Study methods & disciplines

Presenting Two Great Opportunities for You and Me

Posted on August 14, 2025 by Karen Thomas Olsen

I have two great opportunities to present to you before I report to you about the podcast interview I was preparing for when I last posted. Some have asked how it went. I’ll tell you a bit at the end of this post and then more another time. For now, let me share some emerging possibilities that could bless you and some of your friends.

First, we’ve been given an opportunity. What opportunity? Well, check out the Amazon page on my book. The link is near the bottom of this post.

The price has greatly dropped on Amazon (but not on Barnes & Noble), so now is the time to buy some copies for friends and family. (Currently, you can buy three copies for the price of one.) These copies are the first printing of the first edition. Some charts have been added and edits have been made which will be found in copies after all of these first printings are sold. I can send you the added charts and changes if you order soon, if you send me a request via email. I’ll give you contact information below.

Second, here’s an opportunity that I’m offering: an online class/community traveling through this Bible study,  A Traveler’s Guide through Suffering and Joy. Would you like to be a part of this? I’m hoping to start the group study in mid-September, trekking through the book in eight to nine sessions, finishing before Thanksgiving.  We’ll meet online (GoogleMeets or something like this) once a week for live gatherings which will be recorded so you can listen to them later if you can’t always join us. (I’ll get back with you on the time schedule, but if you want to let me know your preferences, please do so. We’ll see what we can do.)

Buy your cheap copies of my book now. Look through the book, and ask God to lead you to a partner or group to do this with you. You can gather your own little group of friends and relatives to journey together!

Be encouraged and inspired by the book description on the back of the book (which you can read on the Amazon page or on my website). Use that description to encourage others to join you.

There’s more:

Continue reading →

Categories: A Traveler's Guide thr Suffering & Joy, Online Class, Spiritual Growth, Study methods & disciplines | 1 Comment

Secrets and Sightings

Posted on February 24, 2024 by Karen Thomas Olsen

“I look at Jesus, not the Old Testament or New Testament,” explained a pastor to a church member who was seeking to understand the church’s teaching about spiritual transformation and the relationship between human beings and God.

A friend recently reported this conversation to me that he had with one of his pastors. It might be helpful to know more of the situation, but this statement is enough to raise questions. My friend is observing not only what is being taught in his church but what is not being taught. We all need to be alert and observant in our own situations.

My mind goes back thirty years to meeting a pastor of a growing church that was to become a mega church in that particular area. He loved Jesus. He preached Jesus. But he held a disdain for the Old Testament. He wanted to distance himself and his church from the violence recorded there and the angry God he saw there.

What impact would such a narrow understanding of Jesus and distorted view of the Scriptures have on people? I can’t address this question in this post, but it is worth pondering. What I will address in this post is the next question.

Can Jesus be truly understood through the four Gospels of the New Testament alone? Continue reading →

Categories: Christian Reader, Devotional, Spiritual Growth, Study methods & disciplines | Tags: , , , | 4 Comments

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”?

Continue reading →

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

Christian Spirituality: A 12 Verse Dance OR A 12 Point Framework

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Karen Thomas Olsen

A dance sounds much more interesting than a framework. Dancers listen and move —  responsively and actively. A framework, like a musical score, sets direction and boundaries for the movements. The dance attracts, offering adventure, while the framework protects, offering wisdom and security.

Before we begin a new series, I want to close (for now) this series on spirituality.  In this series, I didn’t move well enough from abstraction to illustration these six months, but I do not want to take more space and time to move in that direction.

Today, I’m going to present a chart to you, based on the framework I began in draft form on April 10 and July 11. I’ve revised, added references, and expanded points up to an even dozen. I was tempted to add more, but you can!

I hope you find the chart useful. Read the Scriptures after each point. Lots of rich food there! The points may seem basic or obvious to many of you, but when you read the passages, the points no longer seem basic. These Scriptures should move your heart!

You can print the chart and use it as a Bible study, exploring the given Scriptures and adding more references. You may want to Continue reading →

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Genre, Genre, What are You? (Plus a Gabe update)

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Are we there yet?

You mean, at the end of this series? No! It’s taking me a long time to get through it because I do not post every week. So, I’ll see if I can up the pace on this series about being a good reader and a self-discipler.

We’re on point two of six points on The Reader-Navigator’s Map.* Point 1 is Biblical Literacy (both the anchor and rudder) and point 2 is Genre Identity (the ship’s hull). As the ship’s hull, I see an understanding of a book’s (or a writing selection’s) genre as some ballast in my ship (my mind) giving me balance and perspective, essential to reasonable interpretation, analysis, and appreciation.

Don’t you love to learn and to read? I doubt you would read my blog otherwise. Since we must be rather brief (a book I am not writing here), I would like to offer a smattering of quotations from some expert readers along with some commentary to help us consider the impact of genre (categorization of literature) when reading.

I’m sure  you view writing as a craft. Writers are sometimes called wordsmiths. Have you ever thought of reading as a craft? This is not my idea. A fascinating thought! Who said it? Continue reading →

Categories: Christian Reader, Study methods & disciplines | Tags: , | Leave a comment

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