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April 2011 Archives
Today is Wednesday, April 6th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2036
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Sorry for the delay in beginning Karen's Korner again, following our vacation to North Carolina and Virginia. My computer was in the 'hospital' getting some repairs/updates, now we are again good 'to go'. Thanks for your patience!
As we traveled, I collected some sights and sounds of our trip:
A sign on a church marquee:
He makes all things
beautiful
in His Time
(For all of us who have never been beautiful,
used to be beautiful,
or were made beautiful and still are!
We are ALL BEAUTIFUL to God
in His Eyes and His Own Ways.)
***
Driving though Indiana,
we noticed many of their license plates had navy blue backgrounds
with these words on the left side of each plate:
In God
We Trust
I asked one lady filling up for gas if these were Indiana 'vanity' plates which could be
purchased by Indiana residents.
She said, no, they are one of four options which
Indiana residents can choose when they purchase their vehicle license plates.
***
Another church marquee:
Fear not tomorrow
God is already there
***
Cards handed out to guest at The Billy Graham Library
in Charlotte, North Carolina:
"Jesus, You died upon a cross
And rose again to save the lost
Forgive me now of all my sin
Come be my Saviour, Lord, and Friend
Change my life and make it new
And help me, Lord,
to live for you."
***
On Ruth Bell Graham's (Billy's wife) grave marker:
End of Construction
Thank you for your patience
***
Several words in LARGE letters on the side of huge metal building;
it was obviously a construction business with lots of
pieces of heavy equipment parked in front of it:
PRAY
FOR RECOVERY
***
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Today is Thursday, April 7th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2037
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Jim and I were gone from home for one Sunday. When we travel, quite often we jump off main interstates and look to see if we can find a church for worship. If we come into towns too early, we have no desire to wait more than an hour for a church service to begin.
On Sunday, March 27, we drove along until we traveled near a country Baptist Church with fifteen minutes before their 11 a.m. worship. Jim parked the car; I ventured in first, where I learned we were pretty fair-skinned in comparison (aka African-American church). Many service things were different in the 'how', but the 'Who' remained the same.
Below is something taken from their service's bulletin for the day:
Just for Today:
..smile at a stranger
..listen to someone's heart
..drop a coin where some child can find it
..learn something new, then teach it to someone
..tell someone you're thinking of them
..hug a loved one
..don't hold a grudge
..don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry"
..look a child in the eye and tell them how great they are
..don't kill the spider in your house, he's just lost so show him the way out
..look beyond the face of person into their heart
..make a promise, and keep it
..call someone, for no other reason than to just say 'hi'
..show kindness to an animal
..stand up for what you believe in
..smell the rain, fell the breeze, listen to the wind
..use all your senses to their fullest
..cherish all your TODAYS!
~ Taken from St. James Missionary Baptist Church
bulletin, Henderson, North Carolina
Sunday, March 27, 2011
***
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Today is Friday, April 8th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2038
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A great day to praise God; Psalm 103:
Psalm 103 (NLT)
A psalm written by David.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
***
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Today is Saturday, April 9th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2039
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(A Saturday 'korner' to help make up for none on Monday and Tuesday; look for another 'korner' on Sunday to make the magic 'five' per week.)
Taken from a 365-daily devotional, "In God We STILL Trust" by Dr. Richard G. Lee:
God's Place
"The LORD God...sent warnings to them by His messengers."
2 Chronicles 36:15
"On June 27, 1962, two days after the Supreme Court declared prayer in schools unconstitutional, Democratic Senator Robert Byrd warned Congress about such disastrous decisions:
'Inasmuch as our greatest leaders have shown no doubt about God's
proper place in the American birthright, can we, in our day, dare do
less?....In no other place in the United States are there so many,
and such varied official evidences of deep and abiding faith in God on the
part of government as there are in Washington....
'Every session of the House and the Senate begins with prayer.
Each house has its own chaplain.
'A small room in the Capitol, just off the rotunda, (is) for the
private prayer and meditation of members of Congress...The
room's focal point is a stained glass window showing George
Washington kneeling in prayer....(and) these words from Psalm
16:1: 'Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust.'....
'"In God We Trust" appears opposite the vice-president of the
United States. The same phrase.....backdrops the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
'Above the head of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court are the
Ten Commandments, with the great American eagle protecting them.
Moses is included among the great lawgivers in Herman A. MacNeil's
marble sculpture group on the east front.....
'To remove God from this country will destroy it."
Patriot's Prayer:
"God, watch over and reawaken this nation to Your power and glory."
Patriot's Promise:
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD."
(Psalm 33:12)
****
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Today is Sunday, April 10th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2040
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(On Sunday to make five for the past week, missing 'korners' on Monday & Tuesday)
While we were in North Carolina and Virginia, we visited a number of Civil War museums and battlegrounds (Since April 1861 was the beginning of the Civil War, there are a number of celebrations commerating the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the war).
It was noted in the four year struggle, more than 700,000 Union soldiers and more than 600,000 Confederate soldiers died (It is still the most deadly war in which the United States has ever been engaged.). The struggle was amazing, effecting probably everyone in some way, helping behind the scenes if they were not soldiers.
One day we went to Colonial Williamsburg to step back in time to the beginning of our country. We learned about the people who wrote our country's founding documents and where some of the events took place.
Among other things, we heard that George Washington and his rag-tag army holed up at Valley Forge one winter during our struggle for freedom from the British. All of us have heard the stories, but sometimes we need to be reminded: he had 1200 soldiers with him as they waited out the harsh winter to resume their fighting when weather conditions improved. They didn't have enough clothes or food; many didn't even have shoes. More than 200 died there that winter of pneumonia and other sicknesses.
Learning again about these struggles and others in our country's history, I thought, "What is it that I believe in so strongly that I would be willing to die for it?"
I couldn't and can't answer that. I don't know for sure.
Can you?
It is remarkable that people throughout our history have been willing to give their lives for something they believe so fervently. Those sacrifices have resulted that we might have an easier, better life.
As we move through the Easter season, recalling the events leading up to Jesus' death on the cross, we are reminded that His whole purpose was to be born, to teach, and to die for us......all of us......so that we might have not just life her and now, but eternal life.
What a fact worth celebrating! Not just for a few days each year, but every day!!!
"Then Pilate gave Jesus to be crucified.....
When Jesus had tasted it (sour wine soaked sponge),
He said, ''It is finished,'
and bowed His head and dismissed His Spirit."
~ John 19: 16, 28, 29 (LB)
Father God, thank You for You have done for me and everyone in the world. Thank You for what others have been willing to do so that we might have 'life and have it more abundantly'. Help me to not take anything and anyone for granted. Thank You for Your past, present, and future plans for Your Life and ours. What a gift! Amen.
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Today is Monday, April 11th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2041
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"You should be like one big happy family,
full of sympathy toward each other,
loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds.
Don't repay evil for evil.
Don't snap back at those who say unkind things about you.
Instead, pray for God's help for them,
for we are to be kind to others,
and God will bless us for it."
~ I Peter 3:8 & 9
Bible Commentary:
"Peter lists five key ingredients that should characterize
any group of believers:
1) harmony--pursuing the same goals;
2) sympathy--being responsible to others' needs;
3) love--seeing one another as brothers and sisters;
4) tender hearts--being affectionately sensitive;
5) humble minds--being willing to encourage one another and rejoice
in each other's successes.
These five qualities go a long way toward helping believers serve God effectively.
***
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Today is Tuesday, April 12th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2042
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Written and emailed by Joel & Victoria Osteen:
Rejoice in the Difficult Times
"We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation"
(Romans 5:3-4, NLT).
"Did you know that the way you handle your adversities has a huge impact on your success in life? If you shrink back, choose to get bitter, and lose your enthusiasm, then you are allowing the difficulties of life to bury you. You are allowing hardship to keep you from your God-given destiny. But if you choose to keep pressing forward with a smile on your face, rejoicing even in the hard times, you are allowing God’s character to be developed inside of you. You are setting yourself up for promotion.
"Did you know that the only difference between a piece of black coal and a priceless diamond is the amount of pressure that it’s endured? When you stand strong in the midst of the trials and difficulties in life, when you allow God to shape and mold your character, it’s like going from a piece of coal to a priceless diamond. Those difficulties are going to give way to new growth, new potential, new talent, new friendships, new opportunities, new vision. You’re going to see God develop your life in ways that you’ve never even dreamed!
"Father in heaven, thank You for giving me strength to overcome every obstacle in life. I choose to rejoice no matter what may come against me because I know You are working all things together for my good. Thank You for developing Your character in me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."
***
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Today is Wednesday, April 13th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2043
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Something written and sent by Shirley Choat, for the Lenten season.
HEARING GOD'S VOICE
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(Jesus said),
"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself."
~ (John 12:32)
The crowds are confused. Jesus has told them He will be "lifted up," and they know exactly what He means. Being "lifted up from the earth" was a familiar phrase describing death on a cross. But they all know the Christ remains forever, so how can Jesus be the Christ if He will die on a cross?
It's easy for us to share that confusion too. God's light doesn't always make sense to our sin-darkened minds. Jesus simply tells them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you."
Satan is always trying to overtake us, trying to snatch away the light from us.
One of the tools he uses is the confusing things that happen in this life, things that don't always make sense to us. Often our search for answers leads us to question God and doubt His love.
Jesus encourages us to walk with Him. He invites us to lay those questions at the foot of His cross, to focus instead on the extent of His love for us. It's a love that moved Him to lay down His life in terrible suffering that we might be forgiven.
We don't understand every reason for everything that happens to us. And we won't always find all the answers to all our questions, but we don't have to. We only need to walk in Christ's light and keep looking to Him. At the right time He will make everything clear.
Love divine, all loves excelling
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us Thy humble dwelling,
All Thy faithful mercies crown.
**** |
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Today is Thursday, April 14th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2044
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We have a brush pile behind our machine shed, where we have been piling up limbs and branches for probably a year.
Jim wanted to burn them but some days are just too windy.
Monday was the right day, no wind. He and a friend were working to put some new eaves and gutters on the west side of the machine shed. They worked and watched the fire. It was about half burned down when they twosome decided to take back some leftover gutter pieces and return some ladders to the rightful owners. I decided to ride with them and grab a sandwich together for lunch.
As we returned home, we could see smoke rising in places that weren't part of the burn pile.
We had burned grass everywhere; father north, along our windbreak hedge. Around our old hog house (which we want to demolish this year). A few panels on machine are scorched and will need to be replaced.
There was never any raging fire. Only some continual creep in the dry grass that was inter-mixed with this spring's new grass.
Made me think about how 'bad' things can come into our lives. It may not take over our lives in a 'raging' fire, but it could begin to creep and destroy a lot of things in its path.
On the other hand 'good' things can begin with a spark and over time become a 'raging' part of a more wonderful personality. One tiny blade of grass at a time.
Remember this camp song "It Only Takes A Spark"? We were reminded Monday that it only takes a little fire to do a lot of burning and maybe a lot of damage:
It Only Takes A Spark
It only takes a spark, to get a fire going.
And soon all those around,
can warm up it it's glowing.
That's how it is with God's love,
once you've experienced it,
it's fresh like spring,
you want to sing,
you want to pass it on.
What a wondrous time is Spring
When all the trees are budding.
The birds begin to sing,
the flowers start their blooming.
I wish for you my friend
this happiness that I've found
You can depend on him
It matters not where your bound.
I'll shout it from the mountain tops
I want the world to know
The Lord of Life has come to me
I want to pass it on.
**
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Today is Friday, April 15th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2045
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Forwarded to me yesterday by Lavonne Isenberger:
Hi God, it's me.
We are getting older and things are getting bad here.
Gas prices are too high, no jobs, food and heating costs too high.
I know some have taken you out of our schools, government and even Christmas,
but God I'm asking you to come back and re-bless America.
We really need you!
There are more of us who want you than those who don't!
Thank You!!
God, I Love you.
***
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Today is Monday, April 18th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2046
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Taken from "In GOD We Still Trust, a 365-Day Devotional" by Dr. Richard G. Lee (notice the April 18 date from 236 years ago):
A Sure Foundation
"Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings
and does them.....is like a man building a
house, who dug deep and laid the foundation
on the rock. And when the flood arose, the
stream beat vehemently against that house, and
could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock."
~ Jesus in Luke 6:47 - 48
"Did you know that Founding Father James Madison was responsible for our three-part government? Maybe you did. But did you know that his inspiration for that design came from Isaiah 33:22?
"For the LORD is our Judge (judicial branch),
The LORD is our Lawgiver (legislative branch),
The LORD is our King (executive branch):
He will save us.
"Now consider this snapshot from April 18, 1775: Founding Fathers John Adams and John Hancock were at the home of Reverend Jonas Clarke, a pastor as well as a militia leader in Lexington. That night silversmith and patriot Paul Revere warned them of the British soldiers who were approaching--and approach they did. The next morning British Major Pitcairn shouted to the assembled minutemen, 'Disperse ye villains! Lay down your arms in the name of George the Sovereign King of England.' Hear the immediate response of John Adams and John Hancock: 'We recognize no Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!'
"James Madison, John Adams, John Hancock, and others built this land on Christian principles, for God's glory, and the people's good."
Patriot's Prayer:
"Father God, please use me in my community, my state, and even this great
country to rebuild our nation so that people who look at the U.S. will see that we, like
our forefathers, recognize only God as sovereign and Jesus alone as our King."
Patriot's Promise:
"Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You."
~ Psalm 33:22
***
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Today is Tuesday, April 19th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2047
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As we move closer to celebrating Easter, we are reminded that Jesus died to save us.....from ourselves, from ultimate death and destruction, and to give us a wonderful future and hope. But there is one problem: we have to accept Him and what He did for us on the cross.
The choice is ours.
"For God did not spare even the angels who sinned,
but threw them into hell,
chained in gloomy caves and darkness until judgment day.
And he did not spare any of the people
who lived in ancient times before the flood except Noah,
the one man who spoke up for God,
and his family of seven.
At that time God completely destroyed
the whole world of ungodly men with the vast flood.
Later, he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
into heaps of ashes and blotted them off the face of the earth,
making them an example for all the ungodly
in the future to look back upon and fear."
~2 Peter 3:6 LB
**
Bible Commentary:
"If God did not spare angels, or people
who lived before the flood or the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah,
he would not spare these false teachers.
Some would have us believe that God will save all people
because he is so loving.
But we are foolish, if we think he will cancel the last judgment.
These three examples should warn us clearly that God judges sin
and that unrepentant sinners cannot escape."
**
Dear Father in Heaven,
thank You for Your love and care.
Thank You for what You have done for all of
us at Easter season.
You gave Your life to save us
and we need to be saved.
We confess that we can't do what needs to be done
to get into heaven and to participate in Your Love,
both now and forever.
Accept our plea to participate in
'Your Happily Ever After'.
In the name of Your Son Jesus,
Who made this all possible.
AMEN.
****
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Today is Wednesday, April 20th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2048
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Ever feel like 'life is somehow against' or that 'good things happen to other people but not you?" Something written awhile back and emailed by Joel and Victoria Osteen:
Rescued From the Curse
“Christ has rescued us from the curse…” (Galatians 3:13, NLT).
I had a lady tell me the other day that she came from a very negative environment. The people who raised her were constantly putting her down. She didn’t feel like she measured up to her sister. She couldn’t seem to keep a good relationship and never got any good breaks. She finally said, “Joel, my life has been one disappointment after another. I think these people have literally cursed my future.” I told her what I’m telling you today, “Before anyone could curse you, God set you up for a life of blessing. It doesn’t matter what others have said about you; it only matters what God says about you. But you have to make the decision to agree with what He says about you and declare His truth over your life.
The Bible says that when two or more are in agreement, it shall be done. Friend, you and God are a majority! Declare today, “I’m a child of The Most High God. I am blessed and I cannot be cursed. I’m wearing my crown of favor. I’ve been equipped with everything I need to succeed in Jesus’ name!” When you declare what He says about you, you will move forward into the life of blessing He has for you!
Father in heaven, thank You for setting me up for blessing. I choose to set my mind on You and declare Your promises over my life. I thank You for leading me into paths of righteousness. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
****
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Today is Thursday, April 21st, 2011; Karen's Korner #2049
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Our two-year-old, 14# dog Rocky walked more than four miles with my friend, Margaret and me a week ago Monday. By Wednesday, he was lethargic. Jim took him to our local vet who diagnosed him with a bleeding ulcer.
Nothing improved. By noon on Thursday, he couldn't walk without stumbling. Didn't want to eat or drink. Taking his prescribed medicine was out of the question. Rocky was so sick Jim dug a burial hole behind one of our farm buildings over the noon hour. But Jim called our vet for one last consultation.
Dr. Helgevold said, "Jim, I'd like for you to bring him over and give us a couple of days to see if we can make him well."
Jim decided to give the vet's solution one more try.
On Saturday, Rocky was better. Better still on Monday. Yesterday he came back home.
The clinic staff decided Rocky must have gotten into mouse/rat poison. To turn his fate around, Rocky was given first a blood transfusion from one of the Helgevold's dogs and then on Saturday, he got a second one from the other of their dogs. The extra blood gave Rocky a 'new lease on life'.
The vet clinic believes that Rocky should be restored to good health and an normal 'dog life'. He now has both terrier and roetweiller blood cursing through his veins.
What happened to Rocky makes me think of what Jesus did for all of us at this Easter season.
We are all in need of a transfusion. We are dying without His Blood. We will live by accepting His 'life-giving' source.
One big difference: the dogs had to give a portion of their blood for Rocky. Jesus had to give His life so that we might live.
Chris Lousias said in a note responding to Rocky's (and our) situation, taken from Leviticus: "Life is in the blood! Sin takes away life so it was blood that was needed to give life."
Today might be a good day to tell Jesus that we could use His Blood so that we might live the life He has intended for us. We need his 'life source' as a transfusion.
Thank you, Jesus, for you life, death, and resurrection and for restoring us to new life!!
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Today is Friday, April 22nd, 2011; Karen's Korner #2050
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Happy Good Friday and Easter weekend! A good time to celebrate Jesus and a life well-lived.
Forwarded to us by Bertha Erickson:
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An excerpt from One Solitary Life
by James A. Francis |
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He was born in an obscure village
the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in still another village
where He worked in a carpenter shop
until He was thirty, and then for three years
He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family.
He never owned a house.
He never went to college.
He never visited a big city.
He never traveled
two hundred miles
from the place
where He was born.
He did none of the things
one usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but Himself.
He was only thirty-three when
the tide of public opinion turned against Him.
His friends ran away.
He was turned over to His enemies
and went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
While He was dying
His executioners gambled for His clothing,
the only property He had on earth.
When He was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone,
and today Jesus is the central figure
of the human race,
the leader of mankind's progress.
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that have ever reigned
put together
Have not affected the life
of mankind on this earth
as much as that
one solitary life.
*** |
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Today is Tuesday, April 26th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2051
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(Sorry for no korner yesterday, computer trouble.)
Something forwarded to us last week by Bonnie Saxton. I have read it before but couldn't relocate whether it had ever been a Karen's Korner. No matter; the message is the same:
THE U IN JESUS
Before U were thought of or time had begun,
God stuck U in the name of His Son..
And each time U pray, you'll see it's true,
You can't spell out JesUs and not include U.
You're a pretty big part of His wonderful name,
For U, He was born; that's why He came.
And His great love for U is the reason He died.
It even takes U to spell crUcified.
Isn't it thrilling and splendidly grand
He rose from the dead, with U in His plan?
The stones split away, the gold trUmpet blew,
And this word resUrrection is spelled with a U.
When JesUs left earth at His Upward ascension,
He felt there was one thing He just had to mention.
"Go into the world and tell them it's true
That I love them all - Just like I love U."
So many great people are spelled with a U,
Don't they have a right to know JesUs too?
It all depends now on what U will do,
He'd like them to know,
But it all starts with U.
***
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Today is Wednesday, April 27th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2052
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Today's korner is thoughts by our daughter Jamie and their three-year-old son, Noah.
In an email last week, Jamie wrote that she had asked each of their three children (ages 7, 5, and 3) independently what they wanted to be when they grew up.
One wanted to be an inventor and another a veterinarian.
Noah thought long and hard, then looking at his mom as if to say, "Why are you asking me these silly questions?'
And replied simply, "Noah!"
Jamie concluded her note, "So today, be the best you can be! (Per Noah)".
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Today is Thursday, April 28th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2053
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Another entry from the 365-day devotional book "In God We STILL Trust" by Dr. Richard G. Lee:
On Moral Decay
"Then God saw....that they turned from their evil way."
~ Jonah 3:10
General Douglas MacArthur,
Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific during World War II,
said this in December 1951:
"In this day of gathering storms,
as moral deterioration of political power spreads its growing infection,
it is essential that every spiritual force be mobilized
to defend and preserve
the religious base upon which this nation is founded;
for it has been that base which has been the motivating impulse
to our moral and national growth.
History fails to record a single precedent
in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into political and economic decline.
There has been either a spiritual reawakening
to overcome the moral lapse
or a progressive deterioration leading to ultimate national disaster."
Patriot's Prayer:
"I know, Father, that our nation needs
You now more than ever.
I pray today for our leaders.
Open their hearts to Your Word and to Your will.
Please give us a reawakening to Your ways
and to Your purpose for our country.
Restore to us the knowledge of the principles
upon which this nation was founded."
Patriot's Promise:
"In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God assures us that
'if we humble ourselves, pray and
turn from our wickedness, He will heal our land.'
What glory awaits us if we obey Him.
****
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Today is Friday, April 29th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2054
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Shirley Choat is someone who emails people a devotional writing most days. Yesterday she chose not to send one, but rather to compose a prayer for all the people in a number of states who have lost lives and/or homes/businesses. It has really been a lot of people experiencing a lot of loss and damage:
Almighty Father...God of ALL!
I ask You to reach down and embrace those who
Have lost so much today in the storms that just keep going on and on in the South!
There are just no words I can think of that could give comfort...I feel a great
Loss and sorrow for those who have lost their lives and those who have lost everything
They have built over the years!
Father, these people need Your loving mercy and grace
In a way they might never have thought before today! Be with them, Father God and
See them through this nightmare of horrible proportions. So many have been effected
In one way or another by the past few days of the severe outbreak of storms.
I ask
That You PLEASE be with each family, each community, each city, each life that
Has been and are being effected with such tragedy! You are most powerful and loving!
Show Your power of restoration, guidance and comfort as the survivors clean up and
Try to go on with their lives.
I ask these things in the name of Your beloved Son, my
Savior and Friend, Jesus Christ.
Amen and AMEN.
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Today is Saturday, April 30th, 2011; Karen's Korner #2055
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(A Karen's Korner on Saturday to make up for none on Monday when I had computer difficulties!)
One week ago we celebrated Easter with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. But the story remains new every day of the year!
The first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are each eyewitness accounts of each of the four men listed, with details of Jesus' life as they recorded it. Some details are in all four writers' stories. Some are in several. Still others are in just one of the four.
Here are a couple of verses from Matthew, which only appear in his story. I know that I have had it in a Karen's Korner in the past, but it is such unbelievable news! It is near the end of the chapter, at the time of Jesus' death:
"Then Jesus shouted out again,
dismissed his spirit,
and died.
And look!
The curtain secluding the Holiest Place in the Temple
was split apart from top to bottom,
and the earth shook,
and rocks broke,
and tombs opened,
and
many godly men and women
who had died came back to life again.
After Jesus' resurrection,
they left the cemetery
and went into Jerusalem
and appeared to many people there."
~ Matthew 27;50 - 53
Bible Commentary: Christ's death was accompanied by at least four miraculous events: darkness; the splitting of the curtain in the Temple; an earthquake; and dead people rising from their tombs. Jesus' death, therefore, could not have gone unnoticed. Everyone knew something significant had happened.
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The part I hadn't caught before was 'people coming back to life and walking back to town'! How could anyone not believe?
Not only did God love His Son and bring Him back to life, He loves each of us and doesn't want anything to happen to us as well. Is that love or what!?
Thank You, God, that You love us so much! Thank You that You make all things new! Thank You that You don't want even one hair on any of our heads damaged or destroyed! You are worthy of our worship and our praise!
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