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Today is Friday, July 31st, 2026; Karen's Korner #5660
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A Max Lucado from one day last week:
REJOICE ALWAYS
"Paul urges us to “rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). Not just on paydays, good days, or birthdays, but rejoice in the Lord always.
:Rejoice in the Lord always? “Yeah, right,” mumbles the person from the hospital bed. “How?” sighs the unemployed dad. “Always?” questions the mother of the baby born with a disability. It’s one thing to rejoice in the Lord when life is good, but when the odds are against you? It’s not easy, but it is possible.
"Lay claim to the promise of God in Colossians 1:7. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Rejoice in the sovereignty of God. His throne is still occupied, his will is still perfect. Rejoice in the Lord always. God uses everything to accomplish his will."
***
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Today is Thursday, July 30th, 2026; Karen's Korner #5659
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Hebrews 4:14 - 16 LAB:
" But Jesus the Son of God is our great High Priest
who has gone to heaven itself to help us;
therefore let us never stop trusting Him.
This High Priest of ours understands
our weaknesses,
since He had the same temptations we do,
though He never once gave way to them and sinned.
So let us come boldly to the very throne of God
and stay there to receive His mercy
and to find grace to help us in our times of need."
* Bible Commentary: "Jesus is like us because He experienced every kind of temptation we experience today. But He is different because, although He was tempted, He never sinned. Jesus is the only human being who has ever lived without committing sin. Now in heaven, He completely understand our weaknesses and temptations and offers forgiveness.
"Prayer is our approach to God. Some Christians do it meekly with head hung, afraid to ask God to meet their needs. Others pray flippantly with little thought. Come with reverence, for He is our King, but come with bold assurance, for He is our Friend and Counselor."
***
God,
I need to confess that I could be a better,
more consistent pray-er.
Believer.
Help me.
Lead me.
Guide me.
Do the same for my friends!
Thank You for today
And that you will never leave us
nor forsake us.
Amen.
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Today is Wednesday, July 29th, 2026; Karen's Korner #5658
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God has been so good to me over those years!
Several days after Merry had died, I can remember walking through our kitchen, thinking a brief prayer, "God, this hurts so much, it would be better if Merry had never been born!"
That thought lasted at the snap of a finger!
"And forfeit 26 years of Merry?" I wouldn't have done that!! All those memories, life experiences!
Merry was someone who lived life 'fast forward'!
She had been riding her small bike with training wheels as a preschooler. Dad took the training wheels off. Set her up and told her to 'peddle, peddle, peddle'. Off she rode. Never tipped off. Her sister, Jamie, wasn’t as lucky! It took Jamie a little longer to get on to the ride.
She was a girl in a hurry! Lots of memories!
God has been so good to me over those years! Taking care of me day-by-day!
One of those 'gifts' has been sharing 'Karen's Korners' for more than '5,500 times'. I need a a ‘forever’, ‘daily’ God!
Thank you for allowing me to share ‘Him’ with you! I need His help. I am blessed!
“God is our refuge and our strength; a tested help in times of trouble!”
~ Psalm 46:1 LAB
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Today is Tuesday, July 28th, 2026; Karen's Korner #5657
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As I continue to read through Psalms; not in any particular order. Introduction to #115: its theme: "God is alive. He is thinking about us and caring for us, and we should put Him first in our lives."
"Glorify your name, not ours,
O Lord!
Cause everyone to praise
your lovingkindness and your truth."
~ Psalm 115:1 LAB
*
Bible Commentary: "The psalm writer asked that God's name be glorified. Too often we ask God to glorify His name with ours. The problem comes when we want to look good no matter what happens to God's reputation in the process. Our glory should be a by-product of seeking God's glory."
***
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Today is Monday, July 27th, 2026; Karen's Korner #5656
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I like to look back at previous Karen's Korners sometimes. This one is from Mother Teresa and sent out ten years ago. It talks about 'things swirling around our world'.
Still swirling; enjoy!!
Today is Wednesday, July 27th, 2016; Karen's Korner #3363In light of some of things swirling around our world, it is nice to know that God and His Kingdom does not change. Here are a couple of quotes from Mother Teresa. While she has been gone for a number of years and as a follower of Jesus, her words are still today too.
"Each one of us is what he is in the eyes of God." * "Happiness can't be found without prayer." * "We are at Jesus' disposal. If he wants you to be sick in bed, if he want you to proclaim his word in the street, that's all right, everything is all right. We must say 'I belong to You. You can do whatever you like.' And this is our strength and this is the joy of the Lord." * "A joyful heart is like a sunshine of God's love." * "Let's not pray long, drawn-out prayers, but let's pray short ones full of love." *** |
Today is Friday, July 24th, 2026; Karen's Korner #5655
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"The heavens are telling the glory of God; they are a marvelous display of his craftsmanship. Day and night they keep on telling about God. Without a sound or word, silent in the skies, their message reaches out to all the world. The sun lives in the heavens where God placed it and moves out across the skies as radiant as a bridegroom going to his wedding, or as joyous as an athlete looking forward to a race!" ~ Psalm 19:1 - 6 LAB * Bible Commentary: "We are surrounded by fantastic displays of God's craftsmanship---the heavens give dramatic evidence of his existence, his power, his love, his care. To say that the universe happened by chance is absurd--its intricacy and dependability give proof of a personally involved Creator. As we look at God's craftsmanship in nature and the heavens, we should thank Him for such magnificent beauty and the truth it reveals about the Creator." ***
Father God,
I was reading this Psalm this morning.
How awe inspiring!
Forgive me when I get bogged down
by 'stuff' in my life and my world!
Help me look around and see
Your beauty,
Your creation,
Your love and care,
not only for me but everyone in my world!
Forgive me when I look 'around'.
Help me to look up to You!
Thank You that You are my help
in every situtation.
You are the Great I AM!
In Jesus'Name,
Amen.
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Today is Thursday, July 23rd, 2026; Karen's Korner #5654
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Installment #2:
A birthday gift to me was a Chicken Soup for the Soul book titled “Kindness Matters, 101 feel good stories of compassion & paying it forward”, compiled by Amy Newmark.
I didn’t read it like a novel, but a story or two each evening before going to sleep. Each of the hundred-plus-stories kicked off with someone’s saying.
Here are a handful of those sayings; six more of them:
"Imagine what our real neighborhoods
would be like if each of us offered,
as a matter of course,
just one kind word to amother person."
~Mr. Rogers
*
"No one is useless in this world
who lightens the
burdens of another."
~ Charles Dickens
*
"Carry out a random act of kindness,
with no expectation of reward,
safe in the knowledge
that one day someone might
do the same for you."
~ Princess Diana
*
Seeing the world
through the eyes of a child
is the purest joy
that anyone can experience."
~ Constance Simmer
*
"Because that's what kindness is.
It's not doing something for
someone else
because they can't,
but because you can."
~ Andrew Iskander
*
"For it is in giving
that we receive."
~ Francis of Assisi
****
"But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control...."
~ Galatians 5:22 & 23 LAB
****
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Today is Wednesday, July 22nd, 2026; Karen's Korner #5653
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You can tell that I have several things which I like to read daily. Sarah Young and her "Jesus Calling" is one of them!
This one is really tomorrow's (July 23), but I like it:
"I am the Light of the World.
Men crawl through their lives cursing the darkness,
but all the while I am shining brightly.
I desire each of My followers to be a Light-bearer.
The Holy Spirit who lives in you
can shine from your face,
making Me visible to people around you.
Ask My Spirit to live through you,
as you wend your way through this day.
Hold My Hand in joyful trust,
for I never leave your side.
The Light of My Presence
is shining upon you.
Brighten up the world
by reflecting who I AM."
~ Taken from John 8:12; Matthew 5:14 - 16;
2 Corinthians 3:18; Exodus 3:14
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Today is Tuesday, July 21st, 2026; Karen's Korner #5652
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A "Max Lucado" from something he sent out last week. Like all of the rest of us, he wasn't always a saint. Maybe still isn't. That is the joy of being a Christian: we don't have to be perfect!
GRACE SET ME FREE
"I can bear witness to the power of God’s grace! I could take you to the church, to the section of seats in the church. I might even be able to find the very seat in which I was sitting when this grace found me.
"I was a twenty-year-old college sophomore, living with a concrete block of guilt that had made a mess of my life. But then I heard a preacher describe the divine grace that is greater than sin. At the end of the message he asked if anyone would like to come forward and receive this grace. Iron chains couldn’t have held me back. Truth be told, chains had held me back. But mercy snapped the guilt chains and set me free.
"I know this truth firsthand: Guilt frenzies the soul; grace calms it! The benefit of being a great sinner is dependence upon a great grace!"
***
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Today is Monday, July 20th, 2026; Karen's Korner #5651
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"Give your burdens to the Lord.
He will not permit the godly
to slip or fall.
He will carry them.."
~ Psalm 55:22 LAB
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Bible Commentary: " In our relationship with God, it's easy to continue to carry our own burdens. He wants to carry our burdens, but often we continue to bear them even when we say we are trusting in Him. The same strength that carries us can also carry our burdens."
***
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