Happy Labor Day! Jim and I had the fun of attending two weddings this weekend. One very different from the other; both really beautiful and meaningful. It is fun to see what "new love" looks like!

Below is a Chicken Soup for the Soul" which I received in November of last year. This is a good description of what "old love" might look like:

The Real Thing
By Frankie Germany

Cecile and I have been friends since college, for more
than thirty years. Although we have never lived closer
than 100 miles to each other, since we first met, our
friendship has remained constant. We have seen each other
through marriage, birth, divorce, the death of loved ones -
all those times when you really need a friend.

In celebration of our friendship and our fiftieth
birthday, Cecile and I took our first road trip together.
We drove from my home in Texas to California and back.
What a wonderful time we had!

The first day of our trip ended in Santa Fe, New
Mexico. After the long drive, we were quite tired, so we
decided to go to the restaurant near the hotel for dinner.

We were seated in a rather quiet part of the dining room
with only a few other patrons. We ordered our food and
settled back to recount our day. As we talked, I glanced
at the other people in the room. I noticed an attractive
elderly couple sitting a short distance away from us. The
gentleman was rather tall and athletic looking, with silver
hair and a tanned complexion. The lady seated beside him
was petite, well-dressed and lovely. What caught my
immediate attention was the look of adoration on the
woman's face. She sat, chin resting gently on her hands,
and stared into the face of the man as he talked. She
reminded me of a teenager in love!

I called Cecile's attention to the couple. As we
watched, he reached over to place a gentle kiss on her
cheek. She smiled.

"Now that's what I call real love!" I said with a
sigh. "I imagine they've been married for a long time.
They look so in love!"

"Or maybe," remarked Cecile, "they haven't been
together long. It could be they've just fallen in love."

"Well, whatever the case, it's obvious they care a
great deal for each other. They are in love."

Cecile and I watched surreptitiously and unashamedly
eavesdropped on their conversation. He was explaining to
her about a new business investment he was considering and
asking her opinion. She smiled and agreed with whatever he
said. When the waitress came to take their order, he
ordered for her, reminding her that the veal was her
favorite. He caressed her hand as he talked, and she
listened raptly to his every word. We were enthralled by
the poignant scene we were witnessing.

Then the scene changed. A perplexed look came over
the finely wrinkled but beautiful face. She looked at the
man and said in a sweet voice, "Do I know you? What is
this place? Where are we?"

"Now, sweetheart, you know me. I'm Ralph, your
husband. And we're in Santa Fe. We are going to see our
son in Missouri tomorrow. Don't you remember?"

"Oh, I'm not sure. I seem to have forgotten," she
said quietly.

"That's okay, sweetheart. You'll be all right. Just
eat your dinner, and we'll go and get some rest." He
reached over and caressed her cheek. "You sure do look
pretty tonight."

Tears coursed down our cheeks as Cecile and I looked
at each other. "We were right," she said quietly. "It is
the real thing. That is love."

This is something that I wrote a few weeks ago and I would like to share with you today:

What can I do?

The Bible says in Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me."

Translation: "I can’t do much on my own and without help."

The Bible is full of things which we aren’t supposed to do (thou shalt not kill, steal, cheat, commit adultery) and things which we are supposed to do (always be full of joy, always keep on praying, always be thankful). How are we going to do all of these things when we can’t even keep one of our New Year’s resolutions?

God has us right where He wants us. We aren’t made with much ability to do what we want or not do what we should. He wants us to be like little children: His Little Children. Totally in love with and dependent on Daddy.

Want to be more loving and kind? Tell God you are going to need some help: His! Want to lose 2#, reach out to a person who hasn’t done much to deserve it and especially from you, get into a better habit of going to church regularly? Or? Or??

Tell God what you want to have happen and tell Him you can’t get it done, but you are depending on His power and strength…….not yours!

One of my most terrible things is worry. The Bible says, "Don’t worry about anything! (Philippians 4:6)." What am I going to do when I was a born worrier and then my environment, added on the rest. I worry!

I turn the same verse into a prayer: "God, you tell me not to worry about anything. Well, that is the first thing I can’t do. Sorry about that. So I am giving this worry to you. I can’t NOT worry without your help."

The next part of the same verse says, "Instead pray about everything. Tell God your needs.."

"God, if I was You, this is how I would answer this prayer……….." and I tell Him exactly what it is I would do to change my worried situation, if I was in charge.

"…and don’t forget to thank Him for His answers….."

"And God, in case, what I am asking you or telling you, isn’t going to be the best answer for me (for the person I am praying about), I am going to trust you to take care of both us, because I know that it will be for the best."

And then the worry starts to leave me. If it doesn’t, I say the whole thing over again. And God takes care of me….and my worried, troubled mind.

The next verse (7) says, "…if you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than your human mind can understand…."

This total dependency is exactly where God wants us. We don’t have much to be proud about……….we know from where our help comes.

If we want to look at what God wants from us or how He sees us, we only need to look at about two-year-olds, being a "Terrible Two". Loving and kind sitting on our laps one minute. Destroying their surroundings and attempting to destroy themselves the next. But always needing someone to protect them from themselves and their environment.

"As His Children" we never get much "bigger" than that. That’s where God wants us. Not doing much on our own……..depending totally on Him……..for His help, guidance, and love! I can’t even love God as much as I would like. Probably need a little help………

I got this a week or so ago from Stephanie Unger who is battling against cancer. (I tried to make the type smaller, but it wouldn't let me.......) In the subject of her email, she had simply typed "WOW!". If she can say 'wow', I hope each of us will say 'wow' today, too:

How can we have peace in the middle of the storm? Read this and you will be reminded!! Stephanie

He is the First and Last, the Beginning and the End! He is the keeper of Creation and the Creator of all! He is the Architect of the universe and The Manager of all times.

He always was, He always is, and He always will be… Unmoved, Unchanged, Undefeated, and never Undone!

He was bruised and brought healing! He was pierced and eased pain!
He was persecuted and brought freedom! He was dead and brought life!

He is risen and brings power! He reigns and brings Peace!

The world can't understand him, The armies can't defeat Him, the schools can't explain Him, and the leaders can't ignore Him.

Herod couldn't kill Him, The Pharisees couldn't confuse Him, and the people couldn't hold Him! Nero couldn't crush Him, Hitler couldn't silence Him, The New Age can't replace Him, and Donahue can't explain Him away!

He is light, love, longevity, and Lord. He is goodness, kindness, gentleness, and God.
He is holy, righteous, mighty, powerful, and pure. His ways are right, His word is eternal,

His will is unchanging, and His mind is on me. He is my Redeemer, He is my Savior, He is my guide, and He is my peace! He is my joy, He is my comfort, He is my Lord, and He rules my life!

I serve Him because His bond is love, His burden is light, and His goal for me is abundant life. I follow Him because He is the wisdom of the wise, The power of the powerful.

The ancient of days, the ruler of rulers, The leader of leaders, the overseer of the over comers, and the sovereign Lord of all that was and is and is to come. And if that seems impressive to you, try this for size. His goal is a relationship with ME!

He will never leave me, never forsake me, never mislead me, never forget me, Never overlook me, and never cancel my appointment in His appointment book!

When I fall, He lifts me up! When I fail, He forgives! When I am weak, He is strong! When I am lost, He is the way!

When I am afraid, He is my courage! When I stumble, He steadies me! When I am hurt, He heals me! When I am broken, He mends me! When I am blind, He leads me!

When I am hungry, He feeds me! When I face trials, He is with me! When I face persecution, He shields me! When I face problems, He comforts me!

When I face loss, He provides for me! When I face Death, He carries me Home! He is everything for everybody, everywhere, every time, and every way.

He is God, He is faithful. I am His, and He is mine! My Father in heaven can whip the father of this world.

So, if you're wondering why I feel so secure, understand this... He said it and that settles it. God is in control, I am on His side, and that means all is well with my soul.

Everyday is a blessing for GOD Is!

~author unknown~

Something written by Maureen Elston and shared with you today:

Every morning Vern fills an oblong tray on the railing of our back deck with bird seed, so we can have our coffee and watch out the window to see what kinds of birds come to the "table". We have seen sparrows, thrushes, black birds, doves.

We have found they are a lot like people: selfish & greedy!. There is plenty for all, but they want that tray of food for themselves alone. I've noticed the gentle, quiet doves are the worst . They even chase off their own kind. The little sparrows share with all and their babies sit in the tray with their little beeks open and mother feeds them.

I thought of us as people who at times, even when there is plenty, want to try to get it all for ourselves and this does not just pertain to food. We need to remember to share what we have and God will bless it and multiply it.

By now you have figured that I enjoy daily "Chicken Soup for the Soul" email messages. Here is one from several weeks ago; enjoy!

Never Too Late
By Debra Schmidt

The morning dawned sunny and warm; it was a perfect
day for a wedding. All of the preparations had gone
smoothly. My shining moment was near. My maid of honor
had just begun her walk down the aisle, stepping in perfect
time to the music. There I stood in a beautiful satin
wedding gown my mother had so lovingly made for me. It was
my turn. My heart filled with joy and anticipation as I
stood ready to walk down the aisle toward my new life.

Then I saw my father, Ralph, stagger drunkenly toward
me. I was sickened by the smell of alcohol on his breath.
He nearly fell as he hooked his arm through mine. Within
seconds, the "Wedding March" started playing - it was time
to go.

So I did the same thing I had done so many times
before - I faked it - just to keep up appearances. I glued
on my best smile, mustered all my strength to hold my dad
upright and then walked him down the aisle. Only when my
dad was safely seated, and I stood at the altar holding my
fiance's hand, could I concentrate on the ceremony. For
me, the most important part of my wedding had been ruined.

I was angry, embarrassed and extremely hurt. I decided
that day to never forgive my father.

My dad had been an alcoholic since I was a little
girl. His drinking just snuck up on our family - starting
quietly, but getting slowly worse each year. The
escalating problem became very real for me one beautiful
October day in 1963 when I was eight years old.
I sat on the back step of our home breathing in the
fragrance of the autumn leaves and admiring the perfect
blue sky. Then I saw my dad begin to load all of his
belongings in the car. I looked up at him in disbelief and
asked, "Daddy, where are you going?" With tears in his
eyes, he answered, "I'm taking a job downtown and need to
live there for a while. But I'll be back soon."

I held out a child's hope that he would return home
one day. But his out-of-control drinking led to a divorce.
He never moved back.

After that, I spent virtually every Saturday with my
dad - all the way through my teen years. I wish I could
say that those were happy days, but frequently they were
spent waiting in the car while my dad went into the tavern
to "make a few phone calls." My resentment toward him grew
and continued to increase until that fateful wedding day.

My resolve never to forgive my father lasted for more
than three years after my wedding. Then, something
happened. On his seventy-first birthday, my dad visited a
doctor to have a complete physical. Shocked at my dad's
condition, the doctor told him, "Ralph, unless you quit
drinking right now, you won't be alive to give your
daughter away at her wedding." My sister's wedding was
just six months from then.

Those words scared my father, so he checked himself
into a thirty-day, inpatient alcoholic treatment center.
Relieved he was finally getting the help he needed, my
sister and brothers and I rallied around my dad to give him
support. We attended family counseling sessions to learn
more about the disease. Although I was supporting his
attempt to get sober, I still felt a lot of anger toward
him and was unable to forgive him for past hurts.

One day the physicians and counselors met with us and
said, "Do not expect a miracle. Your dad is retired, lives
alone and has been drinking for over forty years. He will
relapse." So we didn't get our hopes up, but we did
continue to pray for a miracle.

Then, one day, the miraculous happened. Dad called me
and asked if he could meet with me. When we got together,
the first thing he said was, "I'm sorry for all the pain
I've caused you and the rest of the family. I know I don't
have a lot of years left on this earth, but I want to live
them sober." Dad took my hand, looked me in the eyes and
asked, "Will you say the Lord's Prayer with me?"
Crying together, we held hands and prayed. As I
recited the words of the prayer, I could feel the anger and
hurt begin to melt away. The healing had begun. From that
day on, Dad never took another drink. He read the Bible
daily, joined Alcoholics Anonymous and became involved in a
church. He frequently quoted scriptures to me and claimed
only one thing was standing between him and alcohol:
"Jesus." My own faith grew with each day of my dad's
recovery. As my faith strengthened, my ability to forgive
strengthened and I was finally able to let go of the past.

Dad remained sober for the next fourteen years and the
miracle continued. At age seventy-two he founded an alumni
association for recovering alcoholics and typed an
inspirational newsletter on an old typewriter, then mailed
it out monthly to nearly 100 people.

At age seventy-three, my dad helped organize an annual
hospital event where hundreds of recovering alcoholics and
their families gathered to celebrate their sobriety.

At seventy-six he became a proud Red-Coat volunteer at
a local hospital, delivering newspapers, flowers and
encouragement to patients, and pushing the wheelchairs of
new mothers holding new babies who were going home. Dad
volunteered there until he was seventy-nine, when he became
ill with prostate cancer and moved into a nursing home.
Instead of moping about his situation, however, he
appointed himself "the ambassador" for the home. My father
took newcomers under his wing, giving them tours of the
place and showing them humor in every corner. On holidays,
he occasionally called to say, "I'm going to be a little
late today because some people here have no visitors - and
I'm not leaving anyone alone on Christmas."

When my father died at eighty-five, my brothers,
sister and I expected only a few people at his funeral, but
over 100 people came. Most were strangers to us, yet one
by one, they shared their memories of my dad.

"Your dad is the reason my dad is sober today."

"Your dad is the reason my mom survived living in that
nursing home."

"Your father is the glue that held our family together
during our dad's drinking crisis."

Then seven men - all wearing red coats - quietly
walked in to pay tribute to Dad for inspiring them to
volunteer at the hospital. Many of them were over eighty
years old.

Had I not removed the blinders of anger and resentment
- had I not forgiven my dad - I'd never have witnessed the
positive ways he had touched the world.

I know now that it's never too late to forgive.

(No phone service yesterday, sorry!)

This is an email that I received from Mary Cook, nearly a year ago. It is the story of the Prodigal Son, written in the "key of F". If you would want to read or re-read the "real story" from the Bible, you can find it in Luke 15:11 - 32:

THE PRODIGAL SON IN THE KEY OF F

Feeling Footloose and Frisky, a Feather-brained Fellow

Forced his Fond Father to Fork over the Farthings and

Flew to Foreign Fields and Frittered his Fortune

Feasting with Faithless Friends.

Fleeced by his Fellows in Flooy. and Facing Famine, he

Found himself a Feed-Flinger in a Filthy Farmyard.

Fairly Famishing, he Fain would have Filled his

Frame with Forage Food From Fodder Fragments.

Fooey! My Father's Flunkeys have Fare Far Finer, the

Frazzled Fugitive Forlornly Fumbled. Frankly Facing

Facts. Frustrated by Failure and Filled with Foreboding,

he Fled Forthwith to his Family.

Falling at his Father's Feet, he Forlornly Fumbled,

Father, I've Flunked and Fruitlessly Forfeited Family Favor.

The Farsighted Father, Forestalling Further Flinching,

Frantically Flagged the Flunkies to Fetch a Fatling

From the Flock and Fix a Feast.

The Fugitive's Fault-Finding brother Frowned on Fickle

Forgiveness of Former Folderol. But the Faithful

Father Figured, Filial Fidelity is Fine, but the

Fugitive is Found! What Forbids Fervent Festivity?

Let Flags be unFurled, let Fanfares Flare.

And the Father's Forgiveness Formed the Foundation For

the Former Fugitive's Future Fortitude.

-- Author Unknown

Source: The Five Stones, Summer 1991

This is a pretty short Karen's Korner; got it forwarded to me yesterday by Pat Holtapp. Doesn't have to be long to have a good point; I liked it:

Read the first line very carefully and let it sink in.

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

Here is pass around email from Katrina Platt, which came from...........who passed on from.....??!!:

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
Oh excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
Move out of the way," I said with a frown.
He walked away, his little heart broken.

I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you
use, but the children you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"

He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted
today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."

He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of
days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for
the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we sometimes

pour ourselves more into work than into our own family,

an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?

Sometimes I know several days ahead to time what I might want to share for a Karen's Korner. Today I didn't. But I received this "pass around email" this morning from my long-time friend who lives in Montana. I have seen it before, but it has been awhile. She might have forwarded it to me, because my dad died a couple of months ago. She lost her younger brother about the same time, too. And we have both had children die too young - a son at 21 and a daughter at 26. Maybe we continue to learn things:

"READ THIS VERY SLOWLY..... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour? " She would gasp and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect! We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Stevie toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer.

One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of
"I'm going to", "I plan on" , and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just
that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and
eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a
triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died
happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list.

If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make,
who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the
rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die?

Just call to say "Hi"? When you worry and hurry through your day, It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away...

Life is not a race. Take it slower.

Hear the music before the song is over.

Show your friends how much you care.

(Because of no phone service on Monday and to keep Karen's Korners coming out even of "5" per week, one for the weekend!)

When I was driving down the road several weeks ago, I heard Dr. James Dobson of "Focus on the Family" speaking on WHO radio. His recorded couple of minutes' spot was talking about the "5 top things needed for marriages to be successful". It wasn’t compiled by a guru in marriage relationships, rather it was taken from survey results of couples who have been married for a good number of years.

Here is the list as best a scribbled them down (remember I was driving!):

1. Successful married couples call their spouse their "best friend".
2. There is easy natural communication between the partners.
3. The couple shares similar spiritual and moral values and is committed to them.
4. Both people in the marriage believe their marriage to be a permanent relationship.
5. They know how to deal with conflicts and have learned (or continue to learn!) how to deal with their differences.

Since we are all married; know someone who is married; or know someone who is thinking of getting married, this could be a list to be read and shared with many!!

For my birthday this year, some friends gave me a gift certificate to a Christian book store. One of the items I chose to purchase with the gift was a little book titled "LETTERS from HEAVEN: Reassuring Words of God's Love" by J. Jay Sanders.

There are 26 pages in this tiny book.......each one centered around a letter of the alphabet. Since it is short, I am going to share a couple of letters with you at a time; maybe once a week for the next few weeks.

I'm your Father and I....

Accept you as

My unique creation.

~~

God created man in

His own image.

GENESIS 1:27

~~

We as Christians have

an image for

projection to the world.

A.   NAISMITH

*****

I'm your Father a

and I.....

Believe you are precious and valuable

~~

The very hairs on your head

are all numbered.

So, do not fear;

you are more valuable

than many sparrows.

MATTHEW 10:30 - 31

~~

I am the God of the stars.

Lift up thine eyes and see

As far as mortals may

Into eternity!

And stay thy heart on Me.

AMY CARMICHAEL

*****

I'm your Father, and I...

Care about your hurts,

tears, and all that touches you.

~~

Casting all your anxiety on Him,

because He cares for you.

I PETER 5:7

``

Worry says,

"God is a wimp."

Casting says,

"God is all powerful."

Day's thought was forwarded to me by my friend, Arlene Lockwood:

Accepting Change

The winds of change blow through our life,
sometimes gently, sometimes like a tropical storm.
Yes, we have resting places--time to adjust to
another level of living, time to get our balance, time
to enjoy the rewards. We have time to catch our
breath.

But change is inevitable, and desirable.

Sometimes, when the winds of change begin to
rustle, we’re not certain the change is for the better.
We may call it stress or a temporary condition,
certain we’ll be restored to normal. Sometimes, we
resist. We tuck our head down and buck the wind,
hoping that things will quickly calm down, get back
to the way things were. Is it possible we’re being
prepared for a new "normal"?

Change will sweep through our life, as needed, to
take us where we’re going. We can trust that our
Higher Power has a plan in mind, even when we
don’t know where the changes are leading.

We can trust that the change-taking place is good.
The winds will take us where we need to go.

Today, help me, God, to let go of my resistance to
change. Help me to be open to the process. Help me
believe that the place I’ll be dropped off will be
better than the place where I was picked up. Help
me surrender, trust, and accept, even if I don’t
understand.

From: "The Language of Letting Go"

by Melody Beattie copyright 1990

This is something a received via email from my friend, Diana Barron several days ago. The subject in the heading said, "Bible proved correct by NASA." Obviously, I haven't checked to see if all the facts listed are indeed from NASA; hope so! It makes one stop and think and wonder:

"Every time I'm tempted to decide a literal translation of Scripture might
lack foundation or intelligence, something like this surfaces.

For all the scientists out there and for all the students who have a
hard time convincing these people regarding the truth of the
Bible...here's something that shows God's awesome creation and
shows that He is still in control.

Did you know that the space program is busy proving that what
has been called "myth" in the Bible is true? Mr. Harold Hill, President
of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore Maryland and a
consultant in the space program, relates the following development.

"I think one of the most amazing things that God has for us
today happened recently to our astronauts and space scientists at
Greenbelt, Maryland. They were checking the position of the sun, moon,

and planets out in space where they would be 100 years and 1000 years

from now. We have to know this so we won't send a satellite, up and have

it bump into something later on in its orbits. We have to lay out the
orbits in terms of the life of the satellite, and where the planets will
be so the whole thing will not bog down. They ran the computer
measurement back and forth over the centuries and it came to a halt.

The computer stopped and put up a red signal, which meant that there was
something wrong either with the information fed into it or with the
results as compared to the standards.

They called in the service department to check it out and they said,

"What's wrong?" Well, they found there is a day missing in space in

elapsed time. They scratched their heads and tore their hair.
There was no answer.

Finally, a Christian man on the team said, "You know, one time
was in Sunday School and they talked about the sun standing still.
"While they didn't believe him, they didn't have an answer either, so
they said, "Show us." He got a Bible and went back to the book of
Joshua where they found a pretty ridiculous statement for any one
with "common sense." There they found the Lord saying to Joshua,
"Fear them not, I have delivered them into thy hand; there shall not
a man of them stand before thee."

Joshua was concerned because he was surrounded by the enemy
and if darkness fell they would overpower them. So Joshua asked the
Lord to make the sun stand still! That's right-"The sun stood still
and the moon stayed-and hasted not to go down about a whole day!"
(Joshua 10:12-13)

The astronauts and scientists said, "There is the missing day!"
They checked the computers going back into the time it was written
and found it was close but not close enough. The elapsed time that
was missing back in Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes-not a
whole day.

They read the Bible and there it was "about (approximately) a
day". These little words in the Bible are important, but they were
still in trouble because if you cannot account for 40 minutes you'll
still be in trouble 1,000 years from now. Forty minutes had to be found
because it can be multiplied many times over in orbits.

As the Christian employee thought about it, he remembered somewhere
in the Bible where it said the sun went BACKWARDS. The
scientists told him he was out of his mind, but they got out the Book and
read these words in 2 Kings that told of the following story:

Hezekiah, on his deathbed, was visited by the prophet Isaiah who told him
that he was not going to die. Hezekiah asked for a sign as proof.

Isaiah said "Do you want the sun to go ahead 10 degrees?"

Hezekiah said,"It is nothing for the sun to go ahead 10 degrees,

but let the shadow return backward 10 degrees."

Isaiah spoke to the Lord and the Lord brought the shadow ten
degrees BACKWARD! Ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes! Twenty-three
hours and 20 minutes in Joshua, plus 40 minutes in Second Kings make the
missing day in the universe!" Isn't it amazing?"

Shared by Pat Holtapp; enjoy!

The Sponges

There are five sponges lying on your kitchen counter top. Each member of your family has been cleaning up different areas of your home, but all of the sponges look the same. You are curious as to what was cleaned in your home, but you can't tell by looking...they all look the same...so what do you do?

You squeeze each sponge to see what comes out. As you squeeze the first sponge, you see that cola comes out, and so you decide that someone cleaned the kitchen with that one.

Upon squeezing the second sponge, you find tub and tile cleaner; that one was used to clean the bathroom.

Next, in the third sponge, you find motor oil; hubby was cleaning the garage!!

In the fourth sponge, baby powder puffs out when it is squeezed. Yep, the baby's nursery was done with that one!

And finally, in the last one, there is floor wax. That was the one you used on the hall floor!

As you lay down the last one, you look again at their similarity. They all look the same until they're squeezed.

Christians are the same way. As life squeezes us, different thing come out. Anger from one. A need for revenge from another. Tears from one. Remorse from yet another. Also greed, untruth, lust. Finally, from one saint, pours forth the love of Christ.

Just like the sponge, we can only squeeze out what is put in. Stay close to God's Words daily. Be in continuous prayer. Then when life puts the squeeze on you.........and it WILL!! Jesus, and Jesus alone, will shine forth from you!

So have a blessed, squeaky clean day!

Here is something that I wrote earlier this week and shared with What's for Supper? friends on Wednesday night:

Life’s Script

If the truth be told, most of us wonder what are lives are going to be like and what the future holds. Some of us worry about it. Some us read our horoscopes. We read fortune cookies when we dine at a Chinese restaurant. Or we have our handwriting analyzed. Some of us go so far as checking things out with a palm reader. If we could just know for sure what might happen to us tomorrow!

Wouldn’t it be easier if we came with a script? Some actors take the stage without one and enjoy working improvisationally. As a part of the audience, we usually laugh at the antics of the characters when no one knows for sure what is going to happen next or how the play is going to end………or when!

We tend to like it better when there is a ‘script’: a certain number of characters to which we are introduced, a plot, and a conclusion. My dictionary definition says a script is "a copy of a text of a play, movie, radio and television show".

If we had our way, we would have life have the same "copy". It would make life a lot easier. God thought the same thing! So He gave us "scriptures"(the next word in my dictionary: "a sacred writing"): The Bible, which tells what we can expect will happen next in our lives. Nothing is left for chance; nothing is left for improvisation.

God says, "I love you so much that I have given you my Son, Jesus; so that if you believe Him, you will not die but have eternal life. I didn’t come to condemn you but to save you." - John 3:16, 17

God says, "Give everything that bothers you to me, because I care for you." – I Peter 5:7

God says, "I have not given you a spirit of fear, but of power…. and of love….and of a strong mind." – II Timothy 1:7

God says, "Because I am Your Shepherd, you have everything you need." – Psalms 23:1

God says a whole bunch of other stuff. It’s all part of the "script"ures for our lives.

****

(Vacation next week for Karen's Korner; #141 will be on Monday, September 29!)

(Back from a one week break!)

On Saturday, Jim and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. This is a "Chicken Soup for the Soul" daily e-mail which I received several weeks ago; I thought it was a good one:

Overlook It
By Tim Hudson

Sheila and I just celebrated our thirtieth wedding
anniversary. Somebody asked her, what was our secret? She
answered, "On my wedding day, I decided to make a list of
ten of Tim's faults which, for the sake of our marriage, I
would always overlook. I figured I could live with at
least ten!"

When she was asked which faults she had listed, Sheila
replied, "I never did get around to listing them. Instead,
every time he does something that makes me mad, I simply
say to myself, 'Lucky for him, it's one of the ten!'"

Continuing on with my little book titled "LETTERS from HEAVEN: Reassuring Words of God's Love" by J. Jay Sanders. There are 26 pages in this tiny book.......each one centered around a letter of the alphabet.

A week plus ago I typed pages for "A, B, and C". Today’s letters (like Sesame Street!) are "D, E, and F). These are personal notes to each one of us from God:

I'm your Father and I....

Desire only what is best for you.

~~

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,

plans for welfare and not for calamity

to give you a future and a hope.

JEREMIAH 29:11

~~

I will fling open wide a door of hope,

And I will give you back

Years that the locusts have devoured;

No good thing shall you lack.

--Nancy Hansen

*****

I'm your Father and I.....

Establish many promises.

~~

The steps of a man are

Established by the LORD,

And He delights in his way,

When he falls,

he will not be hurled headlong,

Because the LORD is

The One who holds his hand.

Psalms 37:23–24

~~

No Matter how difficult the way

He promises to hold us steady.

*****

I'm your Father, and I...

Forgive all your sins,

Even future ones yet uncommitted.

. ~~

Behold, the Lamb of God who

takes away the sin of the world.

JOHN 1:29

~~

The cross crosses out

ALL my sin!