Wow! A Karen's Korner which ends in 00; #3700 issues. Some of you: thanks for being with me since we started this journey; others:  thanks for staring in midstream. Should you ever want to go back and find back 'korners', they are all there. Find the web site:  www.karens-korner.com . On the left side, click on archives. They are listed by months and years.

Right now our Sunday School is studying "Answers in Genesis". Last Sunday we embarked on the first lesson of book #2. Each book has 10 lessons and every book has two Bible verses which they'd like class participants to learn. So we have five weeks! The curriculum is designed for the entire Sunday School from nursery, various school levels, through adults.

I worked really hard to memorize the first two Bible verses in the verse book of the curriculum. So did the younger students---they set theirs to a song they had learned. They will probably remember what they have learned for the next sixty years. While I did learn mine, don't ask me to remember three weeks from now.......

Here is our Bible verse for the next month plus (think you can learn it?):

"When I look at your heavens,

the work of your fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which you have set into place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,

and son of man that you care for him?"

~ Psalm 8:3 - 4

Bible Commentary: "When we look at the marvels of creation, we wonder how God could be concerned for people who constantly disappoint him. Yet God created us only a little lower than himself. The next time we question our worth, as a person or feel down about ourselves, we need to remember that God considers us to be highly valuable. We have great worth because we bear the stamp of the Creator. Because God has already declared how valuable we are to him, we can be set free from feelings of worthlessness.

"To respect God's majesty, we must see ourselves in the light of greatness. When we look at creation, we often feel small by comparison. Humility means proper respect for God, not self-depreciation."

****

On Saturday afternoon, some of our church and community members did our annual bell ringing for Salvation Army in Mason City.

There were 21 of us, ringing bells at seven doors across the town for two hours.

The first thing we all do each year is to eat lunch together at a fast food restaurant near where we are going to work.

Jim and I had (and have!) the privilege of buying everyone's meal.

Jim had a Salvation Army story that warmed his heart toward the organization.

Many times I heard his retelling of being stationed in New Jersey while serving in the Army. Several of his buddies and Jim had gone to New York City for the weekend. While there, someone stole Jim's billfold. Without money and identification, Jim began to check out non-profit organizations for help. Stop #2 took him to their local Salvation Army.

Could or would they help Jim?

Yes, they would!

One Salvation Army person walked with Jim to the bus station to purchase his ticket for his trip back to base. They also gave him $3 to buy something to eat (early 1960s; money went a bit farther).

As he boarded the bus, he asked his helper, "How do I repay you?"

The answer, "You don't! Just remember us when you see our red kettles."

Thus our generosity with lunches; organizing bell ringing.

The Bible says, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." (Acts 20:35)

Jim needed to receive. Then when the opportunities presented themselves to give, he/we gave and give.

Praise God!

Jesus is the 'reason for the season' with thoughts taken from Sunday's sermon.

JESUS IS:

* LIGHT

"He is the One who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone coming into the world." ~John 1:9

* LIFE

"Jesus said, 'I am the Way---yes, the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me."   ~ John 14:6

* LOVE

"For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save it."        ~ John 3:16 & 17

HIS LIFE IN US:

* IS LIGHT

"Don't hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father."   ~ Matthew 5:15 & 16

* IS LIFE

""Yes, I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him shall produce a large crop of fruit. For apart from Me you can't do a thing. If anyone separates from Me, he is thrown away like a useless branch, withers, and is gathered into a pile with all the others and burned."   ~ John 15:5 - 8

* IS LOVE

"We know what real love is from Christ's example in dying for us. And so we also ought to lay down our lives for our Christian brothers."    ~ I John 3:16

****

Sitting at a stoplight yesterday in Clarion, waiting for the color to change, I read the license plate of the vehicle ahead of me.

"EPH 2" was the 'message' on the black Jeep with the Wright County plate.

Clear message:  Ephesians 2.

Hmm, I wonder what that chapter says, I thought. So I read it; 22 verses.

It has two sub-headings:  "The spiritually dead are made alive" and "Christ is the way to peace".

Here area couple of verses:

"Because of His kindness you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. It is God Himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others."

~ Ephesians 2:8 - 10 LAB

***

CHOOSING TO TRUST

"Do not let your hearts be troubled."

~ John 14:1 NIV

"'Do not let your hearts be troubled' is a command you and I are to obey! Deliberately calming ourselves is a choice we are to make in the face of shocking setbacks:

* catastrophic circumstances,

* irritating interruptions,

* devastating dissension;

* agonizing addiction,

* frequent failures,

all of which cause us to be terrified of the consequences and repercussions. In the midst of the swirling, cloying fog of fear, Jesus commands, 'Stop it!'

"How in the world is it possible to obey a command that involves so much of our emotional feelings? Our obedience begins with a choice to stop being afraid, followed by a decision to start trusting God."

~ by Anne Graham Lotz

****

Today's devotional thought by Max Lucado:

Joseph Went Out On A Limb

"After His mother, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.

~ Matthew 1:18 NKJV

"Joseph was perched firmly on his branch in the tree. Predictable and solid, Joseph had no intention of leaving it. That is, until he was told to go out on a limb. Conceived by the Holy Spirit? Come on! Who will believe me? Pride told him not to do it, but God told him to do it.

"I have a feeling you can relate to Joseph. One foot in your will and one foot in His. His will or yours? Disrupting, isn't it? You can bet it won't be easy. Limb-climbing has never been easy. Ask Joseph. Better yet, ask Jesus. He knows better than anyone the cost of hanging on a tree!

"Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem, in Judea, during the reign on King Herod.

"At about that time, some astrologers from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking,

"'Where is the newborn King of the Jews? for we have seen the star in far-off eastern lands, and have come to worship him."

~ Matthew 2:1 & 2 LAB

*

Bible Commentary on these verses: "The astrologers traveled thousands of miles to see the King of the Jews. When they finally found Him, they responded with joy, worship, and gifts. How different from the approach people often take today. We expect God to come looking for us, to explain Himself, prove who He is, and give us gifts. But those who are wise still seek and worship Jesus today, not for what they can get, but for who He is."

*****

Question?

What might happen when you carry six plastic bags, some with groceries and one from the hardware store? And put them on your kitchen counter? But one slips out of your hand? The one with a dozen eggs (only item in the bag) which hits the kitchen floor?

I tried that 'experiment' yesterday.

Unless you want to try it, this is the 'test' results:  Eight of them will be fine, but will need to be washed off. One will have a crack in it. The three others will be smashed, but the plastic bag will hold the 'goo'.

Just in case you're interested!

*

"Entering the house where the Baby and Mary his mother were, they threw themselves down before Him, worshiping. Then they opened their presents and gave Him

gold,

frankincense,

and myrrh."

~ Matthew 2:11 LAB

*

Bible Commentary:  "The astrologers gave their expensive gifts because they were worthy presents for a future king. Bible students have seen in the gifts symbols of Christ's identity and what he would accomplish. Gold was a gift for a king; frankincense, a gift for deity; myrrh, a spice for a mortal man who was going to die. These gifts may have provided the financial resources for the family's trip to Egypt and back."

***