As you may recall, the day after Fathers' Day, Karen's Korner contained three prayers taken from a couple-inch wooden block which men in our church family had received at Sunday worship services. Since it is a cube, there are six prayers.  Here are the final three:

"Dear God, as spiritual leader of my home, help me to protect my family from spiritual attack. Through my example, may I help my loved ones to seek and follow You always. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

*

"Dear God, please forgive me for offending my loved ones in what I have done or failed to do. Help me to also forgive them, as You have forgiven me -- without end! In Jesus' Name. Amen,"

*

"Dear God, thank You for the great joy and responsibility of fatherhood! I entrust my children to the heart of Your Son Jesus. Bless them and lead them to Yourself. In Jesus' Name. Amen."

***

"That evening several demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus, and when He spoke a single word, all the demons fled; and the sick were healed. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, 'He took our sicknesses and bore our diseases.'"

~ Matthew 8:16, 17 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "Matthew continued to show Jesus' kingly nature. Through a single touch, he heals; when he speaks a single word, demons flee His presence. Jesus has authority over all evil powers and all earthly diseases. He also has power and authority to conquer sin. Sickness and evil are consequences of living in a fallen world. But in the future, when God cleanses the earth from sin, there will be no more sickness and death. Jesus' healing miracles were a taste of what the whole world will one day experience."

***

In God's Kingdom, there are numbers which are significant. We see them over and over again. Forty is one of those numbers; so is three; and on they go.

The one we are going to look at today is SEVEN, which means perfection or completeness in His World, like seven days in a week.

Billy Graham's daughter Anne Graham Lotz has embarked on a "7-7-7 An Urgent Call To Prayer: 7th Month (July); 7 Days (July 1 - 7); and 7 Hours (one hour of daily prayer and reflection). This was yesterday's (day 2) which I thought was good and worthy of being shared farther.

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive all WEALTH

"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has In these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed Heir to all things, through whom also He made the worlds."

~ Hebrews 1:1-2

* We worship You, Lord Jesus Christ, as the Father's only begotten Son, the One to whom the Father has given everything. You are His Heir of all things. You made the world at Creation, You bought it at Calvary, and it's Your right to own and rule it...and us. You hold the world in the palm of Your hand, yet You are the same One who sees when a sparrow falls. The same One who clothes the lilies of the field. The same One who fed 5,000 hungry men and their families with five loaves and two fish. You have promised to meet all our needs according to the riches of Your glory, because You are Jehovah-Jirah, the Lord Our Provider.

* I worship You as _____________________.

* We repent of hoarding our own wealth when You have freely given us all things.

* We repent of our greed that has run up trillions of dollars of national debt.

* We repent of closing our eyes and ears to the needs of others around us because we want more for ourselves.

* We repent of allowing the material blessings You have given us to deceive us into thinking we don't need You.

* We repent of feeling entitled to and demanding what someone else has earned, instead of taking responsibility for ourselves and our families as we trust You.

* We repent of living as though material wealth and prosperity will bring happiness.

* We repent of being consumed with worry over out financial, material needs as thought You are not sufficient for all things.

* I repent of _________________________.

* We choose to give You all that we have and all that we own, not just 10%. We trust You to give us, in return, our next breath and to supply, not everything we want, but everything we need.

* I choose now to _____________________ .

* We ask You to reveal to us the debt we owe You so that we can sincerely acknowledge it, then forgive us as we forgive our debtors.

* We ask that You open our eyes to the spiritual as well as the material needs of others, and use us to act on Your behalf to meet those needs.

* We ask that You give us a fresh vision of Your power and wealth, so that we would be encouraged as we look forward to the Home You are preparing for us.

* We ask that You give us courage to see, believe, and live in the Light of eternity, so that we resist the attractiveness of temptation, sin, selfishness and evil and abandon ourselves to Your will.

* I humbly ask that ____________________ .

FOR YOUR GLORY,

AMEN

(I have copied Anne's web site here, but have been having problems with copied things being garbled when they are sent. If that happens, just 'google' or 'bing':  Anne Graham Lotz to find the past and future days' information, if you'd like:

http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/events/urgent-call-to-prayer/

Happy 4th of July!

To celebrate, here are a few fun facts about the Declaration of Independence and the some reasons about why we celebrate as we do:

* The Declaration of Independence was a document declaring the United States to be independent of the Royal Crown and was signed on July 4, 1776 by congressional representatives of the 13 colonies;

* It was signed by 56 delegates with an average age of 45 years old; and not one of those 56 was born in America;

* The United States didn't exist until the Declaration of Independence was signed. Not everyone signed the document on July 4; the last was Matthew Thornton who signed it on November 4, 1776;

* The document stated that authority to govern belongs to the people rather than to kings; the reason for the American Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence was due to the belief that the Stamp Act of 1765 imposed by Parliament Act by the British government was unconstitutional;

* The population of the United States at the time was 2.5 million; 20% of its citizens remained loyal to the British King and its government rule;

* When the Congress was declared traders by royal decree, the members responded by signing the Declaration of Independence;

* On July 4, 1826, fifty years to the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died. They were the only two signers who became U.S. presidents;

* It wasn't until July 4, 1941 the Independence Day became a legal holiday;

* The most famous lines from the Declaration of Independence:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

***

A 'Max Lucado' to start the day and the week:

Made Right with God

"How would you fill in this blank? A person is made right with God through _______. Don't let its brevity fool you. How you complete it is critical; it reflects the nature of your faith.

"One might say a person is made right through.....being good.  Giving sandwiches to the poor. Some say Christian conduct is the secret. Perhaps suffering is the answer. Sleep on dirt floors. Malaria. Poverty. Bare feet. The greater the pain, the greater the saint. No, no, no, another contends. The way to be made right with God? It's doctrine. Air-tight theology with explains every mystery. Inspiration clarified.

"Yet, how are we truly made right with God? All the above are tried All are demonstrated. But none are from God. Romans 3:28 says, 'A person is made right with God through faith.' Through faith in God's sacrifice on the cross.

"It's not what you do, it's what He did."

****

"I will give you one heart and a new spirit;

I will take your hearts of stone and give you tender hearts of love for God,

so that you can obey my laws and be my people,

and I will be your God."

~ Ezekiel 11:19, 20 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "Sometimes things are opposite of people's perception. Appearances can be deceiving. God will evaluate our lives by our faith and obedience, not by our apparent earthly success and blessings. We cannot accurately judge the lives of others."

****

Taken from 'a 40-day discovery' titled "Jesus Revealed", published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association:

He Would Not Open His Mouth

"And in the face of such oppression and suffering---silence. Not a word of protest, not a finger was raised to stop it. Like a sheep to a hearing, like a lamb to be slaughtered, he went---oh so quietly, oh so willingly.

~ Isaiah 53:7 (Old Testament Prophecy)

*

"Pilate said, 'Do You hear these accusations they are making against You?' Still Jesus said nothing, which Pilate found rather astounding---no protests, no defense, nothing."

~ Matthew 27:13-14 (Fulfilled in Jesus)

*

Thought:

"Amazingly Jesus said nothing in His defense; just maybe He did so because He was taking our place of punishment. So in saying nothing, He said everything!"

*

"Lord Jesus, I confess that it still bewilders me that You chose to say nothing in Your defense. You had performed miracle after miracle and You could have called on all of heaven to wipe out all Your enemies, but You chose to say nothing. You did so because You were determined to take my place of just punishment. Oh, may I live daily in gratitude for Your silence, Your sacrifice, and the giving of Your Spirit imparting to me a family heritage that cannot be taken away. I love You, Lord!"

***

Words to a song by Laurie B. Klein:

"I love you, Lord; and I lift my voice. To worship You, oh, my soul rejoice.

Take joy My King, in what You hear; may it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.

I love You, Lord; I love You, Lord.

I love You, Lord!"

***

It was forty years ago this fall that my husband, Jim, was diagnosed with coronary artery disease. A couple years later, his condition needed heart bypass - a relatively new procedure at that time. Prior to the surgery and the doctors agreeing that bypassing one artery was a possibly good solution, Jim and I asked God, "For His will to be done".

Dozens of hospitalizations and additional surgeries and procedures since, 'God's will' is still being done in Jim's life, mine, and our family's. In spite of his early retirement from farming twenty years ago, he (we) continued to travel and vacation (among them all 50 states and a handful of foreign countries); took on foster grandparenting (for parts of six years), as well as daily routines and single outreaches to family and friends in that time period.

Last weekend while enjoying the holiday weekend with family and friends, Jim came down with an infection in his right arm that has caused him to be hospitalized in our local hospital. Because of his other health problems, his condition is serious.

So this morning, I would ask for you, as Karen's Korner readers, to pray for Jim, me, our family. We have never asked God for 'His healing', nor for a certain' number of days/years'. But for "God's will to be done". God has had a good will for our family for the past forty years; He knows best...........for today, tomorrow.......we know from experience that God knows what He is doing.

Something from Sarah Young's "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Pease in His Presence" for today, July 14; something special for you, maybe you as well:

"KEEP WALKING with Me along the path I have chosen for you.

Your desire to live close to Me is a delight to My heart.

I could instantly grant you the spiritual riches you desire, but that is not My way for you.

Together we will forge a pathway up the high mountain.

The journey is arduous at times, and you are weak.

Someday you will dance light-footed on the high peaks,

but for now, your walk is often plodding and heavy.

All I require of you is to take the next step, clinging to My hand for strength and direction.

Though the path is difficult and the scenery is dull at the moment,

there are sparkling surprises just around the bend.

Stay on the path I have selected for you.

It is truly the path of Life."

*

Young's Bible verses:  Psalms 16:11 & 37:23-24.

(FYI - letting you know an update on Jim's health:  his progress is improving, but slow.)

A 'Max Lucado' to start the day:

COME TO ME

"How does a person get relief from shame, embarrassment, anger?

"In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said, 'Come to Me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives......'

"I can see you shaking your head. I've tried that. I've read the Bible. I've sat on the pew---but I've never received relief. Could it be you went to religion and you didn't go to God? Could it be you went to a church, but never saw Christ?

"'Come to Me' the verse reads. Jesus is the solution for weariness of the soul. Go to Him. Admit you have soul secrets you've never dealt with. He already knows what they are.

"Go to Him! He's just waiting for you to ask Him to help!"

***

"Oh, praise the Lord, for he has listened to my pleadings!

He is my strength, my shield from every danger.

I trusted in him, and he helped me.

Joy rises in my heart until I burst out in songs of praise to him.

The Lord protects his people and gives victory to his anointed king.

Defend your people, Lord; defend and bless your chosen ones.

Lead them like a shepherd and carry them forever in your arms."

~ Psalm 28:6-9 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."

***

Before the most recent rains last week, I drug out our hose to water some of our plants around our farm home.

With the 'dragging', a portion of the hose moved across a white petunia. Now the healthy plant was being uprooted. As I walked back to doctor the twisted flower, I spotted that all was not lost:  the well-rooted plant was now hanging on by only ONE of its wispy roots!

I decided to put the petunia back into its original place and bury the root system; one thread-like root and all. Gave it a big dose of water. Would it work? Especially this time of year, when it is sometimes hot and windy?

Yesterday I revisited the plant! There it was as perky as before it met with its possible demise of last week.

Dear Lord, help us to use this illustration as a reminder for our lives today. Sometimes things come into our lives which threaten to 'uproot', 'damage' or 'destroy' us. But if we remain rooted in You, even if we have only one tiny thread of a root remaining, it can be enough to nourish us back to good health, Your kind of health. And we can remain, blooming where we have been planted. Thank You for showing us Your possibilities for our lives; no matter our lot in life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Something written by Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham's daughter:

Just Turn on the Light!

"You were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as Children of Light."

~ Ephesians 5:8 NKJV

*

"I live in the southern part of the United States. During the warmer months in particular, if I leave the porch light on at night, all sort of moths and insects swarm to it. The variety can be fascinating. Everything from large luna moths to beetles to strange green crawly things, beat and flutter their way to the light. I have never stood at the door and called these insects to come or set out bait for them. All I have to do is to turn on the light and they come of their own volition - by the hundreds. Moths, in the midst of the darkness, are not  attracted to more darkness. They are attracted to the light

"People today, living in the midst of 'darkness' are not attracted to more darkness; they are attracted to the Light. So let your Light shine! Lift it high! You don't have to have a clever presentation to your witness or learn evangelistic formulas, or take a course on communicating to postmodern man. For heaven's sake, just turn on the Light!"

As we continue to spend time in the hospital working to get Jim well (he will be moved back to the Clarion hospital today to continue to get IV antibiotics to fight his arm infections), I have picked up and read, several couple small eight-page brochures.

One was titled "Finding Hope in Despair"; it featured some of the quotes and writings of Anne Frank, the young Jewish German girl, famous for her diary. She and her family were hidden from the Nazi Germans for more than two years; from her ages of 12 to 14 when her family was finally found. They were deported to concentration camps where Anne, her sister, and her mother soon died. Only Otto, Anne's father survived. He was the one who found and shared Anne's diary with the world.

Her comments remained always positive and hopeful. Here are a few of them:

"Whoever is happy will make others happy, too."

*

"I keep my ideals because, in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart."

*

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."

*

"Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news."

*

"Where there is hope, there is life."

*

"I long to ride a bike, dance, whistle, look at the world, feel young, and know that I am free."

*

" (The person) who has courage and faith will never perish in misery."

**

"And those who are wise---the people of God---shall shine as brightly as the sun's brilliance, and those who turn many to righteousness will glitter like stars forever."

~ Daniel 12:3 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "Many people strive to be 'stars' in the transient world of entertainment, only to find their stardom temporary. God tells us how we can be eternal 'stars' -- by' turning many to God's righteousness'.  If we share our Lord with others, we can be true stars -- radiantly beautiful in God's sight!"

***

Today's Sarah Young "Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in His Presence":

"I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.

Men crawl through their lives cursing the darkness, but all the while I am shining brightly. I desire each of My followers to be  Light-bearer. The Holy Spirit who lives in you can shine from your face, making Me visible to people around you. Ask My Spirit to live through you, as you wend your way through this day. Hold My Hand in joyful trust, for I never leave your side. The Light of My Presence is shining upon you. Brighten up the world by reflecting who I AM."

*

Bible verses:  John 8:12; Matthew 5:14 - 16; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Exodus 3:14.

***

A dose of 'Max' for the week; Max Lucado. Taken from his book "Traveling Light":

DROP SOME STUFF

"God has a great race for you to run. Under His care, you'll go where you have never been and serve in ways you've never dreamed. But you have to drop some stuff.

"How can you share grace, if you're full of guilt? How can you offer comfort, if you're disheartened. How can you lift someone else's load, if your arms are full with your own? For the sake of those you love--travel light. For the sake of the God you serve, travel light. For the sake of your own joy, travel light.

"There are weights in life you simply cannot carry. set them down and trust him. I can't overstate God's promise in 1 Peter 5:7: 'Unload all your worries onto Him, since He is looking after you.'

"What do you say we take God up on His offer/ We might find ourselves traveling a little lighter."

***

Below is something emailed to me yesterday by Melanie Maasdam. She was overjoyed (as we all are!) with the news that Mariam Ibrahim was released from prison by her captures. Her only offense was that of being a Christian:  her death sentence would be overturned, if she just renounced her Christian faith. She refused!

"REJOICE with me at the news this morning that Mariam Ibrahim and her family have flown out of Sudan and have gone to Italy.

"Mariam was in prison for converting to Christianity and sentenced to 100 lashes and then hanging. She and her 18 month old son were imprisoned and she also gave birth to their second child in prison. Her husband is an American.

"I am overjoyed at this work of God thru prayer and petition. Thank you for praying for this family.

"What a God we serve! Thank you LORD!"

Lord, thank You for Your love and care for all of Your Children. There are so many 'Mariams' around the world who are being mistreated, moving as refugees to other countries, or are being abused or killed in so many places! Be with each one who are identified as one of Your Followers; protect them! May Your Holy Spirit be evident to the whole world, as they/we stand up for our faith in You! Nothing escapes Your Attention or Your Love. For that we praise and thank You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

"This is the day the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

~ Psalm 118:24 LAB

*

It was 15 years ago today that our younger daughter Merry was killed in a car/truck accident.

The first hours after the news came, I can recall the unbelievable feeling I had of being cared for by our Heavenly Father. I remembering thinking, "All of the things for which I had been taught and have been learning, I really believe."

I knew, that I knew, that it all was true. And if it was true for me, it knew it was also true for Merry!

I don't know if it was all the prayers offered by other people (Merry had had several surgeries prior to her accident which prompted other people's awareness of her/our family) or the power of the Holy Spirit who resides in each of us as His Children.

But I believed and I knew.

It was only the last few months, as I reflected. I put words to my thoughts:  IT WAS LOVE! An unbelievable amount of LOVE, a love which has carried me for these years! A generous amount of love poured out on all of us as believers!

So today calls for a 'Merry Memory" (there are lots of them):  Merry loved music, something which carried over into becoming a music school teacher. She also taught some private piano lessons. One mother had a son and daughter taking lessons from Merry. After a year or two, Mom came to Merry to let her know they wouldn't take lessons that fall as she was going through a divorce.

"Children shouldn't be penalized for something that isn't their fault," said Merry. "I'll teach them for free this year."

In trade, mom offered the use of her canoes whenever they wanted.

They went canoeing a time or two during that year!

*

"O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;

His lovingkindness continues forever."

~ Psalm 135:1 LAB

***

I tend to be a 'Bible reader', not someone who devours pages and pages at a time. But maybe a verse from the New Testament, something from the Psalms, or a chapter in the Old Testament.

I have been 'tromping' through the Old Testament, one chapter at a time and am just ready to begin the book of Judges. Moses is now dead, so is his immediate follower Joshua. So I am ready for Judges.

As an introduction to the book, it says, "to show that God's judgment against sin is certain, and his forgiveness of sin and restoration to relationship is just as certain for those who repent......."

It is set as God was helping the Israelites conquer Canaan, but they were in danger of losing their Promised Land because they compromised their convictions and disobeyed God. Some of their failures could be ours today, as God doesn't change His Mind on much (probably anything!):

* The tribes had compromised God's command to drive out the wicked inhabitants of the land;

* We must beware of compromising with wickedness;

* Sin always has its  consequences.

* Where there is sin, we can expect suffering to follow.

* Rather than living in an endless cycle of abandoning God and then crying out to him for rescue, we should seek to live a consistent live of faithfulness;

* The Israelites all did whatever they thought was best for themselves.

* The result was the spiritual, moral, and political decline of the nation.

* Our lives will also fall into decline and decay unless we live by the guidelines God has given us.

"For in those days, Israel had no king, so everyone did whatever he wanted to---whatever seemed right in his own eyes."

~ Judges 17:6 LAB

* FYI - Jim got home from the hospital yesterday after three weeks plus in hospitals. He has a way to go, but is getting better. Thanks for your thoughts, comments, prayers.)

In an article in the recent "Decision" magazine published by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, there is a story titled "Faith On and Off the Court", featuring University of Virginia men's basketball coach Tony Bennett.

I don't know the guy. The story tells that Bennett was the 2013-14 Atlanta Coast Conference coach of the year, taking the Cavaliers to a 30 - 7 season. The story stated, "he asks God that the players will reach their full potential, that he will coach them well, and that they'll discover and know Jesus Christ."

The coach is quoted as saying, "How many people are mad at you when you tell them that you've prayed for them?"

The story goes on to tell many more things about Bennett, his life, family, and his work. He has established five fundamental principles, based on Scripture, for his team and has them posted in the locker room. Good ones for us to consider as we 'play the game' of life:

* Humility:  Don't think too highly or too lowly of yourself. Look at yourself soberly. You can't be all things. Be able to say, 'This is who I am' and 'This is who I am not.'

* Passion:  Don't be lukewarm! Everyone is passionate when they're winning, but the successful are passionate when it's hard. Get better every day.

* Unity:  Integrate individual talents for the sake of the team. Don't become fragmented, regardless of circumstances. Unity in a losing effort can be molded into a winning team.

* Servanthood:  Regardless of your role, be a servant to the team and make your teammates better.

* Thankfulness:  Be thankful not only for success, but also for what you learn through adversity because that's where great wisdom can be learned.

***

Something from Max Lucado to start today:

TRUST THE CROSS

My dog Sally knows he isn't supposed to get into the trash. But let the house be human free, and the dark side of Sally takes over. If there's food in a trash can, the temptation is too great. That's what happened the other day. I got mad, but I got over it. I cleaned up the mess and forgot about it. Sally didn't! He kept his distance. When I finally saw him, his tail was between his legs, his ears drooping. He thinks I'm mad at him. He doesn't know I've already dealt with his mistake.

Somewhere, sometimes, you got tangled in garbage....and you've been avoiding God. You wonder if you could ever feel close to God again. The message of His torn flesh on the cross is---you can. The door is open. Don't trust your conscience. Trust the cross. You're welcome in God's presence!

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1)

***