Reflection Pool at a Christian retreat in Ohio
I want to welcome some new readers to JNC. I hope you read some old posts. Feel free to make yourself at home on this blog.
Journey North began as a blog project for Troy Christian Schools in Troy, Ohio where I worked as their curriculum director. This blog began as a communication format mainly with parents of our students. When it began almost two years ago, we had just completed a three to four year project to completely re-design and re-write our elementary Bible and character curricula. Overseeing this project, a huge endeavor, brought me great joy. Writing school curriculum (mainly for grades 7-12 in all subject departments) over many years had become my focus and I suppose rather an obsession. I have loved to plan and organize course goals and content. I also love to teach in the classroom, but teaching on a daily basis had become too demanding for me, so my calling turned to designing the infrastructure of courses.
When my husband’s career brought us to Prescott Valley, Arizona in the summer of 2007, my school wanted to keep me on board. So I learned a long-distance dance. Very interesting! On July 1, 2012, I stepped off the dance floor and “retired.” The school turned this blog over to me, freeing me to make it my personal blog. That I have done. I would not have chosen this blog title for my personal blog (although I did choose this title for the school blog), but I’ve worked with it, changing the line under the title.
My themes and angles tend to be reflective in nature. I am open to topic suggestions from you and dialogue with you. I would love to have more comments from my readers. Some people have responded with personal emails, wanting to avoid commenting on the blog. That’s fine. I do appreciate comments that come through the blog, so I can share them with others.
As you’ve noticed, I haven’t written in over a week. Writing just once a week is my goal. Writing more than that is too much for everyone on a regular basis. My last three posts were close together because of the timeliness of the topic. It has been good to be quiet for a while.
I hope you have been praying for the Dustin DeFord family and the other 18 families of the Granite Mountain Hotshot Crew. I want to write a bit more about this situation, but not today. Today’s just a “touch base” post.
May the Lord bless you and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you and give you rest.
Philippians 4: 4-9
Peace to you all.
Karen Thomas Olsen
Journey North Character 
The reflecting pool brings back beautiful memories of our time together there, just “reflecting” and praying. God continues to do amazing things in my heart and life and the summer has given me much to reflect on. Thank you Karen for your amazing and timely words each week. May God continue to bless you with many words and thoughts that will penetrate the hearts of His people for His Glory. You’re changing lives.
Thanks for your reply, Carolyn. It is so good to be quiet before the Lord. Yes, the reflection pool is a good reminder of the joy of quietness. God changes us incrementally — sometimes gently through mundane duties and sometimes starkly through “severe mercies.” We encourage each other; the Holy Spirit transforms us. As one Christian counseling book explains, each of us is one person in need of change helping another person in need of change. That’s how the Body of Christ ministers. Makes me think of II Timothy 3:14-17.