BEST New Year's Goal

Best New Year's goal!  

If you know me, you are guessing that I am telling you physical exercise is the best goal, because exercise is my professional and personal passion. I love to help people figure out how to make exercise part of their everyday life and to reap ALL the extensive benefits of exercise! (Feel free to talk to me about exercise! Also search on my blog post "exercise".)

Spiritual exercise is even more important.

This year make it your goal to WRITE GOD"S WORD ON YOUR HEART.

1.Take the weekly Bible verse challenge. 

https://www.lcms.org/worship/memory-verse-challenge?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Write the verse on your bathroom mirror with dry-erase pen. For other ideas on how to memorize Bible verses, read this blog post: https://karensuemurdy.blogspot.com/2023/07/what-is-written-on-your-childs-heart.html

2. Go to church every Sunday; hear the Word of God, fellowship with the body of believers in Christ.

When Mom was dying of cancer, a young man commended her strength for peace and faith during such a difficult journey. She replied, "It is not me that is strong, it is God who gives me strength. Be in God's Word every day and worship in church every Sunday." She explained to him, "You have to plan ahead and prioritize going to church every single Sunday."

3. Teach God's Word to your children. More so than ever in a world of fake news, airbrushed photos, AI, etc. truth needs to be taught to our children. 

My Doctor husband often has patients ask, "Am I going to die?" 

"Yes, you are going to die; the death rate is 100%," he quickly replies. "But, probably not today."

EVERY single person is going to die (unless they happen to be around for the day Christ returns).

The Good News from the Bible "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standards. Yet, God in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty from our sins." Romans 3:23-24

A favorite speaker from LWML, Ida Mall, declares, "If it is not about salvation, it is not important. Let it go. " At the end of the day, nothing except God matters. 

HAPPY 2024!

What will this year bring for you? 

Whatever this year brings, spiritual exercise of being in God's Word will make it better.

A Tragic Death. A Tragic Life. A Thrill of HOPE!

 A thrill of HOPE, a weary world REJOICES!

Listen to the podcast of this blogpost: https://anchor.fm/karen-sue-murdy/episodes/A-Tragic-Death--A-Tragic-Life-enqq6k

A tragic death...A couple in our community was suddenly killed in a car accident leaving behind their two young children, their parents, their students, their co-workers, their friends all who are deeply mourning the loss of their life.  A tragic death...a weary world.

A tragic life...A loved one in our family lives unfortunately with chronic traumatic encephalopathy dementia often not recognizing her children, her siblings, her neighbors, her friends all who are deeply mourning the loss of her mind. A tragic life...a weary world. 

With my finite mind, I cannot begin to understand an infinite God who sees and knows all-so much more than me. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:8-9 I cannot understand why this healthy couple with 2 young children had to die like this...not my way. I cannot understand why my loved one with this devastating disease has to live like this...not my way. 

I also cannot understand why God sent His son, Jesus to be born to live on this earth, to die on the cross (conquering Satan and evil), and to rise again on the third day (conquering death) to be my Savior...not my ways; but wow do I REJOICE. We thank God His ways are higher than our ways and acknowledge we may never understand them. 

"A thrill of HOPE, a weary world REJOICES" a line from a beloved Christmas carol "O Holy Night" caught my attention the first week of advent as we lit the candle HOPE. As we wearily mourn both a tragic death and a tragic life, we REJOICE. We REJOICE in the HOPE this couple confidently proclaimed in life and in death and now in new life in Heaven: Jesus Christ is their Savior! We REJOICE in the HOPE my baptized loved one confidently lives. She asks me to pray with her; hums along when I sing "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow"; and declares, "Count your blessings": Jesus Christ is her Savior now and always.  

What tragedies are you struggling with in 2020? Covid? Relationships? Politics? What else? Whatever is happening in your life, may you HOPE in God- trusting that His ways are higher than your ways. 

May you experience a thrill of HOPE in spite of this weary world and REJOICE in the birth of our Savior, our eternal HOPE.

Courage Through the Covid-19 Storm: Good Friday Dancing

Tips for THRIVING

Tip #5 Keep Your Eyes on God
Listen to this blog post here https://anchor.fm/karen-sue-murdy/episodes/Courage-Though-the-Covid-19-Storm-Good-Friday-Dancing-Keep-Your-Eyes-on-God-eck937


🎶"Dance then wherever you may be. I am the Lord of the dance said He." 🎶

I danced with all my heart- twirling and whirling around as I sang at the top of my 12-year- old lungs. 

"Shame on you." My beloved Grandma stopped me in my tracks, "We don't dance on Good Friday." 

Quickly Mom intervened, "But we already know how Good Friday turns into Easter Sunday. We can dance every day- even on Good Friday."  

Good Friday, the day that commemorates Jesus dying on the cross to pay the price for all my sins. And all your sins, too. Because we know how this ends, with Jesus arisen from the dead-conquering death, we say with the Apostle Paul, "For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's." (Romans 14:8). It makes me want to dance on this Good Friday.

Several people have sent me this beautiful rendition by Ten Two Six Music Group Nashville Studio Singer Community virtual cell phone choir of "It Is Well With My Soul". I encourage you to listen to it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDIJz6zzHNU


This Good Friday I ponder this verse of the song:


Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul
It is well (it is well)
With my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Trials...Covid-19  
My heart goes out especially for my son as we watch his senior year at Concordia High School unfold with social distancing. Prom? His birthday? Senior Blessing? Graduation ceremony?
My heart goes out especially for my doctor husband trying to care for his sick, anxious, and hurting patients.
My heart goes out especially for you. I know you have your own story of hurt and pain with Covid-19 craziness-social distancing, economic troubles, and anxiety over possible illness or death. 
This Good Friday- even with Covid-19 and all the yuck that entails, I want to dance...Death IS conquered! 

Enter Jesus, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." (John 14:27). This was my theme verse in high school. I needed it then. I need it now. 
This Good Friday, I have peace like a river. 


It is GOOD Friday. It IS well with my soul...I am dancing! Will you join me?

A Good Friday prayer from PRAYCHS.  https://chsaustin.org/dailyprayers39 If you scroll to the bottom of this link, you can listen to the prayer (read  today by my son.)

UP NEXT TIME: EXERCISE