Embracing the Journey
Between Edenville and Eternity
by
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SPIDER WEBS
"For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)
One morning on my commute to work in the summer, I noticed something spectacular in the median along the expressway that I had never seen before. I was traveling east just as the sun lit up the morning sky. A morning mist had settled and heavy dew saturated everything - along with the sunrise, outlines of marvelous designs were highlighted. The awesome view captured my attention for nearly thirty miles as I couldn't stop gazing toward the weeds - each one was decorated with a uniquely designed spider web! Thousands, maybe millions, of spider's webs were exposed by the moisture and light that morning - it was like an invisible message had been made apparent and I could see the beautiful display that had been there all along.
Part of my amazement was the sheer beauty and number of webs; another source of my amazement was the thought “I've never seen this before. I never knew they existed!” For twenty years I've traveled along this way and I never knew I was passing by thousands of beautiful designs - and they're everywhere, not just along that highway! That's how it is with God's plan in our lives. On very rare occasions we capture a glimpse of the beauty He has designed in and around our life, but most of the time we are really unaware of what He is doing. Many times we wonder if He is doing anything at all - if He even knows we exist. But He is always at work behind the scenes.
I just finished reading “The Grand Weaver” by Ravi Zacharias, so this memory of the spider web scene resurfaced in my mind. It reminds of just how awesome God's plans are and of how closely He wants to work with us in our lives. He is interested in every detail of our life! He blesses us by using us as His vessels when we talk to Him, listen and obey Him. He gives us the opportunity to watch life unfold and see Him work His purposes.
"God denies a Christian nothing, but with a design to give him something better.” (Richard Cecil)
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About the Book
The best description of this book is the word “parable” - a short story designed to illustrate some truth, conveying meaning indirectly by the use of comparison or analogy. Most of the articles I've written in this book are insights gained over time from life's circumstances - either firsthand or observations of others' lives - valuable lessons worth sharing. Life throws experiences at us to help us grow, develop character and over time they also prove certain principles to be true. We are often surrounded by people with opinions, and everyone has a right to their opinion, but opinions vary. I usually don't consider opinions very valuable - depending on whose they are, of course. But the truth found within a principle stands the test of time! The articles in this book are not opinions - they represent principles. They are stories that illustrate truth to straighten the path and ease the grade of the hill along this journey.
About the Author
Karmen's years of growing up on a small farm in Edenville, MI, gave her an endless cache of hands-on experience with small farm animals, birds, insects, amphibians and reptiles that she loved during her childhood - and many frogs and snakes were collected temporarily as pets, to her brother's dismay. By tapping into the wonders of nature, Karmen weaves them into articles containing applicable lessons for making life fun and living life abundantly. The creation of nature's intricate beauty reflects the Father's heart. Karmen's immense appreciation of all that God's heart created is reflected through her articles. Integrating her unique analogies with her photography, she has designed an amazing book with built-in wisdom for an enjoyable reading experience, as well as unique perspectives to learn from. Karmen works at Dow Corning Corporation in Midland, Michigan. She began in 1989 as a co-op her senior year at Meridian High School and continued her education at Central Michigan University, Saginaw Valley and Delta. Karmen lives in Gladwin County with her husband, Steve, on a small farm; they have horses and enjoy gardening. They also like riding their Harleys, going fishing and camping up north. Karmen enjoys playing pool; she also loves music, birds, cross-country skiing, photography, bonfires and hikes through the woods.