About Karen Henry Johnson :)

Hmmmmm…well, I guess this depends on when you knew/know me…

Born in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains to a very poor family, I learned many lessons about the natural and sometimes unnatural consequences that result from the choices one makes. I gave my heart to Jesus at a very young age and with varying degrees of success have attempted to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Being a “church kid without church parents,” I had to rely on others to provide transportation to and from church. My love for singing and studying the Bible was nurtured by those who invested time in my life–and to them I am forever blessed and indebted.

As a student, I was above-average, yet finances and family support limited my opportunities. Frequently I found myself without encouragement to be more than a  “skilled laborer” for after all I was one of the “Henry kids from the hollow.” But what those naysayers did not know was this–that Henry kid was a daughter of a King dwelling in His favor. For in those troubled times in Shropshire Hollow, the Almighty God kept His hand of protection on me so that He could lead me out of my own “wilderness experience.”

Marrying a Florida boy in 1982 presented new challenges and years of blessings as the new experience took me away from everything that I knew. During those 26 years of marriage, I advanced to the highest calling known to woman–that of “Mommy/Momma.” Though life choices would leave me with a new identity–a divorced woman–our marriage gave me two great gifts, named Brittany Joy and Kaitlyn Hope.

Today I find myself in a new season of life. I have embraced who I am and seek to know the One who knows me best on a more intimate level. My trials are filled with testimonies, my burdens turned to blessings, and my own pity parties have become on purpose priorities. I am without resentment and bitterness, and it is in this new freedom that I reach out to others who struggle with insecurity and the loss of their identity.

A clean page is before me and I face a new beginning. Join with me as I take you along the path through the hills to identify the Hand of the Creator with frequent sidetracks of humor as He led me to the place I find myself today. Again, I do this…on purpose.