He is Our Portion

      

While studying Lamentations, a book in the Old Testament, it really
brings to mind who our portion is.  It was the Lord who brought on the
captivity of the Israelites to the Babylonians when they refused to
obey the Lord's commandments.  All that the Lord had blessed them with
was taken away.  As they grew further away from the Lord and
worshipped other gods and images, His grace finally left and they had
to pay the consequences of suffering, being in bondage and a
seperation from the Lord.

The Lord is our portion.  He commands for us to trust in Him and obey.
 He has given us the ability to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be
lead by Him in the right direction we should go.  When we trust in His
guidance, depend on His word, seek His favor and put Him first we will
have the perfect peace that passes all understanding.  Even if we go
through various trials, when we put our trust and faith in Him we can
have the hope that He will always lead us in the path of righteousness
for His name sake.

It is very easy in our World especially in our country, to seek other
gods, so to speak.  When we are down we can use other means to comfort
us.  But we need to realize that God is our portion, our strength in
our time of need, our encouragment when we are down, our everlasting
force that keeps us moving forward on a fruitful meaningful path.  It
does not matter what the circumstances may look like in our life, how
people may treat us or view us.  What really matters is that He is our
portion and that He can give us the perfect peace that passes all
understanding, the love in our heart that we so disperately desire and
need.

He has put in our hearts a desire to love and serve Him.  We have been
wired to love and worship Him.  We all sense a void in our hearts that
always wants and never gets satisfied.  A need to look up to someone
we can believe in.  When that desire is not the Lord that we are
worshipping and looking up to,  we are dissappointed every time.  For
nothing is forever accept the Lord.  The lives we live and all that we
have in our lives is temporal, but the Word of God, our Lord is
forever.

As we look to the things that are above, our Lord and His everlasting,
power, peace and salvation that we attain through Him we will realize
that is all we need.  He is our portion, the Only Portion that we need
always and forever.  He is our all and all.

May you rest in His perfect peace and love and desire only His Portion
which is all we need in Christ Jesus and may you sense the comfort,
love and understanding of knowing Him is enough.

Serving Him,
KC

Let 2012 be a year filled with "holy days"
 that you can see!!

During the last week I have heard different conversation about people feeling a real let down because Christmas is over.  A feeling that the “Holiday Attitude,” leaves us as the ornaments are removed from the tree, the wrapping paper and ribbons are stored away for another year, and the anticipation and expectations are reviewed, and even evaluated , as we box up “Christmas.”

I feel fortunate to have my faith and church family remind me of what the true meaning of Christmas is, and, with this, I reflect on the importance of  living each day, not just the few weeks during holiday time, looking for reverence in my everyday, ordinary,  journey of life.

God’s love for each of us doesn’t take a holiday.  The gift of God’s love and caring doesn’t come with a limited warranty, or strict return policy.    He is always here for us, and we need to have an open mind and heart; ready to look for, and experience, ordinary things filled with the sacred. Filled with God’s love, which is like a friend,  who is always ready to greet us, invite us in, and embrace us giving comfort and a sense of belonging.

A couple of weeks ago I heard a lecture on writing fiction.  The author talked about the importance of creating a setting which serves to develop our characters in the story.  I thought about how we need to work on our setting in life.  I think we benefit in many ways when we choose to actively look for reverence in everyday experiences and opportunities to reflect on God’s presence.  These experiences serve to help us develop our character; anchoring us and assisting us to keep in touch with our spiritual side.

In Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book, “Simple Abundance,” she reminds us that gratitude is the gateway to experiencing more reverence in our daily lives and that the real life of joy we are meant to be living begins when we restore a sense of reverence to our daily affairs.

Looking for reverence in everyday life is something we must do for ourselves.  I don’t think we can be told to find reverence in something; it has to be experienced within, without someone else dictating what we should find special or meaningful.  I do think that just like becoming more aware of the value of gratitude, finding reverence in everyday occurrences can become more a part of our lives.  We can practice looking at our lives in a different way, through   different lenses, taking the time to reflect and feel God’s presence.

During Advent, I read, for the second year, a book written by Albert Holtz, a Benedictine monk, “From Holidays to Holy Days.”  This little book has been a valuable companion to me during the wonderful season of Advent.  Brother Albert states it beautifully...

“……..as you move through the journey of your life, may you  discover there  the faithful, loving God who keeps being born into
our world all the time,
and  whose unseen presence
turns every day into a holy day.” 

I wish you a Happy New Year filled with the wonderful challenge of looking for reverence in each ordinary day. May the days of this, as yet, pristine year be filled with God-given "holy days" that you can see.

Blessings,
Connie I. Clark

THE FATHER'S LOVE

I watched a touching movie over the holidays titled “The Christmas Bunny.” It relayed the story of a family who took in a foster child. Julia appeared to be about nine or ten years old. From the moment she arrived at her new home she refused to speak or relate to the family. Her surrogate mother and father were extremely patient and loving with her and with great wisdom finally managed to help her learn to be obedient. It became apparent that her behavior was not any kind of medical disorder but rather an expression of her sadness and even anger that she had been taken from her real mother. Unfortunately her natural mother had proven to be an unfit parent who could not provide the safety, protection and provision which her daughter needed.

Julia's foster mother loved and trusted the Lord. Her husband, however, struggled with his faith. He had fallen on hard times and had lost his job. Financial pressure and the stress of raising a very troubled foster child brought him to a point of extreme frustration. Julia's conflict with the family's natural son combined with her pet bunny's destructive habits around the house, resulted in a pretty heated verbal bout between Mom and Dad. When Julia overheard the argument and realized that she was the cause of it, she decided to take her rabbit and run away. She headed out into the woods in the snow. By late afternoon she was essentially lost.

The sun would be going down soon and according to the weather forecast a storm was headed Julia's way. Mom and Dad panicked and called the local authorities for help. Her foster father trekked out into the snowy forest in search of his little girl. As he trod through the woods he called out her name over and over. The intensity of his love for her was more than evident in his desperate cry for Julia. The expression of grief on his face and the utter determination in his steps demonstrated his intense desire to be reunited with and to rescue his wandering daughter. When he finally found Julia, he swept her up in his arms and held her in a warm sheltering embrace. He could now bring her back to safety!

As I watched this moving scene, one thought came to my mind. This earthly “foster father's” passionate quest to find his lost daughter must certainly be a reflection of our Heavenly Father's love for us. There are times when God's own children stray from His umbrella of protection through sin and unbelief. There are the multitudes whom the Lord has created but who do not yet know Him as Savior. These are the subjects of God's relentless and ardent pursuit. Julia's father's search for his little girl gives a but a glimpse of the intensity with which our loving “Abba” seeks us out when we are lost.

Two scriptures came to my heart concerning our Father's devotion to His children.

 Isaiah 49:15,16 says,

“Can a mother forget her nursing child?

Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?

Even if that were possible, I would not forget you!

See I have written your name on the palms of my hands.” (NLT)

Also Matthew 7:11 states,

“So if you sinful people know how to give

good gifts to your children, how much more

will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.” (NLT)

The pattern of love which the Father has for us is manifest in the natural parents' love for their children. Yet, according to scripture, and surely according to our experience, the Heavenly Father's love for us is multiplied immensely.

How grateful we can be in the coming year

for a celestial love which knows no bounds?

How inspired we can be to emulate that love

and to share it with a lost and hurting world?

By Cathy Friberg

Facing Christmas

Facing Christmas

I shall attend to my little errands of love
      Early this  year
So that the brief days before Christmas may be
Unhampered and Clear
Of the fever of hurry. The breathless rushing,
      That I have known in the past.
Shall not possess me. I shall be calm in my soul
And ready at last.
For Christmas, “The Mass of the Christ.”

I shall kneel and call out His name;
I shall take time to watch the beautiful light
Of candle flame;
I shall have leisure – I shall go out alone
From my roof and my door
I shall not miss the silver silence of stars
As I have before;
And, oh, perhaps – If I stand there very still,
And very long -
I shall hear what the clamor of living has kept from me;
      The Angels’ song!

---Grace Noll Crawford, 1919

From The Radient Quest
        Harper and  Brothers Publishers, 1940

 shared by Connie Clark

Coincidence or God Acting Anonymously?

What do you call it when something occurs in your life, and you wonder how or why did that happen? Like seeing someone unexpectedly you had been thinking about, or receiving  telephone call or text message from someone you had  been wanting to talk with; or seeing a certain saying or something along the street or in your home that especially resonates with you, bringing back good memories, and perhaps even motivating you to some meaningful action.  Perhaps the experience gives you a feeling of being connected, excited, or  inspired  with a feeling that something bigger is happening out there than what we can see or logically explain.

 We may call our meaningful events a coincidence, chance, synchronicity, or God acting anonymously, and perhaps feel  intrigued with the feeling of magic, mystery, and surprise when life hands us something we can’t explain.

 About three years ago I attended a lecture by Carol Lynn Pearson .  She talked about her new book, “Embracing Coincidence”  She tells us when we experience meaningful coincidences that get our attention, they help us contact the magical, spiritual side of our lives, and she encourages us to be open, to pay attention and to have gratitude for each day.

Whenever my sister and I see a coin, especially a penny, on the ground, we always pick it up and say a big hello to our mom.  Our mother died a few years ago, but when she was alive whenever she saw a coin on the ground, she picked it up,  and reminded us in an excited voice, that it was good luck and it was a reminder to “Keep smiling.”

When our mom’s mind was kidnapped by Alzheimer Disease, she would still get a kick out of finding a coin on the ground, and the smile on her face as she bent over to pick up her treasure, was a treat to my sister and me.

It has been a fun and rewarding to me many times over the  past few  years when I have been at a place in my life when I felt overwhelmed, sad, and even vulnerable, to  find a coin on the ground.  As I pick it up , the magic works.  I say, “Hi Mom thank you!”

Talking with friends and family about their experiences with chance, coincidence, or whatever term you choose to label special happenings, is an interesting topic.  A few weeks ago a friend of mine, Greg,  told me a story about an experience he had recently.  He was on a road trip with a couple of friends, and they drove through a small seaside town, and a church with a tall steeple stood out from the other buildings.  Greg’s  father had died a few months ago, and   he had been dealing with the normal feelings of life review and loss, so when he saw the church  he wanted to go inside and say a prayer.  One of the other people with Greg is going through chemotherapy, and she was more than happy with the idea of taking time to visit the church.  They were pleased to find the front door open.  Inside,  they saw a  small altar with an arrangement of votive candles for the offering of prayers.  Greg lit a candle and then sat down to say a prayer.  As he was praying, he became aware of a patch of sunlight streaming in through the tall narrow stain glass windows.  He looked up towards the sunlight, and read the donor’s name at the bottom of the colorful window.  The first two names,  Thomas Robert , are Greg’s father’s first and middle name.

Greg said he felt like he received a message telling him everything was fine with his dad, and he felt  a sense of calmness and love.  I asked him if he told his mother about his experience, and he said, “Oh yes, I called her that evening.”

Carol Lynn Pearson believes that we need to be open and alert for those special coincidences in our lives.  I think the season of Advent is a perfect time for us to be reminded to have gratitude and be more aware of everyday events ,  to be in the moment,  and to nurture the spiritual side of our lives, living our faith. 

If a meaningful coincidence happens to me, and I can’t explain how it happened, that’s fine with me.  I say, take the moment, and wrap your heart around it . 

Terry Tempest Williams states,

“Faith is the centerpiece of a connected life.  It allows us to live by the grace of invisible strands.  It is a belief in a wisdom superior to our own.  Faith becomes a teacher in the absence of fact.”

Blessings,
Connie I. Clark

Let the Christmas Thoughts Begin

THE COLOR OF CHRISTMAS

I recently viewed a delightful video sent to me from a friend of mine. You may have seen it. The video, titled “Colors,” emphasizes the idea that we should be grateful for the gift of being able to see the world in color as opposed to merely in black and white. How very true. There is beautiful music playing throughout the clip as dramatic scene scapes present themselves on the screen. The photographs, ranging from trees, to wild animals, to city images are shown first in black and white. They are slowly and subtly drenched in brilliant true to life color. The contrast between the same picture presented in black and white and then in color is magnificent and certainly drives the main point home. Color adds a whole new dynamic, palatable, and pleasurable dimension to the way we perceive our universe.

As I pondered the significance of this lovely video, I began to see a connection to the early days of my youth. I had what I consider a pleasant enough childhood. A daughter of the 1950's my life was relatively simple and stress free. I enjoyed playing outdoors with the neighbor children. We climbed trees, built forts, played jump rope, hop scotch, dodgeball, hide n seek, red light green light and tag. We had fun family holidays, and even school was “o.k.” I attended church and had a concept of a rather historical Jesus. There was no real teaching, however, or at least not that I understood of a personal relationship with the Lord or of what it would mean to be born again.

Please don't misunderstand. I am extremely grateful for the religious training which I had. We were familiarized with the gospels and learned the ten commandments. We were taught basic principals of morality. We were even given age appropriate specific examples and scenarios of how to apply these precepts in our lives. This instruction, I believe, laid the groundwork for my adult spiritual conversion and acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. However, the rules and regulations which I learned as a child were not sufficient alone, in and of themselves, to comprehend and experience the love of my gracious Savior.

It would be much later on, after the birth of my first precious son, that I realized that I needed a new depth of love and grace in order to minister to my child. It was then that the Lord led me to the right people and, for me, the right church where I would learn how to be born again. I was baptized in water and the journey began. I drank in chapters of the Bible at a sitting. I had never actually read the Bible for myself. I was so hungry and thirsty for the Spirit of God and He was gracious to fill me to overflowing. I was introduced to the concept of “real praise and worship” for the first time. The Bible describes this worship as that which occurs “in Spirit and in truth.” As a young girl, I had sung rote hymns with no real warmth or understanding in my soul. There again, no criticism intended, as my heart had just not yet been baptized with God's magnanimous love. I am deeply thankful, however, that I had some exposure to Godly music as a child.

A fascinating phenomenon occurred after I accepted the Lord and began growing in Him. Like the pictures in the video I described earlier in this writing, for the first time I began to see life in vivid color. The joy which flooded and continues to flood my soul gave me a whole new perspective on day to day existence. I came to understand the term “seeing the world through rose colored glasses.” I began to feel as though I was beholding my universe through the filter of those rose colored glasses. Every aspect of life and every person I encountered took on a new brilliance. Even during times of trial and tribulation, being able to turn to God in prayer and worship brought tides of happiness and joy. In all circumstances, whether negative or positive, life still seemed lovely as I gazed into my Savior's face.

So as I viewed my friend's video recently I was reminded of the contrast between my experience as a literal child and my new life as “a child of the King.” Life as a little girl for me was good. And I thank the Lord for a safe normal passage into adulthood. However, it could be considered as merely black and white when compared to the glorious color of my present life as a born again Spirit filled Christian.

Christmas time is the celebration of God's gift of His Son to the entire world. The Lord sent His Son to be a sacrificial Lamb to die on the cross as an atonement for the sins of mankind. Jesus rose from the dead and is seated at the right hand of His Father. He longs for every soul to receive His gift of eternal life. His desire is that all would accept Him, repent of their sins, be born again and filled with his Spirit. (2 Peter 3:9 and I Timothy 2:4) He came to give us life and life in more abundance. (John 10:10) He wants us to see life, not in black and white, not even in just natural color, but in the glowing, brilliant, shimmering supernatural hue of His Spirit.

This Christmas let's remember that the most valuable gift we could ever give a loved one, friend, or even a stranger is the gift of Jesus Christ. Whether we are called to intercede in prayer for the lost or to follow the Holy Spirit's leading in witnessing to others, let's do our best to make this Christmas meaningful. Perhaps the Lord would lead us to bring a plate of cookies to an unsaved neighbor, or visit someone in the hospital. These acts of kindness could soften hearts and open doors to speak the truth of the salvation message to those who need God's love in their lives. Let's seize the opportunity which this yuletide season brings to share the glorious joy of our Lord's everlasting love.

By Cathy Friberg

All Soul's Day

We have heard it said in many different ways,  If we love someone, we will grieve when that love is lost.

All Souls’ Day   commemorates those who have died, and  people throughout the world    celebrate or commemorate the dead, through a beautiful variety of traditions  from placing lights on grave sites, having special meals, dancing, singing, and other ceremonies.

On the Sunday closest to November 2^nd,  in the church I attend, we gather around the communion table and our pastor leads us in a prayer,  and then we are invited to say the name out loud  of  anyone we have lost during the  year.  As I stand there with my eyes closed, I hear the different voices around me speaking the names of people, some I had known, others unfamiliar.  It always takes courage for me to add my voice saying a name, feeling self-conscious about my voice  cracking, and  revealing signs of emotion.  I think I am  slowly becoming more comfortable with myself as I age, and am less  preoccupied with, “me”, as I think   I am getting closer to allowing  myself to be more  present in the meaningful display of  love , loss, and gratitude for precious  memories .

On All Souls’ Day,  I light a candle at home and let it burn for several hours .  The act of lighting a candle and saying a prayer about the people I have loved and lost, brings me a sense of comfort. The burning candle giving off light reminds me of the message it symbolizes; God’s love and presence.

The term “Sorrowful Joy”, was used by a speaker I heard at a conference this last year.  She reminded us that if we have loved someone, when they die we will feel loss .   I know I need to hear this message  again and again.  I  need to embrace the wonderful and loving memories I  have of  people who have  died and to be  grateful to have had them in my life.   

A  pastor   once told  us how he  visualizes the people he  has loved and lost,  as being part of his congregation, and he even places them  up in the balcony.  He shared that he looks at them and feels their presence, caring, and encouragement.   I love his image.

I like the idea of having my own special thoughts of the people I have loved and  have died, and  I have painted  the picture in my mind of them  being gathered around a beautiful lake  having a wonderful and lively picnic on the shores among beautiful, tall pine trees.

When I competed in a swim meet a few months ago, I placed all of my people whom I have loved and lost, up in the stands cheering me on.

Now don’t worry about me becoming too delusional,  it’s just my way of dealing with the reality of loss in a way I can relate, and which brings me a sense of acceptance and gratitude for their love in a lighter and playful manner.

Do I need a special day to think about the people I have lost in my life?  No, but it certainly doesn’t hurt me to be reminded that nothing stays the same, that if I have loved, then I will experience grief and loss when a member of my family, a friend, or a pet, dies.  It can also serve as a reminder to live each day as fully as I can, and to try and not take my family, friends, or my cat, Miss Malcom, for granted.  To tell them often how much  I love them,  and value them being a part of my life.

Having my faith and knowing that meditation and prayer are always there for me to hold on to, brings me comfort and hope.  I do believe that God meets us where we are, and that we do grow from tears and joy.  I feel blessed.

The Buddhists reminds us:  All things are impermanent
                                             They arise and they pass away
                                                      To be in harmony with this truth
                                                                Brings great happiness

I want to share a short paragraph from a great book on spiritual advice, “A Tree Full of Angels” by Macrina Wiederkehr:

“A wonderful gift that human beings possess is the ability to feast even on memories from the past.  Precious moments from our past that were not understood or cherished at the time can be gathered up, like crumbs, for nourishment in our later years.  Thus, lost moments are found again.  They are full of grace and can heal us even now. 
They can be harvested and carried home into our barns.” 

Another beautiful message:

Jesus said:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. . . .
I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me
that you also may be where I am . . .
 the way and the truth and the life.”      John 14

Blessings,
Connie I. Clark