I haven't done a Karen's Korner since October 1, 2019. I had some server problems so I could not send messages. With a friend's help, we are trying something different to send them. Let me know if you receive this 'korner' (at least some of you!).

And we will be rolling for the future!

You may think that I do these for you. And hopefully that is true. But I really miss doing these daily! So here we go! My God be blessed and glorified, by both the sender and the readers!

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~ Psalm 145 LAB

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~ Isaiah 59:13 - 14 NIV

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"In the beginning by His own example, God patterned our week to include not only the discipline of work but also one day of every seven that would be 'set apart'; different from the other six days.

"For a majority of people today, there is very little difference between the way they keep Sunday and the way they keep Saturday. Sunday has become more of a holiday than a holy day. Sunday was not designed just so we could sleep late, meet friends for brunch, go shopping to take advantage of weekend sales, do extra yard work or house work, attend the latest movie, or watch the playoff game on TV. Sunday should be not only for physical rest and restoration but for spiritual refreshment and expression of our devotion to God.

"Has the day that is supposed to be set apart, fallen apart? Consider what you can do to keep Sunday special -- different from the other six days of the week."

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Yesterday's communion meditation was given by Chad Chapman. We thought it was a good one, so I am sharing it this morning (in part):

Chad, his wife Raejean, and daughter Kenna had the opportunity to travel to Florida over the Christmas holiday. He told that they spent much of their time on the beach enjoying the sun and collecting shells. "It isn't hard to find shells, as they are laying everywhere," he said. "Most of them are about the size of a quarter. Many are chipped and broken." He said they tired of the collecting and started to play in the ocean, wading, or relaxing.

The second day, Kenna came wading toward them with larger and more elaborate shells. She told them she would shuffle her feet across the bottom on the ocean until she felt something sharp. "When she would feel a sharp object, she would stop and dig it up," he said. The family embarked on the shuffling and digging; collecting the nicer, bigger, more beautiful treasures.

Chad compared his thoughts to studying the Bible. "It is extremely helpful with life-guiding information," he said, "Sometimes we keep it at the surface level, like the edge of the sea shore. Sometimes we keep it just at the surface level. The safe stuff, like the edge of the sea shore, Sometimes we try to ignore the parts we know we either aren't going to like or we know we will struggle with. But it's those times when we dig deeper into the Living Waters, and not worry about the sharp, possibly painful items, that we truly grow in our faith, and are rewarded with nice, beautiful rewards." And he showed as one of their larger shell treasures!

It is a good relationship!

I couldn't help but think about Rocky and our relationship and how God would like for a similar relationship between me and Him! He'd like for me to look to Him for His daily provision, to go with Him wherever He might lead, and for me to 'jump into His lap' whenever the opportunity presents itself!

Enjoy!

The Bible verses are from John 6. As always the disciples and people near Him were confused on Who He was and what He wanted. They wanted food and healing. He wanted them to want more, longer term things which He had in store for them:

Bible Commentary: "Jesus criticized the people who followed Him only for the physical and temporal benefits, not because they were spiritually hungry. We should follow Christ because we need the truth. Many people use religion to gain prestige, comfort, or votes. But those are self-centered motives. True believers follow Jesus simply because they know His way is the only way to live.

"Satisfying God does not come from what we do, but from what we believe. The first step is accepting that Jesus is who He claims to be. All spiritual development follows on this affirmation. Declare in prayer, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' and embark on a life of belief that is satisfying to your Creator."

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"Don't point a finger --
hold out a hand!"

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"Worse than quitting -- 
being afraid to begin."

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"Don't look back.
That's not the way you are going!

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"The younger we are the more we want to change the world.
The older we are the more we want to change the young."

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"Wherever you are,
God is already there."

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"Letting go sometimes takes more strength
than hanging on."

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"If you put out another's candle,
you also will be in the dark."

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"When you handle yourself, use your head.
When you handle others, use your heart."
~ Donna Reed

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"When it snows, you have two choices -
shovel or
make snow angels.

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Something by Anne Graham Lotz: When Bad Things Happen "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." ~ Romans 8:28 NIV     "Why does God let bad things happen to good people? to innocent people? to me? Sometimes His ways seem so hard to understand! In Romans 8:28, Paul wrote to reassure believers who lived in a city dominated by Nero, a madman with absolute power. He wrote encouragingly, ' We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to His purpose.' Phrased another way, Paul was reminding the children of God they can be confident that ...... all things work together for good,  brokenness leads to blessing, death leads to life, and suffering leads to glory! "So when bad things happen, just trust Him!" ***

"Later, in one of His talks,
Jesus said to the people,
'I am the Light of the world.
So if you follow me,
you won't be stumbling through the darkness,
for living light will flood you path.'"

~ John 8:12 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "Why is eternal life in Christ a light to all mankind? Because death brings eternal darkness and only Christ's eternal life planted in us will keep us alive in His new Kingdom for eternity. Christ is eternally alive because He Is God.

"What does it mean to follow Christ? As a soldier follows his captain, so we should follow Christ as our commander. As a slave follows his master, so we should follow Christ as our Lord. As we follow the advice of a trusted counselor, so we should follow Jesus commands to us in the Bible. As we follow the laws of a nation, so we follow Christ's laws because we are citizens of heaven."

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I enjoy it when Karen's Korner readers share things. Kim Marker sent this to me earlier this week (in part).

It was from Mary Southerland titled "The Prayer of a Righteous Woman"; telling about Corrie ten Boom who landed in a Nazi prison camp with her sister Betsie for helping Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust:

"While imprisoned at the concentration camp, Corrie tells the story of the time she had a terrible cold. She told her sister how much she just wished she had a handkerchief. Betsie suggested that Corrie pray for one. Corrie laughed at that ridiculous idea. Why would God be concerned about something so trivial as a handkerchief?

"But Betsie prayed, 'Lord, you see my sister Corrie has a very bad cold, and in Jesus' name, I ask you today for a handkerchief for her. Amen.'

"Shortly after that Corrie heard someone call out her name. She looked out the window of the barracks where she saw a friend of hers, also a prisoner, who worked in the hospital at Ravensbruck.

"'Here,' her friend said. 'Take this ! I'm bringing you a little present.' She pressed it into Corrie's hand.

"'I opened the little package,' said Corrie. 'and it was a handkerchief!'

"'How did you know I needed a handkerchief? Did you know I have a cold?' Corrie asked.

"'No,' said her friend. 'I was sewing handkerchiefs from an old piece of sheet, and there was a voice in my heart that said, 'Bring a handkerchief to Corrie ten Boom!'

"That little hanky, made from an old piece of a sheet, was a message out of the Heavens to me!' Corrie said. 'It told me that there is a Heavenly Father who hears one of his children pray for an impossible, small thing; a handkerchief. And the Heavenly Father says to one of His other children, 'Bring a handkerchief to Corrie ten Boom!'

Southerland goes on to say:  "Prayer isn't a religious exercise. It isn't a holy vending machine and does not require us to jump through a certain number of hoops in order for God to hear and respond.

"Prayer is the declaration of our total and utter dependence on God. When we pray, we are telling God that we are desperate for Him. We are saying 'yes' to whatever the minute, day, or future holds.....even before we know what that may be..

The Bible verse she included:  "For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength," written by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:25.

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Bible Commentary: "Christ's death and resurrection free us from the fear of death because death has been defeated. Do some of our loved ones need the freedom from the fear of death which only Christ can give? All who live in dread of death should have the opportunity to know the truth of Christ's victory. How can we share this understanding with those close to us?"

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~ By Max Lucado

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(Editor's note: mine!): A couple more suggestions:  if we can't physically 'go and d'o, how about sending some $ so that someone else can? Or how about encouraging someone else for the things they are doing to serve or help others?)