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October 2009 Archives
Today is Thursday, October 1st, 2009; Karen's Korner #1664
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Some people say they don't like to pray out loud as they don't know what to say. I have some friends who 'pray back the Bible'; taking the Bible's words and reading/saying them. Sometimes if there are third person parts (he/him); they will change them for reading purposes to first or second person (I, we; you, your).
Here is a sample (Psalms are lots of times good ones):
Psalm 145 (New Living Translation)
"I will exalt you, my God and King,
and praise your name forever and ever.
I will praise you every day;
yes, I will praise you forever.
"Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
No one can measure his greatness.
(As a prayer (my words): "You are great, Lord! You are most worthy of praise!
No one can measure Your greatness!")
"Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
let them proclaim your power.
I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles.
Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
"The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
The Lord is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
(As a prayer (my words): "You are Lord and You are
merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing lofe.
You are good to everyone.
You shower compassion to all of us as Your creation.")
"All of your works will thank you, Lord,
and your faithful followers will praise you.
"They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
they will give examples of your power.
They will tell about your mighty deeds
and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
"For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.
The Lord always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.
The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
(As a prayer (my words): "Lord! You always keep Your promises;
You are gracious in all You do.
You help the fallen and lift those bent beneath their loads.")
"The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it."
**
The verses of Psalm 145 continue. If you want to finish the chapter as a prayer, look it up and read it. As an extra blessing to you, read it aloud!
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Today is Friday, October 2nd, 2009; Karen's Korner #1665
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Short thought and a prayer:
Compassion is sometimes the fatal capacity for feeling
what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin.
It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace
and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you too.
~ Frederick Buechner
**
Father in Heaven,
I thank You, that I will never reach the end of my rope,
because You never give up Hope.
When I imagine the worst for me,
even then I believe that You can use it for good.
So I shall hold on
-- praying --
expectantly!
In Jesus' name.
Amen!
~ by Shirley Choat
**
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Today is Monday, October 5th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1666
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Something written by Shirley Choat and emailed to me in April (edited by me just a bit). Who doesn't need to be reminded now and then to 'rejoice always'....even when we don't feel like it:
REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS
"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.."
~ Psalm 51:12
Paul tells us: "Rejoice in the LORD always, and again I say, rejoice." that sounds great. But is it really possible? Always? There are times when we don't feel very joyful. We seem to see so much of that these days.
True joy is not something that happens on demand or in response to a command. Nor is it simply an emotion which we draw up from within. Real joy is a gift of God, and it springs from the certainty of our salvation.
Satan is always trying to rob us of joy. He would have us concentrate on problems, weaknesses, failures. And we all have them. But Satan wins only if he succeeds in having us look within ourselves, rather than to our God, for the solution.
Joy is knowing that we are already more than conquerors through Him who loved us and gave Himself for us. It's not a fleeting emotion but the peace of knowing that by Jesus' dying on the cross, all that can rob us of joy is removed. Our sin, suffering, failure, even our death, all have been overcome in His death and resurrection.
Rejoice always! For nothing will separate us from the love of God in Jesus our Savior.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
Show the way that Jesus has trod;
Then I will tell of Your saving grace,
Until the day when I see Your face.
"Faith in a creed can go stale, faith in Christ can be fresh every day."
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Today is Tuesday, October 6th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1667
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I was looking up some information for an upcoming Sunday School class; looking for one verse. Psalm 51:7 - 15 (The Message translation) popped up on the internet site where I was looking.
Too good to not pass along as today's Karen's Korner:
7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,
scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don't look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don't throw me out with the trash,
or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
I'll let loose with your praise.
**
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Today is Thursday, October 8th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1668
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In discussion at Bible study Monday evening, the topic came up about being picked last for a ball game or playing on the 'C Team'. We all seemed to have memories of that and were recalling them because now it happens to our children or grandchildren. And we don't like it.
Here is something written by Joel and Victoria Osteen which reminds us how God sees us; and it's not just for the kids but you and me as well:
The Apple of His Eye
“Keep me as the apple of your eye…” (Psalm 17:8).
God cherishes and values you so much today. You are the apple of His eye; the center of His world! In this day and age, people are considered to be important for so many different reasons—titles, position, possessions, where you go, what you drive. But God’s value system is very different from the value system of the world. If you’ve ever thought that God has too many other important things on His plate to be concerned with you and your life, know this today—you are God’s number one priority. And there’s nothing you can do to be more important or less important. God values you today simply because He made you, and your value will never change. You are significant. Your life is significant. The things that concern you, concern God. He carefully watches over every detail of your life, and there is nothing too big or too small for His attention. Take your concerns and cares to the Father today. He loves to hear you call upon Him, and He is waiting to show Himself strong on your behalf. Because you are important to Him, He is ready to bless and empower you to live in victory all the days of your life.
Father in heaven, thank You for loving me today. Thank You for making me the apple of Your eye. I open my heart to You today and cast every care on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Today is Thursday, October 8th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1669
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A couple quick paragraphs from a recent Focus on the Family's email update:
Ambassadors of God's Love and Peace
In today's challenging world, many people are struggling with anxiety--even fear. As such, the apostle Paul's encouragement is especially timely: ''For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind'' (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV).
As children of the God who is Love (1 John 4:8, 16), let's choose to walk in His light, love and peace and encourage those who need hope--whether they're family members, neighbors or people halfway around the world.
***
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Today is Friday, October 9th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1670
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A couple of weeks ago our five-year-old grandson Luke was here to visit for a few hours after school. One of the things which he wanted to do was 'build roads'. All summer we had a pile of gravel which became a 'kids playground'. With shovels, buckets, hoes, rakes, and a battery-powered dump truck, we built roads.....
Among others things this time, the adventure included scooping up gravel-and-grass clods at the side of our country grave; road.
"How many of these clods are we going to do," I asked Luke.
"Twenty-five", was his reply.
At first, I wanted to chuckle. What kind of a number is 25 to a five-year-old? Does he have any idea how many that is and how long it would take to pick up 25 of them? The sun was beginning to set. And time before he needed to go home was limited.
There is a lot that young kids don't know, I thought.
Then I thought better, "How often do we do the same things?"
I know I sometimes work on lofty goals and thoughts....
"I will never again eat....??" And we eat it!
"I will pay off my credit cards by next month or end of the year......" In spite of the fact it has taken us years to accumulate the balances.
"I will lose thirty pounds (in next to no time)...." What has taken us years to get.
"I will faithfully do ???.....;" we promise God. and once again it is an idle pledge.
No, we aren't much better than Luke and his 25 piles. We make promises to ourselves and maybe to God that we both know we won't or can't keep.
But God wants to help us! We need to tell Him what we would like to have happen and then ask Him to help us! We may not get to our desired destination on our first attempt but we might be closer. And He will be there guarding and guiding....
Even though I knew Luke and I weren't going to get to 25; it didn't stop me from helping him run the shovels and carry the buckets. Our job was to begin........together!
We did four!
Dear Father in Heaven, thank You that You make all things possible. Show us what You want us to do and how You want us to do it. Thank You for Your interest in each one of us as Your Children and for wanting to do so many wonderful things in and through us. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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Today is Monday, October 12th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1671
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A few short thoughts from a small book titled "Tender Thoughts", which was given to me more than a decade ago by a 'secret sister':
Love is the reason behind everything God does.
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Lovely, complicated wrappings
sheath the gift of one-day-more;
Breathless, I untie the package -
never lived this day before!
~ Gloria Gaither
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Faith makes all things possible.
Hope makes all things bright.
Love makes all things easy.
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Whatever we have
is worth twice as much
when we share it.
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There is no safer place than the Father's Hands.
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Every morning is a fresh opportunity
to find God's extraordinary joy
in the most ordinary places.
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Look for the heaven here on earth.
It is all around you.
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How happy I am that I can walK beside you,
lean on you,
and live in the warmth of your friendship.
~~
Thanks for allowing me to share lots of thoughts, ideas, writings with you each weekday through Karen's Korrner!!
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Today is Tuesday, October 13th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1672
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Each year the USA Weekend magazine insert in Sunday papers, sponsors Make a Difference Day nationally on the fourth Saturday of October. This year the event is set for Saturday, October 24.
For the eighth year, the Marys & Marthas (M & Ms for short), an ecumenical group of gals to which I belong, does something for Make a Difference Day and this year is no exception. Each year we try to involve our community and most years we schedule to do things more than one day to facilitate more people's schedules.
This year we are calling what we are doing "8 Days in October", working to make a difference from this coming Saturday, October 17 until the 'real day' - Saturday, October 24. If you live in the Clarion area, chances are pretty good you have already heard of the event.
No matter if you live in Iowa, Minnesota, MIssouri, Montana, or Colorado and are reading Karen's Korner, I would like for you to ask God how you can make a difference for Him and His Kingdom. Then do it and let me know! It doesn't have to be hard, time consuming, nor in Clarion.
It might be a phone call to a needy friend. You might want to offer to pick up groceries (or take a person to church) for someone who can't get around is easily as he/she used to. You know your busy schedule and so does God. Between the two of you, find a way or several ways to bless someone else.
And then let me know. I will report all of our simple, small efforts to the national office, as we make a BIG difference together in our world, for God's Kingdom!
Dear Father God in Heaven, You are so good to each one of us; You love us so much. Thank You for taking care of us. Show us how we can pass on Your goodness; Your love; Your care to others. We want to bless someone else in Your Name. Amen.
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Today is Wednesday, October 14th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1673
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Something sent to me by Shirley Choat last month:
"While there is a chance of the world getting through its troubles, I hold that a reasonable man has to behave as though he were sure of it. If at the end, your cheerfulness is not justified, at any rate you will have been cheerful." (By H.G. Wells)
Too often, O God, Your still, small voice is overpowered by the roar of the traffic and the interruptions that fill my everyday life. Increase my awareness, that I may hear Your whisper above the clamor and receive Your quiet calm assurance. "Peace be still."
In Jesus' name. Amen
~
"Then He rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Quiet down!"
And the wind fell, and there was a great calm!"
~ Mark 4:39
***
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Today is Thursday, October 15th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1674
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I received this email from Joel and Victoria Osteen this morning. I liked it and thought it might hit someone in just the right spot as well:
Whose Report Will You Believe?
"I have heard a report from the Lord…"
(Jeremiah 49:14, AMP)
Every day we get "reports" from the news, our experiences, our friends and family, and many other sources. We also get reports from the Word of God, which oftentimes, contradicts what others are saying. That's when we have a choice: do we believe what we hear in the natural, or do we believe the report of the Lord?
Friend, we serve a supernatural God! Just because we don't see a way doesn't mean that He doesn't have a way. God can bring one opportunity across your path that will thrust you to a new level. He has explosive blessings that can blast you out of debt and into abundance. "Well, I don't think I'll ever get well. You should see what the medical report says about me." No, that may be true according to medical science, but we have another report and it says, "You will live and not die. God is restoring health unto you." With men it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible.
Choose today to believe the report of the Lord. Stand strong no matter what is going on around you knowing that He is leading you into victory in every area of your life!
"Father in heaven, I choose to believe Your Word above all else. I know that You are working behind the scenes on my behalf, and You will cause me to triumph. Help me to tune out the negative voices of the world so that I can focus on Your goodness all the days of my life. In Jesus' Name. Amen."
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Today is Friday, October 16th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1675
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Here is a dose of love from God via Max Lucado from his book "In the Grip of Grace":
To Win Your Love
"Here is what we want to know. We want to know how long God's love will endure....Does God really love us forever? Not just on......Sunday when our shoes are shined and our hair is fixed. We want to know.....how does God feel about me whene I'm a jerk? Not when I'm peppy and positive and ready to tackle world hunger. Not then. I know how he feels about me then. Even I like me then.
"I want to know how he feels about me when I snap at anything that moves, when my thoughts are gutter-level, when my tongue is sharp enough to slice a rock. How does he feel about me then?....
"Can anything separate us from the love Christ has for us?
"God answered our question before we asked it. So we'd see his answer, he lit the sky with a star. So we'd hear it, he filled the night with a choir; and so we'd believe it, he did what no man had ever dreamed. He became flesh and dwelt among us.
"He placed his hand on the shoulder of humanity and said, 'You're something special."
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Today is Monday, October 19th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1676
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Who hasn't seen some of the pass-around Bible riddles? Some have been around more than once!
Here are a few new ones forwarded to us by my Tennessee uncle, who is a retired Baptist minister. Might be a good chuckle to begin the week:
Q. What do they call pastors in Germany?
A. German Shepherds.
Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah. He was floating his stock while everyone
else was in liquidation.
Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the
Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank
of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.
Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden
in a "Fury". David's "Triumph" was heard throughout the
land. Also, probably a "Honda," because the apostles
were all in one "Accord."
Q. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.
Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as
to why they no longer lived in Eden?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.
Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant
lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.
Q. Which area of Palestine was especially
wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan. The banks were always
overflowing.
Q. Who is the greatest baby sitter mentioned in
the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.
Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.
Q. Why didn't they play cards on the Ark?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck.
**
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Today is Tuesday, October 20th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1677
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I have two friends who attended a prayer and prophetic conference for parts of three days last weekend.
One of the friends led the Bible study group of which I am a part last evening.
When someone attends a conference like they did, for the amount of time they attended, chances are pretty good they are going to 'hear from God'.
I don't know if I know of anyone who has heard from God with an audible voice, but many, many hear from God via a 'still, small voice' in their minds and hearts.
Here is the message which we heard last night; for us. And I am passing it along to you. Are you ready for it?
"Tell My people that I love them!"
Have you been going through a tough time and needed to hear those words? Does life sometimes seem so busy and harried that we barely have time to take a second breath? Or were you hoping of something a little more profound?
"Tell My people that I love them!"
Probably one of the first things we learned in Sunday School or from the knee of a parent or grandparent. But sometimes we need to be reminded. Or maybe we have made some poor choices with our lives as of late, or for an extended period of time:
"Tell My people that I love them!"
It's a message of hope and help. And one that we can take with us wherever we go....today, tomorrow, and for forever! When the God of the universe loves you, loves me......we can do and be about anything.
Praise be to God!
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Today is Wednesday, October 21st, 2009; Karen's Korner #1678
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From Max Lucado taken from "Just like Jesus":
Letting God Love You
"My daughters are too old for this now, but when they were young--crib-size and diaper-laden--I would come home, shout their names, and watch them run to me with extended arms and squealing voices. For the next few moment we would speak the language of love. We'd roll on the floor, gobble bellies, and tickle tummies and laugh and play.
"We delighted in each other's presence. They made no requests to me, with the exception of 'Let's play, Daddy.' And I made no demands of them, except, 'Don't hit Daddy with the hammer.'
"My kids let me love them.
"But suppose my daughters had approached me as we often approach God, "Hey, Dad, glad you're home. Here is what I want. More toys. More candy. And can we go to Disneyland this summer?'
"'Whoa,' I would have wanted to say. 'I'm not a waiter, and this isn't a restaurant. I'm your father and this is our house. Why don't you just climb up on Daddy's lap and let me tell you how much I love you?'
"Ever thought God might want to do the same with you? Oh, he wouldn't say that to me. He wouldn't? Then to whom was he speaking when he said, 'I have loved you with an everlasing love' (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV)? Was he playing games when said, 'Nothing.....will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ.' (Romans 8:39)? Buried in the seldom-quarried mines of the minor prophets is this jewel:
"'The Lord your God is with you;
the mighty One will save you.
He will rejoice over you. You will rest in his love;
he will sing and be joyful about you.'
(Zephaniah 3:17)
"Note who is active and who is passive. Who is singing, and who is resting? Who is rejoicing over his loved one, and who is being rejoiced over?
"We tend to think we are the singers and God is the 'singee'. Most certainly that is often the case. But apparently there are times when God wishes we would just be still and (what a stunning thought!) let him sing over us.
"I can see you squirming. You say you aren't worthy of such affection? Neither was Judas, but Jesus washed his feet. Neither was Peter, but Jesus fixed him breakfast. Neither were the Emmaus-bound disciples, but Jesus took time to sit at their table.
"Besides, who are we to determine if we are worthy? Our job is simply to be still long enough to let him have us and let him love us."
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Today is Thursday, October 22nd, 2009; Karen's Korner #1679
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For Sunday School on Sunday, we looked at the story of Daniel in the Lions' Den from a couple of different perspectives.
You probably recall the story (Daniel, chapter 6) about Daniel serving under King Darius, along with two other vice-regents, and below them 120 governors. Daniel 'stood out in the crowd' and, as often happens, his other 'peer rulers' were not happy.
Everyone in the pagan kingdom knew Daniel worshipped God three times daily, so the others flattered the King until King Darius ruled that no one could worship anyone but him for the next month or be thrown into the lions' den.
Daniel ignored the ruling and followed His King.
King Darius had no choice but follow through on his decree. But as so often happens also, Daniel was the King's favorite. He spent a restless night wondering what he had done and if Daniel was safe.
"At daybreak the king got up and hurried to the lion's den.
As he approached the den, he called out anxiously,
'Daniel, servant of the living God,
has your God, whom you serve so loyally, saved you from the lions?'
"O king, live forever," said Daniel.
'My God sent his angel, who closed the mouths of lions
so that they would not hurt me.
I've been found innocent before God and also before you, O king.
I've done nothing to harm you.'"
~ verses 21, 22
Was the king happy! Even though he ruled a kingdom which did not believe in, nor follow God, King Darius knew he had encountered Peace, Power, Protection .... a Real King worthy of praise. So he took action:
"King Darius published this proclamation to every race, color, and creed on earth:
'Peace to you! Abundant peace!
I decree that Daniel's God shall be worshipped and feared in all parts of my kingdom.
He is the living God, world without end.
His kingdom never falls.
His rule continues eternally.
He is a savior and rescuer.
He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth.
He saved Daniel from the power of the lions.'
~ verses 25 - 27
Same decree would or could be made for God today.....
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Today is Friday, October 23rd, 2009; Karen's Korner #1680
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We have two younger people in our area who are getting our attention and prayers; both are struggling with health issues.
Carol Brott, who I am guessing to be around 40, has some heart issues which have been a part of her life for a number of years. She had heart surgery in Des Moines two weeks ago. Because of the low heart function, recovery is slow, as doctors work to get her strong enough and stable enough to be a candidate for a heart transplant.
Every few days an email circulates around town telling of her slow, steady progress.
Several days ago the verbal report from one of her doctors was, "whatever the people in your community are doing, tell them to keep doing it......"
The other is a little boy: Zach Duncalf, whose dad is a Clarion graduate. The family now lives in the Des Moines area. Zach is nine and is struggling with luekema/lymphoma (not sure which, or if it is both). He currently has no hair; sometimes is in the hospital; sometimes is at home and school.
Somehow the younger people who are sick tug at our heart strings more than older ones.....
Grandma JoAnne told me the first part of the week that she was having a terrible time thinking about little Zach. She is on the road selling a health insurance, but was making no progress that particular day.
"I decided I was going to go to a church in the area where I was working just to pray," JoAnne said. As she pulled up to their denomination in this strange town, she noticed the parking lot had a number of cars. She was just hoping the door would be unlocked. "Maybe there is a bazaar here today," she thought as she got out of the car.
What she didn't know was that the church had organized a healing service and she was walking in to it, just a few minutes before it was to begin. "What's the chances of a church being half filled with people on a Tuesday morning, asking for prayers and healing?" she said.
Here she was praying for a needy grandson and being blessed by being part of the service.
Does God want to give us clues of His Care? And Blessing?
I think He does.
Are Carol and Zach out of the woods and well; not today! But they are being cared for by Our Heavenly Father, as are other family members.
Dear Father in Heaven, You are Power. You are Love. You are Healer. You are Caregiver. You are Love. You are Hope. You are Help. You are worthy of our worship and our praise. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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Today is Monday, October 26th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1681
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A good devotional email thought from Joel and Victoria Osteen. It talks about 'walking through the shadow of death', which to most of us means someone physically dying. But there can be other deaths in our lives: death of a relationship, death of monetary security, death of a job which we loved, death of good physical health .....
Our job: keep walking, keep moving forward!
Walk Through
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me…"
(Psalm 23:4, NKJ)
~~
In the Bible, David went through some dark times in his life. But notice in this verse that he didn´t say,"I´m going to sit in this dark, challenging place, this shadow of death, and have myself a pity party." No he said, "I´m not staying here! I´m going to walk right through this situation because God is with me!" Are you going through a dark time right now? If you´ll make up your mind and be determined to walk through, knowing that God is with you, you will see things turn around in your favor.
Oftentimes, those difficult situations don´t make sense. We can have a lot of questions. Sometimes those questions get answered, and sometimes they don´t. But that´s when we have to be willing to trust God and know that He is with us. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us, especially in the dark times. So be encouraged today because God is on your side and by your side. He is your light in dark places. As you trust in Him, He will lead and guide you into the wonderful place of blessing He has prepared for you!
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"Father in Heaven, today I choose to follow You, knowing that you make Your Word a lamp to my feet and a light upon my path. I will be bold and not afraid, knowing that You are always with me even when it´s difficult for me to see. Thank you for the courage to keep walking even through the darkest times. I thank You for Your comfort and presence to guide me into the life of abundant blessing and victory you have for me. In Jesus´ Name. Amen."
~~~~
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Today is Tuesday, October 27th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1682
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Who hasn't heard it said, "Not to worry about anything; God will take care of everything."
And yet, as humans, we have the tendency to worry.
The Bible says, "Don't worry about anything, instead pray about everything; tell God your needs and don't forget to thank Him for His answers." (Philippians 4:6)
This morning as I was thinking about Karen's Korner and what to write, it seems like I/we need to pray for our harvest and our farmers. The crop is there but the kind of weather we like is not. The calendar pages are being ripped off, day after day, and winter is coming. We have needs; we tend to worry. So we need to pray and tell Him about it:
Dear Father in Heaven, we come to with our worries and our cares about our farmers and our harvest. We worry about getting our work done: the harvest; the money we need for income and the money that will be needed for our harvest expenses. You tell us not to worry, but to pray. So we ask for Your help. We ask for weather which will help with the harvest. We ask for equipment which will work well with a minimum of break downs and repairs. We ask for good yields and good prices which will help to care for our families. We ask that corn might dry more in the field in the next few days to make harvest easier and drying and costs more favorable. We ask that everyone connected with agriculture in our area will be freed from stress and worry because of our confidence that You have everything under control.....even us! We thank You for the harvest days ahead. We thank You for what You are doing with us and for us, through a more difficult harvest season. We know that being thankful is from You and being thankful for all things, helps us. Maintain our mental health, our hope in our future, and our hope in You. You are the great I AM and nothing is too difficult for You. We thank You, we trust You, we praise You for Your help and for what You are doing with us and through us today and in the harvest weeks ahead. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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Today is Wednesday, October 28th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1683
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Yesterday morning I stopped by Jim's Aunt Jessie's home for a few minutes. On her table was one of these 3" x 3" books which is chocked full of tasty tidbits. So full in fact, I am going to share a couple of the morsels with readers today. And several, in a few more days.
The title of the book is "Angels of Friendship":
A true friend laughs at your stories even when they're not so good,
and sympathizes with your troubles even when they're not so bad.
~ Proverb
**
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you
to guard you along the way
and to bring you to the place
I have prepared."
~ Exodus 23:20
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A friend is someone
who understands your past,
believes in your future,
and accepts you today
just the way you are.
~ Anonymous
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One loyal friend is worth
ten thousand relatives.
~ Euripedes
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What a pity that so many people are living with so few friends
when the world is full of lonesome strangers
who would give anything just to be someone's friend.
~ Milo L. Arnold
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Before borrowing money from a friend
decide which you need most.
~ American Proverb
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EXALTED BELOW ANGELS
"What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower
than the heavenly beings
and crowned him
with glory and honor."
~ Psalm 8:4,5
**
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Today is Thursday, October 29th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1684
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An email I received this week from Kim Lee, exactly like I received it:
10 Commandments of HUMAN RELATIONS:
I THOUGHT THIS WAS GOOD…
IT WAS PRINTED IN THE NAZARENE’S CHURCH BULLETIN:
1. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful word of greeting.
2. Smile at people. It takes 72 muscles to frown; 14 to smile.
3. Call people by name. The sweetest music is sound of his own name.
4. Be a friend and helpful.
5. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is a genuine pleasure.
6. Be genuinely interested in people. You can like everybody if you try.
7. Be generous with praise-cautious with criticism.
8. Be considerate of the feeling of others. It will be appreciated.
9. Be thoughtful of the opinions of others. There are 3 sides to a controversy-yours, the others and the right one.
10. Be alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for others.
~~
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Today is Friday, October 30th, 2009; Karen's Korner #1685
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A paragraph from the Bible to jump start your day and your thoughts:
Ephesians 5:1,2
"Watch what God does, and then you do it;
like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.
Mostly what God does is love you.
Keep company with him
and learn a life of love.
"Observe how Christ loved us.
His love was not cautious but extravagant.
He didn't love in order to get something from us
but to give everything of himself to us.
"Love like that."
~~
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