(One on Saturday to make up for one missed on Tuesday).

"The good man does not escape ALL troubles--

he has them too.

But the Lord helps him in each and every one."

~ Psalm 34:19 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "We often wish that we could escape troubles---the pain of grief, loss, failure, or even the small daily frustrations that constantly wear us down. God promises to be our source of power, courage, and wisdom to help us through our problems. Sometimes He chooses to deliver us from those problems. When trouble strikes, don't get frustrated with God. Instead, we need to thank Him for being by our side."

****

In our Sunday School class, we have been studying a series from Genesis. But we decided to take a break over the Christmas season.

In three weeks, we are taking a look at Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Yesterday we looked at the biography of Mary and read a select number of verses from Luke, the first chapter.

Here are a couple of things we talked about.

Mary and her brief profile:  The Mother of Jesus. The one human being who was with Jesus from birth to death. Willing to be available to God.

"The birth of Jesus to a virgin is a miracle that many people find hard to believe. These three facts can aid our faith:  1) Luke was a medical doctor, and he knew perfectly well how babies are made. It would have been just as hard for him to believe in a virgin birth as it is for us, and yet he reports it as fact. 2) Luke was a painstaking researcher who based his Gospel on eyewitness accounts. Tradition holds that he talked with Mary about the events in the first two chapters. This is her story, not a fictional invention. 3) Christians and Jews, who worship God as the creator of the universe, should believe He has the power to create a child in a virgin's womb."

As I was flipping through the televisions channels last night, I caught a couple minutes of Dr. David Jeremiah's comments, which tied in exactly to what our Sunday School class was about. One comment really caught my attention. One more fact. He said, "If anyone could have called off the 'hoax' of a virgin birth, it would have been Mary, while she was watching her Son be brutally beaten and eventually crucified for His claims to be the Son of God. She could have said, 'Stop the whole thing. It's a lie from the beginning!! It wasn't a virgin birth.' But she didn't because she knew the truth!'"

So at this season of the year, we celebrate a miracle from beginning to end. And His story can become our story! We are part of it.......if we believe!

(Some of my 'spotters' didn't receive yesterday's Karen's Korner yesterday. Unsure why. I liked this one well enough to send it again. My apologies if you received #3931!)

In our Sunday School class, we have been studying a series from Genesis. But we decided to take a break over the Christmas season.

In three weeks, we are taking a look at Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Yesterday we looked at the biography of Mary and read a select number of verses from Luke, the first chapter.

Here are a couple of things we talked about.

Mary and her brief profile. The Mother of Jesus. The one human being who was with Jesus from birth to death. Willing to be available to God.

"The birth of Jesus to a virgin is a miracle that many people find hard to believe. These three facts can aid our faith:  1) Luke was a medical doctor, and he knew perfectly well how babies are made. It would have been just as hard for him to believe in a virgin birth as it is for us, and yet he reports it as fact. 2) Luke was a painstaking researcher who based his Gospel on eyewitness accounts. Tradition holds that he talked with Mary about the events in the first two chapters. This is her story, not a fictional invention. 3) Christians and Jews, who worship God as the creator of the universe, should believe He has the power to create a child in a virgin's womb."

As I was flipping through the television channels last night, I caught a couple minutes of Dr. David Jeremiah's comments, which tied in exactly to what our Sunday School class was about. One comment really caught my attention. One more fact. He said, "If anyone could have called off the 'hoax' of a virgin birth, it would have been Mary. While she was watching her Son be brutally beaten and eventually crucified for His claim to be the Son of God, she could have said, 'Stop the whole thing. It's a lie from the beginning!! It wasn't a virgin birth.' But she didn't because she knew the truth!"

So at this season of the year, we celebrate a miracle from beginning to end. And His story can become our story! We are part of it.....if we believe.

Lots of good Christmas emails this time of year.

Something written by Max Lucado;

Christmas is About Jesus

"My dad, a man of few words, told my brother and me, 'Boys, Christmas is about Jesus!' In one of those bedtime, book-time moments, somewhere between the fairy tales and the monkey with the lunch pail, I thought about what he said. I began asking the Christmas questions. And I've been asking them ever since!

"God know what it's like to be a human. When we talk to him about deadlines or tough times, he understands. He's been there. He's been here. Because of Bethlehem, we have a fried in Jesus. Christmas begins what Easter celebrates. The child in the cradle became the King on the cross. He doesn't tell us, 'Clean up before you come in.' He offers, 'Come in and I'll clean you up.' It's not our grip on him that matters, but his grip on us! And his grip is sure!"

***

Today's entry from Sarah Young and her "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence":

"Stay ever so close to Me,

and you will not deviate from the path I have prepared for you.

This is the most efficient way to stay on track;

it is also the most enjoyable way.

Men tend to multiply duties in their observance of religion.

This practice enables them to give Me

money, time, and work without yielding up to Me what I desire the most --

their hearts.

Rules can be observed mechanically.

Once they become habitual,

they can be followed with minimal effort and almost no thought.

These habit-forming rules provide a false sense of security,

lulling the soul into a comatose condition.

Choosing to Trust

"Do not let your hearts be troubled."

~ John 14:1 NIV

*

"Blessings from Anne Graham Lotz

'Do not let your hearts be troubled' is a command you and I are to obey! Deliberately calming ourselves is a choice we are to make in the face of shocking setbacks,

* catastrophic circumstances,

* abrupt accidents,

* irritating interruptions,

* devastating dissension,

* agonizing addiction,

* frequent failures,

"all of which cause us to be terrified of the consequences and repercussions. In the midst of the swirling, cloying fog of fear, Jesus commands, 'Stop it!'

"How in the world is it possible to obey a command that involves so much of our emotional feelings? Our obedience begins with a choice to stop being afraid, followed by a decision to start trusting God."

This isn't much of a Christmas message but one that could 'last all year'.

It's a couple of verses from Psalm 72: 1 & 2, written by Solomon, asking God to help his son rule the nation justly and wisely:

"O God, help the king to judge as you would,

and help his son to walk in godliness.

Help him to give justice to your people,

even to the poor."

*

Bible Commentary: "What qualities do we want most in our rulers? God desires all who rule under him to walk in godliness, and to be just toward the people. As we think of world leaders today, think how the world would change if they would commit themselves to these two qualities. Perhaps we should commit ourselves to pray that they will!"

**

God, we pray today for ___________ (pick a leader) that he/she might follow You. Help them to look to You for Your wisdom and guidance. They are faced with difficult choices, many on a daily basis. We ask that they seek justice for all people under their rule, including those who follow and worship you and to the poor, who are many times overlooked. Forgive them, and us, when we look the other way rather than seek solutions to real problems and hurting people. Thank You for Your Son Jesus. Amen.

****

One day a week or so ago, I decided to make Monster Cookies. Sometimes the cookies are 'monster' sized. Mine were not going to be. But the recipe is definitely a 'monster':  a dozen eggs, eighteen cups of oatmeal. When I began, I used a large mixing bowl to stir together the eggs and sugars. Then came the oatmeal. Now I was using a 'tub', as I had no bowls big enough for the batter.

The oatmeal I had purchased was a large, tall cylinder. When I checked the quantity, it was fifteen cups. Not the eighteen I needed. I hadn't checked the size, as it was large. Now I am the middle of my baking. Do I try to cheat three cups? Or drive to town to buy more oatmeal?

Three cups short is a lot. I decided I'd better make the trek to town. Cookies might not turn out right otherwise.

As I drove, I started to think about cookies and our lives. Recipes only turn out right when you follow the ingredients and directions of someone who has made them before. Same thing with our lives. God has given us the Bible. Not as a list of rules and regulations to make us miserable or uncomfortable. But as a recipe to help our lives and relationships with Him, and with others, turn out like He knows will make us the 'best possible us'.

God, thank You that You didn't just make us and set us out to live life without a 'cookbook' for living the most successful lives possible. You know, and knew, we were going to need help. Your help! Thanks for setting our feet on higher ground; both in this life and the one you have planned which is coming. And thank You for Jesus who showed us the way. Amen.

Immanuel, God with Us!

"In Matthew 1:23, God called himself, 'Immanuel' --- which means, God with us! Not just 'God made us' or 'God thinks about us'. Not just 'God above us'. But God with us. God where we are. He breathed our air and walked this earth. God....with....us!

"Bethlehem was jus the beginning. Jesus has promised a repeat performance. Bethlehem, Act Two. No silent night this time, however. The skies will open, trumpets will blat, and a new kingdom will begin. He will empty the tombs and melt the winter of death. Death, you die! Life, you reign!!

"The manger dares us to believe the best is yet to be. I love Christmas because it reminds us how God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28)."

~ By Max Lucado

***

Yesterday's Karen's Korner was by Max Lucado. So is today's. I thought it was/is a good one.

"A People to Populate Heaven"

"God has high plans for you and me. He is recruiting for himself a people who will populate heaven. It will be perfect. Perfect in splendor. Perfect in righteousness. One word describes heaven:  perfect! One word describes us:  imperfect! So what does God do? Abandon us? Start over? He could. But He loves us too much for that.

"Will He populate heaven with rebellious, self-centered citizens? If so, would heaven be heaven? Colossians 1:19 says, 'God was pleased for all of Himself to live in Christ.' All the love of God was in Jesus. All the strength of God was in Jesus. All the compassion and power and devotion of God were, for a time, in the earthly body of a carpenter. What started in the Bethlehem cradle culminated on the Jerusalem cross! And God did it all to take us home to heaven."

*****

Today's December 14 entry by Sarah Young and her "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence":

"Rest in Me, My Child,

forgetting the worries of the world.

Focus on Me -- Emmanuel --

and let My living Presence envelop you in Peace.

Tune in to My eternal security,

for I am the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If you live on the surface of life by focusing on ever-changing phenomena,

you will find yourself echoing the words of Solomon:

'Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!'

"Living in collaboration with Me

is the way to instill meaning into your days.

Begin each day alone with Me,

so that you can experience the reality of My Presence.

As you spend time with Me,

the way before you opens up step by step.

Arise from the stillness of our communion,

and gradually begin your journey through the day.

Hold my hand in deliberate dependence on Me,

and I will smooth out the path before you."

~ Taken from Hebrews 13:8; Ecclesiastes 1:2; Proverbs 3:6

****

Printed in our yesterday's church bulletin:

A Little Christmas Prayer

"As Christmas nears, I am reminded of the greatest gift, JESUS CHRIST.

You didn't even spare your Son, because You loved me,

and this how I, a sinner, joyfully returned to your arms.

Where would I be without my salvation?

My life would be meaningless, I would not know Grace and Peace.

How wonderful it feels to have this gift of eternal life given so freely.

How generous of You, my God,

That you'd do this for me!

My the Spirit of Christ fill me to open wide my heart and hands.

Help me share Christ with those in great need of your touch

So they may see a glimpse of your wonderful Son,

Who gave His all because of Love.

****

I am reading a book written by Joyce Meyer, a well-known speaker and writer. At the back of the book, she has included "Appendix II", listing 'who we are in Christ Jesus'. There are nearly forty things.

We might know that we are loved by God or that we have eternal life if we accept Jesus as our Savior. But there is so much more. Sometimes we know 'who we are'; other times we forget because the 'world' and maybe the things we are going through, tend to defect our attention or drag us done.

I am including a handful of things of 'who we are in Christ'; the first of several installments:

* I have no lack for my God supplies all of my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)

* I am a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)

* I am the light of the world (Matthew 5:14)

* I am redeemed from the curse of sin, sickness, and poverty (Deuteronomy 28:15-68; Galatians 3:13)

* I am greatly loved by God (Romans 1:7; Ephesians 2:4; Colossians 3:12; I Thessalonians 1:4)

* I am the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21)

****

"O Lord,  I will praise you with all my heart,

and tell everyone about the marvelous things you do.

I will be glad; yes, filled with joy

because of you.

I will sing praises, O Lord God

above all gods."

~ Psalm 9:1 & 2 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "Praise is expressing back to God appreciation and understanding of His worth. It is saying 'thank you' for each aspect of His divine nature. Our inward attitude becomes outward appreciation. In so doing, we help ourselves by expanding our vision of who He is."

***

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. But sometimes our expectations are higher than they should be. Sometimes things don't work out like we'd like. Sometimes life glares at us when we can't be with family members or broken relationships are broken.

I have heard it said that families/relationships are 'fully functional' on one side of the equation and ' totally dysfunctional' on the other side. ALL of us are on that continuum some place. I believe the same can be said for emotions:  emotionally stable on one side versus unstable on the other side. We are neither fully one nor the other.

Here is something shared by Joyce Meyer in her newest books "Healing for the Soul of a Woman" (could be a man!), a monthly offering from a Christian cable network:

"How we see ourselves and what we believe are extremely important. A story is told about a young man who had lost his job and all of his money. He was sitting on a park bench feeling very depressed and hopeless when an elderly gentleman noticed and asked why he was so sad. The man told his story, and the older gentleman took out a checkbook, wrote him a check and said, 'I will visit you at this same spot one year from today, and by then you will have made enough money to pay me back.' When he looked at the check, he saw it was written for half a million dollars and signed by John Rockefeller, who was at that time one of the wealthiest men in the world.

"The man in the park put the check in his safe, and although he didn't cash it, it gave him confidence to believe that he didn't need to be afraid to start over. He began doing business again and started making money, always aware that he had the check in the safe if he needed it.

"The year went by, and by then he had plenty of money and was eager to return the check to the man who had helped him. He went back to the same park, sat on the same bench, and waited. Soon he saw the elderly gentleman approaching, but he had what appeared to be a nurse with him. The man seemed to be fairly unresponsive to the younger man, who was holding out the original check, trying to give it to him. The nurse took the check, looked at it, and said, 'Oh, this no good. He is confused most of the time. He often thinks he is Rockefeller, but he isn't.'

"The young man succeeded because he believed that he had what he needed in the bank and could draw on it at any time. What he had wasn't even a reality, but thinking that it was helped him overcome his loss.

"What we have is so much more. We have something in the bank, so to speak, because we have Jesus living on the inside of us, and we can live without fear and do great things because we can make withdrawals anytime we need anything. If you need help, you can make a withdrawal. If you need peace, you can make a withdrawal. If you need wisdom, or strength, or creativity, make a withdrawal. You can never make too many withdrawals, because what you have available in Jesus has no limits. He is always more than enough for any need we have.

"You can do whatever you need to do through Christ, who is your strength. Your are not weak, you are strong. You are more than a conqueror through Jesus. You are an overcomer!"

*******

Most homes at this time of year have Christmas trees in them. Some live; some artificial....covered with bright lights and decorations. They are symbols of tradition, joy and celebration. A Tree of Life!

Instead, this year our church has, at the front, a large cross with a large metal star attached to it. Streaming from the cross is purple material leading to a manger. At first glance, it appears to be more of a 'Tree of Death', than life.

But in reality, the cross is a 'Tree of Life'! The cross represents not Jesus' death, but our chance of being rescued from death into a 'New Life' with Him forever. What a plan:  a stream from a baby in a manger to a man giving His Life on a cross, so that we may have life today, tomorrow, and into eternity!

Father in Heaven, thank You for this time of year so we can remember all the plans You have had for us; all of us from the beginning of time. Your Love for us is unbelievable! You knew we needed to be saved from ourselves and any problems we might face in our lives. So You gave us Your Son as a baby, to grow and live among us, so we could know Him and know You. And then to sacrifice Him, so that we could have Life, real Life. Thank You. In His Name. Amen.

Purchased with a High Price

"The Christmas tree hunt is on! The preferences are different, but the desire is the same. We want the perfect Christmas tree! You search for the right one. You walk the rows. You examine them from all angles. This one is perfect!

"God does the same. He has picked you. He knows just the place where you'll be placed. He has a barren living room in desperate need of warmth and joy. A corner of the world needs some color. He selected you with that place in mind. God made you on purpose with a purpose. He interwove calendar and character, circumstance and personality to create the right person for the right corner of the world, and then he paid the price to take you home. I Corinthians 6:20 says, 'God bought you with a high price.' The Christmas promise is this:  we have a Savior and his name is Jesus!"

~ by Max Lucado

**

Happy Birthday,
Jesus!

Thank You for coming to earth to become Light in a dark world.

Thank You for agreeing to become a baby in a manger,

for living in our world - a hostile one at times,

for showing us the way - Your Way,

and dying on the cross for us!

You knew that we couldn't live and love like we needed to.

You knew we needed Your Help,

Your Love,

Your Life,

Your Light!

You trade with us -

our hurts, our confusion, our darkness.

Today and everyday, we want to walk in that Love, Life, and Light.

It's the gifts You have given us!

Merry Christmas, Jesus!

Amen.

Here's hoping that you had a nice Christmas. It would great if you'd share a memory for this Christmas season if you have a good one!

I have a good one from yesterday.

Christmas Eve I had a busy day and didn't get to my farm home mailbox. When I walked yesterday morning, I picked up the stash of my daily paper, some junk mail, a number of Christmas cards, and bubble envelope from the Los Angeles police department.

As Karen's Korner readers know, our local Marys & Marthas (M & Ms) has sent a card to their police department after hearing on the news of the loss of one of their officers in the line of duty. Sergeant Ron Walked called me several weeks ago to thank us for commending their department for their officers' service to Los Angeles; receiving few positive notes such as ours.

Yesterday's package contained a Christmas card signed by 20 officers, 12 black with white stitching, 'Los Angeles Police' (2 x 4) emblems and a 'Police Officer Los Angeles' badge (cloth) suitable to be stitched on uniforms, plus a longer letter telling what Walker's department does on behalf of its '10,000 sworn police officers serving 4 million citizens spanning across 500 square miles'.

In part from his team, the Mental Evaluation Unit (MEU), specifically Systemwide Mental Assessment Response Team (SMART):  'responding to and investigating incidents of people suspected of experiencing a mental health crisis.......reducing the potential for violence during police contacts......requiring problem solving......partnering with law enforcement.' Walker continued, ' our job is rewarding and challenging as each of MEU's 24,000 annual incidents is very different.'

The Christmas card with the words on the front 'MERRY, JOLLY, HAPPY', inside said, 'Hope you're feeling every Christmas kind of joy!"  Many of the signed notes had words such as 'Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year 2019. Thank you for your prayers. God Bless you!"

So if you'd like to join me in praying for the Los Angeles Police Department, when God brings them to the front of your mind? Officers like Sue Guitierrez; Sgt. Wes Albin; Dan Jones; Detective Christine Beltram. They know the difference prayers make.

Heavenly Father, thank You for our friends in Los Angeles, for their work, and for their care. Bless them. Protect them. Reach out to them with Your Love as they work and serve others. Thank You for showing us how much we need one another. In Jesus' Name who came to set the captives free...us! Amen.

One of my favorites to read about as a young girl was George Washington Carver. He was a slave, had a chaotic early life, educated, educator, scientist. If you don't know much about him, check google.

Here are several quotes from the 'Wisdom of George Washington Carver':

"99% of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.

*

"When you do the common things of life in an uncommon way,

you will command the attention of the world.

*

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young;

compassionate with the aged;

sympathetic with the striving;

and tolerant of the weak and strong,

because some day in your life

you will have been all of these."

***

Installment #2 of a listing by Joyce Meyer in her recent book of "Who We Are In Christ Jesus":

"I can do all things through Christ Jesus."  - (Philippians 4:13)

*

"I am a believer, and the light of the gospel shines in my mind." - (2 Corinthians 4:4)

*

"I am forgiven of all my sins and washed in the Blood." - (Ephesians 1:7)

*

"I am called of God to be the voice of His praise." - (Psalm 66:8; 2 Timothy 1:9)

*

"I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people."

- (I Peter 2:9)

***

This is a 'pass along' email forwarded to me by my sister Jill. It didn't indicate who the author was:

"Today I was walking in the supermarket and suddenly I heard a noise of things breaking. I walked down the aisles and saw that some people were murmuring. When I walked down their aisle, I saw a group of people staring at them.

"An older lady had hit the shelf containing plates and glasses with her cart and many had fallen to the ground and broken.

"Kneeling on the floor embarrassed, the old lady was frantically picking up the shattered pieces, while her husband peeled off the bar code from each broken dish saying;  'See! Now we will have to pay for all this.'

"What a sad scene. Someone has a mishap, and all eyes were on her. When I knelt beside her to explain to her not to worry, a young man came and knelt beside us and said:  'Leave it, we will pick this up. Let's get your information, so you can go to the hospital and have that wound in your hand looked at.'

"The lady looked at him, embarrassed and said:  'No. But I have to pay for all this.'

The young man said:  'No ma'am. We have insurance for that kind of loss, and you do not have to pay anything.'

"When the young man got up, I could see that he had information for the supermarket manager and sent the customer to get checked out.

"For you who have read this so far, I would like you to give me a minute. Wherever you are, close your eyes, and imagine God doing the same for you!

"Collect the pieces of your broken heart for all the blows that life has thrown at you. God will heal all your wounds and I assure you that your sins and mistakes will be forgiven.

"There is a warranty called grace, that when you recognize that you were wrong and you accept God as your only savior, the manager of the existence of the universe (GOD) will tell you:  'Everything is already paid for.........go on your way, GO!'"

***