Wonderful Whale Breach

This blog was written by Hanna Clark and used with her permission

This afternoon school let out early because it was a test day. Ben and I had an hour to ourselves before the kids got out. We walked around the base a bit and went to the top of the guest house to enjoy the view. 

We were chatting about our adjustment to life here - the hard things, the good things, the unexpected in each category. 

Ben spotted some movement in the water a mile or two from shore. He had just said, "Look, honey!" when an enormous humpback whale breached. It's hard to describe how cool it was to witness. 

The thing is, we were the only ones that saw it. Business around the base was humming along as usual, people walking around working, etc.  We were so lucky to be there in that precise moment and have our eyes on the ocean. 

It got me thinking. This beautiful, majestic, wild thing had just happened, but we were the only ones who saw it and enjoyed it immensely! 

The ocean is almost larger than we can imagine. How many times has nature displayed some hidden glory without any human witness? 

How many pods of porpoises, how many corals, how many spinner dolphins, how much wonder there is!

And yet almost always, God is the only audience. Nature sings to Him and for Him, and even though it is hidden, and could appear as a waste from our human perspective, God takes joy in every little miracle. 

Here's the thing. He sees all the hidden wonders. All the things that are not witnessed by others.

He sees you humming while you do the dishes. He sees you wiping the table. He sees you balancing your checkbook. He sees you adjusting your attitude when it's a real effort. He sees you making loving choices over and over, and repenting when you don't.

He hears you laughing at a book you're reading. He sees and hears and witnesses all these hidden things, and He values them. 

He values the work of parenting. He values the difficulty of cultural, social, and physical adjustments. He values perseverance. He delights in lives surrendered to Him, even in the secret places.

So, I was encouraged. The same God who let me share in His joy by watching that whale breach takes joy in all the funny, sweet, hard and wonderful things in me. 

There are many who live here for years, even a lifetime, and never see a whale breach. And I just know that moment was meant for us. 

Courage, friends! He sees you.

© 2020 Hanna Clark USED WITH PERMISSION

Practicing His Presence

One of the hardest things most followers of Jesus Christ struggle with is resting fully on the promises of God. In other words, believing that when Jesus paid it all; HE PAID IT ALL!

“He made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

We see this struggle as we try to spend time with God by just hanging with Him instead of doing anything for Him. We have to work at not working to be with Him.

Some tools such as daily scripture reading plans or devotionals can be helpful, but when getting through them to check a box becomes more important than just spending time with the Lord…then something is off.

Being with Him, resting in His presence takes practice; in other words, you are probably going to have to ask Him for His help to get you “there”.

Our flesh and religious notions think that the Lord is waiting for us to wow Him with our elaborate scripture memorization or elaborate prayers.

The Holy Spirit would tell us other wise and He is gently “shouting” to us to cease from our efforts to get “there”.

Brother Lawrence (1614-1691) wrote:

"...in the winter, seeing a tree stripped of its leaves, and considering that within a little time, the leaves would be renewed, and after that the flowers and fruit appear, he received a high view of the Providence and Power of GOD, which has never since been effaced from his soul."

I regard myself as the most wretched of all men, stinking and covered with sores, and as one who has committed all sorts of crimes against his King.

Overcome by remorse, I confess all my wickedness to Him, ask His pardon and abandon myself entirely to Him to do with as He will.

But this King, filled with goodness and mercy, far from chastising me, lovingly embraces me, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands, gives me the keys of His treasures and treats me as His favorite.

He talks with me and is delighted with me in a thousand and one ways;

He forgives me and relieves me of my principle bad habits without talking about them; I beg Him to make me according to His heart and always the weaker and more despicable I see myself to be, the more beloved I am of God.”

― Brother Lawrence, The Practicing of the Presence of God

Being able to abide in the Presence of God is not just a theory, but is SO much more available to us here on earth than we could possibly imagine.

Jesus came to give us salvation, forgiveness, and life abundant; in all fullness including living with the indwelling presence of God.

It can start TODAY by simply stopping what you are doing and asking the Holy Spirit to teach you how to abide in His presence.

He will help you and you will discover how effortless it can be as you practice remaining in His presence.

All Scripture from Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

What in The Heaven Is Going On?

It doesn’t matter how the tragedy comes…

A bridge collapsed, a car crashed, the economy tanked, a job was lost, a marriage came to an end, a baby dies, an injury took place, your favorite sports team lose for the fifth straight game….

And the reaction is often the same response…

(Pardon my French)

But…“What in the hell is going on???”

Why is it that we often assume that all hell itself has been launched as though God was nowhere to be found?

And if God is mentioned, He is either blamed or cursed.

Why is that? Why are we so obsessed with always seeing the negative and assuming the worst?  

Some people are so obsessed: With asking God to damn this and to damn that –marriage, home, car, etc…

Why not ask God to bless this and to bless that?

It is as though we are fixated on what is wrong and rarely focused; or even ask the question;

“What in the heaven is going on?”

In Chapter 3 of the Book of Habakkuk (in the Bible), the prophet was given a vison of some impending disaster that was about to strike. His response was (at first) to have a view from below. Verse 16:

      “When I heard, my body trembled;
      My lips quivered at the voice;
      Rottenness entered my bones;
      And I trembled in myself…”

You might be thinking; “Well at least he was dealing with reality…he wasn’t sugar-coating in some Pollyanna dreamland view...some happy-happy-joy-joy everything will work out you’ll see” view point.

But I would submit that his perspective changed when God showed him a view from above and he asked (implied):

“What in the heaven is going on?”

We pick up his response in verse 17:

      “Though the fig tree may not blossom,
      Nor fruit be on the vines;
      Though the labor of the olive may fail,
      And the fields yield no food;
      Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
      And there be no herd in the stalls—“

See, he was dealing with real life, real death, reality! He spoke of seeing no crops, no food, and no livestock. He spoke of truth (from man’s perspective) and said it like it is.

BUT his response was to ask (implied):

“What in the heaven is going on?”

We pick up his response in verse 18:

       “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

His response to the question; “What in the heaven is going on?” was one of praise and determination to see this disastrous situation from God’s perspective and REJOICE!

It is as though he chose to say; “I choose to see and look for how God will and is responding!”

And in doing so, from God’s perspective, he could see that God was still in control and He was his source of strength to get him through this disaster!

We pick up his response in verse 19:

       “The Lord God is my strength;
      He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
      And He will make me walk on my high hills.”

The difference in how we face disasters or bad news for that matter is really about CHOICE.

Choice to ask, “what in the hell is going on?” and choice to ask; “what in the heaven is going on?”

One will feed into your fears and anxieties and one will produce hope and faith and joy!

It’s really doesn’t change the circumstance; just how you CHOOSE to go through it/them.

Fraudulent Freedom

This week we celebrate Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July. It is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

July 4th has been celebrated with community festivities that range from fireworks, parades, concerts in the parks, water skiing shows to more intimate family gatherings and barbecues.

For many individuals who claim the USA as their homeland, it is a day to commemorate and celebrate freedom.

Freedom: the state of being free or at liberty rather than a state of being in confinement or under physical restraint, the exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc., the power to determine action without restraint.

And to some, a way to celebrate freedom means throwing off all restraints and drinking well past an “acceptable” level. In other words, throwing off all restrictions and doing “whatever” I want.

But is that really freedom? How is going so far past sensibility in any way freedom? Isn’t the fact that you are under control of a mood-altering substance proof that you are not walking in freedom but rather in bondage?

How is fulfilling every sexual desire freedom; especially when you must get drunk to do so?

This can’t be how our founding leaders meant for us to celebrate our independence; our freedom.

The Apostle Paul said; “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1).

Although he was referring to other bondages that the early church was adding to the Gospel message, this passage is applicable to those situations where we want to use our freedom as USA citizens to do what we want.

No, we were never meant to live in bondage, but freedom; that is why we fought the war and wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776. We knew that we were created to be free.

We knew that we were not supposed to be held in any bondages.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)

TRUTH is what sets us free; not drugs or alcohol.

Jesus said; “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

JESUS is what sets us freedom; not debauchery.

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

We were meant to be free.

 

God has a sovereign plan and purpose for your life. But you won’t find it by numbing your senses or abusing your body. Instead, it will be by the supernatural direction of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit calls out to each of us; “Stop. Look. Listen! Wrong way! Detour! Change your direction! You’re on the wrong road  that leads to bondage; not freedom!”

God helps you go another direction and gets you back heading where He wants you to be.

The Holy Spirit has been given to help us change our minds and convict us of where we are going the wrong direction. 1 John 1:8-10 says;

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

Do you desire to be free, but you are not sure how to?

Let me ask you a question; has there been a moment in your life when you acknowledged and admitted your sin and then by faith received the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, you can today. Your life can be changed. Your sins can be forgiven. You can live a new life. You can have the assurance that if you died at this moment, you would go to heaven. Will you receive Him as your Savior?

My prayer is that this 4^th of July you start to walk in that freedom

Need some help: Call 1-888-NEED HIM; someone is waiting and wanting to help you and get back going the right direction.

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Gift of Encouragement

“Keep going kid; no one is on you,” my teammate shouted as he skated behind me during a recent hockey game.

He is almost ten years YOUNGER than me and had just passed a puck to me as I crossed the blue line deep in our end.

“Keep going kid; no one is on you”, my teammate continued to shout as I made my way from one end of the rink to the other and crossed center ice. Suddenly, I was motivated to skate around everyone who was in my path. Bobby Orr would have been so proud of me…

“Keep going kid; no one is on you”, my teammate continued to shout as I made my way past the blue line and towards the net. 

“Keep going kid; no one is on you”, my teammate continued to shout as I took a shot and watched it bounce (accidentally) off a defenseman’s skate and into the net. I said to the man playing defense; “Now that is how you score a goal!”

He, in turn, said to me; “No I scored the goal…you only get the assist!” as he smiled at me. Either way, I lit the lamp; not him!

“Way to go kid; nice job!” my teammate said to me; “I knew you could do it!”

Many times, I have skated down towards the net as I look for someone to pass to rather than going all the way in myself. And, for the most part this is a good thing to do because there are other players on the team.

But, to be honest with you, I tend to pass not just because it is the right thing to do, but because I try to get it away sooner than I should to hand it off to someone else.

So, what made the difference with this goal? What motivated me to push harder than I had been in the game? One word: ENCOURAGEMENT.

Encouragement was the impetus for me to push past all obstacles and not stop until I scored a goal.

It is said that we can live (perhaps) up to a week without water and (perhaps) forty days without food. BUT we can only live a brief time without hope or encouragement. We may be physically alive, but we are very much dead on the inside.

Zig Ziglar said, “Encouragement is the fuel on which hope runs.”
 

I like that because I want to bring the gift of encouragement to those who come across my path each day. 

In fact, even as a casual reader of the Bible you will discover that giving encouragement is one the themes repeatedly found in the Epistles as something that all Christians are called to do.   

Why? Because as I travel throughout the world, I see a desperate need for hope to contradict the despair that seems to be so rampant in everyday life.

People are no longer plagued by guilt, but by hopelessness and despair.

I believe that a relationship with Jesus is the answer to this problem.

I believe that God’s Word, the Bible, gives answers to this lack of hope, and we endeavor to minister using the principles of God’s Word.

In fact, the mission that my ministry; River of Hope Ministries; set out to follow comes from Ephesians 1:15-23: “That you may know the Hope of His calling”

I want to “Create places of grace where unconvinced people can come to know and wholeheartedly follow Jesus Christ.” This includes those who walk with Him as well as those who haven’t yet met Him so that each may know the Hope of His Calling.

In light of that, how can I encourage you today? Where are the areas that you need some encouragement to keep going towards your goal? Where are the areas that overcoming seems impossible to you?

Oh, fellow traveler; who are the people that (perhaps) you are supposed to bring the gift of encouragement to that can become the fuel for hope in someone else’s’ life?

Who are the people who you could use you to simply encourage them to press deeper and go further than they think they can?

Not sure where to start? Watch this video to see encouragement in action…

 

It's Friday... But Sunday's a Comin!

The following is from Pastor S.M. Lockridge (1913-2000)

It’s Friday
Jesus is praying
Peter’s a sleeping
Judas is betraying
But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
Pilate’s struggling
The council is conspiring
The crowd is vilifying
They don’t even know
That Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The disciples are running
Like sheep without a shepherd
Mary’s crying
Peter is denying
But they don’t know
That Sunday’s a comin’

It’s Friday
The Romans beat my Jesus
They robe him in scarlet
They crown him with thorns
But they don’t know
That Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
See Jesus walking to Calvary
His blood dripping
His body stumbling
And his spirit’s burdened
But you see, it’s only Friday
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The world’s winning
People are sinning
And evil’s grinning

It’s Friday
The soldiers nail my Savior’s hands
To the cross
They nail my Savior’s feet
To the cross
And then they raise him up
Next to criminals

It’s Friday
But let me tell you something
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The disciples are questioning
What has happened to their King
And the Pharisees are celebrating
That their scheming
Has been achieved
But they don’t know
It’s only Friday
Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
He’s hanging on the cross
Feeling forsaken by his Father
Left alone and dying
Can nobody save him?
Ooooh
It’s Friday
But Sunday’s comin’

It’s Friday
The earth trembles
The sky grows dark
My King yields his spirit

It’s Friday
Hope is lost
Death has won
Sin has conquered
and Satan’s just a laughin’

It’s Friday
Jesus is buried
A soldier stands guard
And a rock is rolled into place

But it’s Friday
It is only Friday
Sunday is a comin’!

Answering The Early Morning Alarm Clock

The sound was somewhat familiar, and yet my lack of sleep left my tired brain fighting to find the source. The keeper of my auditory memory files raced to bring an answer to the rest of my brain that cried out; “What is that noise and how should we respond?”  

Only a few hours earlier I had crawled into bed after a day of celebrating one of son’s wedding and now some noise had caused my sleep deprived brain to call the rest of my body to respond.


Whoever was on night duty in my brain came back to inform me that this familiar sound was my alarm clock; which had been set so that I wouldn’t sleep through the early morning departure of one of my daughter’s, her husband, and one of my grandsons who were getting up early to catch a plane that would take them back home to North Carolina. 


They had been staying with us the past four days and three nights as gatherings surrounding the wedding took place; which included times for us to babysit our grandson.


I know that inside of me an election was being held to see whether or not I would go back to sleep. It appeared that a “yes” vote to stay in bed was headed towards a landslide victory and my body would go back to auto pilot as it recharged its batteries in a deep sleep.

Yet, my need to connect with them one more time; to hug them and hold them, and let them know how much I loved them triumphed over the portion of my body that voted to stay asleep.  

I arose and joined Cathy as we together answered the call to go downstairs where quickly coffee was made so that the rest of my body would be fully functioning before they departed, or at least tip the scales so that more was awake than was asleep.

We only spent a few moments (a half cup of coffee to be exact) taking turns holding our grandson as his parents gathered their last few items from the shower and refrigerator; after walking through the house one more time to make sure that nothing was left behind, and then zipped their suitcases, signaling that this time together had come to an end... 

Hugs were given, “goodbyes” were said as we watched them slip out into the early morning chill and then drive away. I am glad that my need to arise outvoted my desire to sleep in! It was worth giving up some time that would’ve otherwise been used for sleeping so that I could spend time with them.

Over the years I have found that this same drive that causes me to wake up when I need sleep has been a key part of my daily devotions. 


Somehow, some way, my brain is awakened and somehow, some way, the small portion of me that wants to get up and respond to the call to spend time with the Lord out votes the majority wants to sleep in today.

And like my need to connect with loved ones one more time, the Spirit inside of me longs to respond to the invitation to spend time with God and triumphs over the portion of my body that votes to stay asleep. 

The Bible records that Jesus Himself pushed past sleep to spend time with the Father: “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” (Mark 1:35)


I will agree with you that some days it is good to sleep in; we are wired by God to do so. In fact in the Bible we read that He doesn’t take it lightly when we violate His calls for us to rest and observe Sabbaths.


But this pushing past sleep has been one of the key reasons that I have been able to fellowship with God…to spend time with Him…to know who He is and what He thinks of me as one of His children, as daily I read His Word and pray to Him as I seek His will for my life.


Perhaps God has been calling you with His “alarm clock” as the keeper of your auditory memory files race to bring an answer to the rest of your brain that cries out; “What is that noise and how should I respond?”


Arise; it will be worth giving up some time that would’ve otherwise been used for sleeping.