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August 2021 Archives
Today is Monday, August 9th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4501
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In the past few years, my friend Kathy Deimerly has had more than her fair share of doctors, medical diagnoses, surgeries, treatments, and times of isolation.
This past week, she spent the better part of a week in Rochester.
On Wednesday, I received this text from Kathy. I asked her if I could share what she had sent. She gave me her permission to type it for Karen's Korner readers:
"Was having a real good pity party, when I walked into a store. There was an amputee up to her groin.
"Then I went to a restaurant and a young girl got wheeled into the place. Yellow, no hair, oxygen. Wow!
"Then I saw another lady, oh around 35 with her two young sons and her elderly mother (helping her walk), came in. It was obvious the young woman was recuperating from a stroke.
"How precious is my Lord. Eyes wide open. What is a little pain as to opposed to what these women were enduring. He is always working with me.
"Just wanted to share. Thanks for listening."
My response to Kathy: "You are a wonderful example of what God can do!"
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Today is Tuesday, August 10th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4502
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"I waited patiently for God to help me;
then He listened and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair;
out from the bog and the mire,
and set my feet on a hard, firm path
and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing,
of praises to our God.
Now many will hear of the glorious things
He did for me,
and stand in awe before the Lord,
and put their trust in Him."
~ Psalm 40:1 - 3 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "Life is short no matter how long we live. If there is something important we want to do, we must not put it off for a better day. Ask ourselves, 'If I only had six months to live, what would l I do?' Tell someone that you love him or her? Deal with an undisciplined are of our lives? Tell someone about Jesus?' Since life is short, we must not neglect what is truly important."
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Today is Wednesday, August 11th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4503
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Let's see what Sarah Young has to tell us for today in her "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence":
"COME TO ME.
Come to Me. Come to Me.
This is My continual invitation to you,
proclaimed in holy whispers.
When your heart and mind are quiet,
you can hear Me
inviting you to draw near.
Coming close to Me requires no great effort on your part;
it is more like ceasing to resist the magnetic pull of My Love.
Open yourself to My loving Presence,
so that I may fill you with My fulness.
I want you to experience
how wise and long and high and deep is
My Love for you,
so that you can know My Love
that surpasses knowledge.
This vast ocean of Love
cannot be measured or explained,
but it can be experienced."
~ Taken from Revelation 22:17; John 6:37; Ephesians 3::16-19
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Today is Thursday, August 12th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4504
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Today's inspirational thought coming into my 'inbox' this morning from Anne Graham Lotz:
OUR ONE FOUNDATION
“No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid,
which is Jesus Christ.†~ I Corinthians 3:11 NIV
“All around us we see lives collapsing with broken hearts and broken homes and broken hopes – with shattered minds and shattered emotions and shattered bodies. What has gone wrong? The foundation on which the majority of people are building their lives is cracked and flawed.
“The Bible tells us there is only one foundation for individual or national life that will last, regardless of the crisis or pressure, and it is the foundation of Jesus Christ: ‘For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.’
"Jesus Christ never changes. (Hebrews13:8) He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) Nothing can ever separate you from His love. (Romans 8:35-39) So make sure you are prepared for the storms of life because your life is built on the Solid Foundation of Jesus Christ.â€
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Today is Friday, August 13th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4505
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LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER
By Max Lucado
“‘’Don’t be afraid,’ Jesus said. ‘Take courage. I am here!’ (Matthew 14:27).
“Power inhabits these words. To awaken in an ICU and hear your husband say, ‘I am here.’ To lose your retirement yet feel the support of your family in the words ‘We are here.’ When a Little Leaguer spots Mom and Dad in the bleachers watching the game, ;I am here’ changes everything.
“Perhaps that’s why God repeats the ‘I am here’ pledge so often. ‘I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ (Matthew 28:20). ‘I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand’ (John 10:28). We cannot go where God is not. Look over your shoulder; that’s God following you. Look into the storm; that’s Christ coming toward you.â€
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Today is Monday, August 16th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4506
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Josh McDowell didn't believe the things written in the Bible. And set out to discredit the Book and people who believed in what it said.
In his book "More Than a Carpenter', McDowell changed his mind after numerous hours of research and interviewing others. He found himself accepting the authority of the Bible and gave his life to Christ in 1959.
This book shares some of what led him to his conclusion. Here is information from one brief paragraph:
Gilbert West, author, and Lord George Lyttleton, statesman, were determined to destroy the basis of the Christian faith. West was going to demonstrate the fallacy of the Resurrection. Lyttleton was going to prove that Saul of Tarsus (Paul) never converted to Christianity.
Lyttleton wound up concluding that if 'Paul's twenty-five years of suffering and service for Christ were a reality, then his conversion was true, for everything he did began with that sudden change. (being met by Jesus on the road to Damascus, as Paul traveled). And if Paul's conversion was true, then Jesus Christ rose from the dead, for everything Paul was and did he attributed to his witnessing the risen Christ.' (p. 123).
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Today is Wednesday, August 18th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4508
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BEING STUCK
By Max Lucado
“The man near the pool of Bethesda
didn’t use the word stuck,
but he could have. For thirty-eight years near the edge of a pool, it was
just him, his mat, and his paralyzed body. They must have made a
miserable sight. Crowds of people—blind, lame, despondent, dejected, one
after the other—awaiting their chance to be placed in the pool where
healing waters bubbled up.
“All the gospels’ stories of help and healing invite us to embrace this
wonderful promise: “Wherever Jesus went he healed people of every sort of
illness. And what pity he felt for the crowds that came, because their
problems were so great and they didn’t know what to do or where to go for
help†(Matthew 9:35–36 TLB). Jesus had a heart for the hurting in his
day.
“He still does today.â€
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Today is Wednesday, August 18th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4507
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"For this great God
is our God forever and ever.
He will be our guide
until we die."
~ Psalm 48:14 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "We often pray for God's guidance as we struggle with decisions. What we need is both guidance and a guide -- a map that gives us landmarks and directions and a constant companion who has an intimate knowledge of the way and will make sure we interpret the map correctly. The Bible will be such a map, and God will be the constant companion and guide. As we make our way through life, we need to learn to lean upon both the map and the Guide."
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Today is Thursday, August 19th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4509
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Like many parts of the United States, our area needs rain.
We pray for rain. We wait for rain!
I have a tendency to make notes in the margins of my Bible, these are near Psalm 65. A couple of them from the past:
'dry summer of 1977'
'again in May 1987'
'was dry in all of 1987, but had
great yields in the fall!'
"He formed the mountains by his mighty strength. He quiets the raging oceans and all the world's clamor. In the farthest corners of the earth, the glorious acts of God shall startle everyone. The dawn and sunset shout for joy! He waters the earth to make it fertile. The rivers of God will not run dry! He prepares the earth for his people and sends them rich harvests of grain. He waters the furrows with abundant rain. Showers soften the earth, melting the clods and causing seeds to sprout across the land. Then he crowns it all with green, lush pastures in the wilderness, hillsides blossom with joy. The pastures are filled with flocks of sheep, and the valleys are carpeted with grain. All the world shouts with joy, and sings."
(verses 6 - 13)
*
Father God in Heaven, we thank You for Your provision. Thank You for memories of past ways you have helped us in our times of need. We ask You for the rain we need today! Help us to trust and believe You when all we see is 'dry'. Thank You for all of Your answered prayers in the past. Thank You for the way You are taking care of us today.......and tomorrow. You are a good and caring, God and Father. In Your Son's Name, Amen.
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Today is Friday, August 20th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4510
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This morning when
I woke up, my 'want to' was stuck. I didn't feel like I 'wanted to'! Nothing
had changed overnight to add or detract from this feeling.
I just didn't feel like I wanted to /do' or 'think positive thoughts'. I call
that the devil wanting me to sit today out!
I have a choice to vote with him. Or vote with God. I choose to vote with God.
And do some things anyway. Until a positive, 'want to' feeling returns.
I really liked this morning's Max Lucado:
TIME TO
STAND UP
"Life feels stuck when life makes no progress. When you battle the same
discouragement you faced a decade ago or struggle with the same fears you faced
a year ago. When you wake up to the same hang-ups and habits. When heartache
becomes a permanent mailing address.
"Jesus sees you, my friend, and he has a new version of you waiting to
happen. He says to you what he said to the man at the pool of Bethesda: 'Stand
up, pick up your mat, and walk!â€'(John 5:8 NLT).
"Stand up. Do something. Write a letter. Apply for the job. Reach out to a
counselor. Stand up. Pick up. Pick up your mat. Make a clean break
with the past. And walk. Set your sights on a new destination, and begin
the hike. Getting unstuck means getting excited about getting out."
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Today is Monday, August 23rd, 2021; Karen's Korner #4511
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Time to praise God in our area for a nice amount of rain last weekend (north Central Iowa). We need to pray for others who are experiencing too much rain or not enough!
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"May peace and blessing be yours from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
He died for our sins just as God our Father planned, and rescued us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God through all the ages of eternity. Amen."
~ Galatians 1:3 - 5 LAB
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Bible Commentary: "God's plan all along was to save us by Jesus' death. We have been rescued from the power of this evil world--a world ruled by Satan, full of cruelty, tragedy, temptation, and deception. Being rescued from this evil world doesn't mean we are taken out of it, but that we are no longer enslaved by it. We have been saved to live righteous lives for God, and we have been promised eternity with Him."
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Today is Wednesday, August 25th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4512
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Several thoughts in a spiral flip collection 'Touched by an Angel - Everlasting Love'.
My mom being one of fifteen kids recalled her mother saying, "If there wasn't guardian angels, no child would live past twelve!" I am sure she felt she needed help keeping track of that many!
"When you cry,
God cries with you.
But He can only wipe away our tears
if you let Him."
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"God can always hear you."
"*
"We feel we have so much to lose
in this world.
But then you realize
if God is always there for you,
there really isn't that much to lose."
*
"Every day is a chance to start over,
my friend."
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"When life keeps you in the dark,
that's when you start
looking for stars."
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Today is Thursday, August 26th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4513
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Something emailed to me by my sister Jill with these words 'maybe a Karen's Korner?'
Here it is in part:
Restoration of Identity
"The story of the prodigal son moves my heart to delve into the depths of God's limitless grace. I find myself in every facet of Jesus' words. I identify with both the son's rebellion and the power of the father's love. As children of God we are in constant need of reminders about God's mercy toward us. When the world rejects us, God calls us in. When the world write us off, God clothes us with righteousness and honor. May this transformative story of the prodigal son guide you to a deeper and more intimate relationship with your loving heavenly Father."
"I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
~ Matthew 16:19
~ taken from First 15 daily email
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Today is Friday, August 27th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4514
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JOY!
Pretty common theme in the Bible. Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17. Verse 13, Jesus says, "And now I am coming to you. I have told them many things while I was with them so that they would be filled with my joy."
Bible commentary on this verse: "Joy is a common theme in Christ's teachings -- He wants us to be joyful. The key to joy is living in close contact with him the source of joy."
Because we are His Children, we have His Love. His Peace. His Joy. No matter if we feel like it; act like it, or not!
Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for Your gift of Joy; one of many gifts you have given to us. It can't be taken away from us. Today, like all of the rest of them, is an opportunity to celebrate Your gift of JOY to each one of us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
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Today is Friday, August 27th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4515
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It's Friday! Have a good weekend!
GOD SENT HIMSELF
By Max Lucado
“God is with us. Prophets weren’t enough. Apostles wouldn’t do. Angels won’t suffice. God sent more than miracles and messages. He sent himself; he sent his Son. ‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’ (John 1:14).
“Jesus has been where you are; he can relate to how you feel. And if his life on earth doesn’t convince you, his death on the cross should. He understands what you are going through. No one penned it more clearly than did the author of Hebrews. ‘Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help’ (Hebrews 4:15–16 CEV).
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Today is Monday, August 30th, 2021; Karen's Korner #4516
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"And what is it that God has said?
That He has given us eternal life,
and that this life is in His Son.
So whoever has God's Son has life;
whoever does not have His Son, does not have life.
"I have written this to you who
believe in the Son of God
so that you may know you have eternal life."
~ I John 5:11 - 13 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "Some people hope they will be given eternal life. John says we can know we have it. Our certainty is based on God's promise that He has given us eternal life through His Son. This is true whether we feel close to God or distant from Hmi. Eternal life is not based on feelings, but on facts. We can know we have eternal life if we believe God's truth. If we lack assurance as to whether we are a Christian, we need to ask ourselves if we have honestly committed our life to Him as our Savior and Lord. If so, we know by faith that we are indeed a child of God."
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Today is Tuesday, August 31st, 2021; Karen's Korner #4517
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Our Sunday's sermon was a good one! I never know if something is good or if it has to do with me and what is happening in my life and my world.
Pastor Warren started off talking about 'order' and how ordered nature is. We can see it all around us. Daylight hours get shorter. Sunrises and sunsets can be predicted today and every day. We can count on it.
Several definitions of order: 'everything in the right place or is working property. A peaceful condition.'
That is what God has for us; wants for us.
When we are asked to 'submit' to Him, we sometimes balk. What might He ask us to give up or do? Surrender is defined as 'giving control to another'.
We will 'submit' or 'surrender' to someone or something. Is it a world power or condition? Our government or way of life? A friend or family member? Ourselves? Our thoughts and deeds?
The only thing that is sure and true is God. Jesus. Who adds Order. Love. Life.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:25 "For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it. Anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again. What profit is there if you gain the whole world--and lose eternal life? What can be compared with the value of eternal life?"
In John 15:9, Jesus said, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Live within my love."
James 4:7 & 8 says (in part): "So give yourselves humbly to God. Draw close to God and God will draw close to you."
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for order. Order that we can count on and often times take for granted. Thank You that You have a plan that we can submit ourselves to You and participate in that order. Nothing else is as sure as You and Your plans for us. For today. Tomorrow. And forever. In our world, everything changes. In Yours, everything remains the same. For that we praise You and thank You. Amen.
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