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Today is Friday, January 2nd, 2026; Karen's Korner #5519
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Who doesn;t want to be perect? Not possible in this life. But then there is God!
Number two of "Three Stages of Perfection".
The first one was "Perfect Relationship" - "We are perfect because of our eternal union with the infinitely perfect Christ."
Number 2:
"Perfect Progress"
"We can grow and mature spiritually as we continue to trust Christ, learn more about him, draw closer to him, and obey him. Our progress is changeable (not like above) because it depends on our daily walk at times in life we mature more than at other times. But we are growing toward perfection if we 'work toward it'. These good works do not perfect us, rather as God perfects us, we do good works for him. (See Philippians 3:1 - 15)"
****
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Today is Thursday, January 1st, 2026; Karen's Korner #5518
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A couple of fun sayigns I found on the internet this morning.
Enjoy!
Happy New Year!!
"Sometimes good things fall apart
so better things can fall together."
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..."
~ Romans 8:28
* "No matter how many mistakes you make
or how slow you progress,
you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying." "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
~ Philippians 3:13 & 14
*
"Making one person smile
can change the world –
maybe not the whole world,
but THEIR world."
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
~ Proverbs 16:24
***
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Today is Wednesday, December 31st, 2025; Karen's Korner #5517
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"Stop your anger!
Turn off your wrath.
Don't fret and worry---
it only leads to harm.
For the wicked
shall be destroyed,
but those who trust the Lord
shall be given every blessing."
~ Psalm 38:8 & 9 LAB
* Bible Commentary: "Anger and worry are two of the most destructive emotions. They reveal a lack of faith that God is in control. We should not fret and worry. Instead, we should trust in the Lord. When we dwell on our problems, we will become anxious and angry. But if we concentrate on God and His goodness, we will find peace. Where do we focus our attention?:"
**
Father in Heaven,
we know what You tell us,
but we can't do it
on our own.
We need Your help!
Through the Power of the Holy Spirit,
we ask that we not be anxious
or angry!
Thank You so much for Your continued
help in every area of our lives.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
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Today is Tuesday, December 30th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5516
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Sorry for no Karen's Korner yesterday. I was someone who didn't make it home overnight in our recent snowstorm!
People who know me and have been to my rural home, know that I can grow beautiful African violets! They have the ability to really grow! I don't do anything special, but have no choice than to have them be divided and repotted. I have given the new ones away for a number of years.
Sometimes i wait far too long to have someone help me replant one of my beauties! Recently I had one 'nice looing' plant with purple flowers, which was divided into four new ones.
The problem? The re-plants don't look very good. The shock to their system leads to smaller plants with saggy, draggy leaves! Some of the leaves will die and need to be picked off and thrown away.
Eventually, they will be okay. But not right now, not yet!
Makes me think of us. Sometimes we don't care much for changes in our lives! Might not be drastic. But we don't always like them! We hesitate to move from our 'nice, comfortable lives' into something unknown. We just have to hang on and move ahead, hold on to God's Hand, as we wait to enjoy our 'transplanted' and many times 'transformed' lives.
Hold on! It's coming!
"They are liie trees along a river bank bearing luscious fruit each season without fail.
Their leaves shall never wither,
and all they do shall prosper."
~ Psalm 1:3 LAB
*telling about people who believe in God"
*
Thank You, God!
That we can trust in You,
the things we like and
the things we don't!
We have learned
we can count on You!
Amen.
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Today is Friday, December 26th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5515
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Happy day after Christmas!
Yesterday the 'korner' said "Joy to the World" was based on Psalm 98.
Still time for more 'joy'!
This is the whole chapter of Psalms 98; don't worry it is short!Theme: "A song of joy and victory. Because God is victorious over evil, all those who follow him will be victorious with him when he judges the earth."
"Sing a new song to the Lord telling about his mighty deeds! For he has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness. He has announced this victory and revealed it to every nation by fulfilling his promise to be kind to Israel. The whole earth has seen God's salvation of his people. That is why the earth breaks out in praise to God, and sings for utter joy! "Sing your praise accompanied by music from the harp. Let the cornets and trumpets shout! Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King! Let the sea in all its vastness roar with praise! Let the earth and all those living on it shout, 'Glory to the Lord.' "Let the waves clap their hands in glee, and the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the world with perfect justice." ~ Psalm 98 LAB * Bible Commentary: "This is a psalm of praise anticipating the coming of Jesus. Jesus came to save all men from their sins, and is coming again to judge the world. God is both perfectly loving and perfectly just. He is merciful when he punishes, and he overlooks no sin when he loves. Praise him for his promise to save you and to return again." *****
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Today is Thursday, December 25th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5514
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Merry Christmas!!
Happy celebrating to you. Your famiies. Your friends.
Jesus brings 'Joy to the World'. He brings joy into my world; to your world.
Hymn written by a minister and comes as we reflect on Psalm 98, as we rejoice today:
JOY TO THE WORLD Joy to the world! The Lord is comeLet earth receive her King!Let every heart prepare Him roomAnd heaven and nature singAnd heaven and nature singAnd heaven, and heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world! the Savior reignsLet men their songs employWhile fields and floodsRocks, hills and plainsRepeat the sounding joyRepeat the sounding joyRepeat, repeat the sound joy
No more let sins and sorrows growNor thorns infest the groundHe comes to makeHis blessings flowFar as the curse is foundFar as the curse is foundFar as, far as the curse is found
He rules the world with truth and graceAnd makes the nations proveThe glories of His righteousnessAnd wonders of His loveAnd wonders of His loveAnd wonders and wonders of His love
***
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Today is Wednesday, December 24th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5513
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A Christmas Eve email from Anne Graham Lotz:
GOD IS FULLY PRESENT
"The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
to all who call upon Him in truth."
~ Psalm 145:18 NKJV
"On Christmas Eve, 1968, Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders, while orbiting the moon in Apollo 8, were so aware of the Presence of God in space that they publicly read the first ten verses of Genesis to the listening world thousands of miles away. When James B. Irwin, an astronaut with Apollo 15, actually walked on the surface of the moon, he said he looked out into the inky blackness, saw our planet looking like a blue marble suspended in space, and was overwhelmed with the conscious awareness that God was present on the surface of the moon! And God was! And God is! He is not bound by space.
:Whom are you praying for who is separeted from you? A child off at school? A spouse on a business trip:? A family member who lives in another city or state or country? What comforting encouragement to know that God is not only fully present with you but also with those from whom you are separated, hearing and answering your prayer of faith for them."
*** "
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Today is Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025; Karen's Korner #5512
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Lots of good Christmas emails. Here is one from yesterday by Max Lucado.
Such A Thing To Do
"The God of the universe was born into the poverty of a peasant and spent his first night in the cows’ feed trough. He left the glory of heaven and moved into our neighborhood. Who could have imagined he would do such a thing?
"What a world he left. Our classiest mansion would be a tree trunk to him. God became a one-celled embryo and entered the womb of Mary. He became like us. Just look at the places he was willing to go: feed troughs, carpentry shops, badlands, and cemeteries. The places he went to reach us show how far he will go to touch us. He loves to be with the ones he loves."
***
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Today is Monday, December 22nd, 2025; Karen's Korner #5511
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Below is one of the Bible verses used in our church sermon yesterday; maybe in yours too?! Pretty familiar, pretty good! Does it surprise anyone that in the Christmas story about Jesus birth that shepherds came to worship. So did kings - i.e. wisemen!
It makes us aware that His Story is for everyone: from the lowly of society to those in highest esteem!
"That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them,
'"Don't be afraid!' he said. 'I bring you the most joyful news ever announced and it is for everyone! The Savior---yes, the Messiah, the Lord---has been born tonight in Bethlehem!'" ~ Luke 2: 8 - 11 LAB *
Bible Commentary: "The greatest event in history had just happened. The Messiah was born! For ages the Jews had waited for this, and when it finally happened, the announcement came to humble shepherds. The good news about Jesus is that He comes to all, including the plain and the ordinary. He comes to anyone with a heart humble enough to accept Him. Whoever we are, whatever we do, we can have Jesus in our lives. We don't need extraordinary qualifications---He accepts us as we are."
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Today is Friday, December 19th, 2025; Karen's Korner #5510
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From a graphic within the book of Philippians titled "Three Stages of Perfection". Today's is Number 1:
PERFECT RELATIONSHIP
"We are perfect because of our eternal union, with the infinitely perfect Christ. When we become His Children, we are declared 'not guilty', thus righteous, because of what Christ, God's beloved Son, has done for us. This perfection is absolute and unchangeable, and it is this perfect relationship that guarantees that we will one day be 'completely perfect."
"For in Christ there is all of God
in a human body,
so that you have everything
when you have Christ,
and you are filled with God
through your union with Christ."
~ Colossians 2:9 & 10 LAB
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