Today is Monday, January 19th, 2015; Karen's Korner #2986

Three short thoughts to begin our week:

My sister Jan tells the story of working with another volunteer in Mason City as they work to fill 'backpacks' with food items for needy kids' weekend eating.

"The gal across from me was a single mom with two daughters, ages 19 and 16," Jan said. "Her sixteen-year-old attends a before-school Christian group." Her Christmas list included the typical 'wants' of kids her age, but sandwiched in the middle was a request for a new Bible (Scriptures).

Mom's remark, "We must be doing something right!"

When we question today's youth or the direction some things are going in our culture, remember a sixteen-year-old and her group in Mason City!

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I take four over-the-counter pills daily, which are supposed to be good for me as I turn the pages of time. Two of the pills are larger ones. Several weeks ago I choked on them as I was gulped a glass of water.

"Break them in two," was the advice of several friends.

That's what I now do. One is easier to break than the other. One is "scored" (indented mark); the other is not. The scored one is the most 'breakable'.

That pill makes me think of our lives:  we need to pay attention where 'the weaknesses' are, so we aren't as 'breakable' when 'harder times come'.

*

Our church sermon yesterday was telling about the importance of Bible reading, attending church, study groups, prayer.

Many times when I do/have felt badly about myself, it seems that God reminds me how much I am LOVED (and there are dozens of Bible verses which tell me that about me and others!) Now and then when I would 'whine' to God about Jim (or someone else in my life), He would gently remind me "that I wasn't so hot myself" (Don't know if there are Bible verses to support that or not). But I would know that it is true!

Living the Christian life remains one of balance:  not thinking too lowly of ourselves; nor overly inflated!

Thank You God for that balance. We can't achieve it on our own!

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