23

Tell Me a Story: A Storyline Video by Karen Girl Friday

Story, Adobe SparkThere’s power in story. Our story matters. It not only gives us a voice, but brings significance to our life meaning. Sharing it with others releases us from the world’s attempt to mute our voice.

Unmuting Our Voice

You see, telling our story sucker punches the devil smack dab in the gut. And that’s my favorite part. He works to stifle our voice…to keep us from narrating our storyline. Yet, God’s not only the author, but He’s also the narrator, the editor, and the publisher.

Does it mean each chapter glitters and sparkles? No. But God uses every life experience including the hurt, heartache, and moments of joy for His purpose and His glory.

Often, we try to edit and rewrite our narrative and submit it to God for approval. Or, hide our version of the manuscript in a safe place hoping life turns out to match our revisions.

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June 29, 2017 at 10:54 am | Uncategorized


21

What Big Eyes You Have! God Sees Me

Eyes, Adobe SparkThis is for you.

The teen girl who feels invisible. A mom surrounded by loneliness. The woman who wonders if anyone cares. The man struggling with meaning.

Those touched by hopelessness. Souls caught in the pit of despair. The lost who don’t believe they can be found.

To everyone who questions God’s existence or love.

Or, if you wonder. Is God there? Does He know? Does He see?

Little Red Riding Hood’s wolf in disguise possessed big eyes. “The better to see you with,” he said. But his eyes don’t compare to the Lord’s eyes which are vast, keen, and aware.

The God Who Sees

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June 22, 2017 at 10:06 am | Uncategorized


13

4 Reasons the Bible’s not a Pick and Choose Buffet

Buffet, Adobe Spark“Aunt Karen, can we go to the buffet at Golden Corral today?”

My nephew, Parker, enjoys a buffet. So his restaurant choice for lunch after church often includes this style of dining.

Pick and Choose Buffet

We’re talking about a mouth-watering spread. The choices include meats, vegetables, side-dishes, breads, and desserts. And the food themes offer a taco bar, pasta bar, and every item you ever imagined on the salad bar.

But Parker’s food-pick is one among ten to fourteen family members who voice an opinion. We occasionally go to Pizza Hut’s buffet (not my personal favorite and limited choices). Yet, our family’s never gone to Golden Corral’s buffet for lunch on a Sunday. So, poor Parker, I hope his parents take him there on occasion.

Perhaps you enjoy a good buffet. Picking and choosing all the foods you love, leaving behind items you’d rather live without and your taste buds thank you for it.

Choices seem endless without judgement of what you pick or don’t. The unspoken motto; Come, enjoy, choose what you want, be merry and leave full. 

Still, the world encourages the same slogan. After all, they try to convince us life’s one big buffet menu. Choose whatever you want, leave behind items you’d rather live without, your real friends will thank you for it. 

Culture promotes the exact advertisement when it comes to God’s Holy Scripture. And sadly, some believers, church-folk, own stock in this marketing campaign. Listen, take to heart the parts you love—in agreement with—and ignore everything else. 

4 Reasons the Bible’s Not a Buffet  

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June 15, 2017 at 9:46 am | Uncategorized


16

How God Designed His Own Coloring Book

Coloring, layout by Adobe SparkI’ll let you in on a secret about me. There’s no creative brushstrokes in my DNA—none. Even my stick figures look pitiful.

You won’t find the blood of an artist running through my veins. I’m not artistic by any stretch of the imagination.

But the art of coloring gives un-artsy people a way to add individual flare to a beautifully drawn picture.

Coloring Connoisseurs

My daughter, Megan, and I are fond of coloring. A fondness starting when we were both little girls. We colored together through her childhood, teen, and college days, and still do today.

Who says coloring is only for kids? This article makes me want to color right now.

Still, Megan and I consider ourselves coloring connoisseurs. We colored for recreation and mental therapy long before the rest of the world caught on to coloring books for all ages.

Proudly signing our name to completed pictures is a tradition. “By Mom” remained my standard signature until Megan married. Now I sign my actual name.

To later admire our handiwork as we flip through books during a new coloring session, we date each finished masterpiece with month/day/year. They bear who and when information.

God’s Coloring Book

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June 8, 2017 at 9:38 am | Uncategorized


12

2 Powerful Lessons God Taught Me at the Beach

beach, design by Adobe SparkFrom mountain peaks to beach waves.

Seaside Surroundings

Last week I shared 3 lessons from the mountains while attending a writers conference. But within forty-eight hours of arriving home, I emptied suitcases, repacked fun-in-the-sun clothes, and headed for a different landscape—the beach.

Not only is God’s beauty visible in the mountains, but it’s also breathtaking in the seashore.

So, this week my family calls Garden City beach in South Carolina our home. It’s a familiar area in the same ocean-front condominiums where we’ve stayed before.

Yet, a newness greeted me. You see, the Lord promises new adventures on the journey.

As I type these words, the sights, sounds, and aromas of the beach surround me. And while I get away to relax, the Lord reminds me of His faithful truths surrounding me on every side.

#1-Life’s Ebb and Flow

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June 1, 2017 at 9:28 am | Uncategorized