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Today is Monday, October 2nd, 2023; Karen's Korner #4966
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"The Lord God is my Strength,
and he will give me the speed of a deer
and bring me safely
over the mountains."
~ Habakkuk 3:19 LAB
* Bible Commentary: Habakkuk had asked God (earlier in this chapter) why the evil people prosper while the righteous suffer. God's answer: they don't, not in the long run. Habakkuk saw his own limitations in contrast to God's unlimited control of all the world's events. We cannot see all that God is doing, and we cannot see all that God will do. But we can be assured that he is God and will do what is right. Knowing this brings us confidence and hope in the midst of a confusing world."
****
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Today is Friday, September 29th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4965
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Several 'sideliners' taken from the October/November 2023 OUR IOWA issue; vertical one-liners in the margins of various pages:
"There is no greater treasure than a good friend."
*
"Before repeating anything
a little bird told you,
be sure it wasn't a cuckoo."
*
"Few things are more delightful
than grandchildren
fighting over your lap."
*
"In the game of life,
don't stay in the bleachers....
get down on the field."
*
"Faith is believing the possible....
and trusting the impossible."
*
"Exercise?
I thought you said extra fries!"
*
"Grief can take care of itself,
but to get the full value of joy,
you must have somebody to share it with."
~ Mark Twain
****
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Today is Thursday, September 28th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4964
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Today's Max Lucado:
God Delivers Life through Brokenness
"Other people hang calendars and favorite quotes; I have a framed X-ray. The picture is an axial view of a decimated hip. A jarring car crash left it broken in two places. The breakage was just one of several the victim suffered. Doctors feared for her life, and they feared for the life of her child. An unborn, seven-month-old infant occupies center stage of the X-ray, floating blissfully unaware of the breakage around him.
"Dr. Michael Wirth, who gave me the image, said, 'We wondered, ‘Can both mother and child survive? If not, do we take the mother and lose the child? Lose the mother and save the child?’' They never had to make the choice. The mother lived, the baby was delivered, and Michael kept the X-ray as a reminder: God delivers life through brokenness. Broken families, hearts, dreams—even broken people."
***
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Today is Wednesday, September 27th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4963
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Moving farther through the Resurrection Chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians. As we get older and our bodies are more limited:
"Our earthly bodies which die and decay are different from the bodies we shall have when we come back to life again, for they will never die. The bodies we have now embarass us for they become sick and die, but they will be full of glory when we come back to life again. Yes, they are weak, dying bodies now, but when we live again they will be full of strength. They are just human bodies at death, but when they come back to life they will be
superhuman bodies."
~ verses 42 - 44
***
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Today is Tuesday, September 26th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4962
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I pick a book of the Bible and begin to read a chapter or a portion of one, each day. Right now I am reading 1 Corinthians. Most of us know about chapter 13 - The Love Chapter.
This morning I read a portion of chapter 15 - "The Resurrection Chapter". Paul (writer) was trying to dispel some Greek beliefs that Jesus had not raised from the dead:
"But the fact is that Christ
did actually rise from the dead,
and has become the first of millions
who will come back to life again some day."
~ verse 20 LAB
* Bible Commentary; "There will always be people who say Jesus didn't rise from the dead. Paul assures us that many people saw Jesus after his resurrection, including more than 500 Christian believers. The resurrection is a historical fact. Don't be discouraged by doubters who deny the resurrection.
"Those related to Christ are Christians, who by faith become Christ's brothers and sisters and share in his resurrection. Because Christ did rise from the dead, we now have the certainty that we who are believers will be resurrected as well."
****
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Today is Monday, September 25th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4961
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Today's korner is taken from Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence". It is yesterday's September 24.
Many of you have her books and writings. Mine is a perpetual flip calendar:
"Live first and foremost
in My Presence.
Gradually you will become
more aware of Me
than of people and places
around you.
This awareness will not
distract from your relationships
with others.
Instead, it will increase
your ability to give love
and encouragement to them.
My Peace will permeate
your words and demeanor.
You will be active in the world,
yet one step removed from it.
You will not be easily shaken,
because Me enveloping Presence
buffers the blow of problems.
"This is the path I have set before you.
As you follow it wholeheartedly,
you experience
abundant Life and Peace."
*
~ Taken from Psalm 89:11;
Psalm 16:8;
2 Peter 1:2
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Today is Friday, September 22nd, 2023; Karen's Korner #4960
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One prayer none of us ever has to pray: "God, will you love me today?"
Why? Because He just does!
But living in our every day, work-a-day world, we need to be reminded that He loves us. It's easy to forget!
Taken from "100 Things God Loves About You" by Tama Fortner. "Simple Reminders for When You Need Them Most"; number 54:
GOD LOVES HIS HANDIWORK
"For we are God's handiwork
created in Christ Jesus to do
good works, which God prepared
in advance for us to do."
~ Ephesians 2:10
"God created the sun to give His world heat and light. He created the rain to give it water. He filled it with fruits and goods to nourish and sustain. All the beauty and wonder and majesty of this world are His handiwork...... But the creation He loves best? The creation He sent His Son to save? The creation He trusts to do the works of His will? YOU! Because when God wanted a creation to serve Him and to glorify His name....He created you. His wonderful, beautiful handiwork.
****
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Today is Thursday, September 21st, 2023; Karen's Korner #4959
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"Our bodies have many parts,
but the many parts make up only one body
when they are all put together.
So it is with the 'body' of Christ."
~ 1 Corinthians 12:12 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "Paul (writer) compares the body of Christ to a human body. Each part has a specific function that is necessary to the body as a whole. The parts are different for a purpose, and in their differences they must work together. Christians must avoid two common errors: 1) being too proud of their abilities, or 2) thinking they have nothing to give to the body of believers. Instead of comparing ourselves to one another, we must use our different gifts, together, to spread the Good News of salvation."
**
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Today is Wednesday, September 20th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4958
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A 'Max Lucado" from last week:
'
"Grace is God on the move saying, “I’m with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.' Jacob certainly felt it was. After God appeared to him, Jacob said, 'Surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.'
"How many people can say the same? They are unacquainted with the God who meets us. They believe in a God who created the world but not a God who’s involved in the world. A God who made the universe but not a God who makes a difference in the day-to-day. Christian atheists they are.
"God was—and is—speaking to you. That is him, standing at the top of the ladder. Sending angels to help you. Receiving the angels who deliver your prayers.
"God never gives up on you."
***
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Today is Tuesday, September 19th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4957
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Today's entry taken from "365 Days of Prayer for Women" by Stephanie Sample:
DELIGHT IN WEAKNESS
"That is why,
for Christ's sake,
I delight in weakness,
in insults,
in hardships,
in persecutions,
in difficulties,.
For when I am weak,
then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV
*
" Wonderful God, when I am at my worst, you are at your best. The lower I get, the higher you raise me---when I remember to take your hand. Thank you, Lord, for never withdrawing it. As long as it takes and as low as I sink ,you are there with your infinite strength to pull me from my weakness. You don't let me get too comfortable down here, especially when I start to think of the bottom here, especially when I start to think of the bottom of this pit as my home. If it's a pit of sin, you offer forgiveness; if it's sickness, you offer healing; it it's persecution and hardship, you offer rescue. You are so faithful, God! I give you all the glory.
"Do you need God to rescue you from something?"
****
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