Christmas Service and the Fourth Sunday of Advent

Once again, I apologize for not getting the videos of the sermons up on a perfectly timely manner.  I've attached three videos this week, the first is of Creath performing for us here at Woodlawn Christian on Christmas morning, the second is the video of my sermon from Christmas morning, and the third is the final sermon in Advent given on December 18th.

We are closing fast on the final day of 2016, and we look ahead to what the new year has in store for us with a good deal of excitement and anticipation.  2017 has such great potential and it's honestly up to us to make sure and to allow it to live up to it's fullest.  Let us be prayerfully engaged with not only our Church, and our community, but to also be fully engaged with our own lives.  Let us seek to find ways to improve ourselves, no matter if that may be taking a class of some form, starting an exercise program, improving our diets, resolving to read more books, or just resolving to read the Bible each day.  The greatest investment we have is ourselves and the more valuable we can make ourselves the more valuable our involvement can be in our Church, our community, our world, and our families lives.

I love the simple saying "do something today that your future self will thank you for".  It's a simple saying but a wonderful one none-the-less, make yourself just a tiny bit better today than you were yesterday... and remember to... be a blessing to someone today!

In Christ,

Pastor Roy

Creath Karlen, playing "Coventry Carol" at Woodlawn Christian on Christmas Morning.

Sermon given by Pastor Roy Karlen, Christmas Morning 2016, The Prologue of John.

Sermon given on December 18th, 2016.  The Fourth Sunday of Advent "Love".

Sermon and a whole lot of driving around the Midwest...

The last few days have included for me a great deal of driving as well as a whole lot of seeing and visiting with friends and relatives.  On Thursday morning, I drove Madeline up to the airport in Minneapolis.  She flew to Toronto to meet up with her boyfriend Yves and his family.  For the next two and a half months, she's going to be visiting with them as well as searching for a job up there in order to acquire a work visa in Canada.  Once she finds a job and gets her visa she'll be able to apply to attend college in Canada and start working towards becoming an ultrasound technician.

Maddie Karlen, July of 2015

After leaving the airport, I spent a bit of time shopping and then headed south to meet up with a couple of old friends from college, Kent and Sue Haselhorst, who live on a beautiful acreage near Spring Valley, Minnesota.  I had a very nice visit with them at their home and then we went to the local Dairy Queen and had a bite to eat.  It had been almost exactly twenty-four years since I saw them last, and it was great to see that they've aged so well.

Kent and Sue Haselhorst, July of 2015

I stayed as long as I could and returned back to Lake City about midnight, I pray it won't be nearly as long before I have a chance to see them both again.  Thanks to you Kent and Sue for allowing me to call out of the blue and just drop in on you all.  God's love and blessings to you.

Friday morning I woke up, worked out in the garage and then cleaned up and headed to South Dakota.  My aunt Silvia passed away back in February, but she didn't want her service to be held until the weather was better for her family to travel.  I arrived in Oacoma, South Dakota at my brother Merrill's home around 5 pm and had dinner with them.  Later my sister Paula came over and we visited on Merrill's deck overlooking the Missouri until my old friend Greg Powell called me to come and meet him and his wife Terri for a drink at Cedar Shore.  It was wonderful to see both of them again, I do talk to Greg fairly regularly, but it's only once or twice a year that we actually see each other face to face.  Greg promised me that they are going to make a trip over to Lake City some Sunday to come to Woodlawn for a Sunday Service.  I pray they'll be able to work it out as I'd love to introduce them to the town, and the good people at Woodlawn Christian Church.  Greg and Terri, I love you both like family!

Greg and Terri Powell, July of 2015

 On Saturday morning, we all gathered at the cemetery near Reliance, South Dakota for my Aunt Silvia's memorial and interment service.  It was a small gathering of close family and the service was conducted at the cemetery.  After the rest of us left her son Perry buried the urn and then met us all at Al's Oasis in Oacoma for lunch.  It was a wonderful time of visiting and seeing cousins that I rarely ever see and honestly only see at funerals now.  Such unfortunately, is how things seem to go when you get to be middle aged.  Silvia was the last of the 'old guard' Karlen clan, there is only my mother Rosemarie and my Uncle Elton's wife Beth remaining and they of course both married into the Karlen clan.  

Once the visiting was done and everyone needed to get started home I headed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where I met another dear old friend Kirk Jensen for supper at JL Beers.  Creath was working that evening managing the kitchen and he actually brought our food out to us at the table in order to say 'Hi' for a quick moment before having to get back to the kitchen.  I want to thank Kirk for buying me dinner, you're one of the best souls I know Kirk, God Bless you in abundance! 

I dropped several hints to Kirk that he needs to invite all of the old gang to come see him and his wife LaJean at their home near Beresford, South Dakota.  His home is about as close to the mid-point of travel distance, for the majority of us as one could ask for.  In case you didn't notice Kirk, I just dropped another hint.  LOL

Kirk Jensen, July of 2015

It was a tiring few days, but it was fantastic to see so many faces that I rarely get to see within such a short period of time.  I pray that it won't be as long between visits with all of you as it has been in the past.  Honestly, I've resolved that that won't be the case. 

After leaving Kirk in Sioux Falls, I drove back to Lake City and managed to get home just short of eleven at night.  All of this travel meant that I was a bit weary this morning during our service but it was still a great service and we had a very good attendance again this week.  God Bless all the souls at Woodlawn Christian, I really have fallen in love with this place and am so very thankful that the Lord has called us all together to serve him as partners.

Attached please find the video of the sermon, it was a continuation of last week's sermon and again I went the route of writing nothing down prior to the delivery.  There was no manuscript, no note cards, nothing written down nor even rehearsed.  I had formulated in my mind what I wanted to talk about and then I just started talking.  The only problem for me when doing this is I have no idea how long the sermon is going to be.  Also, I have to make sure and have it recorded as there is no manuscript to publish here or to place into my file of past sermons.

I pray that this blog post finds you all well and richly blessed.

In His Grace and Constant Care,

Pastor Roy

Installation Service - Woodlawn Christian Church

This past Sunday marked my official installation as the settled pastor here at Woodlawn Christian Church.  It was a great service and I thank Julie Gibson for coming and assisting with the event.  Julie is on the Regional staff and worked with the Search Committee for all the many years that it took for the search process to come to completion.  The church endured a much longer process than normal and Julie's kind assistance and guidance has been richly appreciated by everyone here at Woodlawn CC along with myself.

I was pleased to have a number of my family and friends make the trip to Lake City for the service.  My brother Merrill and his wife Karen, Susan Gillies (Past Executive Minister for the American Baptist in Nebraska), Kathy Brown (my late mentor Jesse's wife), Bob Molby (my current mentor) with his wife Marcie, my mother-in-law Mary Alice, Gail Ann and both Madeline and Creath were able to come as well.

Above is the video of the sermon which I gave during the program, and below is a video of Creath playing a violin solo of 'La Folia' by A. Corelli.

It was a wonderful service and I want to thank everyone at Woodlawn Christian for their faith in me and for calling me to come and reside and serve alongside them as their Pastor.  Thank you to Julie for all that she's done and thank you to Susan, Kathy, Bob, Marcie, Merrill, Karen, Mary Alice, Gail, Maddie and Creath for all their love, assistance and support.  Special thanks to Creath for playing his violin for the church.  Everyone was blown away and just loved his playing, they're all anxious for him to come back and play for them again.  Next time I will try and get him the music for the hymns that we'll be playing when he's here so he can be prepared.

May this blog post find all who read it fully blessed and well in our God's love and abundance.

Remember to "BE A BLESSING TO SOMEONE TODAY"!

In Christ Jesus,

Pastor Roy

Vacation Bible School and Sermon from July 5th 2015

This week we are hosting the Vacation Bible School for the Lake City Community.  It's a fantastic week with all these little people running around the building.  There is nothing more rewarding than teaching and working with young children.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone that is helping out with VBS, in so very many different roles!  It is amazing to see and I'm so impressed and proud of all the great work and dedication to the youth here in and around Lake City.  What a wonderful place and such incredible people!  God Bless you all!

God Bless the little ones they are so precious.  Tonight in the first class that I taught (the 1st & 2nd Graders) one of the girls asked me if they got to keep the Bibles we were reading I told her no they were just for the class.  I then asked if they all had Bibles at home, all of the children did with the exception of the little girl who asked if they got to keep the Bibles.  I asked her if she wanted one and she vigorously shook her head yes and said yes she did.  So I gave her a Bible of her own to take home.  I like to tell everyone to "be a blessing to someone today", but today I have to say this little girl was my blessing.  She reminded me just how precious a Bible is to have.  Later I saw that she was clutching that Bible tight to her chest and she held it like that until her parents came and picked her up.  God Bless her always.  

I've attached the manuscript for the July 5th sermon for anyone who wishes to read through it.  Gail did record the sermon on her phone, but I forgot to have her download it for me before she left to go back to Omaha.  I'll try and get it this weekend and add it to this post.

In His Love & Care, 

Roy

Sermon July 5^th, 2015

Woodlawn Christian Church – Roy Karlen

First off, I was pleased to see so many of you make it to the Community Worship Service last weekend in the town square. It was a beautiful day and I thought it was a great day of worshiping with our fellow Christians here in Lake City.


It's going to be a busy week this week with Vacation Bible School going on and then next weekend is, of course, my formal installation service here at Woodlawn CC. We'll have a few special guests coming to be with us hopefully that day. My mentor the Rev. Bob Molby will be here with his wife Marcie, also my late mentor Jesse's wife Kathy will be here. Kathy will have with her, her sister Susan who is the past Executive Minister for the American Baptist in Nebraska. We'll also have my daughter Maddie and for the first time our son Creath will be here in Lake City. Creath will be playing his violin for us so that will be a treat. My older brother Merrill and his wife Karen are also making the trip, so I get another chance to harass my big brother from the pulpit, that's always fun for me. So make sure and be here next week to welcome all of these fine folks. You will also want to remember that we're having a potluck after the service, and you can never go wrong coming to church when there's a potluck.


Before we go any further this morning, let's go before the Lord in prayer;

We desire your presence with us O God.

Still our restless spirits, that with quiet minds and reverent hearts we may hear your voice and worthily worship you.

Prepare our minds and hearts O, God, that through your Word, read and proclaimed, Christ may come to dwell within us, and ever rule over our thoughts and affections as Lord of our lives.

AMEN

The scripture that we're going to be looking at today is found in the Gospel of Mark in the 6^th Chapter. It immediately follows a series of miracles that Jesus has performed and it's followed by the story of the death of John the Baptist. The story of John's death highlights for us just how dangerous this being a new voice was in these times. After the story of John's death, there are more stories of miracles.


Let’s go now to the Gospel of Mark;

Mark 6:1-13 Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

6 He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

And he went about among the villages teaching.

The Mission of the Twelve

7 And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and preached that men should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.

Jesus is in the first few lines of these verses, the hometown boy who's come back to town and the folks back home still see him as he was before. Isn't this the carpenter? Some translations say 'just' the carpenter. Isn't this the guy who we had make that table for us and one of the legs was too short? We grew up with this guy, what and who does he think he is now? And why can he do miracles and not the rest of us? What made him so special that God has favored him above all of us who grew up with him.

In the canonical writings there really isn't much about Jesus growing up other than a little bit in Luke's gospel. But it would seem by what Mark is telling us here that the folks in his hometown hadn't considered him as anything special prior to now. Isn't this just the carpenter and aren't his siblings here with us? Where did he get this wisdom and this power to do miracles?

We tend to have a hard time seeing people differently once we've gotten used to seeing them a certain way. An easy illustration of this would be parents and their children; it's difficult for us parents to see our children as grown adults and not think they still need us to tell them how to do things. I know for me as a father I still have a tendency to think of my kids as much younger and less capable than they really are. Sometimes it's easier for folks who have a bit more distance to see just how wonderful of an adult they might be.

Certainly, a prophet has a difficult time being appreciated in his own hometown, much less among his family and in his own home. We humans often have a tough time seeing what is right there in front of us all along.

Also here, we have no small amount of jealousy this guy wasn't special growing up? Why is he so special now? And why did God favor him over me anyways?

There just isn't the faith in him here where he grew up that is needed to see his work come to fruition.

Now let's look at the next section of this scripture, Jesus is sending his disciples off to the surrounding villages to heal and perform miracles. But get this, he tells them to not take any supplies or provisions along for the trip. He goes so far as to tell them that they are not to even take along an extra set of clothes, just the ones on their backs. And let's not forget the part about no money! He wants them to be entirely reliant on the help and generosity of those whom they are going to aid.

He is telling them to have faith that their endeavor will be supported and welcomed. They are to step forward into the darkness and uncertainty that lies ahead and believe that all will be well and God will ultimately provide for them through those that they encounter on their journey.

Have you ever been in a situation where all the odds seemed against you but you had absolute peace. You had peace because you had faith and an understanding that God would see you through. No matter what lay ahead you would prevail with God's support and love.

Now, I have to confess to you all that my wife Gail has a much stronger sense of faith than I or almost anyone else that I know. I want to tell you all a little story about our daughter Madeline or Maddie as we generally call her. Madeline was due to be born in December of 1994; over Labor Day weekend of that year my son Creath and I went up to South Dakota to visit my family. Gail wasn't able to go along as she was forbidden by her Doctor to travel. While we were there Gail called very early one morning to tell me that she was in the hospital and that the baby was coming. Her water had broken while she was asleep and she had called her mother to rush her to the hospital.

The baby was coming over three months early, well I immediately jumped in the car and drove as fast as I could back the 360 miles to Omaha. When I got to the hospital the contractions had slowed down but the baby was coming, there was no stopping that.  Maddie was born on September 5^th, which was Labor Day that year. She was so small that the Doctor handed her back with just one hand to the Doctors and nurses behind him that were there waiting for her.  

Now, I'm sure all of you can do the math but Maddie was coming into this world at 25 weeks term rather than the normal 40 weeks. Twenty one years ago this wasn't a good thing, Gail and I had already lost one child at 22 weeks and I'll be honest I was scared out of my mind. All the hospital staff was obviously concerned as well, but there surrounded by all this chaos, fear and frayed nerves laid Gail, absolutely, serene and assured. She told me not to worry that everything would be fine, I wish I could tell you I believed her completely... she said God would get us through this and that this child would be just fine.

Creath visiting Maddie in the NeoNat Unit.

Well Maddie came into this world at only 2 lbs 2 ounces, but a stubborn little girl from the get go. She gave us a lot of scares, actually she gave me a lot of scares, Gail always believed that everything would be fine... and it was. Maddie came home the day before Thanksgiving she was so small that we gave her baths in a mixing bowl, and not a large mixing bowl either. She was home for a short time before having to go back into the Neonate unit with RSV. She was very, very, very sick and honestly the doctors knew they were losing her. But Gail had faith, everything would be fine.

Maddie was so sick that they were giving her nebulizer treatments with albuterol with 15 minute intervals between treatments. There was no doubt that she was dying, but Gail remained stoic and professing that everything would be just fine.

Maddie's doctor came to us and said there was a drug trial that they wanted to put Maddie into. A new potential treatment for RSV that they wanted to know if we'd let them use on Maddie. Well, of course when you're in a drug trial you never know if you're getting a placebo or a real drug.  We said okay, honestly we didn't have anything else to do, she was dying right there before our eyes. Gail though again was unwavering in her belief that it would all be all right.

Well, they immediately started Maddie on the treatments and almost like magic she started to improve. She literally bounced back from death's door and lo and behold she recovered. Later we learned that she did indeed get the real drug and not a placebo. That drug which I don't remember the name of was shortly the standard treatment for babies with RSV and has saved many lives. One of the first lives it saved though was our own little Miss Maddie Kaye Karlen.

The fact that we just happened to be there when this drug trial was going on is to us no small miracle.  Certainly, Gail's great faith in her God for His provision and great care was well founded.  Maddie made a rapid and complete recovery, though she did have lung damage due to the RSV and her premature birth.  Thankfully, she outgrew this damage as she grew older and today her lungs are as good as gold.

Faith is a difficult thing, to step out and carry on even though the situation looks hopeless is not something that comes natural to us humans. Most of us let fear take over and we start to doubt... fear is normal and it's impossible to say that even the faithful don't suffer from fear. Faith means in spite of your fears and in spite of what should be normal human doubt, you place your faith in God and you go forth. Knowing that ultimately this world can only throw so much against us and that no matter what might come God will bring us through.

Even in those situations where it seems that the world has won, it really hasn't because God's Kingdom is bigger than the world. Now back to our scripture verses, I'm sure that the disciples all thought "what in the world is he trying to do to us, no food, no money, we're going to perish". But none of them did, at least not yet. In the end, of course, nearly all of them paid the ultimate price for witnessing for our Lord. Of course, we know that even in death their faith has saved them. The Apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Church in Rome:

Romans 8:33-39 Revised Standard Version (RSV)

God’s Love in Christ Jesus

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; 34 who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For thy sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the end, it all works out, faith even into death.  For not even death can separate us from the Love of our God. I forget the name of the movie, but I remember this line from it; “it will all work out in the end and if it hasn't yet worked out, then it's not yet the end.”

In the end it all works out, we are called to journey through the darkness of life with the knowledge that the light of our God awaits us on the other side. We have faith that nothing in this world or beyond can change that truth.

But while we're on this journey of faith, let us never forget that we're supposed to be witnessing and helping others along the way.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father,

Help us to be ever mindful to not be judgmental of others. But let us be ever mindful of living our lives as a reflection of your love for each and everyone. Please forgive us for our failings and guide us daily to a better understanding of you and the path that you wish for us to walk in your creation.

We pray this in Your Holy Name.

Amen

A quick road trip and Roy's ramblings...

This week Maddie started a new job, working at a new business in town called the 'Kolache Factory'.  Of course as the name implies, they make Kolaches and very tasty ones at that.  Maddie was originally hired as a cashier, but they quickly discovered that she (thanks to her mother) has a real knack in the kitchen.  She's been transferred over to baking and her new boss just loves her.  So far, she's had a 100% turnout rate for her baking (many of the kolaches break open in baking).  Today she made meatball kolaches and again had a perfect score, her boss was so thrilled he dubbed her 'the meatball whisperer' and said from now on if she's at work she is making the meatball kolaches.  Apparently, the meatball ones are extremely tough to make and all the rest of the cooks have multiple failures in each batch.

I'm extremely proud of how hard she's working, she has been going in at 3 am and a couple of days she worked until 3 pm.  She's a hard little worker and she tells us that she just loves this job and working with baking.  Of course, she's excited because she's getting a lot of hours and will have more money to save up to travel to Canada again soon to see Yves.

Today I picked Maddie up from work at eleven and we drove to Sioux Falls to help Creath do his income taxes.  Once we finished that I took Maddie and Creath out to supper and then Creath had to get to work so Maddie and I set off back to Omaha.  She told me on the way home that Yves band has been offered a chance to open for another band on tour.  If they take the offer they'll be touring not only Canada and the USA but also over in Europe.  They're both very excited as it could be a big opportunity for Yves and his group.  He and his band are also planning on coming to the US soon to meet with the producer who is putting together a cd for them.  They're all excited about this as well as apparently he's a big name and has worked with several groups that went on to be well-known and popular bands (of course I've never heard of any of them). Who knows, Maddie may find herself with a rockstar on her hands, at any rate he plays a very mean guitar.

Today marks three months until my 55 and one-half birthday, and since I've not been training towards any particular event or date lately I decided to train towards that date.  And with that I have set my sights on May 22, 2015, by which I will strive to have dropped 20 to 30 lbs of body weight, and be in as good as, or better shape than I was at less than half of my current age.  Age is as I constantly say, just a number, and no reason for us to give up on being healthy, strong and active.

Well, it's getting late and I better get going, so with that I'll leave you all with this prayer.

God's Love & Blessings to you all,
Roy


O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore thee,
a heart to delight in thee,
to follow and to enjoy thee,
for Christ's sake.

(Ambrose of Milan, c 339-397)

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Well, another Christmas has come and gone.  Here in Omaha, it was a beautiful day with a high temperature for the day of just shy of 50 degrees.  Of course, this year it was not a white Christmas.

On Christmas Eve this year, Maddie had to work until 6:00 pm, so we were unable to attend the Christmas Eve Service at Benson Baptist, since their service started at 5:30 pm.  So I Googled a bit and found a 7:30 service at a ELCA Lutheran Church and we decided to give that a try.  Creath was home for the Holiday and so all four of us attended the service at Saint Michael's Lutheran Church, located at 132nd & Blondo.  Years ago, I was actually a member at St. Michael's, but I hadn't been inside the building for many years and they've added on at least twice in these passing years.

Saint Michael's has a beautiful facility, though I will confess the decor is a bit too contemporary for my preferences at this stage in my life.  Their service however, was wonderful.  They have a Minister who is a very talented speaker, and they had a soloist who had an absolutely marvelous voice.  Going to the service just to hear her sing, would have been well worth it all.

Pipe Organ at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Omaha, NE
WmRoy Karlen photo

After the service we went home and had a bite to eat.  We had planned to go down to St. Cecilia's for their Midnight Mass, but Gail and the kids were too tired to go.  Going to St. Cecilia's Midnight Service is for me one of the highlights of my year, so undeterred, I set off and attended the service alone.  This year I walked in the front doors (we've always parked beside the building and gone in the side doors) in order to see the sanctuary in all it's glory.  Saint Cecilia's is a magnificent building, and I love to go down and hear the choir singing in Latin.  There is just something ethereal about this building and it is especially so when there is beautiful music.  The acoustics for the sanctuary are incredible.

Gail and I, once went to a performance there of an a-capella quartet, singing Irish Folk Hymns.  The four women came from the curved hallway that goes behind the Altar, two came out from each side.  You could hear them singing long before they appeared in sight, and they sang the entire performance without any amplification.  It was just their natural voices and the amazing acoustics of the Cathedral.

During the service of Midnight Mass, I sat along the center aisle and the entering and exiting processions went right past me.  Even the next morning, I could still smell the incense on my coat.  On the drive home (about 2 am) there was almost no traffic, and that peaceful drive, along with the smell of the incense was in itself almost a spiritual event... very serene and almost surreal.

Christmas morning we of course opened gifts at home and then went over to Mary Alice's (Gail's mom) home to open still more gifts.  After everything was done at Mary Alice's and the rest of the folks had to run off to Christmas events with other relatives, Gail, the kids and I took Mary Alice over to our house.

Mary can't walk on her own right now and the simplest way to get her up the stairs and into the house, was for me to just pick her up and carry her inside.  She is not heavy at all, the only thing I was concerned about was that she has a terrible habit of reaching out and grabbing the railing or something else and just won't let go, even when you need to keep moving.

Before I picked her up (each and every time, as I carried her into, and out of the house and also carried her into the bedroom so she could take a nap) I told her clearly to NOT reach out and try to grab anything as I was carrying her.  I told her to grab ahold of my shoulders and to not reach out for a railing or doorknob or anything else.  Honestly, if she grabbed and pulled on the railing as I was taking her up or down the steps she could have caused both of us to fall.  She listened well, and we had no troubles at all getting her wherever she needed to be.

Gail told me "you do come in handy sometimes".  To which I replied, quoting the famous trainer Mark Rippetoe "strong people are generally more useful, and are harder to kill".  There are times in all of our lives when we need the assistance of someone either stronger physically, mentally, or spiritually than we are ourselves.  There is no shame in this, it is just part of being a human being.

Mary's trying to grab ahold of something while you're helping her, is a lot like how we are when we're in God's guiding grasp.  All too often when we're faced with difficulty, we pray to God for help, and then we reach out for something else... rather than, putting our faith in his strength and guidance to get us through the situation.  We reach out to crutches such as alcohol or drugs, we have extra-marital affairs, or any of a number of other things that we put our faith in, rather than God's guidance.  Take your troubles before the Lord, trust in Him to get you through these difficult times.  Do not reaching out in fear, but trust in the love, guidance, and healing that God can and will provide.

Well, that's enough for today.  May you each and everyone, know the peace, grace and strength of God in your lives.

In His Love & Joy,

Roy

Prayers please for:
Connie Surat, Kelly & Patti Wills, Don & Laura Fletcher, the Huntzeker family, Sylvia Schafer, Edsel Buchanan, and remember to pray for yourself as well.

Going to be Preaching on July 20th

First off let me announce that on July 20th I will be doing Pulpit Supply for my friend Howard Blecha at the Humboldt Christian Church.  I'm looking forward to getting to visit with his congregation again and have already started preparing the sermon.  Howard told me yesterday that when he asked who the congregation wanted to fill in for him several said "get that Baptist guy again".  I had to chuckle over that one, Howard said they couldn't remember my name but remember me as the "Baptist Guy".  Oh well, I could certainly be remembered as worse.  I'm planning on getting a proper video camera before we go down, so I can finally take a decent video of the sermon.  Maddie ended up having an issue with her memory card on her phone and unfortunately that means my last sermon was lost.

This last week or so has been a bit hectic with work and dealing with things at home.  Last Wednesday I went with Creath to Watertown, SD to look at a car.  Creath's car got caught in a hailstorm up in Sioux Falls and the Insurance Company totaled it out, so he decided he wanted to use the money they gave him for the car to try and find his 'dream car'.  Well ironically enough he found just what he was looking for on Craigslist.  He located a young man in Watertown who was looking to sell a 1983 Chevrolet Z28 Camaro.  So being the wonderful father I am (every so often anyways) I drove all the way to Sioux Falls to spend the night and to drive with him early in the morning to get to Watertown to see this car.

Long story short, the car wasn't bad at all, so I negotiated with the seller a bit on the price and then we shook on the deal.  Creath was thrilled to get to drive it back to Sioux Falls.  It's a black car that has been recently repainted.  The paint job isn't perfect, but it's not awful either.  The car handles well and everything works on it, including the rear wipers.

Creath Karlen with his 1983 Camaro
WmRoy Karlen photo

On a less happy note, this week we finally had to have our beloved pet 'Gracie' put to sleep.  It was a very difficult thing to do and we put it off for as long as we felt we could.  Maddie is still very sad over the loss of her 'baby' but as a result all the other animals are being lavished with her attention.  Aubrey and Pansie seem to understand that she is gone, I think they realized that she was sick and somehow understood that when I carried her out the door that last time that she wasn't coming back home.  I buried her in the back by the oak tree next to Jasper and Holly.  Maddie wants to get a headstone for her so we'll take care of that this next week.  I have a friend that sells 'rocks' and one of his products is pet headstones.

Maddie Karlen with her baby girl "Gracie"
WmRoy Karlen photo

I'll likely post again before the 20th but for now I need to run.

I pray that this brief blog post finds you all well and blessed along the path of your individual faith journey.  Please remember that no matter what comes down the road to you today, either good or bad that your God loves and cares for you deeply.  Don't forget to spend a bit of time in prayer and thanksgiving for all that the Lord has created for each of us.

Many Blessings to all!
Roy