Lynna Clark

By Lynna Clark

One of my favorite passages of all times, Nehemiah 8:10-12 says “Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength! And the Levites too, quieted the people telling them, ‘Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.’ So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.”

As Soloman says in Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven…. A time to tear down, a time to rebuild; A time to cry and a time to laugh; A time to grieve and a time to dance. Hard junk; Good junk; Sad stuff; Happy stuff; Days to hurt; Days to boogie… Joy is much sweeter AFTER the sorrow.

Some well-meaning Christians have the idea that we are to live in giddy oblivion, somehow mindlessly skipping through trials with a happy face. Could it be that God knows we are living in a real world, with real heartache? Do you imagine that He is aware of how hard life is?

Yesterday, when I was using the verse about calling Him Abba, Father, I went to BibleGateway.com to find the reference. It was interesting to see that Jesus, when praying in the garden, that the cross and all its shame would somehow disappear, called His Father “Abba.” He was as close to Him then as ever. Yet He knew our sin would be laid on His back on the cross. Did He go skipping up Golgotha? Scripture says that as He prayed in the garden, His sweat was like great drops of blood. What anguish of soul He experienced.

Look at Hebrews 12:2 KJV- Speaking of Jesus it says, “Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” He DESPISED the shame. However, for the joy to come, He endured the cross. What’s even more incredible is that saving ME is part of the joy to come. Amazing!

Is it God’s will that we always be happy? Sorry. Should we at least pretend? Nope. Here’s the scoop. Life is hard. But God is good. And no matter how heavy the crap storm we are caught in, there is a joy set before us. We may despise the circumstances, but Heaven is waiting. It is THAT joy that is our strength; the wonderful assurance that no matter what we go through here, it is temporary! Are your eyes fixed on Jesus, the One Who has been here and done this? There’s your joy and your strength. You can make it. He will carry you through the nights of weeping and deliver you to a joyous new morning!

Dear Lord today, we ask for joy. We ask for real understanding of what You’ve done for us. We ask that You remind us continually today that You are in charge and nothing enters our lives that You don’t allow. Make us strong for You. Make our church strong enough to share that joy with others. Thank You for Your great sacrifice at Calvary, because You love us that much!

More: Mark 14:36; Hebrews 12:1,2; Psalm 30:5

By Lynna Clark

I love muscle cars. No, I mean I REALLY love muscle cars. The low rumble of a powerful engine makes my heart pound. If we pass a cool old car, my husband knows to slow down so I can gawk sufficiently. I literally have to wipe the drool off my chin. You see, he had a ’67 Camaro when we were dating. When he added mag wheels, wide Formula One Superstock tires with white letters, and jacked up the back with air shocks…..oh, be still my heart! So I had the idea about ten or so years ago to bring back the old body style of the great muscle cars, and market them with today’s comfort. As great as it was to ride in that Camaro, it was no fun to spend 17 hours in an un-airconditioned bucket seated gas guzzler traveling back and forth to south Florida in the 70’s. We did improve it with an eight track player, so that was nice…. Except we had to crank up the volume to near deafening levels since the windows were down as we traveled at warp speed up I- 77 for a quick college break. So, anyway, have you seen the new Challenger? Now that’s a true throwback. They’ve got a couple different ones at the Dodge dealership on Jake Alexander. You talk about lust of the eye…. And that was MY idea!

Not sure if I can even get my heart back on track now. Nehemiah says in chapter 7:5, “So my God gave me the idea…” He walked close enough to God to recognize when an idea was from Him. Can we do that? What if we got creative, really creative, and asked the most creative One of all, “Lord, give us great ideas.”? What if our church did stuff that no one else is doing? What if we…. Can you think of something really cool to fill in the blank? I can. I have an idea I’ve been praying about for right at a year now, something someone I really respect threw out at me. In the meantime, I’m praying for the resources, keeping an idea file, praying, thinking, bouncing ideas off my family, praying, dreaming a little… I hope this works out. And it’s something that I really believe will bring honor to the Lord in a whole new way.
So the prayer of the day is, “Lord, give us creative thinking when it comes to ministry. Help us bless You in a whole new way. Give us resources to reach out to those who have never been loved. Help us to know what that looks like, and to do an awesome job for You!”

More: Romans 12:2; 11-13

Isaiah 43:18- “But forget all that. It is nothing compared to what I am going to do; for I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun!

Isaiah 64:3-5- “When You came down long ago, You did awesome things beyond our highest expectations. And oh, how the mountains quaked! For since the world began, no ear has heard, and no eye has seen a God like You, Who works for those who wait for Him! You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow Godly ways.”

By the way, I know you are wondering what became of the Camaro. My sweetheart was coming home from his job as a security guard in the middle of a rainy night and crashed it into the side of a brand new Caddy. The little Jewish lady that pulled out in front of him nearly had a heart attack when he jumped out of his car in his uniform with a gun on his hip. We got $750 from our insurance. They kept our car and our new eight track player. And I have been bitter ever since.

By Lynna Clark

Can I take the time to tell you about my mom? Her name was Claudia. She was strong and very smart. She was meticulous with cleanliness, details, efficient with the day to day. She loved her family. Like me, she had three daughters and three sons by marriage, and one love from the time they were very young & newlywed. Beautiful white wavy hair. Great smile. She worked at Happy Day Care in Landis, NC for around 30 years. I think she potty trained the bulk of Rowan County. I didn’t have all the time I wanted with her.

As I mentioned on day twelve, we lost her to a horrible disease. Technically called Crutchfield-Jacob’s it is actually Mad Cow disease. Yes. Here in the US. She never travelled farther than the beaches of North and South Carolina. It is so ironic how she died. She was very careful with hers and daddy’s health. They walked 3 miles every morning and many evenings as well. We grew up on vegetables, fresh or frozen from a huge garden. Meat was for Sundays and holidays. They seldom ate out. She washed bananas before peeling in case there would be a lurking germ. Who does that? She would work cross word puzzles with an ink pen. No need to erase. I’d look at those words and think, “Woman, you are from China Grove. How do you even know what that means?” She was the youngest seventy two I have ever met. So energetic and strong, she could work circles around me. But her time here was up. God took her. She experienced at that point the ultimate healing, and for the very first time, the truest, sweetest love of a Father.

Time. We do not know how long we have to complete this mission of ours to reach all we can for Christ. But every day is valuable because it involves eternal souls who do not hear about the One Who loves them. Every day someone gives up. Every day someone loses their life to tragedy. Just today, one of my favorite radio hosts died unexpectedly. Darren, of the morning show on WBFJ brought encouragement into our home daily. And the front page of the Post has a smiling picture of a handsome young man only 20 years old, who was tragically killed on the job. His little family, wife and 1 year old daughter, had just moved here. Had anyone invited them to church? Is anyone there to take them a meal or love them through this horrible time? I still grieve the loss of my mom and I had nearly 50 years with her. People need us. Time is of the essence. Every moment matters. “Only a minute, but eternity is in it.”

Nehemiah’s project was completed in record breaking time. 52 days! Unbelievable! Pray for God’s timing. Pray for a smooth completion of all projects. Pray for the world to look on and be amazed at what God is doing on our behalf. Let them look at us as in Neh. 6:16- “They realized that this work had been done with the help of our God!” Your prayers will make a difference.

By Lynna Clark

We’ve covered some very beautiful Scripture from the book of Ephesians. Things like His wonderful grace, how He looks at us as a masterpiece, and His boundless love. Next in line, chapter five, are the verses about husbands and wives. I think I’ll just skip that. Not that the instruction is unclear. No… it’s all right there for those who listen. But you’re reading insight from a girl who has messed up in this area so many times. By the grace of God, David and I have been married forty seven and a half years. Sometimes my stories about our life make us look pretty good. But I need to tell you. David married a very feisty girl with a horrible red-headed temper. And that’s okay. That’s who he fell in love with. But oh, was I headstrong. In fact, when he asked me to marry him, I didn’t hug him and shout, “Oh yes my love! A thousand times yes!” like in my novels. Instead I fetched a long yellow steno pad and said, “Let’s make a list of the pros and cons.”

True story.

I even took hold of the pencil and wrote on the con side while he answered with the pros. Bless his heart. I would name a reason why not, and he’d come back with a reason to say yes. It’s a wonder the man persisted. On our honeymoon we headed toward the mountains. He pulled into a Lemon Tree Inn. It looked mighty fancy to me. As we went to check in before my new husband could speak, I asked “How much?” The dignified lady behind the counter quoted the price and I blurted out, “Too much” and turned to walk away leaving David to watch me exit without him. Little blessings like that have endeared me to him throughout the years.

As it turns out, it’s not good to skip passages in Scripture that we struggle with. Down through the years, the Lord has softened my cold hard heart. And I’ve learned. And life has turned sweeter. David has grown too. It seems the Lord’s plan has always been for husbands to love their wives, no matter how headstrong they are; and for wives to show respect for their husbands, no matter how much they decide to spend on the honeymoon suite. I think we all want what Aretha cried out for from the depths of her soul.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Throw in a lot of love and the pros will surely outweigh the cons.

By Lynna Clark

Have you ever wished for Cliff Notes of the Bible? Like yesterday when I gave you all that Scripture and you started hearing, “Blah blah blah designer shoes blah blah …” Well, here ya go.

I came across a passage that sums it all up. In Matthew 22: 34-40, Jesus is being questioned by the religious experts of the day. These guys were careful to obey the details of the law down to the length of their sleeves. Trying to trick Him, they asked what He considered to be THE most important law. His reply is well known, but not well practiced. “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself.” Then He says it.

“All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” So here’s the scoop. If we get those two things right, all the other stuff falls into place. The God of details gives us an easy button. Well, at least He narrowed it down to two things. So should I take that job? Can I fulfill Christ’s royal law of love there? No? Then the money is not worth it. Should I work in the yard today? Will I in any way defeat the goal of loving God and loving people? No? Then go for it.

Just a little jump off the Nehemiah bus for today. Because if we bear down on these two things, Christ says we’re good to go. Love God. Love people. And it’s also amazing that He places loving others “equally important” as loving Himself!! Knowing that He is a jealous God and wants us to love Him with every ounce of our being, makes that statement even more astounding!

Can I be real with you? Loving Him and loving people is certainly harder some days than others. I bet you already knew that. Here’s what I prayed. You fill in the blanks where you have been.

Strengthen me Lord to love You so much that I never doubt You again. When people hurt me and You are silent, help me rest in Your Word and believe You when You tell me You love me. When we both lose our jobs, both cars break down, the house has a tax lien, and medical bills mount up, [summer of 1990] help me remember that You love me. When I blow my cool and bless out the person I feel to be responsible for our job loss; when I slam the door so hard the windows are still rattling, [also summer of 1990] help me to know that You still love me. When I lose my strong and beautiful mother because she gets an illness that is so rare that only 3 in one million in the U.S. get it [winter of 2004]; When my very first grandson dies before I hold him in my arms, [summer of 2010] help me to rest in the fact that You love me. And when we come out on the other side of heartache with a stronger understanding of Your great love, help us use that understanding to love people better. Everyone is going through something. Strengthen me, and all of us today, to lighten someone’s load just a little; Because You love me while I am most definitely unlovable.

More: Ephesians 3:14-21; Romans 8:31-39; Matthew 22:34-40

By Lynna Clark

Last week we rented the old John Wayne movie The Cowboys. Why you ask? What better way to celebrate 50 years together! In the year of our Lord, 1972 a very quiet guy in my high school took a chance and asked me to the movies. He had no idea that John Wayne was an icon in our home; the picture of all things tough and heroic. I guess the Lord saw to that small detail ahead of time. But even better, the next week he asked me to a Bible study. Not John Wayne… my new friend David. That night my life changed. It was the first time I understood why Jesus went to the cross. Suddenly it made sense. I could never measure up to God’s holiness, so He died in my place. OH! What a difference that single decision made.

Because a quiet young man stepped waaayyy out of his comfort zone and asked a feisty girl to a homemade Bible study, at least the next 50 years were changed.

I went home and spoke to my little sisters about Christ. One trusted Him right away; the other understood a few weeks later. Fast forward to the families of us three sisters. We each married men who love the Lord, raised three kids apiece to honor Him; they in turn are raising children to love Him as well. The ones who don’t have children yet are making a difference in the lives around them. Sure we have a few prodigals in the mix, of whom I am chief. The point is not to brag on our great family.

Lord knows that’s not the goal. We sure don’t want to invite the scrutiny that would bring. The moral of the story is to say, take a chance. Invite the stranger. Reach out to someone the Lord puts in your path. Who knows what ripple effect you could cause in the next fifty years.

Maybe even for eternity.

We’re 68. Well … I am. Though he is a few months younger than me, David knows enough to claim my same age.

How well he remembers the time we filled out visitor cards at a church in South Carolina. Since I had already turned 25, I had to check the age box marked 24-35. He had not yet had his birthday so he jauntily checked the age box marked 18-24 and made sure I saw it. That day became a day to remember in our young marriage.

For me, remembering anything is getting harder and harder. David and I have a running game of “Who’s that guy?” You know, the one who used to coach the New Orleans Saints. Or who’s the dude who played in Die Hard? Or the rich one who owns Tesla? We also play the game, “Why am I in the kitchen?” That one’s easier because I usually assume I’m there to get a snack. It’s kind of a win win. I can always go back later when I remember why I really went there… and get another snack.

Anyway, we are sixty-eight. And we’ve been around long enough to have been through some hard things. It’s easy to remember the time our kids were small and we were kicked out of church by a jealous preacher. The times we sat with dying parents and held their hand until they passed; the foreclosure on the house we had poured heart and soul into; the loss of our first grandson before he breathed life; the diagnosis of cancer and the horrible season of chemo. Those things are branded on our souls it seems.

But what is important to remember is the way the Lord saw us through them. The time He sent unusual strength when my big strong hero keeled over one night; those times the Lord provided more than enough when we had no resources of our own. How He gently held us as we walked through the very shadow of death.

Psalm 78 mentions many occasions when the Lord took great care of His people. Yet they continually forgot His provision, even demanding things they craved. It goes so far as to say, “Despite His wonders, they refused to trust Him.” The Psalm also says that they “grieved Him; they did not remember His power or how He rescued them.”

Let’s not grieve the Lord. Let’s not demand things of Him as if we know best. He appreciates being remembered and He is honored when we trust Him. All our lives He has provided, comforted, and loved us to Himself. Personally, I have to say that I do not understand Him. And I sure don’t know why He puts us through the things He does. But in every part of life, I’ve learned that He will carry me til the end. Then later, looking back on the trouble, I can remember this. “When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs.” -Psalm 84:6 NLT

By Lynna Clark

My sister’s name popped up on my new smart phone. Actually it’s a stupid phone but you won’t hear me complain. Or recite the many ways it aggravates me. No, I am not going to mention how the things that used to be easy on my old dumb phone are nearly impossible on my new smart phone. Like adding my friend Edith to my contacts. Poor gal. Now she has to be Edirh because I can’t figure out how to edit her name. Annyyywayyy… my sister called. “Happy Anniversary!” she joyfully proclaimed. “Thanks,” I answered. “But it’s tomorrow.”

“Oh… well happy 50th anniversary tomorrow! It’s a big one!” she exclaimed.

“Actually it’s number 49, but thank you,” I answered.

“Oh… well at least I was the first to congratulate you! Hope y’all have a wonderful day… tomorrow.” “Thanks sweet sistuh,” I replied. I didn’t have the heart to tell her one of our daughters had just stopped by with eggs from her prolific chickens and had already congratulated us. Not sure how people remember these things. I’m not even checking Facebook anymore. But somehow they know that felicitations are in order. Surely they don’t still use a paper calendar like I do. In fact I consider it a fun event to transfer all the important dates to my new paper calendar every January. Yep. I’m still that person.

What’s even better is that my hubba remembered our anniversary and gave me the best gift. He painted our bedroom. Sappy sentimental man. The gift is very special to me because I know how difficult it is for him to get down on his knees to trim around the baseboard. He assured me it wasn’t hard at all. “It’s the getting back up that’s hard,” he smiled that sexy smile and my heart melted. Yep. He’s still got it.

On our actual anniversary we REALLY got hot and bothered. He took me to Rufty’s Garden Shop to pick out flowers for around the mailbox. During the last year or so, I’ve been unable to go anywhere because of chronic pain. Well, except for the doctor’s office. But David suggested that a quick trip from our house over to Innes Street probably wouldn’t overtax me too much; especially if I didn’t wear myself out getting ready. So I threw a summer scarf around my lovely housedress. David pulled into the crowded lot and I was happy to spot the perfect heat tolerant plants. He scurried inside to make our purchase while I waited in the car. After he received a hug from the wife of his youth, he turned the key in the ignition. Nothing. Thus the hot and bothered.

Sweat ran down the back of my lovely housedress. Mama warned us girls to never go out in public without getting “done up.” She always added, “That’s when you’ll run into your old boyfriend for sure!” Well praise God I married my old boyfriend and the last thing on his mind at that point was my attire.

The kind folks at Rufty’s took time in their very busy Friday to help. As they, along with David worked in the heat to jumpstart the battery, I contemplated removing my scarf. But I didn’t because, you know… housedress. Instead I prayed that the Lord would intervene on our behalf so I wouldn’t have to hitch a ride in all my loveliness. At least I had on my good… flip flops. God heard the prayers of a desperate poorly dressed woman. Eventually we were back on the road for the short trip home to the magical land of Clarkville. It’s a wonderful place, hot at times, but always full of adventure. Laced with sweet surprises like fresh eggs. Plus kind people, and blessings heaped upon blessings. Happy half century to us!

Well… you know… 49.

By Lynna Clark

How do you respond to fear? Do you pull the covers over your head and hide? The other day a field mouse was staggering around on our porch. When he saw me, he stuck his little head in a hole between the step and the ground. He tried to wiggle down out of sight, but his hinder parts were sticking out. I’m sure this seemed like a perfectly logical solution to his fear, probably because he had his beer goggles on. You see, we also have snails which are eating the plants on our porch. A friend told me that if you put beer out, the snails slither in and die. But it’s a happy, painless death. Anyway, we had a little mouse get in our house. Traps weren’t working, so we resorted to poison. Apparently the mouse on the porch had just come from the house and had tried to quench his thirst with the beer put out for the snails. No matter how hard he denied impending doom, his fate was sealed. I am glad to report, but also sufficiently sad, that the mouse in the house is no more.

Nehemiah was terrified. He was the taste tester for the king. He made sure no poison was in the soup of the day. So when he came before the king, looking sick and sad, alarms went off in the royal head. Nehemiah’s boss could literally cause the ax to fall. Severance package took on a whole new meaning. But because Nehemiah had prayed ahead of time for favor in the king’s eyes, God gave him a wise response during a terrifying experience. Chapter 2, verse 4 tells of his quick prayer to the God of heaven, and the king’s very favorable reply, “Well, how can I help you?” Verses following tell of Nehemiah’s list and how the king granted all his requests, “…because the gracious hand of God was upon him.” –vs. 8

Nehemiah did not go to the king all willy-nilly. He prayed. He waited til the time was right. Neh. 2:1 says, “…the following spring.” He asked God for favor, like we talked about yesterday. When the opportunity presented itself, he was ready. He sent up a quick prayer before answering. And he recognized it all happened because God was in charge.

Today- for our churches: Ask God to go ahead of us to the powers that be, so that when it is time to make decisions, or expand our ministry, or take a city for Christ, those who see us coming will make the path smooth. Pray for those God puts in our path, that they will say, “Well, how can I help you?” And that God will receive glory as we bring whole communities to Him!

More: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Psalm 4:3 Psalm 17:6,7

By Lynna Clark

Today’s devo is a really short one… unless I think of more stuff before I finish. You know how I can be when I get to hopping down a rabbit trail. Lord help us all.

The verse that stood out this morning is 1 Thessalonians 1:2: “We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.”

Sweet. I actually do thank the Lord for each of you and when I check to see who clicked the like button or left a comment, those people get an extra prayer.

Just sayin’.

Verse 3 continues with “As we pray to our God and Father about you we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Did you notice the trio of faith hope and love? [Like in 1 Corinthians 13]

Beside that verse I have a few names written down. Faithful people that have loved the Lord and served Him for years. Who would you list?

As we continue our day, let’s lift these faithful friends up in prayer and thankfulness to the Lord. I’d love for you to name someone faithful in your life.

Much love from Clarkville.