My friend, Jayne Hanning's mother wrote this "Easter Prayer" on Easter of 1974. Maryellen Basham told her family she most wanted to be remembered for her poetry writings. While Maryellen had been in declining health for a number of years and Jayne served as her primary caregiver, it was surprising to the entire family that she passed away unexpectedly at her home on Easter Day two years ago.

Coincidence? Or God directed? You decide!

Easter Prayer

"I thank thee God, for Christ my King,

Praises to His name I sing;

I thank thee for the life He gave,

That mine and others He might save,

on this, another Easter morn,

I thank thee God, that Christ was born,

To live and then be crucified

For all our sins He bravely died.

To him I owe both heart and soul,

Whose blood was shed to make me whole,

My fervent prayer is to His Glory,

Without, there would be no Easter story."

~ Maryellen Basham

June 2, 1928 - April 16, 2017

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"An Eleventh Hour Gift"

"'We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn't done one thing wrong.' These words were spoken on Skull's hill by a thief. After a life of crime, he's reached the bottom---a crossbeam and three spikes. He begins to wonder who Jesus might be, and he hears the whisper, 'Father, forgive them.'

"When the other criminal hurls an accusation at Jesus, this thief defends him. His statement includes facts that anyone needs to recognize to come to Jesus. We are guilty and he is innocent. He is not on that cross for his sins. He is there for ours. And Jesus performs the greatest miracle of the cross----the miracle of forgiveness. 'Today, you will be with me in paradise.' A sin-soaked criminal is received by a blood-stained Savior.

"Such is the definition of grace."

~ By Max Lucado

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"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?"

~ Luke 24:6 & 7 LAB

Bible Commentary:  "The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central fact of Christian history. On it, the church is built; without it, there would be no Christian church today. Jesus' resurrection is unique. Other religions have strong ethical systems, concepts about Paradise and various holy scriptures. Only Christianity has a God who became a man, literally died for his people, and was raised again in power and glory to rule his church forever.

"Why is the resurrection so important? 1) Because Christ was raised from the dead, we know that the Kingdom of Heaven has broken into earth's history. Our world is headed for redemption, not disaster. God's mighty power is at work destroying sin, creating new lives, and preparing us for Jesus' Second Coming. 2) Because of the resurrection, we know that death has been conquered, and we, too, will be raised from the dead to live forever with Christ; 3) The resurrection gives authority to the church's witness in the world.4) The resurrection gives meaning to the church's regular feast, the Lord's Supper. 5) The resurrection helps us find meaning even in the midst of tragedy. No matter what happens to us as we walk with the Lord, who comes in power to save us. 6)The resurrection assures us that Christ is alive and ruling his Kingdom. He is not legend; he is alive and real. 7) God's power that brought Jesus back from the dead is available to us so that we can live for him in an evil world.

"Christians can look very different from one another; they can hold widely varying beliefs about politics, lifestyle, and even theology. But one central belief unities and inspires all true Christians----Jesus Christ rose from the dead!"

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These Bible verses are taken from a listing given to us gals in a recent Bible study. We need to be reminded often of all the things God wants us to have, as the 'world' tries to tell us many other messages. Most of them not positive.

The listing is for 'daughters', but it could be for 'sons' as well. (Part 1 of 2).

Decrees for God's Daughters

"I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."

~ Ephesians 1:3

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"I am chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world that I may be holy and blameless before the Father."

~ Ephesians 1:4

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"I am predestined to adoption as a daughter (son) by the Father through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will."

~ Ephesians 1:5

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"The same love He has for His Beloved One, Jesus, He has for me. And this unfolding plan brings Him great pleasure!"

~ Ephesians 1:6 (TPT)

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"I have redemption through Jesus Christ's blood and the forgiveness of sins."

~ Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 3:14

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"I have obtained an inheritance in Christ."

~ Ephesians 1:11

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"I am sealed with the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of my inheritance."

~ Ephesians 1:13 - 14

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"God raised me up in heavenly places to sit with Him in Jesus Christ."

~ Ephesians 2:6

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Failures Are Not Fatal

"Nothing drags more stubbornly than a sack of failures. Could you do it all over again, you'd do it differently. But you can't. And as many times as you tell yourself, 'What's done is done, what you did can't be undone'. That's part of what Paul meant when he said, 'The wages of sin is death.' Can anything be done? What do you do with the stones from life's stumbles?

"Don't we all long for a father who cares for us in spite of our failures? We do have that type of father. A father who is at his best when we are at our worst. A father whose grace is strongest when our devotion is weakest. If your bag is big and bulky, then you're in for some thrilling news:  your failures are not fatal."

~ By Max Lucado

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(An extra KK today to get '5 for the week'. By doing this, every Friday, last one of the week, ends in a 5 or a 0.)

I renewed my driver's license yesterday. I am in the age category where I can't 'buy' it for five years any longer. I am only allowed for two years at a time.

Today's verse talks about 'old age', which takes in a number of us. But there are still things God wants us to do; among other things is to listen to people who are older yet than we are.

"Even in old age, they will still produce fruit and be vital and green.

This honors the Lord, and exhibits his faithful care.

He is my shelter.

There is nothing but goodness in him."

~ Psalm 92:14 & 15 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "Honoring God is not limited to young people who are still blessed with physical strength and vitality. Even in old age, devoted believers can produce spiritual fruit. There are many faithful older people who have much to share and teach from a lifetime of living with God. Seek out an elderly friend or relative to tell you about life experiences with the Lord and challenge you to new heights of spiritual living."

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As we inch closer to our celebrations of Easter, these thoughts by Anne Graham Lotz are good ones.

The Grave Clothes

"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

~ John 20:29  NIV

"Upon hearing the news of the empty tomb, Peter and John ran to see for themselves. Peter confronted the evidence, but he was confused. At that instant, he must have been angrier than ever. He must have surmised that the enemies of Jesus who had dared to crucify Him, had now taken the body for who knew what purpose!

"John quietly looked around. He noticed that the grave clothes were totally unlike those of Lazarus, which had been just a pile of stinking rags by the time Martha had finished unwrapping him. These grave clothes were lying, not as though someone had removed them from the body, but as though the body were still inside! The face cloth was situated where the face would have been, with the few inches of the neck separating it from the rest of the shroud. As he studied the evidence, it must have gradually dawned on him that the grave clothes looked like an empty cocoon! The looked as thought the body had just evaporated up through them! Then John knew (John 20:8). The body hadn't evaporated. Jesus had risen from the dead!

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(Still have uncommon problems with sending/receiving Karen's Korners. Thanks for sticking with me.)

Several weeks ago our church sermon was on forgiveness. While we sometimes have to forgive others, we many times have a harder time forgiving ourselves. We can struggle with things we may have done in the past. Pastor Warren said, "Yesterday ended last night!"

Today's entry by Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence" has some thoughts along those lines:

""This is the day that I have made. Rejoice and be glad in it. Begin the day with open hands of faith, ready to receive all that I am pouring into this brief portion of your life. Be careful not to complain about anything, even the weather, since I am the Author of your circumstances. The best way to handle unwanted situations is to thank Me for them. This act of faith frees you from resentment and frees Me to work My ways into the situation, so that good emerges from it.

"To find joy in this day, you must live within its boundaries. I knew what I was doing when I divided time into twenty-four hour segments. I understand human frailty, and I know that you can bear the weight of only one day at a time. Do no worry about tomorrow or get stuck in the past. There is abundant Life in My Presence today."

~ Taken from Psalm 118:24; Philippians 3:13 - 14

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As we move away from winter and into spring, this is something that was read at church several week's ago. It was written by Dan Cramer for a Lenten devotional our church put together a number of years ago, featuring writings by church members.

"But though men can do all things,

they don't know where to find wisdom and understanding."

~ Job 28:12 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "People can perform all kinds of technological wonders. They can find stars invisible to the eye, they visit space, they can store volumes of information on a microchip. But even the greatest scientists, on their own, are at a loss to discover wisdom for their daily lives. Only God can show them where to look to find wisdom because He is the course of wisdom. True wisdom is having God's perspective on life. As the Creator of life, only He knows what is best for His creation. It is fruitless for us to try to become wise merely through our own observations and efforts, because God alone sees the greater purpose for His world."

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