Is that the Moon in that Puddle?

Newsflash: Joy, peace, and hope aren’t in our circumstances. Oh, sure, sometimes we believe we see them there, but I think it’s because our circumstances are like the surface of a puddle of water. Sometimes its possible to look at the surface of our circumstances and see peace, joy and hope reflected there. But at other...

How I Met the Man of My Dreams (Again)

I met John Emile Bouchard in church youth group in the early '70s. I was 14 and he was 16. We were friends, but weren't sweet on each other until after he joined the Navy at 17. In boot camp and on various ships, he kept my picture taped above his bunk. I wore a shell bracelet he gave...

How Precious Are You, Really?

What do you have to do and be to be loved--really loved--by God? My dad had emergency surgery 40 days ago. He is still really sick. Sometimes the doctors tell us he is dying, sometimes they tell us he will pull through. My sisters are really great at doing medical research on the internet and telling...

On the Journey of Life…

Need a humorous, inspirational speaker for your church, community, or corporate event? To learn more about booking Karen for your event, request an Information Packet by emailing Renee Berge at gr.berge@comcast.net, or calling 360.929.1391.

The Secret to Foolproof New Year’s Resolutions

I think I’ve finally come up with a surefire way to actually follow through with the New Year’s resolutions I make this year. Best yet, I’m going to share my secret with you. In fact, by following my instructions, you, too, can wow your friends in April by announcing that you have honored your New...

Hungry for Change? Hope for Emotional Eating

They say a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. I say it starts with a trip to the bathroom. Or maybe a visit to the ATM. The other thing that can launch a journey of that magnitude is an epiphany. I had that kind of moment recently. I was sitting at my...

Are you longing for “The Perfect Christmas”? Well, stop it.

My children have attached their holiday wish lists to the refrigerator. Actually, I have to lift the lists to find the refrigerator. A lot of us parents complain that, when it comes to the holidays, our kids want too much. Unfortunately, the same can often be said for you and me. What do you and...

Craving Connection

What comes to mind when you think the holidays?  Food, for starters. We put away generous servings of everything from sweet potatoes to snowman-shaped cookies with globs of frosting. But oftentimes the family part is the hardest. You may fortunate enough to have a Norman Rockwell family complete with scores of smiling relatives at your...

Not yo’ mama’s party dress

One day my four-year-old approached me in the kitchen and announced, “Look, Mama! I’m ready to go to the party!” Indeed, Kacie was supposed to attend a birthday party in a couple hours. She was wearing her Princess Barbie nightgown. “Kacie, you can’t wear a nightgown to a birthday party." “But it's only a nightgown at NIGHT....

You can’t snuggle with a 4000-pound gorilla

I hate to break the news to you, but grudges make really lousy pets. For starters, they grow WAY too fast. Give them a little TLC and they quickly become too big to keep comfortably in the average-sized suburban home. When furious family members start glaring at each other and snarling, “This house isn’t big enough...