windy."
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"Always do right --
this will gratify some people
and astonish the rest."
~ Mark Twain
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"You can always pray for someone,
when you don't have the strength
to help in any other way."
*
"Did you hear about the guy
who got hit in the head with
a can of soda?
He was lucky it was
a soft drink."
*
*"Everyone one you meet
deserves to be greeted with
a smile."
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"What lies behind us
and what lies in front of us
are tiny matters
compared to what lies within us."
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"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain,
but all happiness
and growth occurs while 
you're climbing it."
*
Printable Issue 4607  Today is Tuesday, January 4th, 2022; Karen's Korner #4607
"The Lord says,
'I will make my people strong
with power from me! 
They will go wherever they wish,
and wherever they go,
they will be under my personal care."

~ Zechariah 10:12 LAB
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Bible Commentary:  "God promises to strengthen his people and reveals that this strength comes from God. When we stay close to God, his Spirit enables us to do his will, despite the obstacles. When we stray from God, we are cut off from our power source."

*

Father God, thank You that You promise to strengthen us as Your people. Will you help us to remain close to You, we have a tendency to wander away, like people across the ages. You have the answers. We don't! Thank You that You never give up on us and that You love us and want to take care of us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Printable Issue 4606  Today is Monday, January 3rd, 2022; Karen's Korner #4606
Today's entry - January 3 - from "365 Days of Prayer for Women", written by Stephanie Sample:

THIS WORK MATTERS

"Whatever you do, work heartily,
as for the Lord, and not for men."
~  Colossians 3:23 ESV

"God, I know your ways are perfect and that you placed me exactly where I am for a reason. There are moments though, that my life seems like endless drudgery. How can this work matter? These dishes, this sidewalk that needs clearing of snow. Help me remember all I do is for you. Let me clear the sidewalk, as if you were about to walk on it----to wash the dishes as if you were going to eat from them. Give me a glimpse, when I need it, of the many thankless tasks you've done for me, and he energy to do the job before me as if for you."

"What is your reason for doing all your tasks?"

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Printable Issue 4605  Today is Friday, December 31st, 2021; Karen's Korner #4605
Last day of 2021!

Let's see what Sarah Young has to say, taken from "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence" for today:

"As the year draws to a close, receive My Peace. This is still your deepest need, and I, your Prince of Peace, long to pour Myself into your neediness. My abundance and your emptiness are a perfect match. I designed you to have no sufficiency of your own. I created you as a jar of clay, set apart for sacred use. I want you to be filled with My very Being, permeated through and through with Peace.

Thank Me for My peaceful Presence, regardless of your feelings. Whisper My Name in loving tenderness. My Peace, which lives continually in your spirit, will gradually work its way through your entire being."

~ Taken from Isaiah 9:6; 2 Corinthians 4:7; John 14:26 & 27

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Printable Issue 4604  Today is Friday, December 31st, 2021; Karen's Korner #4604
Something written by Anne Graham Lotz. Could be good for after Christmas. Or sometimes before or at Christmas time!

JUST THINK ON JESUS!

"(He) loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood."
~ Revelation 1:5b NIV


"Jesus is the most important Man, not just in our nation, not just on planet earth, but in the entire universe! And He isn't important just for four years or eight years, but forever and ever and ever! Furthermore, the most important Man in the universe thinks I am so important, He gave His own life for me! How can I feel depressed by the smallness of my life when the most important Man in the universe died for me, rules over me now, and will one day return for me? In the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ, I am important, I am of value. How can I consider myself anything else?

"Do you feel depressed by the smallness of your life? There is an antidote for feelings of smallness. Just think on Jesus!
*****
Printable Issue 4603  Today is Thursday, December 30th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4603
My sister Jill and some of her church members enjoy 'sharing Christmas' with those with needs. She has written here what they experienced.

It's a good story!

"Every year, our church in Lake Stevens Washington asks for donations from the congregation for Christmas baskets.  People in the congregation send in names/addresses of people they know or connect with that could use a 'hand up' at Christmas.  This year was no exception, Twelve names were turned in.  None of the names were people who attend our church; just people who needed a little help.
 
"We set shopping day for December 21st, with delivery to be the next day. On Sunday, the 19th, $815 has been contributed. Not as much as usual, but not a surprise in our continuing Covid environment.  Some years, we had close to $1200!
 
"I went to Target to get tote bins to use as baskets. Here the 'blessings' began. Tote bins should have been $7 each x 12 or $84 plus tax.  After the cashier rang me up, I looked at the receipt at the door of the store.  She hadn't charged for 12, only 7. I went to the customer service counter and the person there offhandedly asked me if I had enlarged my Christmas decoration collection and needed new storage - - twelve red Christmas totes!  When I explained their use, she looked at me for minute and said, if you know the church's tax ID number, we can donate the other five.  And so they did!  
 
"Off to the grocery store four volunteers went on the 21st with a list in hand. Items on the list were for a Christmas dinner like a ham, stuffing mix, carrots, etc along with some staples like cereal, cans of soup, and other items. The store we shopped at, Fred Meyer, owned by Kroger, started out by giving us a $100 gift card for shopping there. We were a little worried because the hams alone would be about $40 each, accounting for $480 of our money!  When we finished, we had six carts, piled high and loaded down. We stopped by the customer service counter to find out where we should check out. One of the customers in the customer service line asked what we were doing and we told them. She turned to her line neighbors and said  'I bet we have some money to help them, don't we?' and proceeded to collect $25 for us!
 
"Off we went to checkout. The store manager met us and thanked us for shopping there. And he gave us three check-out persons, two with remote bar code readers, and an assistant manager to help. Such nice people! The assistant manager made sure check out was going well, bagging was efficient, carry out people assigned to help us get the massive amount of groceries to our cars and at the end, he said the store would like to give us the hams for $1.27 per pound or $13 or $14 each!  A huge savings! The total was $1300, but with discounts and the gift card from the store, our total was $815. A coincidence that it matched the $815 that our congregation donated??  And the bin cost was covered by the $25 collected in the customer service line, plus a last minute donation that had come in!
 
"But wait! One of the elders called while we were checking out. A $250 donation had come for this project from Thrivent, a Lutheran financial agency. So we also purchased a $20 gift card for each family to be included with a card from our church, inviting them to Christmas services.
 
"Now I suppose you'd like to hear that everyone receiving a basket arrived at Christmas services?  No, not the case. But that wasn't what we did this for.  Our church believes we should 'Love God, Love People, and Live Like Jesus'.  And this project covers all three!"
***
Printable Issue 4602  Today is Tuesday, December 28th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4602
Lots of places in the Bible it speaks of JOY!  It is not a feeling! It is a fact. A 'possession' as a Christian. Something that is 'packed in' to each of us a believers.

"But oh, the joys of those who put their trust in Him!"
~ Psalm 2:12b LAB

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"Heart, body, and soul are filled with joy!"
~ Psalm 16 9 LAB

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"Always be full of joy in the Lord, I say, it again, rejoice. Let everyone see that you are unselfish and considerate in all you do. Remember that the Lord is coming soon."
` Philippians 4:4 & 5 LAB

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Bible Commentary on the Philippians verses:  "Ultimate joy comes from Christ dwelling with us.. At Christ's Second Coming, we will fully realize this ultimate joy, because He who dwells within us will fulfill His final purpose for us."

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