tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25272697873103001292024-03-05T19:02:14.162-08:00...Our Journey...His DestinationSharing thoughts on...
...our journey on earth...
...our destination in Heaven.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703822524750201293noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527269787310300129.post-6079238784084722672012-01-13T11:46:00.000-08:002012-01-13T11:46:45.950-08:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>MY PRAYER FOR 2012</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>"Dear Lord, please interrupt me today.</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Change My To Do List to conform to Your To Do List.</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Make my mind open to interruptions during the day </strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>and help me to recognize when you are interrupting me.</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Your plans are better than any plans that I could make for my day.</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>I pray that my mind will be open to all of your interruptions</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>and that I will see these interruptions as opportunities to do your will.</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em><strong>Amen."</strong></em></span></div>
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Does this mean . . .</div>
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when I’m reading my emails and one of my kids wants to talk? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Is this God interrupting me?</em></div>
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when I’m in the middle of cooking dinner and my husband walks in the door and looks like he needs a hug? <em>Is this God interrupting me?</em></div>
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when I finally sit down at the end of the day and one of my kids calls to me from the other room to “Come and see!”. <em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is this God interrupting me?</em></div>
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when I have several errands to run and I only end up getting a couple of them done for a multitude of reasons. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Is this God interrupting me?</em></div>
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when I sit down to eat my lunch and the phone rings and it’s a friend that needs to talk. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is <em>this God interrupting me?</em></div>
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when I get a text from a friend that is clearly hurting and needs some TLC. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em>Is this God interrupting me?</em></div>
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<em>The answer is a resounding <strong><span style="font-size: large;">Y-E-S</span></strong> to all of the above!</em></div>
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God has all sorts of ways to <em>“interrupt us”.</em> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s up to us whether we choose to listen to those interruptions or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My desire is that I will be open to His interruptions so that I can do His work, rather than being so intent on getting the things on my To Do list done, that I ignore Him and His people.</div>
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I need to be reminded of this everyday, so this is my <strong>Prayer for 2012</strong>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have it on my bedstand to be reminded to pray it before my feet hit the floor every morning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will you join me?</div>
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<br /></div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703822524750201293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527269787310300129.post-42308801100959377422011-12-18T21:56:00.000-08:002011-12-19T09:45:35.602-08:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<a href="http://youtu.be/N9LNMudEhEY" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mary, Did You Know?</span></a></div>
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<em>(If you'd like to hear the song, just click on the title above.)</em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first time I heard this song, I was a new mom with a precious baby girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a sweet little bundle of cuteness; filled with amazement and possibilities that I couldn’t even begin to wrap my brain around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four years later God blessed my husband and I with another precious baby girl that was also full of amazement and possibilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since hearing that song sixteen years ago, it has become one of my favorite Christmas songs. Everytime I hear it, it makes me think of God talking to me about my daughters; letting me know that He has all things under control. I feel like I could insert my name into the song.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Karen, did you know that your baby girl would someday ... "</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mary didn’t know all of the miraculous things that God had planned for her (His) son to do while he was on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like Mary, I don’t know all of the life experiences that God has planned for my (His) daughters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what I do know is this…I can trust in the fact that HE KNOWS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> When I start worrying about their futures, I need to</span> trust that He has great plans for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The possibilities of what He can and will do in their lives is endless!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a Great Big God that does Great Big Things with sweet little bundles of cuteness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"For you created my inmost being;</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">you knit me together in my mother’s womb. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">your works are wonderful,</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that full well. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My frame was not hidden from you</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">when I was made in the secret place.</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">your eyes saw my unformed body.</span></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the days ordained for me</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">were written in your book</span></strong></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>before one of them came to be</strong>."</span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Psalm 139:13-16</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you have a favorite Christmas song that speaks to your heart too?</span></div>
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<br /></div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703822524750201293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527269787310300129.post-67072185345519659002011-12-09T09:00:00.001-08:002011-12-11T00:12:19.643-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What's the first thing you do when you are so frustrated with your situation that you feel like you could scream, or burst into tears or you just want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers over your head?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you do when you feel like you try so hard to do all the right things and everyone around you is taking it all the wrong way?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What about when you are in the midst of circumstances beyond your control that you wish so badly that you could fix but it's not in your power to do it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have all been tempted to give into trials like these in ways that the world says are acceptable and comforting. For some it may be getting angry and out of control, for others it may be shopping, and for others it may be indulging in alcohol or drugs. The world tries to lead us to believe that these things will make us feel better. But we all know that if we do give into "fixes" like these, they are only temporary; and more often than not, make the problems even worse than before they began.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em><strong>“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. ” ~M. Scott Peck</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How do you search for <em><strong>different ways and truer answers</strong></em>?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fact is, God has made it very clear in His Word what He wants us to do when we encounter trials and temptations. James tells us in James 1:5-6...</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"If any of you lacks wisdom, you should <strong>ask God</strong>, who gives generously to all without finding fault, <strong>and it will be given to you</strong>. But when you ask, <strong>you must believe and not doubt</strong>, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is part of a letter that James wrote to the twelve tribes that had been scattered and were facing trials and temptations because they were surrounded by people that weren't from their culture and didn't believe in the same God and Savior that they had put their trust in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although this was <span style="color: black;">written</span> about 2000 years ago, God's word is still relevant to us today. God's word does not age. It's timeless. His promises are as good today as they were thousands of years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you face trials and you don't know how to respond, the best thing to do is to....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Ask God for wisdom. </em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>Ask without doubting.</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><em>And...wisdom will be given to you!</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What an incredibly awesome promise!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God does not promise to take the trials away from us. Many times, God uses these trials to grow us into the person that He wants us to become. But what He does do, is promise to give us wisdom so that we will know how to deal with the trials; so that we can perservere through the trials, and ultimately become more like Christ. </span></div>
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<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Where do you turn when you encounter trials and temptations?</strong></span></em></div>
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<br />Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703822524750201293noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527269787310300129.post-16063877526900169672011-12-02T11:22:00.000-08:002011-12-07T21:57:58.382-08:00The Jesse Tree<br />
<span style="color: black;">Advent Is Here!</span><br />
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And there are so many wonderful, fun ways to celebrate this season anticipating Christ's birth. Over the years, our family has done several different activities to try to keep "The Reason For The Season" in the forefront of our minds during the month of December. I have learned though, that the simpler the activity, the better it is; and the more likely that we will follow through all the way to December 24th!<br />
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My family discovered a fun, simple, and meaningful Advent activity last year that I would love to share with you.....<strong><span style="color: black;"><em>THE JESSE TREE</em>.</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: black;">What is a Jesse Tree? And....who is Jesse?</span><br />
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Jesse was the father of King David. The idea of the <em>Jesse Tree</em> comes from Isaiah 11:1-9, where God promises a discouraged nation that the glory they remember from David’s time will come again. They will have another king from Jesse’s family, in whose reign the whole earth will know God. As a Christian, we see that promise fulfilled in Jesus, and so we use a <em>Jesse Tree</em> and decorate it with ornaments that are reminders of how God prepared the world for that kingdom, from the creation of the world to the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.<br />
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Your <em>Jesse Tree</em> can be as simple or ornate as you wish. Last year (which was the first year we did this), I just drew a tree on a poster board and printed out ornaments that I found on the internet and my kids colored them. Each night, after dinner, we would read a devotion and bible verse (I also found these on the internet) and then put that day's ornament on the tree. This year, I found a small foam tree at Target and we will use that. It can also be as simple as using branches from your yard! You choose!<br />
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If you Google "Jesse Tree", you will find several free online resources to use as a guide. There are also kits that you can buy, but it's just as easy to use the free resources you can find online.<br />
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There are several to choose from, but here are some to start with:<br />
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http://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/christmas-and-advent/from-adam-to-jesus-the-jesse-tree-tradition-11641703.html<br />
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http://www.jesse-tree.com/<br />
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http://www.shalfleet.net/advent/makeajessetree.htm<br />
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Ann Voskamp (author of "One Thousand Gifts") also has a beautiful Jesse Tree devotion and ornaments for free if you subscribe to her online Journal, A Holy Experience. <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/">http://www.aholyexperience.com/</a></div>
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Whatever Advent activity your family chooses, my wish for you is that it will remind you daily of the reason for our celebration on December 25th and help you to anticipate celebrating the best gift that we could ever receive!</div>
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<strong>HAPPY ADVENT!</strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 85%;"><em>"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:1-3</em></span><br />
<br /></div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703822524750201293noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2527269787310300129.post-48389788797891595442011-11-29T10:26:00.000-08:002011-11-29T11:18:59.047-08:00Welcome Old and New Friends!<span style="font-family:arial;">Welcome to my blog! I can't believe that I'm finally doing this! I'm so excited to be here and that you are here too! I get so much enjoyment and encouragement from reading other people's blogs and online devotions. My hope is that I can offer that same type of encouragement to others that find me online! </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The title from my blog came from a favorite saying which I have been known to quote to my children occasionally... <em>"Life is not the destination, it's the journey".</em> I have shared this with them on long trips when I hear the infamous "Are we almost there?" question, as well as at times when I want them to live "in the moment" rather than focusing on an uncertainty in the future.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">However, in my blog, I want to focus on both the <em>Journey</em> AND the <em>Destination</em>. I think both are extremely important.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">My hope is to share with you tidbits about my Journey and to hear from you about yours. I find it very encouraging, as a mom and wife with a great passion for both, to know that I am not alone in my struggles and in my joys. I get so many great ideas and so much strength from others out there that are on similar Journeys. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">And when sharing about our Journeys, I never want to lose sight of our Destination, which I can say with utmost certainty is eternal life in Heaven with my Savior because He promised me that future when I gave my life to Him. </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I want to thank you so much for joining me on my Journey and allowing me to join you on yours! I hope that I can be an encourager to you on your Journey and that we will someday meet in the Ultimate Destination...<em>Heaven</em>!</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;">For His Glory,</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Karen</span><br /><em><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;">"May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:5,6</span></em><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14703822524750201293noreply@blogger.com2