Lynna Clark

By Lynna Clark

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” -KJV
You’ve tumbled into a deep dark valley. It feels like death and you can’t seem to dig your way out. Fear surrounds you and grips your poor heart with something so frightening that you wonder if maybe this is the end. You try to pray. The words don’t come. So you just close your tear filled eyes and beg.
God. I need help.

A hand rests on your shoulder. It should feel comforting. But instead you feel shame. Why must you be so weak when you know the darkness is just a shadow. A life of faith has taught you this.
Yet you can’t help the weakness and fear you feel.
A solid hand reaches down to grip your own. He pulls you to your feet and into the circle of His love. “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,” He whispers.

Together you take a step; then one more; then another until the shadows disappear and you look up to see you’ve survived the darkest time of your life. As you rest in the Savior’s comfort and marvel in His protection you realize.
Up ahead is another dark valley. A fellow traveler lies face down in the dirt. With courage you’ve never had before, you make your way down the rocky path and place a hand on their shoulder.
Then together, you walk out of the dark valley and into the light.

As you notice the familiar look of shame on your companion’s face, you share what you now know. The Shepherd’s rod and staff are not for beating His sheep. They are there for protection and comfort. Nothing can get to you when He is near.
“Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid. For You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.” -NLT
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 gives a bit more insight into the blessing of comfort.
“God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. “

Beloved ones, pain is not wasted when the Shepherd is near.

By Lynna Clark

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.” Psalm 23:2 KJV

Rest.

It’s a gift we should never take for granted. Just ask the man who works a double shift at the warehouse where he’s paid according to the number of boxes he loads. Or the young mother who is doing her best to raise good children but has so much on her plate she can hardly breathe. Or the doctor who can’t get around to all his patients without rushing through the information at hand. Or the cancer patient who’s up all night sick as a dog.

Rest is a gift from the Lord. While the nation of Israel was being formed, the God of Moses handed down an unusual commandment. While the surrounding nations worked continually just to survive, the Lord promised the Jews that if they took a day off to rest, He would supply their needs. Rest would serve as a testimony of God’s goodness as the other nations watched.

It seems that rest is about trust. Can’t you just see yourself lying back in a plush green pasture, gazing at the cloudless blue sky, thinking of all the things the Lord has done for you? I’d have to spread out an old quilt first because grass makes me itchy, but you get the point. Somewhere in the background is the sound of a gurgling stream. Water flows over smooth rocks with almost a musical quality, soothing and restful.

“He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams.”

Beloved ones: May we take a moment each day to consider the Lord’s great kindness. Trust Him enough to rest in His care. Turn off the world and enter His presence. It’s the best rest you’ll ever have.

By Lynna Clark

In a 1925’s house we once remodeled, we discovered a very unique door. It has an etched glass panel, iron bars, and is very heavy for its size. I really like it. I don’t know what it was in its previous life. But through the years we’ve cleaned it up and placed it flat on tall bar stools to make a writing desk. Later it became a buffet table in the dining room. It worked perfectly since it is so narrow and we have a teeny tiny house. Not like a trendy tiny house where we have to sleep like bats hanging from the rafters. That would not be delightful. More like a house where every space is important. It’s a great place with many quirky nooks and crannies. Kinda like an English muffin. In our bedroom there is a doorway turned closet, that used to open into the kitchen. That is now the place where the refrigerator is tucked… on the kitchen side. That bedroom closet has never had a door. It used to have a curtain but that too was not delightful. Since there are only three small closets in the whole house, I surely don’t diminish the importance of the funky space. It actually has two bars for hanging clothes; one on top and one on the bottom, so we use it for David’s pants and shirts. I got tired of looking at that tidy arrangement. So I wondered. How hard could it be to add barndoor hardware to our old door?
However.
Another wonderful thing about an old house [see story about trying to level our refrigerator], is that nothing is square. Or level. Or easy. It turned out that if the hardware was level with the crown molding, which had been pieced together, the door hung whoppy-jawed over the opening with about a three inch gap on one corner. I’m a wee bit crazy concerning things like that… as-in if a picture is not straight, I can’t let it be until I fix it; even in the doctor’s office, or a restaurant. But seeing how hard David had worked to make this right, I lied and told him it was okay. It was a Rahab lie. You know, for the advancement of God’s kingdom… or something like that. He shook his head. Took the very heavy door down and started over. A choice was made. The top hardware would not be exactly level. But at least there would be no gap with shirtsleeves peaking out. It’s amazing what a quarter inch adjustment means in the grand scheme of things.
Eventually he got the door hung over the closet “hole.” Is it square? Uh… no. Is it level? Somewhat. Does it function? YES! Was it easy? That’s a big negatory. BUT! Do I love it? Yes I do. Something my weird psyche has had to learn is that things can’t always be perfect. But they can be beautiful. Sometimes all it takes is a minor adjustment. And that can usually be made in my thinking. Now when I look at the old door, I no longer see flaws. Instead I see a funky door that covers a plethora of odds and ends that used to be on display to God and everybody.
It feels a bit like contentment. Is it beautiful to me? Yes it is.

By Lynna Clark

Sister Verse

March 3, 2022 by Lynna Clark

I have two sisters who are twins. If I can get this wonky techno crapola from Gehenna to co-operate I’ll include a picture of them. But no promises. They are the best. My sisters that is. Each loves the Lord, diligently studies Scripture, and teaches God’s Word regularly. But best of all, when the rubber meets the road, they take care of the family. Our daddy is eighty-eight and probably the most healthy man you’d ever come into contact with. So strong, he is diligent about his healthy lifestyle. Until recently he was still walking three or more miles per day. He started noticing a change in his breathing. Turns out he needed an aortic heart valve replacement. Wait… what?
It’s bad enough when someone his age needs a knee job. But heart surgery? The thoughts of it scared the life out of me. Another factor in the situation is that while my daddy is the picture of health for his age, I am not. I knew when plans were being made that I would not be able to help take care of him. I won’t lie. He can be a bit ornery, so I wasn’t terribly devastated. However, I worried about my sisters handling all that; especially since one of them lives in Virginia. Our local sister Janice stepped right up. She took care of all the preliminary doctor visits, all the calls and plans, plus she communicated the information to us. Since her husband had recently had heart surgery, she knew the right questions to ask and even understood the med-speak tossed around as-if we do this kind of thing everyday. She took him to the hospital on the day of surgery and sat with him through recovery. That alone was an all day sucker. Once he was moved into a regular room, she fed him dinner while he remained flat on his back. I can’t imagine what that looked like. Hopefully they didn’t have spaghetti. While Janice handled everything, Tamra our Virginia sister, and me held our breath and prayed. It was all we could do. So far, daddy seems to be fine and is supposed to go home today. Depending on his recovery time, Tamra and Janice plan to take turns helping him. Once again, I’ll be home praying as I really have no strength. As I thought on these things this morning, our sister verse came to mind.

“Three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken.” -Ecclesiastes 4:12b
For years we’ve held to this as we’ve gone through things with our children, the loss of our mama, and other trials. Each of us has our part. This is the first time that all I could do is pray. Thankfully my sisters get that, and even speak often of the value of my prayers. Rather than resent me, they lift me up. I think that’s the gist of the sister verse: each lifting the other until the cord is strong. Having the Lord woven in makes it even stronger. I hope you have someone you can weave into your life along with the Lord.

For a triple braided cord is not easily broken.

By Lynna Clark

I mentioned in an earlier story that we had a refrigerator hoopalah. So here’s what happened. Our old house is a wonder; as-in I wonder how we should fix that? I wonder what’s under that carpet? I wonder how much it would cost to change that out? The faux slate tile linoleum in the kitchen had long outgrown its loveliness. In fact, while we were having our den floors refinished, we accidently tore it when we had to move the sofa into the kitchen. Good times. BUT it gave us a peek underneath. Ooooh. More pretty linoleum. I had been shopping for retro flooring in keeping with the style of the house. So we decided to pull up the top layer since it didn’t seem to be glued down. It came up rather easily. I can say that because David was the one on his knees ripping it out. When he got to the cubby that used to be a closet but now holds the refrigerator, we couldn’t get the rest of the lovely fake stone out. Both of us worked way beyond our vast wisdom and strength. But the stupid stuff wouldn’t budge. Plus even though he used an appliance dolly, the refrigerator would not co-operate. David is a strong man so basically he manhandled the fridge out of the little hole and we eventually got enough of the old flooring out so that it wouldn’t be too obvious when we resituated things. Then we worked together to get the crazy thing leveled in our very UN-level kitchen. Since there were no leveling feet or wheels this brought the tension up to ‘lose your mind’ level, which was not the level we were striving for. Then! And this is where the hoopalah comes in, during the night, our refrigerator died.

Yes it was plugged in.

We’re not sure what happened. But apparently during all the wrestling of said appliance the poor thing gave up the ghost. It made both of us so sad because our Life Group Bible study friends had purchased that refrigerator for us when David had been out of work for a while. Now once again there was nothing to do but buy a new one. Poor David was so discouraged. Though we’d saved a couple thousand dollars by finding and uncovering the old linoleum, now we had to buy something we didn’t really want to spend house money on. He sat at the kitchen table staring at the dead elephant in the room while I browsed online for a refrigerator that would fit in that hole. Though I found one just like the dead one, I pondered the wisdom of buying the same brand hoping for a different result. The thing was not that old. To the side of the screen an ad popped up. Apparently Amazon keeps track of our dreams. At some point I had drooled over retro appliances in bright colors, only to determine we could never afford them. But I clicked on it anyway. And guess what. They were having a very short sale, 35% off.
For less than what I was about to spend on an appliance I did not love, I could get the RED one of my dreams! AND it would fit perfectly in the hole. PLUS it came the next morning! Oh my stars! It is just so pretty!
Every once in a while, things fall into place. Well… I’ve heard that about other people but I never assumed it could be true for us. So mark it down my friends. Our hoopalah was turned into a hootenanny. Only the Lord of all creation would care about my crazy love for Fiesta Ware and all things bright and colorful. Thanks to Him my new/old kitchen is a party waiting to happen. I just love it!

PS- I ordered a rug from Home Depot. It covers enough of the old linoleum that I am completely in love with my brand new old kitchen. Oh happy day!

By Lynna Clark

Our daughter Hannah gave her two nine year olds an art lesson using the example of Grandma Moses. Then they tried to draw some of the lady’s work. Marie copied each detail while Jesse made it his own. He added a mailbox and other touches just because it made sense to him. Both pictures turned out great, but very different.

I wish I could draw. I admit to having a bit of creativity, as-in currently our den is tangerine orange and our dining room walls are turquoise. You probably have a word besides creative to describe that. Feel free to leave that special word in the comments. But I kinda love it. For me, it’s important to not do the same thing everyone else is doing. I think different is good.

The Lord is the most creative of all. Just look at His world. Who but Him would come up with a zebra? Or a giraffe? Or a weiner dog? A bullfrog or me? How funny! What’s amazing is that He considers me a work of art.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”

Sounds like He made a plan, then put us together in such a way that we could accomplish His purpose. A companion verse might be Philippians 1:6. “And I am certain that God who began the good work within you will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Let’s think on that the next time we feel “less than.” We are who we are for a reason. God will work through us to complete His great plan. In fact, when He looks at us, He already sees a masterpiece.

By Lynna Clark

So yesterday was my birthday. 67. I know right? Confetti flew, roses bloomed, parades were thrown and children sang. And that was just on Facebook. I felt like a Queen! Then I opened my Daily Bread for a bite of wisdom on my special day. The subject was Memento Mori, which means “Remember you will die.”

Hey. Thanks a lot Lord. That was a lovely reminder on my otherwise cloudless day. How funny. At least I thought so. But I’m a bit crazy like that. I’m actually amazed to have lived this long. I kept thinking I’d die and wished I’d hurry up. But no more! The Lord has replaced the evil years with good and I am walking in sunshine! Truthfully it’s more of a swaggy waddle, but hey! You won’t hear me complain! Well, unless you ask me how I feel. Then you’re gonna need to sit down a while to hear the answer to that. There really is no short answer.

All sorts of age related ailment are popping up. Though the doc says my eyesight is fine, I beg to differ. I was reading a book last night and it said the guy stuck his head in the gravy. I couldn’t help but wonder why a man would do such a thing. I kept reading to find out but it just made no sense. So I went back to the gravy part. Turns out he stuck his bread in the gravy. Ohhh… okay. That explains things.

Today’s verse comes from Ephesians 4:1. It’s one of those I have written out as big as a notecard will hold and put on the bulletin board near my nest. Not because my eyesight is failing but because my memory is. Like I tell David when I repeat a story wrong. I’m not a liar but I am a forgetter. Anyway the verse says, “Lead a life worthy of your calling.”

Whatever the Lord has asked us to do as our calling, let’s do that. And no matter what, let’s keep our head out of the gravy

By Lynna Clark

Aw man! I missed my opportunity! Yesterday was Ground Hog Day. Not only that but the date was 02.02.2022. How many times will we witness that in a lifetime? One of our favorite movies has Bill Murray and Andie McDowell in Groundhog Day. Just so funny. Poor Bill gets stuck in a loop and wakes to Sonny and Cher singing “I Got You Babe” every. single. morning. Each new day continues like the one before except he can change the outcome. So he tries.

He experiments with piano lessons, robbing a Brinks truck, saving lives, and best of all romance with his lovely and noble co-worker. Each new day he tries different ways to woo her. Sometimes he wins a smile, or a laugh, but more often than not he gets his face slapped. Little by little he falls out of lust and into love. But how can he win her in only one day? For when he awakes the next morning, all is forgotten and he has to start over again. Not only are his mistakes not held against him because nobody remembers them; but he also can’t build on the relationship either. So everyday he wakes with a better plan to start again, to be the best he can be in order to win his lady.

I’m sure you can draw your own spiritual parallels to the story. So one verse seems wise for today.
Psalm 90:12 says “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Okay, so one more verse comes to mind. “Forgetting those things which are behind and looking forward to those ahead.” -Phil. 3:13

Everyday is a precious gift. May we learn to offer each one back to the Lord Who gave it.
“Only a minute, but eternity is in it.”

By Lynna Clark

A few weeks ago we were doubly blessed. A big snow storm blew in overnight that coated our area in white. Oh! Everything looked so beautifully clean and bright. Then the full moon rose above it all shining down on pristine conditions. Even our meager back yard sparkled like a bedazzled Christmas card. All we could do was stand at the back door in awe, whispering praise to the God of all creation. It nearly took my breath away. You know, some days it’s just easier to count our blessings than others.

This morning however, the snow is all gone, the yard is soggy, clouds have rolled in and so has the pain. I can hardly think. I have no idea why. It could be weather related or food related or just plain meaness. That’s the most likely reason. Hey… I did not appreciate that loud chorus of “Amens” I heard coming through Cyberspace. But I am doing my best to give you a word from Scripture every weekday. So our thought for today comes from Galatians 6:9. “So let us not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Hmmm… a “harvest of blessing.” Sounds like more than would fit in a cornacopia. Man I wish I had spellcheck. Anyway, that little horn thingy that holds all the fruit. So better than that.

I wonder what the Lord means by a harvest of blessing. Maybe I’ll just try to be faithful and find out. It might take some extra prayer; even a time of being still, which I hate; or even the conscious decision to turn off the noise and purposely listen for His voice. That last one is really hard. But the blessing is promised.

“So let us not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

Beloved reader: The Lord loves you so much. The harvest will come at just the right time. Please don’t give up.

By Lynna Clark

This thought is deeper than I usually venture and longer too. So if you’re not into searching out the Truth of God’s precious Holy Word, stop here. See what I did there? If you quit now you obviously don’t love Jesus. Just kidding. But I wanted to warn you ahead of time that this is a different kind of article.

So here’s the thing. I have questions about an oft quoted verse. The writer Paul says in Philippians 3:13 to forget the things behind and instead reach forward. Did the man really forget the past? Apparently not. Just before that, he lists off key experiences from his life. Within that were memories that surely brought him shame.

As I thought on this, I recalled things that used to haunt me too. Guilt and shame for things in my past tormented my life. In fact I used to live in so much fear that I finally gave in to counseling. Guess which passage we covered? Philippians 3: 13,14.

The jist of it says, “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on…”

Maybe an underlying message behind the challenge to forget and press on is that it is a process. Letting go takes time as well as conscious effort.

Two verses I use to help me with that contain the word ‘casting.’ Not like casting a fishing line or net where I would draw something back to myself; but instead casting like hurling or throwing so hard that it takes a while for that fear to float back my way. The next time is a bit easier since I recognize it as a sin that weighs me down and refuse to allow it in. Listen to this good word.

“Casting all your care upon Him for he cares for you!”

* And,

“Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” **

The Lord Himself had to set aside the shame of the cross in exchange for the joy ahead.*** We can press on too beloved. Cast aside your hurtful past. That load of guilt and pain was never meant for you to bear. Your bright future, your influence for Christ and your sound thinking depend on it!

*1 Peter 5:7 **2 Corinthians 10:5 ***Hebrews 12:1-3