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October 2023 Archives
Today is Monday, October 2nd, 2023; Karen's Korner #4966
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"The Lord God is my Strength,
and he will give me the speed of a deer
and bring me safely
over the mountains."
~ Habakkuk 3:19 LAB
* Bible Commentary: Habakkuk had asked God (earlier in this chapter) why the evil people prosper while the righteous suffer. God's answer: they don't, not in the long run. Habakkuk saw his own limitations in contrast to God's unlimited control of all the world's events. We cannot see all that God is doing, and we cannot see all that God will do. But we can be assured that he is God and will do what is right. Knowing this brings us confidence and hope in the midst of a confusing world."
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Today is Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023; Karen's Korner #4967
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Our Australian 'daughter' Karen came into our lives when she was 16 and participated in a Lions' club student exchange program. She stayed with us for three 'summer months' which was November, December, and January of by Australia 'standards' below the equator!
It was a relationship 'made in heaven'. Karen will be 50 at her November birthday! She (and now her family) have visited here four times. Jim and I traveled there as part of a bank tour once; and I went to England for a week when they worked there for a year. In between times, we Skype several times during the year!
This past Christmas, the Feeley family sent me a 2023 calendar with photos of family members each month. I love it! It fits on my computer desk so I think of them lots! Sometimes it is picture of son Thomas. Or son William. Or daughter Emily. Or Karen and Mick (who would be a Mike in the U.S.). Or the entire family!
But this month. The month of October features a cartoon graphic of Snoopy being kissed on his nose by Woodstock.
The caption I get to look at for 31 days is:
"When our time on this
earth is done. Money
or material things
will not matter. But
the LOVE, TIME and
KINDNES we've given
others will shine
and live on forever."
With this personal note, "Your Always in our Heart!"
And the same to all of you as Karen's Korner readers.
Some of whom I know personally! And others who I know only by writings!
May God Bless Each of You! Just for Today!!
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Today is Wednesday, October 4th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4968
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Monday's Max Lucado:
BROKEN VESSELS
"You are never disqualified by your struggles. The scriptures says, 'But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us”'(2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV).
"Your treasure? A birthright, a spiritual heritage, a destiny. Yet these earthen vessels don’t match our treasure, do they? We have minds that wander. Bodies that age. Hearts that doubt. Eyes that lust. Convictions that crumble. We crack under pressure.
"Who wants to use a broken vessel? God does. Broken soil gives crops. Broken alabaster jars give fragrance. The broken body of Christ on the cross is the light of the world. Which is precisely the point: God does great things through the greatly broken. It’s not the strength of the vessel that matters, it’s the strength of the One who can use it."
***
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Today is Thursday, October 5th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4969
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The margins in my Bible are all marked up with things important to me at the time.
Such is the case of today's Bible verse: "Daddy fell off a ladder" - 11/6/80. He had fallen 15 feet off a ladder where he worked at the time. Returned to his work following healing and lived another 23 years to 85!
"We are knocked down,
but we get up again
and keep going."
~ 2 Corinthians 4:9 LAB
Bible Commentary: "Paul (writer) reminds us that though we may be at the end of our rope, we are never at the end of hope. Our perishable bodies are subject to sin and suffering, but God never abandons us. Because Christ won victory over death, we have eternal life. All our risks, humiliations, and trials are opporunities to demonstrate Christ's power and presence in us."
****
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Today is Friday, October 6th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4970
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As we move farther into fall, we have cooler temperatures and shorten daylight hours! Have a great weekend!
Today's entry in "365 Days of Prayer for Women" by Stephanie Sample:
GET IT RIGHT
"Where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also"
~ Luke 12:34 ESV
"Father, how do you manage to make every one of your children your number one priority? Even when we feel forgotten, the truth of your dedication is there. I don't even know if I could name my number one priority, and this grieves me. I sometimes feel like I just float from fire to fire, waving my hose. Oh Lord, help me get this right! Place your values prominently in me, so the flames of distraction can't so easily tear me away from what matters. Inspire me to make honoring and following you my number one priority, so I can know that whatever captures my heart and attention is what ison yours."
"What is your number one priority?"
****
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Today is Monday, October 9th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4971
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We are told from the time we are young (and can remember better!), to memorize Bible verses. If we put them at the top of our thoughts, it can blot out negative thoughts, we may not like.
Here is one we can maybe remember. Short:
"Why be discouraged
and sad?
Hope in God!"
~ Psalm 42:6 LAB
*
Bible Commentary: "Depression is one of the most common emotional ailments. One antidote for depression is to meditate on the record of God's goodness to his people. This will take our minds off the present situation and give us hope that it will improve. It focuses our thoughts on God's ability to help us rather than our inability to help ourselves. When we feel depressed, we are to take advantage of this psalm's anti=depressant. We need to read the Bible's accounts of God's goodness and meditate on them."
***
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Today is Tuesday, October 10th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4972
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(Sorry for the delay. My computer was in the 'shop' for its annual checkup!)
Our Sunday School lesson has a series for 10 weeks. The same Bible verse is repeated each week for five weeks as a Memory verse. I generally read it but don't try to memorize it. That has never been easy for me to do. And it certainly is not easier as I get older.
But I am attempting to learn it and want to say it to my Sunday School class on Sunday.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor,
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison
for those who are bound."
~ Isaiah 61:1
* It was written by Isaiah and read by Jesus in the synagogue. He closed the book and said, 'These scriptures came true today.' (Luke 4:20).
Go back to the top and re-read the verse. It tells who we are and what we are to do!
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Today is Wednesday, October 11th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4973
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Number 68 of
"100 Things God Loves About You" by Tama Fortner:
GOD
LOVES THE CHILD IN YOU
"Jesus
called the children
to him and said,
'Let the little children
come to me, and do
not hinder
them, for the
kingdom of God
belongs to such as
these.'"
~ Luke 18: 16
"Rainbows still stop you in your tracks. Splashing through mud puddles
is your secret delight. And, let's be honest, there are few things more
wonderful than a chocolate chip cookie dunked into ice cold milk. No matter
your age, there's always that part of you that never quite completely grows
up. The part that giggles at knock-knock jokes and is still amazed by the
endless, everyday miracles of life.
"It's okay, you know. There's no need to completely grow up. Jesus is
delighted by little children, and He's delighted by the child in you. So go
ahead....dunk that cookie... and, yeah, lick the spoon too."
****
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Today is Thursday, October 12th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4974
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"Better be poor,
and honest
than rich
and dishonest.."
~ Proverbs 19:1 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "Honesty is far more valuable than wealth, but most people don't act as if they believe this. They are so afraid of being short of money that they will pay any price to have more---cheating on their taxes, stealing from stores or employers, withholding tithes, refusing to give. But when we know and love God, we realize that honesty is a greater treasure than money in the bank. A lower standard of living---or even poverty---is a small price to pay for personal integrity. Do our actions show that we value integrity more than wealth? What changes do we need to make in order to get our priorities straight?"
***
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Today is Friday, October 13th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4975
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Yesterday's Max Lucado. He has a new book out, "God Never Gives Up On You"; good news for all of us. Especially when we give up on ourselves!
"Paul’s past was quicksand. The more he struggled, the deeper he sank. Just when we think he’s about to go under, he announced, 'Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!…Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus' (Romans 7:25; 8:1 NIV).
"Paul discovered a guilt-free zone. Through Jesus, every chain and shackle fell to the ground. Paul moved past his past. He trusted God with his future. Do likewise!
"The remedy for our sin is not our work, but God’s work. Tell Christ what you did. You were not made to carry this weight. Only Jesus can take it away. Ask him to do so. And you know how he will respond: 'Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28 NASB).
:God never gives up on you."
***
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Today is Monday, October 16th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4976
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Last Friday, a group of us gals met at a
local restaurant for a birthday breakfast of a friend.
Our waitress was wearing a new t-shirt with pretty big letters on the
front saying "I AM A WINNER". In smaller letters at the top
of back of her shirt, it said, "Iowa Lottery".
She is a winner a few drawings ago from Power Ball. She had picked 4
numbers and the Power Ball to win $50,000. She said she had gotten the money, the
shirt, and a few other prizes for her 'nearly perfect' guess.
Made me think that as Christians, we should all wear shirts that say "I AM A WINNER"
! John 4:19 says, "We
love because He first loved us!" Each of us is loved
by the Creator of the Universe!
Romans 8:1 says,
"So there is no condemnation to those who belong to Christ
Jesus." Not condemned.
When I told our Sunday School class yesterday, what I was going to write
for Karen's Korner today, one of the class members said, "On the
back of each shirt, it should say,
"I
am a believer in Jesus Christ!"
Winners!!
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Today is Tuesday, October 17th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4977
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"For I am convinced
that nothing can ever
separate us from His Love.
Death can't,
and life can't.
The angels won't,
and all the powers of hell itself
cannot keep God's love away.
Our fears for today,
our worries about tomorrow,
or where we are---
high above the sky,
or in the deepest ocean---
nothing will ever be able to separate us
from the love of God
demonstrated
by our Lord Jesus Christ
when He died for us."
~ Romans 8:38 & 39 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "These verses contain one of the most comforting promises in all Scripture. Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonments, even death. These could cause them to fear that they have been abandoned by Christ. But Paul exclaims that it is impossible to be separated from Christ. His death for us is proof of His unconquerable love. Nothing can stop His constant presence with us. God tells us how great His love is so that we will feel totally secure in Him. If we believe these overwhelming assurances, we will not be afraid."
**
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Today is Wednesday, October 18th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4978
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Today's Karen's Korner is written by my sister Jill who lives in a suburb of Seattle. She liked her pastor's sermon on Sunday and took notes.
I think you will have to agree she is a good note-taker and good at writing them up. Good message.
How many of you grew up in a church? Did you know that non-Christians believe that long term Christians can be judgmental? Be honest, we all make judgments. We perhaps don’t like how someone dresses, we don’t like their attitude or perhaps how they are living their lives. But all of us at one time or another have been judged ourselves. How does it make us feel? Unpleasant? Probably didn’t change your behavior did it? Or we’ve heard ‘we will pray for you’ in a super judging way.
Jesus said in Matthew 7: 1-5 (NIV) “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
A summary of this verse is the Golden Rule – treat people as you would like to be treated. Easy to do? Jesus often used shocking wording in examples to draw people in. What did He say in the continuing verses?
"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother 'Let me take the speck out of your eye' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?' You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
If you find yourself judging others, stop and ask yourself “why do I care about what someone else is doing”? You need to look in the mirror first. There are things wrong with each of us, although it’s hard for us to admit it about ourselves. No one is perfect.
What’s the definition of a hypocrite? Someone who points out another person’s failings without looking deeply and honestly at themselves.
What should we do? Ask ourselves again why it matters so much to us. Are we jealous? Are we angry? If we are angry, we need to unpack our anger and do self-examination to rectify the anger. Angry people can’t do the work of Jesus.
Instead, perhaps we should consider “how can I help instead of judge”. Come alongside people with a helpful and loving spirit instead, with a caring heart and words. It’s our job as Christians to build up instead of tear down. If we do that, perhaps we are living more like Christ.
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Today is Thursday, October 19th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4979
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This is yesterday's - October 18 - entry taken from"365 Days of Prayers for Women" by Stephanie Sample. Some good thoughts for me:
GOODNESS ITSELF
"Let love be genuine.
Abhor what is evil,
hold fast to what is good.
~ Romans 12:9 ESV
"God, you are goodness itself. To desire what is good is to desire you, and to do good is to become more and more filled with you. I can't understand my attraction to anything else. What does a show about murder, betrayal, and emptiness have to offer me when I could be meditating on the millions of ways you are wonderful? Why gossip when I can share your love? Lord, I want to hate the darkness. Give me a bitter taste when it encroaches on me. Cause me to recoil in protest. Help me cling to truth, loveliness, and light, pursuing goodness, and finding you."
"Is our love genuine?
Do we abhor evil
and hold fast to what is good?"
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Today is Friday, October 20th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4980
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Something written by Anne Graham Lotz sent to my computer inbox in mid-August.
Have a nice weekend!
OUR ONE FOUNDATION
"No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
~ 1 Corinthians 3:11 NIV
"All around us we see lives collapsing with broken hearts and broken homes and broken hearts -- 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. (Hebrews 13;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."
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Today is Monday, October 23rd, 2023; Karen's Korner #4981
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"But someone may ask,
'How will the dead be brought to life again:
What kind of bodies will they have?"
What a foolish question!
You will find the answer in your own garden!
When you put a seed into the ground
it doesn't grow into a plant
unless it 'dies' first.
And when the green shoot comes up
out of the seed,
it is very different from the seed
you first planted.
For all you put into the ground
is a dry little seed of wheat,
or whatever it is you are planting,
then God gives it a beautiful new body----
just the kind he wants it to have;
a different kind of plant
grown from each kind of seed.
And just as there are different
kind of seeds and plants
so also there are different kinds of flesh
Humans, animals, fish and birds
are all different."
~ 1 Corinthians 15:35- 39 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "Paul launches into a discussion about what our resurrected bodies will be like. If you could select your own body, what kind would you choose---strong, athletic, beautiful? Paul explains that we will be recognized in our resurrected bodies, yet they will be better than we can imagine, for they will be made to live forever. We will still have our own personalities and individualities, but these will be perfected through Christ's work. Scripture does not say what our resurrected bodies will be able to do, but we know they will be perfect, without sickness or disease."
***,
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Today is Tuesday, October 24th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4982
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A dose of God's Love today!
"100 Things God Loves About You" by Tama Fortner. Number 72:
GOD LOVES YOUR JOY
"The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in Him,
and He helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
and with my song I praise Him."
~ Psalm 28:7
"Joy. It's so much more than laughter and good times, much more than simple happiness. True and everlasting joy is trusting when you don't understand, believing the unbelievable, and hoping in the face of hopelessness.
"True joy is stepping out in faith, off the proverbial cliff, and knowing that the One who holds up the heavens will hold you up no matter what the circumstances may be. Because He loves you, loves your trust, and loves your faith. Because He loves your joy."
****
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Today is Wednesday, October 25th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4983
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"Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! How good it is to sing his praises! How delightful, and how right! He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds. He counts the stars and calls them all by name. How great he is! His power is absolute! His understanding is unlimited. The Lord supports the humble, but brings the wicked into dust. Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God, accompanied by harps. He covers the heavens with clouds, sends down the showers and makes the green grass grow in mountain pastures. He feeds the wild animals and the young ravens cry to him for food. The speed of a horse is nothing to him. How puny in his sight is the strength of man. But his joy is in those who reverence him, those who expect him to be loving and kind."
~ Psalm 147:1-11 LAB (in part)
**
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Today is Thursday, October 26th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4984
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This is something written and sent to my computer inbox on July 27 of this
year; long before we were hearing such things as War in Israel. Gaza. And a
bunch of other words in the news often, as of late.
From Prayer to Peace
"Believing prayer ushers in God’s peace. Not a random, nebulous,
earthly peace, but his peace, imported from heaven. The same
tranquility that marks the throne room, God offers to you. Do you think he
battles anxiety? You suppose he ever wrings his hands or asks for antacids? Of
course not. A problem is no more a challenge to God than a twig is to an
elephant. God enjoys perfect peace because God enjoys perfect power. And
he offers his peace to you. A peace that will 'guard your hearts and minds as
you live in Christ Jesus' (Philippians 4:7 NLT).
"The Philippians, living in a garrison town, were accustomed to the Roman
sentries maintaining their watch. God oversees your world. He monitors your
life. Listen carefully and you will hear him say, 'Everything is secure. You
can rest now.'"
***
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Today is Friday, October 27th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4985
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"But didn't he (Abraham) earn his right to heaven by all the good things he did? No, for being saved is a gift, if a person could earn it by being good, then it wouldn't be free----but it is! It is given to those who do NOT work for it. For God declares sinners to be good in his sight if they have faith in Christ to save them from God's wrath."
~ Romans 4:4 & 5 LAB
*
Bible Commentary: Some people when they learn that we are saved through faith, start to worry. 'Do I have enough faith?' they wonder. 'Is my faith strong enough to save me?' These people miss the point. It is Jesus Christ who saves us not our feelings or actions, and he is strong enough to save us no matter how weak our faith is. Jesus offers us salvation as a gift, because he loves us, not because we have earned it though our powerful faith. What, then, is the role of faith? Faith is believing and trusting in Jesus Christ, reaching out to accept his wonderful gift of salvation. Faith is effective whether it is great or small, timid or bold---because God loves us."
***
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Today is Monday, October 30th, 2023; Karen's Korner #4986
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Taken from "365 Days of Prayer for Women" by Stephanie Sample. This one is from October 28:
FORGET FEAR
"He said, 'Come.'
And when Peter had come down out of the boat,
he walked on the water to go to Jesus."
~ Matthew 14:29 NKJV]
"Lord, when I focus on you, I forget to be afraid. All I see is love and possibility, and fear is simply thrown away. It is wehn I look down and realize where I am that I begin to dougt. How did I get here? What was I thiking? This can't be done! Just like that, I start to sink. Jesus, hold my chin in your loving hand. Lock your eyes on my and tell me anything is possible. I take courage from you, Lord, and I take fear and apprehension from the world. What will I take today? Help me choose well.
Is our focus on God?
Do we take courage from him?
***
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Today is Tuesday, October 31st, 2023; Karen's Korner #4987
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If we focus on the news, it seems that it is mostly bad; whether it is near or some place farther away. The Bible can read like today's newspaper and it offers us hope!
"For the wicked have strung their bows,
drawn their arrows tight against the bowstrings, and aimed from ambush at the people of God.
'Law and order have collapsed,'
we are told.
'What can the righteous do but flee?'
"But the Lord is still in His holy temple,
He still rules from heaven.
He closely watches
everything that happens here on earth.
He puts the righteous
and the wicked to the test;
He hates those loving violence.
He will rain down fire and brimstone
on the wicked and scorch them
with His burning wind."
~ Psalm 11:2:- 6 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "When law and order collapse and we wish we could hide, remember that God is still in control. Nothing happens without His knowledge and permission. When we feel like running away---run to God. He will restore justice and goodness on the earth in His good time."
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