Karen's Korner - Daily Inspirational Stories by Karen Weld
Browse my Site
Home
Archives
Karen's Guestbook
Search my Site



Subscribe to Karens Korner on Mail Chimp
Subscribing to Karens Korner will give you a new issue in your Email box almost every day
rss RSS Feed
I'm Karen

March 2005 Archives

Printable Issue 492  Today is Tuesday, March 1st, 2005; Karen's Korner #492
Here is another song by Steven Curtis Chapman


The Great Adventure
Written by Steven Curtis Chapman and Geoff Moore
©1992 Sparrow Song / Peach Hill Songs / BMI / Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing
1 Cor 2:9-10, Eph 2:4-10

Saddle up your horses

Started out this morning in the usual way
Chasing thoughts inside my head of all I had to do today
Another time around the circle try to make it better than the last

I opened up the Bible and I read about me
Said I'd been a prisoner and God's grace had set me free
And somewhere between the pages it hit me like a lightning bolt
I saw a big frontier in front of me and I heard somebody say "let's go"!

CHORUS
Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure

Come on get ready for the ride of your life
Gonna leave long faced religion in a cloud of dust behind
And discover all the new horizons just waiting to be explored
This is what we were created for

(Chorus)

BRIDGE
We'll travel over, over mountains so high
We'll go through valleys below
Still through it all we'll find that
This is the greatest journey that the human heart will ever see
The love of God will take us far beyond our wildest dreams

Yeah... oh saddle up your horses... come on get ready to ride

(Chorus)

Printable Issue 493  Today is Wednesday, March 2nd, 2005; Karen's Korner #493
This is from a great CCM artist Chris Rice. It's titled "Untitled Hymn"


Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!
Printable Issue 494  Today is Thursday, March 3rd, 2005; Karen's Korner #494

Here is one more song lyric. This is also from Steven Curtis Chapman. I got this CD just a few months before Merry died. I know that I typed these lyrics out for my mom in the first few months after Merry died.

"Every moment God is giving is precious..." This spoke to me and continues to today as I watch Luke grow and change.


Jamie


*********

I can reminisce about the already
I can worry and fret about the not yet
But when it all comes down I know it really
Really all comes down to the right now
So right now ...


I'm living the next 5 minutes
Like these are my last 5 minutes
'Cause I know the next 5 minutes
May be all I have
And after the next 5 minutes
Turn into the last 5 minutes
I'm taking the next 5 minutes
And starting all over again
Starting all over again


Every moment God is giving is precious
Every heartbeat, every breath I take
We'll never have them back once they've left us
There will never be another right now
So right now ...


This is the day, this is the hour
This is the moment the Lord has made

Printable Issue 495  Today is Friday, March 4th, 2005; Karen's Korner #495
Happy Friday! This is my last day to fill in for my mom. Thanks for the chance to share! I think doing this for a few weeks was fun. Mom will take the reins back on Monday and get to celebrate #500 next week!

I've been thinking about the topic of joy this week. I had the pleasure to meet up with four college friends for dinner on Tuesday. We were catching up over dinner and conversation led to joy. One person is living in California in an affluent area. She has been going to a bible study during the day with mostly middle aged women. She was at first intimidated at their outward appearances. She has continued to go and get to know these people at a deeper level. One specific person was sharing on a deeper level about the lack of joy in her life. She had several valid reasons for her concerns. Kirsten reminded her about the gift that God gives us. He gives us joy in the midst of every life circumstances.

The five of us said that we would be aware of the joys in our life this week and email our thoughts to each other. Since our visit on Tuesday night, Luke has been sick with the flu over the past two days. This afternoon Luke was feeling better. I felt joy! He has been a very healthy boy in his short life.

There have been many other instances of joy in big and small ways I'm looking forward to our email update with my friends in a few days!

Experience the joy that God gives you today!

Jamie

Printable Issue 496  Today is Monday, March 7th, 2005; Karen's Korner #496
Jim and I had a wonderful time the past nearly one month in Australia and New Zealand. But it is wonderful to be back home, too!
 
One of the last days of the trip, our tour guide asked us what we thought the #1 tour destination in the world is. Where do you think it is?
 
 
HOME!
 
**
 
In the next couple of weeks, I'll share a couple of experiences with you.
 
The first one happened a week ago Sunday. Our group was traveling by bus through the picturesque countryside of New Zealand. We traveled to Milford Sound, which is really a fiord, and it was beautiful. It was about five hours one direction from where we were staying. So we had some additional riding time.
 
I had taken seven or eight copies of two of the inspirational booklets I have written, along with me.  I had given several of them away. I asked the tour guide and our escorts from the bank if I could pass around the half dozen of each which I had left, for the 43 people on our group from Iowa to look at. Some had been asking about them. Others wanted copies. I wanted to talk with all of them. Tell them that I would be happy to mail copies to them once we got home. And that they had never been for sale to anyone, as it was a hobby of mine.
 
I knew that some would request different copies and varying amounts, so we started a sign up sheet around as we rode.
 
But what I didn't expect was the response from our New Zealand bus driver! Doug was our driver for the parts of eight days we were in that country. After my little talk, Jim had the opportunity to talk with him later that evening. Seems he was having some personal struggles. And they shared.
 
As I dug through my suitcase, I found one more booklet. It was just for Doug! I signed it and gave it to him the next morning.
 
As we left the city of Christchurch for the airport, Doug handed a note to Jim, addressed to both of us. In part, it said he was having a particularly down day, feeling like a failure with confused thoughts. He went on to tell that he had three different ways which God encouraged him on that Sunday....when he phoned his wife, she encouraged him in prayer; his reading that morning was from the Bible book of I Timothy; and "then you spoke of your book on the bus", he penned. He said he felt renewed with sleep and peace that night.
 
And along with the treasured note to us, Doug tucked in $40 U.S. dollars for me to continue to encourage others with the books which I write and give away!
 
What we said and did, encouraged Doug. What Doug did with his note and dollars encourages Jim and I.
 
God knew we would all need each other.......for love, for encouragement, for support, and best of all for friendships. Sometimes we would have confused thoughts. Sometimes we will feel down.
 
Now the Welds have one more friend, who happens to drive a bus.......in a country nearly half way around the world...........New Zealand!!
Printable Issue 497  Today is Tuesday, March 8th, 2005; Karen's Korner #497
While Jim and I were gone to Australia and New Zealand, we received a very special email note from Pam Meeder's heart about a "life experience" with her grandma, Sadie Swenson, who was a lifelong resident of Wright County.
 
I asked Pam if she was willing to share some of what she typed with Karen's Korner readers and she agreed.
 
It seems that several weeks ago, early on a Saturday morning, Pam got a phone call from her mom who lives in Oklahoma. Pam's grandma wasn't doing very well. Would Pam and husband Fred go to Belmond to see her? Pam reluctantly agreed. She had experienced watching others who she loved died and really didn't want to go. But they went.
 
Pam's aunt was in the room when the Meeders got there, but must have needed a break, as she left when Pam and Fred arrived. Pam said Grandma Sadie was very restless."She was thrashing her arms because she was uncomfortable," she said. Pam asked her about a cool cloth for her face. Anything Pam suggested, grandma wasn't interested.
 
"I asked the care center staff to bring me a Bible," Pam said. When Pam asked her what she would like to hear, her grandma responded, "Anything."
 
"Out of my own frustration, I opened it to Ecclesiaster 3 and read verses 1 - 8; I really like this scripture," Pam said. "Then I didn't know what to read but figured the Psalms were always good in hard times. I turned to Psalm 23 and read to her."
 
As Pam read, her grandmother passed away. Pam said she believes that the Word of God comforted her. "I feel truly blessed to have been there for her and am no longer afraid of watching someone die," Pam said.
 
As the rest of the family got together to begin putting together funeral arrangements, Pam learned that those two Bible verses were favorites of her grandma's. "Grandma had the verses written on a page of notes," she said. "I had no idea they were her favorites. I just opened the Bible and started reading. What happened to me that day has proved to me once again that we are not alone in death. We may have our friends and family around but the Holy Spirit is there with us also."
 
The family asked Pam if she would share that special eulogy at her grandmother's funeral. "I did it with all the love in my heart and the knowledge  that grandma is in a better place," she said. "I didn't cry as I spoke instead felt an overwhelming desire to celebrate her life."
 
Pam's last line to me:  "I wanted to share this with you because of the blessings I felt I received."
 
There is the historical God and Jesus, but when He leaps off the pages of history into our daily lives, we are no longer the same.
 
Thanks, Pam, for sharing!
 
  
Printable Issue 498  Today is Wednesday, March 9th, 2005; Karen's Korner #498
The recipe I am sharing with you today, I received from either Melvene
Nickles or Dorla Hill near Easter time last year, but too late to include in
Karen's Korner. So I hung on to it for Easter 2005!

Yesterday I received the same recipe from Dorothy Reikens. If you are a kid,
have a kid or grandchild, work with a youth group or Sunday School, know
someone who does - this might be something good to try:


Easter Cookies (To be made the evening before Easter )

You need:

1 cup whole pecans
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (this is important-don't wait until
you're half done with the recipe)!

Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the
 wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was
arrested, He was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, He was given
vinegar to drink.  Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus
 gave His life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and
brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty
tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.

So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because
He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him.Read Ps. 34:8
and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff
peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in
God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isa. 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered
cookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus'
body was laid. Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven
OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that
Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED!

Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven
overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!
On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and
empty. Read Matt. 28:1-9

Share The Easter Cookie Story With Your Friends!


Printable Issue 499  Today is Thursday, March 10th, 2005; Karen's Korner #499
Several days ago Jamie and I were talking on the phone about life and how temporary things are:  relationships, friends, jobs, members of our family or church family, the amount of money we have, our abilities, our health. We try to make this life permanent, but it has a way of not staying that way.
 
When we were in Melbourne, Australia, a sandwich board on the sidewalk of a street cafe simply stated:
 
"Life is 10% what happens to you; and 90% how you react to it."
 
Most of us have heard that saying before, but it is so true!
 
Yesterday I saw country singer Naomi Judd on an afternoon talk show. Naomi has experience many changes in her life. Like all of us, some of them she probably liked. Others she would have changed if she could.
 
She used the acronym C.H.A.N.G.E:
 
"Choose Having A New Growth Experience"
 
This is especially true when we have something coming our way that we would just as soon not have to endure.
 
Life happens to us, but we have to "choose" to allow each experience to help us grow in a new direction.
Printable Issue 500  Today is Friday, March 11th, 2005; Karen's Korner #500

Today is a day to celebrate!  Karen’s Korner issue #500!!

 

Can you believe that I have been writing and sharing others’ writings for the past two plus years! Who can forget several writings that have gotten all squashed together when they were sent, or the time or two when my computer was not functioning and I was sending them from the public library or who knows where. Thanks to our daughter, Jamie, for taking a one-month shift. while we were on vacation in February.

 

And, oh, who can ever forget the day when my computer went crazy and everyone got 100-plus copies on one day!! Thanks for sticking with that me on that one!!

 

**

 

A day to celebrate and be thankful:

 

Psalms 67 – “God, be merciful to us and bless us; look on us with kindness, so that the whole world may know your will; so that all nations may know your salvation.

 

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you!

 

May the nations be glad and sing for joy, because you judge the peoples with justice and guide every nation on earth.

 

May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the people praise you!

 

The land has produced its harvest; God, our God, has blessed us. God has blessed us; may all people everywhere honor him.

 

Printable Issue 501  Today is Monday, March 14th, 2005; Karen's Korner #501
 One of the things Jim and I learned more about, and met, were some of the aboriginal people in Australia. The native aborigines are a very dark-skinned, nomadic people who lived in tribes and wandered the bush (rural) country of the continent.
 
Somethings our tour group learned were from the people themselves, our guides, and a book that I read while we traveled.
 
The native aboriginees (many of them today live in rural communities and receive money monthly from the Australian government) didn't have clocks or calendars; didn't celebrate holidays or their annual birthdays. Their belief was, "Why celebrate getting older? We have done nothing to make it happen!"
 
They believed, instead, it was better to celebrate acknowledging a person's talent or contribution to their community. The question should be asked, "Am I wiser today than I was a year ago? What has life taught me that can be taken to another realm of existence?"
 
Every year, each member of the aboriginal tribe does celebrate that new level of growth or learning.....from life experiences, from some other older and wiser person, or from God (I don't know if that is "God" or "god", small "g") and His hand in nature.Who requests the celebration be held? That person for whom the celebration is to be given!! .... as they become more and more aware of that new level of growth.
 
As I learned from this Austrailian heritage, I thought, "Do I celebrate my life? What I am learning? How I am contributing? Am I wiser today than I was last year? Am I allowing God to teach me more? And am I taking what I am learning from Him and from my friends and sharing it with others? Would I ever get around to celebrating in 2005? Or would I think I am coming up short?"
 
I think God would like all of us to learn, to grow, and to celebrate the difference He is making in each one of our lives........today might be one of those days to celebrate!!
Printable Issue 502  Today is Tuesday, March 15th, 2005; Karen's Korner #502
I have a couple of good Easter writings I want to send out before Easter Sunday.
 
This one was forwarded to me by Wilma and Lee Gamblin, former pastor family from the Clarion Church of the Nazarene:
 
 
WD-40 and Duct Tape
 
 
A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him
at the Pearly Gates. 

St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to
make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I
give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good
it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in." 

"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50
years and never cheated on her, even in my heart." 

"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three
points!" 

"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life
and supported its ministry with my tithe and service." 

"Terrific!" says St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a point." 

"One point!?!!" 
 
"I started a soup kitchen in my city and
worked in a shelter for homeless veterans." 

"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says. 

"Two points!?!!"  Exasperated, the man cries. "At this rate the
only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God." 

"Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!" 

We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and duct tape. 

God did it with a nail. 

AMEN! 

 
 

Printable Issue 503  Today is Wednesday, March 16th, 2005; Karen's Korner #503

Today is a good day! I have the fun of beginning to give away some of my new devotional booklets, "Always be Thankful". Later this afternoon and early evening, I will begin autographing some of the copies for people who come to the book signing party at our local church.

 

If anyone would like a copy, just ask me for one. I will get them to you. Like all of the others, they are free. If they need to be mailed to you, get me your address, in case I don't already have it. The last couple of booklets I have asked for $1 to cover the cost of mailing the booklets. This time I am asking $2, as they have a few more pages than the last one.

 

Below I have included a portion of the preface on the inside cover of "Always be Thankful":   

 

 

    More than twenty years ago, I served on the Clarion School Board. The days were before open enrollments and additional tax levies which school districts could approve. Clarion was experiencing severe declining enrollments and very few, if any, additional dollars for the upcoming school year.

       After negotiating for teachers’ salaries which was required, and administrators sometimes giving up annual raises which was generous, the board would have the task of giving raises to cooks, janitors, secretaries, and bus drivers. We would talk sometimes about not giving them a raise because of lack of money and because we could make that decision. For the few years I was on the board, we would vote for five- and ten-cent-per-hour wage increase. Not much of a “raise”.

      But each of those years, the Clarion board and administration would receive one thank you note from the number of employees whose lives we were affecting. The note would come from Lee Dahlgren, a janitor, who had gotten one of our less-than-generous salary increases:  thanking us for the opportunity to work for the school and for his raise for the upcoming year and how much he and his family appreciated it.

       Lee passed away several years ago.  I learned a lot from Lee, and I have learned a lot from others in my world about how to “always be thankful”. I thank God for Lee’s and your examples, of teaching me.

        And I thank God for the way that I am, and each of us are, designed:  we aren’t truly happy or content until we learn to be thankful……..always!

 

Printable Issue 504  Today is Thursday, March 17th, 2005; Karen's Korner #504

This week our church had "LIFE" meetings for four nights. Our guest speaker has been our minister's brother, Bill Platt who is from Missouri and is also a minister. He shared this writing at our Sunday morning worship service and Vicy Rasmussen from our congregation and several others told me, "You ought to get that from Bill and put it in Karen's Korner!"

I did that and here it is:

 This was written by Danny Dutton, age 8 from Chula Vista, California, third grade homework assignment.

Explain God

One of God’s main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn’t make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn’t have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God’s second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn’t have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off.

God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn’t go wasting His time by going over your Mom and Dad’s head asking for something they said you couldn’t have.

Atheists are people who don’t believe in God. I don’t think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren’t any who come to our church.

Jesus is God’s Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn’t want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father that they didn’t know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK.

His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him he didn’t have to go on the road any more. He could stay in heaven. So He did.

And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of. He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary only more important.

You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time. You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there’s anybody you want to make happy, it’s God. Don’t skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn’t come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don’t believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can’t go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He’s around you when you’re scared in the dark or when you can’t swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.

But you shouldn’t just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.

And that’s why I believe in God.

 

Printable Issue 505  Today is Friday, March 18th, 2005; Karen's Korner #505
A couple of weeks ago when we got home from our extended trip to Australia and New Zealand, I looked around our house about 24 hours after we arrived. What a mess!!
 
The kitchen table was level full of toiletries that needed to put back in their proper place. There were small bags of things we had picked up and brought back home with us from our vacation. The kitchen sink was starting to fill up with used dishes.
 
Green plants, which our neighbor had watered for us while we were gone, were still conglomerated together in and around our dining room table. In another corner of that same room was a large box of unsorted mail from about a month!
 
The suitcases were partially unpacked and the laundry pile was growing higher!
 
I thought, "How can we make such a mess in only 24 hours? This place stayed neat for the past month! Now look at it!!"
 
My next thought was, "But there was no life here during the month of February! THIS is what life looks like!!"
 
No life; no mess!
 
So if we are running to pick up family members from their latest activities, changing one more diaper, hoping to make a bigger impact on a family member of friend, or wondering when we will ever be able to catch up on the latest magazine or novel, maybe we need to think about God when He tells us, "I have come that you might have life more abundantly! (John 10:10).
 
Instead of attempting to quickly unscramble the maze, I took a second look at it and thanked God for the new life we were experiencing of once again being back home...and began brushing some toast crumbs off our kitchen counter.
 
THIS is what LIFE looks like!!
Printable Issue 506  Today is Monday, March 21st, 2005; Karen's Korner #506
Happy Spring!  This writing Arlene Lockwood forwarded to me months ago,
but I wanted to save it as an Easter week story. I don't know if the pine trees always
"do their thing" at Easter time, depending on when Easter comes or where we
are geographically. No matter. It will change how I think when I next see the new
shoots of a pine tree:
 
The Pine Tree Crosses
 
Last April on a Sunday we took one of our "nowhere" drives, my husband
was quietly driving a back road. I was occupied in the front passenger
seat watching the scenery.
 
I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my husband was straining to
look out my window. This startled me, since his eyes should be on the
road in front of him. I asked him what he was looking at out the
windows, and he quietly replied, "Nothing." His eyes went back to the
road in front of him.

After a few minutes, I looked over at my husband and noticed a tear
running down his cheek. I asked him what was wrong. This time he told
me, "I was just thinking about Pop and a story he had once told me." Of
course, because it had to do with his Pop I wanted to know the story, so
I asked him to share it with me.

He said, "When I was about eight years old, Pop and I were out fishing and
that's when he told me that the Pine trees know when it is Easter."

I had no idea what he meant by that, so I pressed him for more
information.

He continued on... "The Pine trees start their new growth in the weeks
before Easter -- if you look at the tops of the Pine trees two weeks
before, you will see the yellow shoots. As the days get closer to Easter
Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off and form a cross. By the time
Easter Sunday comes around, you will see that most of the Pine trees
will have small yellow crosses on all of the tallest shoots."

I turned to look out the window and I couldn't believe my eyes.  It was
a week before Easter, and you could see all of the trees with the tall
yellow shoots stretching to Heaven.
 
The tallest ones shone in the sunlight like rows of tiny golden crosses.
 
Printable Issue 507  Today is Tuesday, March 22nd, 2005; Karen's Korner #507
When we boarded the airplane to fly home from New Zealand to Los Angeles, the flight attendants did the normal drill of safety procedures. Not long after, the pilot came on the intercom with more flight information, ".......flight a bit more than 11 hours.....should be a relatively easy flight.....might be some turbulence a bit ahead.........."
 
About an hour into the flight, it felt like we hit something in mid-air. It was a jolt big enough to cause my heart to pick up its normal pace! And the jostling continued. Fasten seat belt lights came back on. No flight attendants were running up and down the aisles. I am sure frequent flyers have experienced more of a bouncy ride, but I can't recall that I have!
 
Not more than a couple of minutes later, the pilot came back on the sound system with the news. The turbulence was going to continue. He had attempted to climb higher to go over the top of it, but his new course wasn't going to help. "It will take about 15 minutes to get through it," he said. "Just bear with us!"
 
I had two choices:  I could pay attention to what I was experiencing!!  Physically; a heart that was beating a bit above normal, seat belts in place, not able to walk up and down the aisles of the plane, and something that felt like a carnival ride for novices. Maybe we weren't going to make it back!
 
Or I could listen to somebody who has done lots of flying, in contact with others on the ground, and reading lots of instruments and gauges in front of him.
 
I had to pick one!
 
I chose the guy with the experience who was looking out for all of us and knew what he was doing!
 
As I was experiencing the rougher ride, I thought about God and how He is the pilot of all of our lifes' planes. Sometimes we fly along with relative calm; other times we hit some turbulence. As the pilot, He knows the destination and any problems which are coming ahead for us. His Words tell us not to be afraid and to trust Him. He has everything under control. Sometimes He can help us rise to a new height and fly over a difficult situation. Other times we have to fly through it; it might feel rough but He knows that there is a smoother flight ahead for us!
 
And best of all, He always takes us safely back home!!
Printable Issue 508  Today is Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005; Karen's Korner #508
 
Sometimes the next day is coming and I don't have anything special in mind for "Karen's Korner". I usually have several writings "stored" for the future. One of those "saved" items was from Jim and Candee Bossard.
 
Last night I got the same writing from Vaughn and Bonnie Saxton. To me, that is urging enough that "My Attorney" is today's Karen's Korner. Enjoy! 

MY ATTORNEY
 
     After living what I felt was a "decent" life, my time on earth
     came to the end.
      The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting
     room of what I thought to be a court house.
      The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat
     by the defense table.
 
     As I looked around I saw the "prosecutor."
     He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me.
      He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.
 
     I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney,
     a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar
     to me, I felt I knew Him.
 
     The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in full
     flowing robes.
      He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I
     couldn't take my eyes off of Him.
 
     As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, "Let us begin."
     The prosecutor rose and said,
     "My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man
     belongs in hell."
      He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole,
     and In the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible
     Perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the 
     further down in my seat I sank.
 
     I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own
     Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely 
     forgotten about.
      As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about
     me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not
     Offering any form of defense at all.
      I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some
     good in my life - couldn't hat at least equal out part of the harm
     I'd done?
 
     Satan finished with a fury and said, "This man belongs in hell,
     he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person
     who can prove otherwise."
 
     When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might
     approach the bench.
     The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan,
     and beckoned Him to come forward.
     As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in
     His full splendor and majesty.
 
     I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus
     representing me, my Lord and my Savior.
     He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, "Hi,
     Dad," and then He turned to address the court.
 
     "Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned,
     I won't deny any of these allegations.
     And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this man deserves to be
     punished."
     Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with
     outstretched arms and proclaimed, "However, I died on the cross so
     that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his
    Savior, so he is Mine."

     My Lord continued with, "His name is written in the book of life
     and no one can snatch him from
Me.
      Satan still does not understand yet.
     This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy."
 
     As Jesus sat down,
     He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said,
     "There is nothing else that needs to be done.
      I've done it all."
 
     The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down.
     The following words bellowed from His lips..
     "This man is free."
     The penalty for him has already been paid in full.
     Case dismissed."

     As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving,
     "I won't give up, I will win the next one." I asked Jesus as He
      gave me my instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?"
      Christ lovingly smiled and said,
     "Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them
     has received the same verdict as you,
     ~Paid In Full~
 

Printable Issue 509  Today is Thursday, March 24th, 2005; Karen's Korner #509
This is a short "Chicken Soup for the Soul", written by someone who herself is a middle school student, I believe:
 
A Simple Hello
By Katie E. Houston

I have always felt sympathy and compassion for the kids I see at school walking all alone, for the ones that sit in the back of the room while everyone snickers and makes fun of them.  But I never did anything about it.  I guess I figured that someone else would.  I did not take the time to really think about the depth of their pain. 

Then one day I thought, what if I did take a moment out of my busy schedule to simply say hello to someone without a friend or stop and chat with someone eating by herself?  And I did.  It felt good to brighten up someone else's life. 

How did I know I did?  Because I remembered the day a simple kind hello changed my life forever.

~~

And a bit of Easter humor:

 IT WAS PALM SUNDAY AND, BECAUSE OF A SORE THROAT, FIVE-YEAR-OLD JOHNNY STAYED HOME FROM CHURCH WITH A SITTER.  WHEN THE FAMILY RETURNED HOME, THEY WERE CARRYING SEVERAL PALM BRANCHES.  THE BOY ASKED WHAT THEY WERE FOR.  "PEOPLE HELD THEM OVER JESUS' HEAD AS HE WALKED BY." 

 "WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT," THE BOY FUMED, "THE ONE SUNDAY I DON'T GO, HE SHOWS UP!"

Printable Issue 510  Today is Friday, March 25th, 2005; Karen's Korner #510
Today is Good Friday!
 
Jesus' life was wonderful, but it was not the end of the story! Jesus' death was tragic, but it was not the end of the story! Jesus' resurrection was phenominal, but it was not the end of the story.............it was just the beginning!
 
And if we accept His life, His death, and believe in His resurrection, it is just the beginning for each of us, too!
 
Happy Easter.......and happy tomorrow.......and for all the tomorrows.....that last forever!!
 
 

Luke 24:1 – 7 – “But very early on Sunday morning, they took the ointments to the tomb—and found that the huge stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. So they went in—but the Lord Jesus’ body was gone.

            “They stood there puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly two men appeared before them, clothed in shining robes so bright their eyes were dazzled. The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, ‘Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? He isn’t here! He has come back to life again! Don’t you remember what He told you back in Galilee—that the Messiah must be betrayed into the power of evil men and be crucified and that He would rise again on the third day?’  Then they all remembered!!

 

Bible Commentary on verses 1 – 7:  “The two angels asked the women why they were looking in a tomb for someone who was alive. Often we run into people who are looking for God among the dead. They study the Bible as a mere historical document and go to church as if to a memorial service. But Jesus is not among the dead—he lives! He reigns in the hearts of Christians, and He is the head of His Church. Do you look for Jesus among the living? Do you expect Him to be active in the world and in the Church? Look for signs of His Power—they are all around you!!

Printable Issue 511  Today is Monday, March 28th, 2005; Karen's Korner #511

To celebrate or remember Good Friday, Pastor Tony, who is the Nazarene minister locally, decided he wanted to carry the cross as Christ would have. So in the afternoon, he started his trek from our local cemetery, west down the highway running through Clarion. He turned at the intersection with a county road, traveling south to the church where he pastors. It was a distance of 1.8 miles.

Several local people decided they wanted to make the journey with him. As I was leaving town for home on Friday late afternoon, I met the troop as they walked, followed by a local police car with its flashing lights. While I needed to get back home to make supper for extras, I decided to join the merry band for at least a portion of the walk.

As I parked the car, I couldn't help but think how appropriate it was for the "Christ" to move from the cemetery to the church. Christianity is like that! Because of what Christ did on the cross for each one of us, we move from death to life! Even though I walked only about one-fourth of the way, I noticed a friend from church who was walking on the other side of the street, coming back from a four-mile walk around a square northeast of town. "Raynard, come on over and walk with us!" I hollered.

It wasn't long before he was walking with us, too! That's how Christianity works........asking others to join with us! I didn't complete the walk. Neither did Raynard. He only walked a portion of the journey before he walked on home. It doesn't matter how long we walk together. Or if we just pause to appreciate what Jesus did for us as He and His followers pass by! It only matters that we remember and choose to follow Him; and the path He has asked us to travel!!

Printable Issue 512  Today is Tuesday, March 29th, 2005; Karen's Korner #512
At Thanksgiving time, our local discount store usually has several items for sale that if you buy the items and send in the rebate coupons they are free. This past year one item was a green tractor, a couple of molded farm animals, and four pieces of plastic fence. Only $5. Mail in the rebate and get $5 back.
 
I didn't know how good it would be, but it looked like a "grandma and grandpa" toy to me so I bought it, and gave it to Jim and me at Christmas time.
 
About three weeks ago, our year old grandson, Luke, began playing with it. We tried to show him how to push the buttons on the side with his little fingers. Then the lights would flash and it would make a starting or running sound for five or six seconds. He watched but didn't really get the hang of it.
 
When he was here last weekend for Easter, he got it! He would turn the tractor around until he found the buttons and push them. If it looked like it was going to get away from him, he would lay the tractor on its side to push the buttons.
 
And each time, Luke's eyes would light up, he would smile, and applaud himself. He had done a good job and he knew it. If he could, he would get mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa to join in the smiles and applause!
 
As I watched, I thought, "When do we stop feeling so excited about some of the things we do well!" And then I thought, "In the next few days, I am planning to get excited about some little thing that I did that I enjoyed or did a good job with!"
 
I gave our Sunday School class the same assignment on Sunday. And I am assign each of you who read this note the same "job". Push a button. Let your eyes shine. Smile about what you have done well. Don't forget to applaud for yourself!!
 
I'm sure that God and all of the angels in heaven do the same things some times on our behalf!! Can you or I do any less?
Printable Issue 513  Today is Wednesday, March 30th, 2005; Karen's Korner #513

Today's Karen's Korner is something that was sent to me on March 21 by Cathy Jones, who now lives in Tennessee. She is the mother of Merry's first college roommate at Simpson College. At that time, she and Rex lived in Sioux City where she taught elementary school. Her daughter Krista and Merry had been in school only a month or two when they got the message that Krista's brother, Alan, who was a high school junior at the time, had died via suicide.

 

The Jones family has continued on with their life's journey. Mom and dad are now retired. Mom is a mentor for people/families in their church, as well as many other volunteer activities.

 

This is a dream which Cathy had and shared with some on her email list. I asked if I could it pass it on to others. She said it would be fine:

         

 

When I woke up this morning I remembered the dream I had been dreaming.  The images were so real and so beautiful, I want to write about them while they are still fresh in my mind.

 

The setting was Heaven.  An angel was escorting me up a flight of wide, white marble steps.  When we reached the top, we turned to our right and proceeded down a wide hallway, also all of white marble.  Along each side were tall marble pillars and between the pillars were sets of white double doors.  The angel stopped at one set of double doors and opened them.

 

Inside was a large banquet room.  The tables were arranged in a U-shape, with the open part of the U facing the doorway.  All of the people I have loved and who have loved me who have already gone to Heaven were standing within that U-shaped opening, waiting  with open arms to welcome me to Heaven.  There were lots of hugs, then we all sat down to a feast.  Whatever each person wanted to eat instantly appeared on the plate in front of them.

 

I realized that behind each set of double doors a similar welcome awaited each person who was arriving in Heaven. 

 

I  believe this dream is an affirmation of what I have already felt - - that love does not cease with the death of a loved one and that it continues to flow between Heaven and Earth. I also do not believe this dream is a premonition of my imminent demise.

 

-- Cathy Jones

  

Printable Issue 514  Today is Thursday, March 31st, 2005; Karen's Korner #514

As one of our church's mission projects, we give monies to support an area Christian radio station. The dollar total is such that we sponsor two - half days of broadcast in honor of two members of our church family on their birthdays.

 
Good Friday was Leah Platt's 14th birthday. Her name was drawn as one of those two names. So several times on KJYL radio, the broadcasters honored Leah on her day.

One time the announcer talked about liviing true to our faith and what we believe and quoted these three Bible verses:
 
Psalms 37:4 - 6: "Be delighted with the Lord. Then He will give you all your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to help you do it and He will. Your innocence will be clear to everyone. He will vindicate you with the blazing light of justice shining down as from the noonday sun."
 
Several Bible commentary notes include:  "David (writer of this Psalm) calls us to take delight in the Lord and to commit everything we have and do to Him. But how do we do this? To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in his or her presence. This happens only when we know that person well. To commit ourselves to the Lord means entrusting everything--our lives, families, jobs, possessions--to His control and guidance. To delight in the Lord, we must know Him. Knowledge of His great love to us will give us delight. To commit ourselves to the Lord means to trust Him, believing that He can care for us better than we can care for ourselves.