God is present
So I come to His presence
In this present
And pray
Which is my response
To His presence
In this present
Life
My Front Door
There is a world out there waiting
An adventure ready to unfold
When I step out my front door
It’s uncomfortable at times
I don’t know my neighbor
I don’t’ know how to ride a bus
Or start a conversation
But once I take that first step
Say that hello
Make eye contact
Smile
The journey has begun
The question moves from
Who is my neighbor? To
Am I a good neighbor?
What if we each do our small part?
What if we stepped around fear?
What would we find?
Perhaps a new friend
Or some way I can make a difference
A new purpose to keep me going
Put a new spring in my step
Northwest Sunshine
When the eagles soar
High over the high ways
I have to be careful
Not to bump the car ahead
There were four the other day
Two the day before
Did they notice the sun was out?
A rare occurrence in the northwest spring
Were they just being like the rest of us?
Drunk with sunshine
Low tolerance for it
Only a little makes us giddy
And run out the door
To Boston With Love
Yesterday, in-between watching CNN, I sat down and wrote a blog on building Parent/Child Connections: http://faithfullparenting.wordpress.com/ This was one of my responses to the unfolding drama in Boston. I know it is just one piece, the parenting piece, in the complex array of broken pieces in this tragic story.
Why did this happen? There is the emigrant story, the broken piece where the emigrant does not assimilate to the American culture and life. To understand this more Mary Pipher does an excellent job in her book: The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community
Then there is the broken piece of radical religion. How does loving God mean doing something like this? It does not. God is love and this is not love.
Perhaps another cultural broken piece is family loyalty trumping everything. An older brother influences a younger brother to join him in an atrocious act. We could find and name so many broken pieces.
It is important to work through these questions on the road to recovery. Along with this, in order to heal we need to choose our response. There is a lot of hard work ahead to do in order to heal. Will we become haters? If we choose that route we align ourselves with the same spirit that motivated the terrorists and they win. We become like them. Anger is a normal response to grief, but we can’t stay angry and let it poison our souls. We must move beyond it to the hard work of grieving, sadness, and the seemingly impossible process of forgiving. Hate, revenge, and bitterness are not the answers we need for healing. They never are. They will only destroy us and turn our hearts to stone.
Dear Boston choose the harder path of healing and recovery and you will find yourself surrounded by heaven ready to help. Our prayers are with you.
Love Challenged
There are some days when love is challenged. Today is one of those days for many after the Boston Marathon Bombing. For some, every day love is challenged. It depends on where you live or where you happen to be when a bomb goes off or a shooter shoots. A personal tragedy or trauma can challenge love.
“In this world you will have trouble.” It’s a guarantee. There is no “bed of roses” promised. What is promised is His presence. Emanuel: God is with us.
Anyone who has seen love chosen, love in action, knows it changes things. The ripple effects of love grow wider and wider. The “pay it forward” factor comes into play and not only one person is loved but many as the ripples continue on. Love is powerful that way. But, there are days and times for us all when love is challenged. It is much easier to give in to fear, hate, revenge or hopelessness. We wonder if our world is a lost cause, or if our acts of kindness will make any difference? This is when we need to take some deep breaths and pray. Then get out there and do something good. It might be to give blood, to pray for those hurting, to release anger and fear, to forgive someone, or to just step out your front door and see what good you can do today.
When the Church Became a Building
When the church became a building
She forgot her founder’s call
She chose instead brick and mortar
to build herself a wall
The doors she built
Locked some out, others in
Proclaimed who was holy
And who was still in sin
She lit the candles
Said it was time to pray
Blew out the lights
Now time to go away
She is made of salt and light
Her stones, they are alive
You cannot keep her in a box
If she is to going to thrive
Her glory is far greater
Than four walls can hold
She is to be a city
Shining bright as gold
She is to be a healer
For weary, lost, and sore
A comfort to the broken
And oh so much more
When the church became a building
She made a room for strife
When outsiders didn’t fit her mold
She crushed their heart and life
Church you are not a building
You’re Christ’s body and His bride
You’re His hands, feet, and heartbeat
The love He cannot hide
© 2013 Julie Clark
For All My Girls
Cause a raucous
Cause a stir
Stand up and let your voice be heard
No more low maintenance girls here!
Cause some drama
Shake us up
You have every right to be heard
No more low maintenance girls here!
Your thoughts are important
Your feelings count
Stand up tall and straight
Your gifts are needed
The world cannot wait
You too bear the image of God
Not just your brother or your mate
Brothers hear this cry:
“When you squish me
You are less
Than you are meant to be!”
© 2013 Julie Clark
Lenten Post #6
Have I loved well today?
The unexpected guest who shows up
When my house is a mess?
The beloved spouse or irritating boss
Who gives me a list of extra things to do
When I am already overwhelmed?
The child who just does not
Seem to understand the meaning
Of the word “No”?
What about the media inflated or created
Unseen enemies?
Have I loved them well?
Prayed for God’s mercy and love to shower them?
Have I loved well today?
Those who don’t get me
Misunderstand me
Judge me
Think I am wasting my time?
What about those who snub me
Forget me
Don’t find me important enough
For their time of day?
It’s really all that He has asked me to do.
His one last dying request
Some days are better than others.
I have to confess
I have not loved well today
Lord have mercy
He does
He always does.
© 2013 Julie Clark
Lenten Post #4
Remain in Me
Keep in step
Keep in touch
Take my hand
Don’t lag behind or rush ahead
No lolly-gagging or reckless driving
Stick with Me
Close to Me
Stay connected
Abide in me
Walk with me
Every day
Every hour
Every minute
Breathe me in
Like your breath
Breathe me out
To another
Don’t slough me off
Disregard me
Close your ears
When you get tempted
Or enticed
Don’t veer off to the left
Or the right
Take a detour
Or a short cut
Don’t get caught in an eddy
Don’t get stuck or left behind
Double your efforts
To rest in me
Fill your thoughts
With thoughts of me
Love me
I love you
Let my love flow in you
And out of you
Come back for more
There’s always more
You in me and I in you
And this is what it means
To live a life
Of prayer
© 2013 Julie Clark
