Reaching a Summit

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Good morning! It may be later in the day for you, but pretend you are enjoying a lovely sunrise with me as you read. The sun is busy rising over the mountains, casting pastel hues. It’s a happy morning — cheerful skies lighting our hilly horizon. My heart is light and happy and relieved today. A load of responsibility has been lifted. I’ve been climbing a personal mountain, as some of you know. All of us have mountains to climb — placed before us by genes, heritage, circumstance, and those of our own choosing.  Many mountains surround us.  Some we must climb, and others, in our fascination, we choose to climb. We are determined to make an attempt.

Years ago, Continue reading →

Categories: Spiritual Growth, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Mysterious God

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Karen Thomas Olsen

I share with you this Easter week end a rich poem by William Cowper (1774). This dear and sensitive friend of John Newton’s (author of “Amazing Grace”) lived a quiet, rather secluded, and reflective life. Sounds easy. It was not. This poem/hymn draws me to Cowper, a troubled soul. I hope you will read it slowly and carefully .  Continue reading →

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , | 3 Comments

I Look Unto the Hills . . .

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Karen Thomas Olsen

It’s early morning here in Prescott Valley, Arizona. I’m gazing out my front window: the Bradshaw Mountains in the distance and our American flag waving welcomingly over our front porch. A bit of pink blends with shades of blue in the gentle morning skies. Spring green is budding on our globe willow trees. Directly across our cul-de-sac, an ornamental plum tree is in full, confident bloom.  Driving down a residential street yesterday, I witnessed a row of ornamental pear trees, covered completely in white blossoms.  As my daddy would say, “I’m drinking it in!” Continue reading →

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Trips South and Past

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Paul and I returned the other day from a mini-trip to southern Arizona. We live in central Arizona — in the middle of a huge valley a mile high, surrounded by the Bradshaw and Mingus Mountain ranges.  We live in a planned community, a development that is less than ten years old at the edge of Prescott Valley. When we moved here almost six years ago from Ohio, we most certainly moved to cowboy country.  The open valley behind us is largely untouched by humans, and we hope it remains that way.  Some cattle and horses lazily meander the meadows. Of course, ten years ago, our development was part of that natural setting. Our development is named Quailwood Meadows, a very appropriate name. Continue reading →

Categories: Parenting, Uncategorized | Tags: , , | 4 Comments

“God of the Ages”

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Margaret Clarkson published “God of the Ages” back in 1982, which I delightedly discovered in The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration. The words are set to a Gaelic melody probably familiar to you because it was made popular in the ’70s by Cat Stevens — “Morning Has Broken.”  Such a lovely, delicate melody.  Locating some biographical information about Margaret, I discovered that her story will lead us directly back to our reflections upon suffering. For now, we’ll consider her lyrics to this one song.  Clarkson’s words are so rich exposing an expansive view of life and reality. Knowing the tune, you can sing along! Here are the words: Continue reading →

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The Secret Things Belong to God

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Karen Thomas Olsen

It’s dark here. Dank and cool. Looking up, light seeps through a crack along the horizon. No. It’s a door! What is on the other side? Try the door. Will it open?

“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but Continue reading →

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Four Good Reads

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Karen Thomas Olsen

I’m still not mentally prepared to return to our good versus evil topic, so good reads seems good to me right now. Hope it’s good for you too. Good. Of course, we will find that the good versus evil theme threads through most writings of any genre in various ways — it’s a ubiquitous reality. (I love the word, ubiquitous.) For now, I have four books to mention to you as good reads. Take your choice. Continue reading →

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sigh! Humorous Interlude (Not Interloper) Needed!

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Karen Thomas Olsen

We’re supposed to be on Part III of our serious consideration regarding good and evil.  At times we need a break from such a heavy topic, so I have a light interlude for us today. I’ll offer myself as my own comic relief character. I’m puzzled and embarrassed. All I can do is laugh at myself, invite you to laugh with me, and ask for help — if anyone knows the answer!!

Here’s the situation: Continue reading →

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

Part II: For Goodness Sake: Evil, the Interloper

Posted on December 31, 2012 by Karen Thomas Olsen

Deep in our hearts we all long for goodness – goodness that is everywhere – in both motivation and result. Everything should be good, sensible, resilient, fair, kind, loving, beneficial. . . . Where does this longing for utopian happiness and justice originate? We know the answer. It originates in the heart of our Creator.  Thus, it is good for us to consider that word, “creator.” Continue reading →

Categories: Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , , | 5 Comments

Part I: For Goodness Sake

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Karen Thomas Olsen

I had a post ready to publish last Friday, but then “the devil rolled into Newtown,” as I remember hearing the news anchor, Bill Hemmer, express.  Most energy moves to the point of pain, so what I once had to say became unimportant.  Language cannot express the suffering, so as the Scriptures explain, “We know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now,” referring to the coming birth of “the glory that is to be revealed to us” in God’s eternal state when evil is banished (context of Romans 8: 18-30).  “. . .We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly. . . .”  This passage also states that the Spirit of God groans for us because we are too weak to even know how to pray!

Continue reading →

Categories: Being Like Jesus, Joy & Suffering -- Good & Evil, Parenting, Spiritual Growth | Tags: , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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