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July 2024 Archives
Today is Monday, July 1st, 2024; Karen's Korner #5156
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"Oh, praise the Lord,
for He has listened to my pleading.
He is my strength,
my shield from every danger.
I trust in Him,
and He helped me.
Joy rises in my heart,
until I burst out in songs of praise to Him."
~ Psalm 28:6 & 7 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "In the sports world there is a phrase, 'A good offense is the best defense.' In the spiritual battle around us, God is our strength and shield. He is our defense against all that would harm us. If we trust in Him, he will certainly defend us from the vicious attacks of our enemies."
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Today is Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024; Karen's Korner #5157
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This is today's Max Lucado. It's title is "You Can Begin Again". I think it is from his newest book "Begin Again". When do we begin again? Each new day!
YOU CAN BEGIN AGAIN
"God knows the way forward. No matter what kind of disappointment or grief or trouble or heartache you’ve encountered, God offers an opportunity to begin again. In his plan, prodigals get a new robe, the weary find new strength, and the lonely find a friend.
"Your current circumstances will not get the final say in your life. To all the Noahs of the world, to all who search the horizon for a glimpse of hope, God proclaims, 'Yes!' He comes as a dove. He comes bearing fruit from a distant land, from our future home. He comes with a leaf of promise that he can make all things new. By God’s grace you can find your way to dry land. You can step out on fresh soil. With God as your guide, you can begin again."
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Today is Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024; Karen's Korner #5158
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Today's entry by Sarah Young and her "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence":
"My children make a pastime of judging one another---and themselves. But I am the only capable Judge, and I have acquitted you through My own blood. Your acquittal came at the price of My unparalleled sacrifice. That is why I am highly offended when I hear My children judge one another or indulge in self-hatred.
"If you live close to Me and absorb My Word, the Holy Spirit will guide and correct you as needed. There is no condemnation for those who belong to Me."
~ Luke 6:37; 2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:1
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Today is Friday, July 5th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5159
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Some of the words to the song "People Like Us" by Micah Tyler:
People Like Us
"God loves people like you ’cause God loves people like me
A lost and hopeless sinner that mercy has redeemed
And if you feel like He don’t, the cross is proof that He does
Praise the Lord, oh hallelujah that God loves
God loves people like us
Oh yes, God loves people like us, yeah "If you’ve been dealt a hard hand and there’s so much you don’t understand
Fighting battles with the questions running through your mind
Well, if you’re thinking that it ain’t true ’cause how could anybody love you?
Well, He’s the good in the good news, He’s never left your side "God loves people like you ’cause God loves people like me
A lost and hopeless sinner that mercy has redeemed
And if you feel like He don’t, the cross is proof that He does
Praise the Lord, oh hallelujah that God loves
God loves people like us, yeah
God loves people like us, yeah "Every second of our lives we are precious in His sight
We are children to a Father, gave His own to give us life
It don’t matter where you are (Where you are), it don’t matter who you’ve been (Who you’ve been)
Oh, and if you have forgotten, let me tell you once again "God loves people like you ’cause God loves people like me
Oh, a lost and hopeless sinner, oh that mercy has redeemed
And if you feel like He don’t, the cross is proof that He does
Praise the Lord, oh hallelujah that God loves
God loves people like us
God loves people like us (Yes He does, yes He does)
God loves people like us
God loves people like us, yeah
He loves people like us.
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Today is Saturday, July 6th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5160
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Some of the words to the song "People Like Us" by Micah Tyler:
People Like Us
"God loves people like you ’cause God loves people like me
A lost and hopeless sinner that mercy has redeemed
And if you feel like He don’t, the cross is proof that He does
Praise the Lord, oh hallelujah that God loves
God loves people like us
Oh yes, God loves people like us, yeah "If you’ve been dealt a hard hand and there’s so much you don’t understand
Fighting battles with the questions running through your mind
Well, if you’re thinking that it ain’t true ’cause how could anybody love you?
Well, He’s the good in the good news, He’s never left your side "God loves people like you ’cause God loves people like me
A lost and hopeless sinner that mercy has redeemed
And if you feel like He don’t, the cross is proof that He does
Praise the Lord, oh hallelujah that God loves
God loves people like us, yeah
God loves people like us, yeah "Every second of our lives we are precious in His sight
We are children to a Father, gave His own to give us life
It don’t matter where you are (Where you are), it don’t matter who you’ve been (Who you’ve been)
Oh, and if you have forgotten, let me tell you once again "God loves people like you ’cause God loves people like me
Oh, a lost and hopeless sinner, oh that mercy has redeemed
And if you feel like He don’t, the cross is proof that He does
Praise the Lord, oh hallelujah that God loves
God loves people like us
God loves people like us (Yes He does, yes He does)
God loves people like us
God loves people like us, yeah
He loves people like us.
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Today is Monday, July 8th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5161
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"Dear friends,
of the old rule God gave us
right from the beginning,
that Christians should love
one another."
~2 John 1:5b LAB
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Bible Commentary: "The love Christians should have for one another is a recurrent New Testament theme. Yet love for one's neighbor is an old command first appearing in the third book of Moses (Leviticus 19:18). We can show love in many ways: by avoiding prejudice and discrimination, by accepting people, by listening, helping, giving, serving, and refusing to judge. But just knowing God's command is not enough. We must put it into practice."
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Dear God,
thank You for loving each one of us.
Thank you for all the people in my life
and world
and the ways they show their love
and care for others.
They are truly amazing!
If You show us more ways and opportunities
to love others, help us to seize those
opportunities!
In Your Name we pray.
Amen.
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Today is Tuesday, July 9th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5162
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Yesterday I listened to a radio broadcast by Dr. David Jeremiah. He spoke about Jesus being the Light of the World. He said Jesus came as Light in a dark world. And 'the world' (people) followed The Light.
So what happened when He ultimately went back Home to be with His Father in Heaven? Were we back to darkness?
No, as Christians and believers, we carry that Light within us. We are merely reflections of His Light.. He is the 'Sun'. We are the 'moons'.
Jeremiah said as bearers of His Light, we need to reflect what we are FOR, not what we are AGAINST. He told of being in a church in his early days and registering all the things they were against. "But what about what we are for?" he asked. He said he is FOR forgiveness, FOR loving his neighbor, FOR joy, FOR patience . And this list goes on.
"When Jesus spoke again to the people,
He said, 'I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.'"
~ John 8:12 NIV
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Today is Wednesday, July 10th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5163
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At church on Sunday a crop and livestock farmer shared an event that had happened to him earlier in the week.
He has cows and calves on his farm. Some of the cows had developed hoof rot which needed attention. No doubt part of it could have come about because of all the rains we have had recently in our area.
Calling his vet supplier from the Spencer area, the two agreed to meet in Algona to pass the needed medication. The supplier told of a livestock farmer in the Spencer area who had 35 cow and calf pairs, swept away in the flash flooding in the Spencer area recently. The animals hadn't drowned. They were just gone!
The news made the dilemma of hoof rot seem a little more minor in comparison.
How often do we have some trouble or problem in our lives, which seem 'enormous' until we look around and learn what we have happening to us, is minor in comparison to what someone else is dealing with?
"Oh,
give thanks to the Lord,
for He is good,
His lovingkindness
continues forever."
~ Psalms 136:1 LAB
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Today is Thursday, July 11th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5164
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Yesterday's Max Lucado:
TRUST IN YOUR SHEPHERD
"Perhaps you don’t need your hope restored right now. Your jungle has become a meadow, your journey a delight. If such is the case, congratulations. But remember, we do not know what tomorrow holds. You may be one turn from a cemetery, from a virus, from an empty house. You may be a bend in the road from a jungle. And though you don’t need your hope restored today, you may tomorrow. And you need to know to whom to turn.
"Or perhaps you do need hope today. You know you were not made for this place, you know you are not equipped, you want someone to lead you out. If so, put your trust in the Shepherd. He knows the path that leads to your new beginning, and he’s just waiting for you to join him."
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Today is Friday, July 12th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5165
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"In my prosperity I said,
'This is forever;
nothing can stop me
now!
The Lord has shown
my His favor.
He has made me
steady as a mountain.'
Then, Lord,
you turned your face
away from me
and cut off your
river of blessings.
Suddenly my courage
was gone;
I was terrified and
panic-stricken."
~ Psalm 30:6 & 7
LAB
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Bible Commentary:
"Prosperity had made David (writer) feel invincible. Although he knew
his riches and power had come from God, they had gone to his head;
making him proud. Wealth, power, and fame have an intoxicating effect on
people, making them feel self-reliant, self-secure, and independent of God.
But this is a false security that is easily shattered.. Don't be trapped by
the false security of prosperity. We are to depend on God for our security,
then we won't be shaken when worldly possessions disappear."
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Today is Monday, July 15th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5166
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Parades in the summertime are a part of our social fabric. I have had the opportunity to walk in two of them in the past several weeks.
This is my personal bias. Drivers of floats have a tendency to want to drive way to close to the entry just ahead of us. That makes the parade go faster. The walkers have to hurry to keep up; leaving little time to get a morsel or two to a parade-watcher. And it makes it harder for watchers to 'see' if entries or too close together.
If everyone takes a breath. Makes a little space. Drivers are more relaxed. Walkers can enjoy the trek. Viewers can take a second glance at what is going passed them.
I wonder if this a bit like life. Do we hurry along faster than need be? Almost to the place we don't enjoy the trip? There has to be a balance in there some place.
God,
we need you to show us how to
walk through this life.
Help us to neither go too fast
nor too slow.
We are going to need you as
our Guide.
Amen.
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Today is Tuesday, July 16th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5167
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Today's Max Lucado offering. As always, it is a good one:
"We are blind, blind to the future. Just ask Jairus. He is the leader of the synagogue, the most important man in the community. But the Jairus in this Bible story is not the clear-sighted, black-frocked civic leader. He is, instead, a blind man begging for a gift. He falls at Jesus’ feet, saying, 'My daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so she will be healed and will live.' (Mark 5:23 NCV).
"You know, there are times in life when everything you have to offer is nothing compared to what you are asking to receive. The situation is starkly simple: Jairus is blind to the future, and Jesus knows the future. So Jairus asks for help. And Jesus, who loves to give new beginnings, goes to give it. He’ll do the same for you. Do you face an uncertain future? Ask Jesus to help you."
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Today is Wednesday, July 17th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5168
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Karen's Korner readers know that I am a Bible reader, not a Bible scholar. I am also someone who doesn't embark on 'reading the Bible through in one year'. I know myself well enough that if I decided to do it, I probably would. But the pace I would storm through, wouldn't bring me much knowledge. I would just go fast!
Instead, I pick a book of the Bible. Read it. And then pick another one. Recently, I started in on the book of John, which I hadn't read for some time. New believers are directed to John as a good one to understand and a great place to start.
Jesus first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding ceremony. He moved right from there to the Temple where he started to drive corrupt merchants out of it.
"Jesus made a whip from some rope and chased them all out, and drove out the sheep and oxen, scattering the moneychangers' coins over the floor and turning over their tables! Then, going over to the men selling doves, he told them, 'Get these things out of here. Don't turn my Father's House into a market!''
~ John 3:15 - 16 LAB
* Bible Commentary: Jesus made a whip and chased out the moneychangers; does that permit us to use violence against wrongdoers? Certain authority is granted to some, but not all. For example, the authority to use weapons and restrain people is granted to police officers, but not to the general public. The authority to imprison people is granted to judges, but not to individual citizens. Jesus had God's authority, something we can't have. While we want to live Christlike lives, we should never try to claim His authority where it has not been given to us."
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Today is Thursday, July 18th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5169
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Yesterday's Bible verse which our ecumenical study looked at was:
"Trust the Lord completely;
don't ever trust yourself.
In everything you do,
put God first,
and He will direct you
and crown your efforts with success."
~ Proverbs 3:5 & LAB
What happens if we turn those two verses into a prayer?
" God,
I am trusting You completely.
I don't ever trust myself.
In everything I do,
put You first.
Thank You for directing me
and crowning my efforts with success."
Amen.
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Today is Friday, July 19th, 2024; Karen's Korner #5170
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Today's (July 19) Sarah Young "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence". It's a good one:
"Bring Me all your feelings,
even the ones you wish you didn't have.
Fear and anxiety still plague you.
Feeling per se are not sinful,
but they can be temptations to sin.
Blazing missiles of fear fly
at you day and night:
these attacks from the evil one
come at you relentlessly.
Use your shield of faith to extinguish those
flaming arrows. Affirm your trust in Me,
regardless of how you feel.
If you persist,
your feelings will eventually
fall in line with your faith.
"Do not hide from your fear
or pretend it isn't there.
Anxiety that you hide in the recesses
of your heart
will give birth to fear of fear;
a monstrous stepchild.
Bring your anxieties
out into the Light of My Presence,
where we can deal with them together.
Concentrate on trusting Me,
and fearfulness will
gradually lose its foothold
within you."
~ taken from Ephesians 6:16; 1 John 1: 5 - 7; Isaiah 12:2
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