One day last week I was on my way to town. Went to the machine shed where my car and pick up are housed.

Pushed the button to open my shed door. Nothing. Pushed again nothing.

What am I going to do? Had someone disconnected the electrical cord?
I looked again.

Good grief. I was pushing the ‘closed’ button!

Pushed the 'open' button. Door opened!

I need to ‘trust God’, with things like this. And everything else!

“Trust the Lord completely;
Don’t ever trust yourself.
In everything you do,
Put God first,
And He will direct your
And crown your efforts with success.”
~ Proverbs 3:5 & 6 LAB

Thank You, God, for taking care of every step I take!!
 
 

This is an exciting day!

I (we in our area) have several people in our lives with medical needs for which we can pray!

Nancy and Alina are having surgeries. Cooper continues to heal after a tragic can accident several weeks ago.

Let’s pray together this morning:

Heavenly Father,

We are so happy to have a Heavenly Father

To Whom we can pray and give all of our cares and worries!

Thank You for loving each one of us so much

And that you care for each of us more than we can care for ourselves!

Thank You for doctors and everyone associated with medical care.

Guide each of their hands as they give the care that each one needs.

We have so many things for which we can be grateful.

Will you wrap Your loving arms around Nancy, Alina, and Cooper right now!

Guide their healing process.

We have no idea how prayer works

But we know that it works!!

And be with each of their families as they sit through each surgery

Plus as they wait the individual outcomes.

Help each one of us to continue to look to You

The Author of Life, Love, and Care.

In the Name of Your Son Jesus

 Who makes all things possible.

A writing sent this morning from Max Lucado.

Have a great weekend!

THE LORD GIVES A WORD

"For six long weeks Elijah had walked across the wilderness of Sinai. Finally he reached and began to ascend Mt. Horeb. Elijah was in search of God.

"And, according to 1 Kings 19:9 (NKJV), “the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” Elijah answered with a complaint. I did everything you told me to do, but your people have rejected your covenants and killed your prophets. I’m the only one left in the country, and now they want to kill me too.

"Well, the Lord gave Elijah a word. According to verse 12, our Creator spoke to the prophet with a still, small voice. He will speak a word to you as well. Let his Word, living and active, speak to you. Open your Bible and listen."

***

Always something to learn when we read the Bible.

The ‘theme’ for Psalm112 is “The advantages of having faith in God. God guards the minds of actions of those who follow His commands.

Here is one of them:

“He (she) does not fear bad news, nor live in dread of what may happen. For he (she) is settled in his (her) mind that Jehovah will take care of him (her).”
~ Psalm 112:7 LAB
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Bible Commentary on this verse:  “We all want to live without fear; our heroes are fearless, people who take on all dangers and overcome them. The psalmist (writer) teaches us that fear of God can lead to a fearless life. To fear God means to respect and reverence him as the almighty Lord. When we trust God completely to take care of us, we will find that our other fears---even death itself---will subside.”
 

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This morning I finished reading Philippians chapter 3. The last verse talks about believers getting new bodies some day.

I am 80 now! Me and my friends, whether we have medical diagnoses or not, we are at a place where our bodies aren't working quite like they used to.

Must be of interest to me. I have used it in Karen's Korner in 2019 and 2022. No matter. It is good news!!

"When He (Jesus) comes back He will take these dying bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same mighty power that He will use to conquer all else everywhere."

~ Philippians 3:21 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "The bodies we receive when we are raised from the dead will be like Christ's resurrected body. We will still have our own personalities and individualities, but these will be perfected through Christ's work. The Bible does not say what our resurrected bodies will be able to do, but we know they will be perfect, without sickness or disease.

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Today's writing by Sarah Young taken from "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence":

"Rest in me, My Child. This time devoted to Me is meant to be peaceful, not stressful. You don't have to perform in order to receive My Love. I have boundless, unconditional Love for you. How it grieves Me to see My children working for Love:  trying harder and harder, yet never feeling good enough to be loved.

"Be careful that your devotion to Me does not become another form of works. I want you to come into My Presence joyfully and confidently. You have nothing to fear, for you wear My own righteousness. Gaze into My eyes, and you will see no condemnation, only Love and delight in the one I see. Be blessed as My Face shines radiantly upon you, giving you Peace."

~ Taken from John 15:13; Zephaniah 3:17; Numbers 6:25-26

***

I continue my journey of reading various books of the Bible. Right now my trek has taken by to the short book of Philippians.

Each chapter has a different topic of JOY:

• Joy in suffering;
• Joy in serving;
• Joy in believing;
• Joy in giving

Joy is not necessarily a feeling. It is something that is packed in to each one of us Christian believers. It is one of God’s gifts to us from the Holy Spirit.

Last week, two local teenagers were involved in a serious traffic accident. One of the boys is still in the hospital and will remain there recovering for a long time. So please pray for him! And for the family.

The Bible says in Chapter 3, verse one:

“Whatever happens,
Dear friends,
Be glad in the Lord”

Today we remember 25 years ago when our country was attacked by terrorists, as planes flew into the two New York City trade towers. the Pentagon, and a field Shankesville, Pennsylvania.

If we are older than twenty-five, we remember the day!
.
What was going to happen next? No one knew!

My husband, my sister, and I had made deposits to travel with our local bank to China in November of that year. We got letters from the tour company. Did we still want to go?

Yes, we did. Some weren’t so sure. Our plane to China was about two-thirds full. When we got to Beijing, our tour group of just under forty people, was asked it we minded have three others join our group, as that was all that was left of their group who was willing to travel.

The three gals were all from New York City. One had lost a son in the attack. Another was a teacher who had to hold kids in their school rooms until someone came to get them. The third had lost several friends and neighbors.

As we talked, the threesome couldn’t believe that none of us on the trip with them from north central Iowa, knew no one from the attacks. They thought everyone in the United States would have had a loved killed or at least knew personally someone who was lost.

No, we didn’t, and don’t know people personally. But we cared!

Often, we hear someone say, “The world is such a mess nowadays!” It is, but the real truth, “It has always been a mess…….with large problems!”

My mom and dad had to live through World War II, millions of Jews being slaughtered, polio and the likes. Pick up a history book; not good. The Bible; someone was always under attack or being taken over by someone else!

“And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans.”
(Romans 8:28)

Thank You, God,
That You have everything
under
Your control.
The things we like and the things we don’t.
Or don’t understand.
Life is too hard to do on our own.
Help us to celebrate today.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

"And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in His grace until His task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns."
 Philippians 1:6 LAB

Bible Commentary:  "The God who begins His good work in us continues it through our lives and will finish it when we meet Him face to face. God's work FOR us began when Christ died on the cross to forgive our sins. His Work IN us begins when the Holy Spirit comes into our hearts, enabling us to be more like Christ every day. Paul (writer) is describing the process of Christian growth and maturity that begins when we accept Jesus and continues until Christ returns.

"Do we sometimes feel as if we'll never make progress in our spiritual lives. When God starts a project, He finished it! As with the Philippians, God will work in our lives and helps us grow in grace until He has completed His work in our lives. When we are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on us. He promises to finish the work He has begun. Our job? Let Him do it!"

Last Friday morning, I volunteered a shift at our local hospital. Sometimes really busy; sometimes a lull. I took with me a small book titled “100 Things God Loves About You” by Tama Fortner.

I have read it before, but it was just the right size for ‘slow times’. I got to read ten of them!

I am sharing #1 with ‘Karen’s Korner’ readers this morning:

GOD LOVES YOUR STORY
“All the days ordained for me
Were written in you book
Before one of them came to be.”
~ Psalm 119:16

“You have an amazing story. How can you be sure! Because it was written by Yahweh, the Lord God Himself, before you were born. He knew every twist of the plot and every unexpected turn. Every joy, every sorrow. Wherever you go, He has already been. He will walk before you and with you as Lord and Guide and Friend. And when you entrust your story to Him, He promises you the best of endings---a happily, heavenly, forever after.”

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