It is with deep sadness, that I share that on the afternoon of December 4th, 2025, Karen passed on to heaven. She will be dearly missed. Over the years, she has shared about her journey with health concerns and most recently, multiple myeloma. It feels right to celebrate today her gifts for writing and her love of a God who loves each one of us.

In 2016, Karen wrote a series of booklets titled “Under Ordinary Skies, Living as Apprentices Every Day” while working as Spiritual Formation Director in a church community. Booklet Nine was titled “Who Am I When My Body Fails Me?” In this booklet, Karen wrote about five different elements of dealing with illness and death: Coming to Grips, Making a Paradigm Shift, Living Intentionally, Surrender, Dying Before You Die. Some of these essays, and others by fellow apprentices, are included in our blog under the sub-heading “Who Am I When My Body Fails Me?” A few written words from these essays are shared below. The hope, in sharing a few, is to be reassured that, as Apprentices, we are not blown about by the winds of sorrow, but instead, firmly planted in a Love that does not change or disappear. I hope you can take comfort in their wisdom:

“Who am I when my body fails me? I am a beloved child of God who takes great delight in me. A God who calms me with His love and who rejoices over me with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). I am someone who lives in the unshakable kingdom of God; no matter what happens to me, I am safe…I am someone who has had life-long experience with overcoming spiritual and emotional battles with the strong arm of God always holding me up.” (page 9, “A Beloved Child of God”)

“I think our task, whether we are well or ill, is to see ourselves as whole beings, surrendered to our Healer. Jesus didn’t see those He healed as separate parts: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. He saw them (and us) as potentially integrated, congruent (meaning harmonious, all parts fitting together) beings- like Himself. Therefore, He could approach them (and us) from any direction, any aspect of our being, to accomplish healing. ” (page 22, “From Dis-ease to Ease”)

“Choosing to “die before we die” means letting go. We learn to give up control- first of situations and events, then of people, then of our own life, and finally of our death. Recognizing that we have no control over death is the hardest to accept, especially for those of us in the West. Western thinking teaches us that we need to live as long as possible no matter what it takes. Eastern thinking has more respect for the event of death and for how to deal with its inevitability. My experience is that the more we deny, the less value whatever life we have left has. When we are “dying to death,” we are also living until we die. Every sunrise is more beautiful than the previous day’s. Every baby’s smile and child’s giggle is more fun than the last. Every interaction with a family member is vital. Every time spent with friends is precious because time is not wasted on the trivial but on the meaningful. Every task we choose to accept is viewed through the lens of its value to the Kingdom. We need to help each other understand that “dying to death” is a beautiful way to join with creation in bowing gracefully to the way the universe accepts that all life ends and a new life begins.” (page 54, “Living Until We Die”)