Karin

Trying on silly hats at my 15th or 16th birthday party 

     I would like to introduce you to Karin.  Karin and I met in sixth grade when we had the same teacher.  As the years passed we enjoyed birthday parties and sleepovers and shopping and all those girly things.  We both loved music and we had the same piano teacher so sometimes we played duets together.  In high school we were in the Carolers together.  Karin had a wonderful alto voice and was very musical.  She was a great student too... top of our class!  We both wrote for the school newspaper.  We both loved kids and enjoyed leading music for VBS together.  Karin was talented, smart, kind, and lots of fun.  I always felt proud to be her friend.    

Singing in Carolers together (1994)

     But, the most important thing I need to tell you about Karin is that she loved Jesus.  She wanted everyone to know Him.  And, so when we were 15 years old Karin asked me to join her Discipleship group with her mentor, Lynn.  We met every Wednesday night before youth group at First Baptist Church in Alexandria.  Each week we talked about Jesus and salvation and God's plan for His children.  Then one week only Karin and I were at Discipleship.  She got out a little pink booklet entitled, "Your Most Important Relationship."  Using that booklet Karin led me to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  We prayed together and then that night I went home and prayed to Jesus again all on my own.  I remember the amazing feeling that swept over me.  It was peace and relief and joy all at once.  That experience changed my life forever.  Karin and some friends got together to buy me a Student Bible since all I had was my Good News Bible from third grade.  I was so excited to read my new Bible.  Everything became so real for me and God was so alive.  I would come each week to Discipleship with questions about my faith.  Karin and Lynn would do their best to answer each one.  I am so very grateful to both of them for taking that time for me.  I'm sure Jesus and the angels were dancing for joy as they watched us meeting together!

My Student Bible and the little pink booklet...

     Karin and I met often to have Bible studies or to pray together or quiz each other on our latest memory verse.  Sometimes we even met in the piano practice rooms at school for a quick time of prayer during our lunch break.  Karin wanted everyone to know Jesus personally and even the presents she gave to people reflected that.  I remember one year when she came to school with glass canning jars filled with hot cocoa powder and an envelope full of strips of red paper.  On each piece of paper were encouraging Bible verses.  The idea was to finish up the hot cocoa and then put the verses into the jar and pull out an encouraging verse whenever you needed one.  I still use those red verses as bookmarks for my Bible.  Many of them I have memorized.  I remember a mixed tape that Karin made for me full of awesome Christian songs.  She introduced me to groups like DC Talk and singers like Pam Thum.  We would get together and sing songs together like, "As the Deer" and "All In All."  She was always thinking of ways to encourage her friends in their faith.  She was an inspiration.    

     Karin and I graduated from high school in 1995.  I was headed off to Up With People and she was set to attend college.  Before I left, Karin threw me a surprise going-away party.  It was so very sweet of her.  It was so good to see our friends before we all went our separate ways.  I was so touched that Karin did that for me.  There was even a time of prayer.  I will never forget that.  There were some hard days in Up With People, but knowing I had Christian friends like Karin praying for me back home made it so much easier.  As the Michael W. Smith song states, "Friends are friends forever when the Lord's the Lord of them!"    

Sara, Jennifer, Karin (1995)

     Karin is married now to a wonderful Christian man named Mike and they have four beautiful children.  I attended their worship-filled wedding and have gotten to meet Mike a couple times.  I'm so happy the Lord brought them together.  When I got married, Karin sent me a copy of the book Love and Respect and mentioned that it had had a powerful impact on their marriage.
    Karin and I haven't kept in touch very closely, but I have no doubt that she is sharing the love of Jesus with everyone she meets.  She recently went on a mission trip to Africa.  That was a dream come true for her.  Seeing her photos on Facebook made my heart happy.  Karin continues to inspire me to share Jesus' love with others and to watch God at work all around me.  He is so good!  To Him be the glory!  

To learn more about the "31 Days of Friends and Family Who Inspire Me" project, click here:  
http://journalingjennifer.blogspot.com/2014/12/intro-to-31-days-of-friends-and-family.html