Simplify. My word for 2024. Already doing it’s work on me and it’s only day two. Look for the simple. Stay close to the simple. In the simple, you will find rest. Continue to simplify. Your thoughts, your life, your house. This life isn’t so complicated. Why do I make it more difficult than it needs to be with all my drama. Stay right here today. In this moment. Look at what is right in front of you. Right inside... Read more
Should I hold on or let go? When do I hold on? Who/what tells me It’s time to let go? Holding on to dreams. Holding on to memories. Holding on to keepsakes. Mom’s clothes in a cedar closet in the basement. Mom’s container of old letters and cards. I don’t even know half the people those cards are from. Here’s a story of wanting to let go… Kevin and I were coming up on our fifteen year class reunion. Going... Read more
Does anyone else have some messed up views? Being taught one thing. And now realizing… It was all poppycock? But the belief is deep. And runs wild in your brain? It can’t just be me. But here I sit… On my back porch. Watching my thoughts. They are going something like this… I want people to like my book. I want them to buy it. Actually read it. And then tell me they like it. Oh no. This is pride.... Read more
Less than a week out from my book release. All.The.Feels. One minute I am excited. The next? I want to crawl into a hole. Under a table. One minute time is flying by. And the next? Standing still. My life. Written down. In book form. For everyone to see. Anyone can order it. Sit in the privacy of their own home. And read about me. My thoughts. My dreams. My weaknesses. My fears. All out there. Ready to be read.... Read more
Living in fear is exhausting. I’ve spent too much of my life being afraid. Driven by it. Paralyzed by it. Smothered by it. I’m seeing fear for what it really is. A joy stealer. A manipulation tool. If someone can make me afraid? Of anything and everything on the outside? They’ve gained control. Doesn’t matter if they’ve sucked the life right out of me. As long as they have control. I thought for years that the fear was my fault.... Read more
Looking back through journals. All the prayers. All the crying out to God. Years. And years. Asking. Begging. Believing. Writing out words to songs we had sung. Wanting so badly to be heard. For my prayers to be answered. I see it now. Not perfectly. Of course, not perfectly. But… I do see the problem. The arrogance. The “knowing.” You know? I just “knew.” I knew what all those others didn’t know. I was some sort of special. Not “sinless”... Read more
“Choose your weapon.” A mentor of mine told me she used to say it to her children. I thought it was funny at the time. Go to the kitchen drawer and pick which utensil you want to be spanked with. For those who were not raised with this type of parenting… And for those of you who have never heard of the whole “spare the rod” teaching… It was a thing. It still is a thing. My parents did not... Read more
Is he running hard after God? Are you running hard after God? Would you like to run hard after God together? Well then, that’s all that matters. Go for it. You are “equally yoked.” Same theology. Same church. Same God. You should be good to go. And hurry it up. No long engagement. Wouldn’t want either of you to “burn with lust.” We will do some premarital counseling. Tell you how to do your finances. How the wife should submit... Read more
We attended a college conference in 2006, where John Piper said if we listen to those “emergent” pastors, we would be sitting ducks for false doctrine. Well then, no one wants to be a sitting duck. Ok John, we will not listen to anyone who tells us anything different than you. We will sit here. Under your teaching. And we sat. And sat. And sat. Listening. Listening. And more listening. We shut out all those other dangerous voices. The ones... Read more
I’m sorry. I see now the damage that was done. Standing in front of you sweet kids. Telling you to do what I hadn’t even done. Giving you the little purity talk. Having you sign the True Love Waits commitment card. Handing you a TLW Bible. Putting a purity ring on your finger. I was pushing the purity culture agenda. Making it seem like it was the cure-all. Those videos we had you watch? They were driven by fear. I... Read more
Karen Ruth Shock
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