Devotional

A Story Told: The Cosmic Adventure

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Karen Thomas Olsen

A story told is the breaking of the silence.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

“He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:2-3).

 “Before the foundations of the world, He chose us in Him… in love” (Ephesians 1: 4).

“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5).

 

After brunch we read one chapter to the children and adults.

In the breaking of the silence, as in the breaking of bread, a story is told to nurture the life of the world.

Man shall not live by fact alone.

Here’s the way for a nana to live, and I’m looking more like her each year!

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Anchors, Birthdays, and Busy Summer Days

Posted on June 30, 2021 by Karen Thomas Olsen

I awoke this morning before 6:00 with words swarming through my mind from the refrain of an old hymn I’d heard many times in childhood, but I doubt I’ve heard in years.

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

My mind mulled over the final phrase, “in the Savior’s love.” Then the final words to Romans chapter 8 mingled with my thoughts, “the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

How does that verse begin? Oh, yes. The connection between hymn and biblical text deepened.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

These crescendoing verses fully awakened me, and I realized that this hymn needs to be woven into today’s blog post. Yes, I need to post today. It’s June’s last day, and I’ve not posted this month. June, seeming so threatening to me at the beginning of the month, had rolled over me like those billows. I had wondered how I would make it to July.

July 1 is a significant marker for  many companies and organizations, indicating “the beginning of the new fiscal year.”  Every year in the spring and through June we receive requests for donations, desiring contributions before that significant date of July 1.

For me, July 1 is also a significant marker. It always marks the beginning of a new year for me. It is my birthday. This year it marks 67 years. Wow. What a marker. What a sizable wave.

I need an anchor. An anchor grounded in the depths of my Savior’s love — from which nothing can separate me — not anything in life, and not even death itself.  So, the month of June could not destroy me  — nor you. We are anchored to Christ, our immovable rock.

Beauty and peace after a storm.

How does the rest of that hymn go? Who wrote it and why? After my morning routine, I pulled out my hymn history books, hymn books, and some online sources. Time to explore.

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Categories: Devotional, Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

Escape, Not Just from Winter . . .

Posted on February 28, 2021 by Karen Thomas Olsen

This was our plan from the start. Should we return to the Midwest (which we did do in 2018), then we planned to escape the terse winters. A compromise. We would have preferred to have stayed in Arizona for the rest of our lives. Family in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio wooed us back to the heartland. You understand.

Paul and I have been in Florida for nearly a month now.  I think that one of the most calming aspects of being here is sitting in the lanai (or sunroom), feeling a soft breeze, and watching the sway of the palm branches.

View from the lanai or sunroom.

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Palm branches, slow-dancing in the breeze, sooth my soul, reminding me, ironically, of Psalm 46:10. Ironically? Yes. This verse instructs us to “be still” or “cease striving.” It is the movement of the branches that arrests me. Rhythmic palm branches slow, slow, slow my spirit. My pattering thoughts nearly stop. “Be still” (KJV) or “cease striving” (NASB) “and know that I am God,” waft through my  mind, while the palm trees woo.

Slow-dancing palm branches. (Yes, those are my tootsies. I’m leaning back in a comfortable chair. Being still.)

 

 

 

 

The sons of Korah composed this impressive psalm. Long before the psalmists’ insistent imperatives of verse 8 (“Come, behold the works of the LORD”) and verse 10 (“Be still”) are seven verses of declaratives: truth claims and affirmations.  Just what our hearts need.

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Finding “Merry” in Good Ole “Merry Christmas”

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Maybe you cringe as the sound of the word — “merry.” It has become trite — an overused word emptied of substance. It may also be a word that seems to mock you, especially this year. First, let’s put some substance back in the word-container, “merry.” Then, let’s see if it still mocks us.

Merry is a word for joy. Joy, as a word-container, holds a broad and deep cluster of concepts discoverable in the Scriptures!  When one facet of joy is absent from our hearts and lives, this does not mean that all joy is gone. We need to further explore both our lives and the joy word-containers found in Scripture to unearth other evidence and the many languages of joy available for us. This is an important way that we can take our distressed, panicky thoughts captive and live by the Spirit rather than by our limited sight (II Corinthians 10:3-5; 5:7). Boy, do I need this today!

Over a period of years I’ve researched these biblical ideas of joy, and I’ve been surprised at some of my discoveries. Certainly, ’tis the season to gift you with some of my finds — not mine to give but God’s gifts for me to share with you!

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Clues from the Kingdom Sighted in Coronaville

Posted on April 24, 2020 by Karen Thomas Olsen

How are you doing? I’m sitting in my sunroom here in Fort Wayne, Indiana, looking at the white blossoms on our ornamental pear trees which beautifully contrast with the richly green lawn. I breathe deeply. And there are a cluster of blooming daffodils prospering along the patio’s edge, waving their happy yellow at me. A lovely sight. Looking up from my studies I’ve viewed several squirrels and a little chipmunk scampering across our expansive yard. The tree blossoms, the scampering critters, and the yellow daffodils ignore our viral enemy and economic insecurity.

Nature is a gift to us, offering clues from His Kingdom, right here in our “Coronaville” (as Dr. Fred Chay has dubbed this time; maybe you’ve heard this name, but it was new to me!). I am reminded (aren’t you?) of Jesus’ perspective-correcting words in Matthew 6: 28-34. (You’ll find this passage below.)

This is the fifth post in this current series that I’m writing during this Coronavirus pandemic. I began the series on March 19 and posted weekly until recently. The last post was enough to simmer on for a few weeks. Today’s will be a Kingdom patchwork of pass-alongs from three, godly people I highly respect.

We must have a dozen of these blossoming trees on our property, praising God! Clue #1: Praise Him in your troubles.

 

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A Devotional Scope on “A Lively Hope”

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Paul and I spent 24 days at Mick and Lilly’s in The Villages, Florida recently, helping them settle in at their new home. (Note previous post. Scroll down to see some pictures.)

Now, we are at The Good Samaritan Mission in Florida (in the Sun City Center area) where Paul is helping them move their store front office back to the mission property (long story). I help in smaller ways, such as putting stamps on letters, making meals, and interacting with folks. Yesterday, I helped with a little tea luncheon for a new volunteer. Sweet fellowship with just three ladies. Lots of action around here. (Scroll down to see some pictures.)

Whether in The Villages or here at Good Samaritan’s, I find it hard to carve out sufficient study-write time. I keep losing my momentum, but I know I need to be involved in the needs of the situation around me. That’s why we’re here. I love the people….

Today’s post will be simpler than the last post. I made the previous one too complicated. I hope you are patient with me!

I’ve been pouring over the book of I Peter again, which has so much to say about suffering and joy. Today, I’d like to consider some observations and reflections mainly on I Peter 1: 3 ( in context through verse 9) which speaks of a “lively hope,” as it is so intriguingly worded in the KJV. What is a “lively hope”?

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Categories: Devotional, Spiritual Growth, Study methods & disciplines | Tags: , , , | 3 Comments

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