Karla's Korner

Packing the Suitcases...

Today I'll be busy with final preparations for this weekend's retreat... Redeeming the Time!  I get so excited at this point as I pack my clothes in my carry-on and books and giveaway items in the two check-in bags! The nice thing about going to Southern CA is the weather is warm so the clothes are fewer and lighter weight.

I have only one more hand out to create and print and cut but that will be easy. Much of the day will be spent going over my notes since this will be the first time I'm speaking on this theme and I want it to be able to flow easily from my heart. I'm looking forward to sharing some things with you when I return.

Yesterday I went into my OWN church and met with one of our pastors about the details of setting up for the Tuesday Evening Out event. It's all coming together... yeah!  This is the first time I've ever put an event together and had to think through everything from the beginning to the end so keep praying I don't forget anything!!  It's coming together so well though that I am confident it is God and I have a sense of expectation that He is going to do some great things as we meet together in that place! I am excited about those of you who are coming because you read about it here...  so make sure and introduce yourself!!

So... what am I Thankful for this Thursday?
     • I am so grateful for my God who has given me the opportunities to serve Him in so many ways...
    • for my husband who has been so supportive of me these last couple of weeks in trying to juggle two events at the same time...
    • for my daughter Michelle and her CARE group who so generously previewed my new messages and gave me both great encouragement and critique...
    • for all the women in my church who are coming alongside me to help make next Tuesday night a success and blessing for those who come...
    • and for all of you who I know love me and more importantly love God and want to know Him and grow in Him more and more every day... BLESS YOU!

Plans and Preparations

Just wanted to take a moment to let you know why I've been so quiet again... I've been finishing up the new retreat messages on Redeeming the Time... Past, Present and Future... and preparing all the visual illustration pieces and handouts to go with each message.  I'm almost there. I would love to share what I'm working on but just in case there's a reader from El Centro... I should probably hold onto the surprise.

I will tell you the one I'm finishing this morning is made of satin and required me to bring out the serger and that's never happened before!  But I'm excited... I just know God is going to show up and bless the socks off of these ladies this weekend and hopefully a few will leave the retreat different from when they arrived... one step closer to God and one step closer to becoming the woman God designed them to be!

As I shared before... I'm also starting a three week teaching series on the same topic at my church the Tuesday night after I return from CA. I have to make sure all the ducks are in a row for that one before I leave as well... so yep... I've been busy... busy!  But the women of my church have come alongside me in a phenomenal way and I am blessed because of them! We're going to have worship, giveaways, some personal reflection and small group time... so again.. if you're local and would like to come please just email me and I'll email you the directions to our church.

Well, I best go redeem my time today preparing for the future by getting to my serging... I will post photos of my handiwork when I return!!

Lord God,
Help each of us redeem our time wisely today... using it wisely in such a way as to bring great glory to You and great blessing to each person you sovereignly bring along our path. Amen.

The Lord's Face Shines on You

During my time with God this morning I was reading about how much God wants us to know the immensity of His love for us and I couldn't help but smile thinking about how He smiles at me.

Our God smiles at you... did you know that?
His face shines upon you! He delights in you!!
Isn't that remarkable?
The Lord of Glory is the Lifter of your head so when you look up...
there He is... smiling down on you!
What amazing grace!

In Ephesians 3, the Apostle Paul is praying that we would be able to know... not just with our brains... but with our hearts... how long and wide and deep and high God's love for us really is. But that isn't always easy, is it? Sometimes, if you're like me, your thoughts and emotions can get caught up in what others think or say or feel about you... or bogged down by life's circumstances... past, present or future! So if you're feeling downcast today... may I encourage you to take a moment to refocus... turn away from the thoughts that are not from God and look up into His wonderful face... maybe even pick up your Bible and read Ephesians chapter 3:14-22 and be reminded that God's heart for you is huge and when you see His smile... it will make you smile... just like it did me! And when we smile... He is glorified... and we are blessed.

Heavenly Father,
I pray for my friend that You will fill her with the joy of the Lord as she considers the truth that Your face shines upon her and Your smile envelops her. May she be reminded that Your grace is sufficient for whatever concerns her today. And may she delight in You as much as You delight in her... in Christ... Amen.

September Hospitality

Our home group is still participating in a season of "Intentional Hospitality" and last Saturday we enjoyed our August/September dinner.

Scott and Joan... on the left... were in our home group when we began this project but are now hosting their own home group... so for them to come to dinner at our house was an extra special treat since we miss having them in group! Buster and Shirley are on the right... we've seen and greeted this wonderful couple at church on Sunday for years but now have had the pleasure of getting to know them just a little bit better!

It was a cool fall evening and after dinner we sat around the firepit... listening to the crackle of the fire... telling stories... learning about each other... laughing... and just loving one another... just as Christ loves us!

Are you practicing"Intentional Hospitality" ? May I encourage... that if you're not...  fall is a good time to begin. God calls us to be hospitable... but if we aren't intentional about it... it just never seems to happen, does it? Other things will always get in the way. So maybe even today... you could pick up the phone and invite one or two couples to dinner and show them hospitality... God's way!

I'd love to know if you do... email me or leave me a comment and let us encourage one another!

He who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
Proverbs 11:16

Rejoicing in all things!

This is yet another image including this same verse... I guess it's just one of my favorite verses because no matter what our circumstances are... we all have so much to rejoice in... and sometimes we just need to be reminded!

I only have a minute... but I wanted to share with you a new reason for my rejoicing... I am going to be presenting a series of 3 teachings at Summit View, my own local church, the first three Tuesday evenings of October! This is a big deal to me for many reasons... all reasons to truly rejoice in the Lord...

1) It was originally going to be presented just to a focus group but now we're opening it up to all the women of our church. Also... there may be some seats available so if you're local and are interested in coming please email me... I'd love to have you there!

2) It's free admission... so we get to offer it purely as a blessing to those who can come!

3) We will be filming these sessions to create a video presentation for event planners to have in the days to come... this is definitely a God thing especially since I'm not so fond of cameras.

4) And last but not least... I am already blessed by my friends who have volunteered to pray for this event as well as offer helping hands!

Having said that... I also covet your prayers as I am still finishing up preparations for the El Centro Calvary Chapel Retreat in So. California (am so looking forward to seeing you all there!) the last weekend of September and all the arrangements for the first Tuesday event, Oct. 2, must be in order before I leave.  I am blessed to be a part of what God is doing and if you want to be a part with me... please pray as God brings me to mind and as He leads.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10

Just because you asked...

In case you're wondering... the mound beside the pork chop in the photo below is couscous with mushroom pieces. I simply spooned and pressed it into a round measuring  cup... 1/2 c for me... 3/4 c for Michael... and tada... it takes the presentation up a notch with almost no extra work!  I've used this technique in serving different foods to my granddaughters too and they just love it. Try it... it's fun and easy... and makes for "pretty food"!

Curry Mango

Some of you already know that cooking is not my gift and I usually try to do as little and as simple as possible. But, once in a while, I get the urge to try something new and when I do... one of the  criteria is that it be pretty. This one qualified as both delightful to the eye and to the tastebuds... (Michael loved it)... so I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

Curried Mango Pork Chops

Ingredients
4 pork chops 3/4" thick                     2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp seasoned salt                             2 tsp vegetable oil
4 sliced green onions                            1/4 raisins
1/3 cup chicken broth                       1 tsp cornstarch    
1 fresh mango peeled, seeded and diced
2 Tbs flaked coconut

Season chops with curry powder and seasoned salt. Heat oil in lg skillet... medium heat. Brown chops on both sides, turning once... 7-8 min. Set chops aside. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and broth well. Cook and stir onions, raisins, & broth mixture in skillet until slightly thickened. Return chops to pan and heat through. Serve chops with mango & coconut. 

This could be a great meal to share with some friends
and practice some hospitality!
"...be rich in good deeds, and... be generous and willing to share"
1 Timothy 6:18

Soccer Anyone?

Have you ever seen a bunch of 7 year olds playing soccer? Michael and I never had, so as grandparents... it was quite a treat to watch Jessica out there kicking the ball around! What fun! And what energy!  Oh to be young again! They didn't always know quite what to do with the ball and on occasion it would accidentally end up at the wrong goalpost but no one seemed to care and the game went on. How refreshing!

I think we could all use some of that childlike perspective at times. Wouldn't you agree? I know I could.

Sometimes we just don't know what to do with the circumstances... the soccer balls of life... that come our way. Do we dribble or lightly kick it or give it all we got? And what happens when things don't go in the direction  we want them to... especially if we're the one who kicked them into the wrong goalpost?  I know there are times I hang my head in shame and defeat.. or beat myself up verbally for being so stupid... or spend days wondering what I could have... should have... done differently... when God is saying "get up... shake it off and just keep playing the game!" 

There will always be times when, just like a seven year old, we will learn the most from the mistakes we make. Or... maybe our mistakes weren't mistakes at all... but an opportunity for someone else to be blessed! Hmmm... just something to think about.

Heavenly Father,
Help us to see the circumstances in our lives through your eyes and not just our own. Remind us to not dwell on our mistakes and let them overcome us... but teach us what we need to learn from them and let us be overcomers!

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21

Thankful Thursday!

God invites us, in Psalm 100:4, to...

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise"

and sometimes this comes easy when things are good... but sometimes it's more of a decision... a choice we make... to look up into the face of God rather than focused on the things of this earth.

As I awoke this morning... the verse that popped into my mind was "this is the day the Lord has made... I will rejoice and be glad in it!" My life is good at the moment... not without challenges... but good... rejoicing will be easy I thought. And yet this Psalm doesn't tell us to rejoice because life is good but because God is good and He is the one who made the day! He created this day and then gave it to us as a gift. How my day will unfold is known only to God. But I'm encouraged to rejoice and give thanks to the One who holds my future... unfolding it before me one step at a time. I want to live with my focus on God's goodness which is always good... rather than the goodness of life which fluctuates with every turn of circumstances.

I know life's circumstances can be difficult... even painful at times... but aren't we glad that we belong to a God who can lift us up above our circumstances and show us a whole new and heavenly view? I know I am. Today... I'm thankful for this day... and the God who made it!

Heavenly Father,
As I enter Your gates today... and come into Your courts in prayer... I choose to come with a heart of thanksgiving and praise.. thanking You for the precious gift of this day. Go before me Lord and prepare my way so that I can follow You step by step. Lift my eyes up from my circumstances... good or bad... so I can see You... and keep my eyes fixed on Jesus... the Author and Finisher of my faith. For your glory... Amen.

I'm back!

As many of you know from my website and newsletter, I chose to take some much needed time away this summer and it was good. But it is also good to be back! During that time I closed down my webstore (which I will open again soon), did not send out any newsletters (which I will begin again next month), did not update my website (which I just did... yeah!), and did not blog until now. It does feel good to be back... I've missed spending time with you... but it was also good for me to be away and take some time to rest and refocus.

One of the most restful highlights of the summer included a road trip with my husband, Mike. We drove down the Oregon coast, across Napa Valley to Yosemite, and spent a few days with our dear friends

Audrey and Steve Roberts and their daughter Jacque.

After that we were off to the Grand Canyon, up to Big Sky Montana where our car started acting up and prompted us to postpone our trip to Yellowstone and head home a couple of days early... which ended up being absolutely perfect.

Another restful time was the week we spent camping at Alder Bay Resort on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We have wonderful friends we see there every year who have become like family.

This is our "Alder Bay Family" portrait for 2007. (minus Susan and I)
The highlight of my trip there is always the whale watching and, again this year, I was not disappointed!

I also enjoyed some fun times with family and friends...
including my annual carnival time at BG Harvest Days with my granddaughters.

And I delighted in being able to spend quite a bit of time reading and just relaxing with no agenda. Okay, that part is not totally true because most of what I read was purposely chosen to gain wisdom and insight in preparing three entirely new retreat messages on Redeeming the Time which I will be sharing in just three weeks to a wonderful group of women from Calvary Chapel El Centro in So. California.

And that is how I've ended my time away... refocusing on the Lord and on what He has in store for me and for all those who love Him and trust Him as we redeem our time in the days ahead! I look forward to sharing some of that wisdom with you here in the coming days. Until then... "whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" Colossians 3:17