About Karen Thomas Olsen
Born and raised in Ohio, I attended college and graduate school in Indiana, moved to Scotts Valley, California south of San Jose to teach, back to Ohio for many years, to Arizona for 11 years with my husband, and finally to Ft. Wayne, Indiana to be near family. (Leaving Prescott Valley, Arizona in 2018 was very hard. Sigh. But for family? Worth it.)
I have taught in three Christian high schools and one community college. My first teaching position was in Scotts Valley, California. In the summer of 1980, a tall, dark, and handsome 26 year old California boy, who had recently completed his degree in Aeronautical Operations from San Jose State University, followed me to Columbus, Ohio where I had accepted a new teaching position at Worthington Christian High School.
There in Worthington we were married. Paul became an Air Traffic Controller, and we raised two beautiful girls in Piqua and Troy, Ohio. We now also have a son-in-law and two precious grandsons born in 2009 and 2012. In 2007, Lockheed Martin transferred my husband to Prescott Valley, Arizona, which was a great adventure for us. Arizona was a good place for my health and great for Paul, a California boy who loves the sunny southwest! However, being far from family is not easy. So, in July of 2018 we moved to Ft. Wayne, Indiana, where we are near relatives and just hours from each of our daughters, one near Chicago and one north of Cincinnati.
For years, I worked in Christian school curriculum design and development, which was challenging, exciting, and satisfying. After retiring in the summer of 2012, I focused on completing a doctorate, pursuing some writing projects, and being involved in Christian education at our church. Maintaining this blog continues to be important to me. With great gratitude to the Lord who carried me through the process, I graduated from Trinity Theological Seminary in August, 2016, earning a DRS (Doctor of Religious Studies) with an emphasis in theology. My dissertation is entitled "A Taxonomic Theology of Suffering and Joy Designed to Assist in Christian Growth."
Besides reading, learning, teaching, and writing, I love to swim, stroll around the neighborhood on my bike, take Water Aerobics classes, mingle with neighbors, and participate in our local church. As my health permits, I love to travel and see God’s amazing creation.
I’m wearing my eye glasses or “life lenses” which instruct me to “Look for the Lord in every page of Scripture, in every corner of nature, and in every chapter of my life." No matter the direction of my life, it's a journey north.
Grandson, Aiden, reading in his bed!
My daughter, Amanda, has been reading The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Woven into her full life, this dense volume has taken her many months to read. She has been reading it along with three other friends who’ve formed a small, reading circle, gathering periodically to discuss their progress through the book and their interpretations. Proud of them. For me, my mind is too weary for such mental demands from my “recreational” reading. Yet, reading of various sorts and genres is crucial to my life. Recently, I re-read a book in two sessions in two days: The Summer of the Swans, by Betsy Byars — winner of the the Newbery Award in 1971. A children’s book? You have it!
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Paul & Karen at Pebble Beach in Crescent City, California, Paul’s home town, two blocks from where he grew up. 2012
Autumn days. Favorite for me. Why? I’ve always enjoyed all the seasons. Each has its focal attributes. This reminds me of a reply my mother made to my question to her when I was probably seven or eight years old. I asked her, “Mom, what’s your favorite age for us kids?” (I was asking her what age of children she most enjoyed mothering, what stage of our short lives she liked best.) With the slightest of pauses she said, “Oh, whatever age you are!” I liked her answer, feeling very secure in it. So, I learned to like whatever stage I was in, wherever we lived, and whatever the season. But part of that changed 33 years ago today.
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I talked on the phone with Dustin DeFord’s mother at the end of August, before leaving on my cross-country trip. Tall (to me) and lovely with strawberry blond hair and pleasant features, Celeste DeFord talked graciously about her family: “God is working uniquely in each person.” (I took notes.) At the very beginning of the conversation, she replied to my inquiry into how they are doing with a little sigh: “How can you explain God’s grace?” Obviously, many folks have asked this question. Continue reading →
The big barn as the sun is setting.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Tick- tock. I’m listening to Grandpa’s 150 year old mantel clock. (This post was written on Tuesday, September 17.) Leaning back in an old, floral, upholstered chair with my laptop, I view Grandpa’s big, green roofed barn out the window of the old, farmhouse window. Continue reading →
It’s 5:00 A.M. and still thoroughly dark outside. I’m up and packed, ready to begin a month long adventure. Before we leave for the airport in four hours, I wanted to write a post to you all. I have an update on the DeFord family, which I’ll save for next time when I have more time to develop some thoughts. Continue to pray for God’s grace on them and all the Hotshot families, and pray that Dustin’s life story will continue to speak gospel-grace.
Today is Labor Day. Paul is driving me to Sky Harbor Airport south of Phoenix, a 1 1/2 hour drive from Prescott Valley. I’m leaving our green valley (yes, the monsoon rains have transformed our landscape), and I’m flying to Denver to meet a close friend. Tomorrow, we take off from her Victorian home in her Honda Pilot to travel east to Chicago and on to Ohio. Continue reading →
Thank you to all who responded to the last post. So very interesting to hear a bit of your stories. This reminds me of my summer after fourth grade. We had moved from Findlay to Bowling Green, Ohio. These towns (little cities) were just a mere half hour from each other, but to me, they were worlds apart. Life started over for me in BG, as Bowling Green so often is called. That summer, I walked about six blocks to the local library and checked out books. I discovered the biography section of the children’s library and fell in love with stories of people who lived before me. Continue reading →
Journey North Character is about “walking with Christ and becoming more like in Him.” This is an audacious goal, except when one considers that the Holy Spirit, no, the entire Godhead resides within believers! This concept is mind-blowing. But Scripture says so! Take a look at Ephesians 3:16-19 and then at the fuller context. This passage has always boggled me. Continue reading →
Cousins:
Front: Susan, Gary
Back: Elaine, Karen, Donna
Bobby & Susie Kloeffer ( June 2012)
What do you think of when you read the words, “Lost and Found”? I think of a big, plastic bin at the YMCA where swimsuits, goggles, towels, and tee shirts were tossed when people left things behind in the locker room. I think of a closet at school where books, binders, purses, and such were stored, waiting for owners to come and claim them. I think of little Bo-Peep who lost her sheep and didn’t know where to find them. Lost and found.
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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 Continue reading →
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June 18: View from behind our house in Prescott Valley of the Doce Fire near Prescott, involving 7000 acres, 460 evacuated houses, and 672 firefighers including the Granite Mountain Hotshots. The fire was successfully extinguished with no loss of life or houses. All Prescott rejoiced.
This has been a life-framing prayer for Paul and me:
“Your Majesty,
Thank you for what you have entrusted to me to manage on your behalf.
These possessions, these resources, these gifts are not mine, but yours.
Give me the wisdom I need to make them available for the work of your kingdom.
I am honored to be your subject.
Amen.”* Continue reading →
Journey North Character 