Life – Page 2 – Karen Gamble Writes

What Is Easter?

Easter, also called Resurrection Sunday, is the day we celebrate that Jesus rose from the dead, gaining victory over sin, death, and the grave.

Jesus had been killed by crucifixion on a Friday.

Early on the following Sunday morning some women who had been Jesus’ followers, came to His tomb with prepared spices.

They were planning to properly anoint His body for burial.

They’d been unable to do it right after the crucifixion because the Sabbath started at dusk Friday and lasted until dusk Saturday.

During this time they were not allowed to do any work due to Jewish law.

When the women got to the tomb the stone blocking the entrance had been rolled away.

Jesus’ body was not there.

The tomb was empty except for the linens Jesus’ body had been wrapped in when placed there late Friday afternoon..

There was an angel there at the tomb.

The angel spoke to them:

Category: death, God, Holiday, Jesus, Life | LEAVE A COMMENT

What Is Holy Week?

When I was growing up Easter was a big event.

In the days leading up to the holiday, the adults would spend a lot of time preparing delicious food and dyeing eggs.

Sunday morning we would devour a lot of the chocolates in the basket the bunny had left us, get dressed up in our fancy new outfits, and go to my grandmother’s house where all my aunts, uncles, and cousins were waiting.

After what always seemed like the biggest meal I’d ever eaten, we would go out and hunt for the brightly colored eggs.

Oh how I loved to run through that grass looking for those treasures!

One day it dawned on me that Easter might be more than just bunnies and eggs.

I asked a relative about it and they explained to me what Easter is really about.

Easter is about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.

It was also then that I learned there is an entire week that has to do with Easter.

Category: Holiday, Jesus, Life | LEAVE A COMMENT

Belonging to God

I was reading a bible study book and it mentioned Psalm 100:3, which says:

Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. (NIV)

There’s a lot of good stuff in this verse, but what really stuck out to me was the second line –

It is He who made us, and we are His,

According to this verse, it is God who made us.

We weren’t made by accident. We didn’t suddenly just exist.

We didn’t evolve from slime somewhere.

God made us.

On purpose.

He meant to do it.

Because God has made us, we belong to Him.

We are His people.

This means we aren’t our own.

Category: Faith, God, Life, Submission, Trust | LEAVE A COMMENT

Lenten Season 2021

Today is Ash Wednesday.

It is the first day of the Lenten season, often called Lent.

Lent is the 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter.

Lent is a time of reflection.. It is meant to remind us that we are by nature sinful and that we need Jesus’ sacrifice at Calvary to save us from our sins and to restore our relationship with God.

It is also an opportunity for us to examine ourselves to see whether we are living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.

Some people fast during this time.

There are several reasons they do this.

Many are following the examples throughout Scripture when men have fasted as a way of showing repentance, to seek God’s favor, receive answer to a prayer during a difficult time, or to show they are grieving..

Some fast to show they realize the seriousness of their sin and their appreciation of the Spiritual life Christ offered us when He was crucified.

Category: God, Holiday, Life, Submission | LEAVE A COMMENT

Qoheleth’s Quest

In the book of Ecclesiastes the author, who defines himself as Qoheleth (Greek for the Teacher or Preacher), shares with us his quest to find meaning in life.

He tells us how he tried various things in all areas of life.

He starts by devoting himself to studying and exploring by wisdom, “all that is done under heaven,” meaning all there is in this world.

Then he tells us he has seen all the things that are done under the sun, but that all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

The Teacher goes on to explain what it is he’s seen and done. He tells us:

He’s applied himself to the understanding of wisdom and of madness and folly.

He’s tested his heart with pleasure to find out what is good.

He’s tried cheering himself with wine.

He’s undertaken large, fancy projects. He’s built houses, vineyards, gardens, and parks. His building program was so extravagant he even built a reservoir so he could water all his groves of trees.

He didn’t stop there.

Category: Ecclesiastes Study Series, Life, Old Testament, Scripture Study | LEAVE A COMMENT

See You At the Pole 2019

Today

7 a.m. (local time)

Please pray for the students who will be expressing their faith by gathering at their school’s flag pole this morning

if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

For more information, please see the See You At the Pole website

Category: Faith, Life, Prayer | LEAVE A COMMENT

Global Week of Student Prayer 2019

Today marks the beginning of the Global Week of Student Prayer.

It is a time set aside to focus on praying for students, schools, teachers, and administrators.

The highlight of this week is Wednesday, September 25th, (7 a.m. local time) when students all over the country will gather at their school’s flag pole to pray together.

This year’s theme is “if…”.

It references the verse 2 Chronicles 7:14:

if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (NIV)

I encourage you to spend time this week praying for our schools and their leaders.

Please also pray for Christian students to show up and pray that morning.

Pray they are a light in the darkness for the others to see.

Ask the Father to give them the words they need to share His love with their fellow students.

Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders. It’s imperative we cover them in prayer as they grow so they will become the person God has called them to be.

If you would like more information, please check out the See You At the Pole website by clicking here.

Category: Faith, Life, Prayer | LEAVE A COMMENT

This Thing I Do

I was talking to my good friend, MHR, about this blog.

She’s the first person I’ve shown it to and I was nervous.

Would she like it?

Would she think it’s too cheesy?

Is it offensive?

Is it total garbage?

I was relieved to learn she likes it and plans to keep reading it!

She had a lot of good things to say. Encouraging things.

Her good words have inspired me to try harder. To write more.

She even inspired me to finish the books I’m writing.

Yes, I am going to finish them. Every. Single. One. Of. Them. And write others, too! (Thanks for the encouragement MHR!)

I’m very thankful she was so encouraging to me and appreciate her friendship so much.

Her support makes it easier for me to keep doing this blog.

I do it for 2 reasons:

Category: Family, Life, Obedience | LEAVE A COMMENT

Proverbs 20:5

During my quiet time I was reading Proverbs, chapter 20.

Verse 5 really spoke to me:

The purposes of a man’s heart are deep waters,
but a man of understanding draws them out. (NIV)

It reminded me of my morning journaling and how I use those pages to take the thoughts and concerns of my heart before the Lord.

Journaling gives me a chance to spread my true feelings and thoughts out and examine them as I seek guidance and wisdom both through prayer and through searching Scriptures for verses that speak to each situation.

The purposes (or motives) of my heart are not always pure.

Sometimes they need adjusted. I need reminded to bring them into alignment with God’s will. I need convicted of, and corrected for, my sinful thoughts and selfish ideas.

The feelings run deep. Deep hurts. Deep fears. Deep imperfections. Deep hungers.

Bringing them out to allow Christ to shine the light of Truth on them means He can show me where to change, what to adjust, where to keep on keeping on.

This helps me to become more like Christ and to be in a better position to serve the Kingdom.

It allows me to become who God has called me to be.

It is this spreading out before the Lord that allows those feelings to be sorted, healed, and dealt with. It allows Him to remind me that He loves me and that He has each situation under control and on track, even when I can’t see Him working.

That’s a great reassurance to me because I know that means God is taking care of me in all these situations and all I have to do is trust Him as He works all things together for good.

He’s a good God and He will take care of those who love Him!

What about You?

Do you have a method you use to draw out your heart thoughts so you can bring them into alignment with Christ and with God’s will for your life?

If so, I’d love for you to tell me about it in the comments below.

Category: Journaling, Life, Submission | LEAVE A COMMENT

Sanctity of Human Life Sunday

Today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.

It’s the day churches around the United States celebrate God’s gift of life, remember babies lost to abortion, and pray for the life of unborn children.

This day of remembrance was created by President Ronald Reagan to be celebrated the Sunday closest to January 22nd, the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, which legalized abortion in this country.

One of the ways people justify abortion as an acceptable practice is to say a pregnancy is “tissue” or that a fetus is not a person and therefore of no value. This is simply not true and goes against what Scripture teaches us.

God’s word is clear when it says, “He knew us even before He formed us in the womb,” Jeremiah 1:5 (NIV).

“We are to praise Him because we are fearfully and wonderfully made; His works are wonderful, we should know that full well.” Psalm 139:14 (NIV).

How could we not yet be a person in the womb if He already knew us there?

Please pray for women everywhere who are considering this procedure. Ask God to show them a better way to deal with their situation than to end the life of their child. Ask Him to speak to their situation and to show them the best path to take, and to provide them with the resources needed to take care of themselves and the child.

Pray, too, for the workers who man crisis pregnancy centers. Pray for their wisdom and courage as they stand in the gap for these babies, whom God is, “knitting in their mother’s womb, and whom He saw in their unformed body; whose days were written in God’s book even before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:12-16 (NIV)

For more information on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, please visit the website Life Matters Worldwide

Category: Family, Life | LEAVE A COMMENT