“Karen’s Notes!
Insights from a Glory-Bound Lady”

Selected Notes
Volume 8 Number 22 “Karen! You are a Real Character!”

Post #370 May 28th, 2025

Some of the folks who faithfully read Karen’s notes knew her well. Others met her when they started reading her notes after she went Home to be with the Lord. Often I am told, “I wish I had had the chance to meet her. I feel like I know her from reading her notes.”

One of the things that might not be so apparent in her notes was her sense of humor. Karen had a great sense of humor. She was always teasing me or sharing something that was cute or funny. When I would lovingly pick on her, believe me she could hand it right back to me. I often replied, “Karen! You are quite a character,” and we would laugh together.

She was indeed a special character. There is another application, however, to the word “character.” According to dictionary.com, character is a noun that speaks of features, traits, characteristics, moral or ethical qualities. During one of her ladies’ retreats, she spoke to the ladies about character. She reminded them that in a good sense, they ought to be quite the characters! Here’s just a tiny snippet from her notes.

Karen wrote: “Character is the basis for our conduct and conversation. God and I are working on this together. For some, it means going through the Refiner’s fire. The intensity of this fire varies. But it helps us to remember, What does God mean to me? Who owns me? Where is my citizenship?”

Michael’s observation: She then asked the ladies to turn in their Bibles to Job 23:10 which she has underlined. “But He knows the way that I take: when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” She then took them to 1 Peter 1:7. There Peter expanded the concept of this refining fire and explained how the believer’s character is developed during these times. Peter said, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” As we go through trials and difficulties, those three questions will help us to trust the Lord and know that He is developing our character. He doesn’t abandon us in the fiery trials. He carries us through and teaches us lifelong lessons, if we allow Him to do so.

We smile at calling someone “a real character.” But having a Godly, Christ-honoring character should be the goal of each of us.