Come celebrate my funeral

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

COME CELEBRATE MY FUNERAL

 SCRIPTURE: Genesis 15:15     And you shall to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old (hoary) age.  (Amp)

REFLECTION: My friend Norma Leary wrote in jest that perhaps we ought to take the “fun” out of the word “funeral.” Might I add that since most funerals are somber occasions a more realistic word would be “somberal?”

     Funerals, for the Christian, should have an element of

Survivor’s Guilt Lent Devotion #25

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

SURVIVOR’S GUILT  Lent Devotion #25

 

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:16     Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.  (NKJV)

DEVOTION: As I read these stories I reflect back on the child-slaughter meant to rid the world of Moses and Jesus. Although it’s difficult to me to consider that anyone worthy of being called a homo sapiens could participate in slaughters such as these, tales from wartime situations confirm mankind today is no better than mankind of old.

Each time I read of these mass slaughters of small children I wonder what effect they had on Moses and Jesus. Did the two suffer from

God’s form of communication? Lent Devotion #20

GOD’S FORM OF COMMUNICATION?

Lent Devotion #20

SCRIPTURE: Numbers 9:16-17  16.  So it was always: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night.  17.  Whenever the cloud was taken up from above the tabernacle, after that the children of Israel would journey; and in the place where the cloud settled, there the children of Israel would pitch their tents. (NKJV)

REFLECTION: According to Scriptural accounts, the first communication by “cloud” and “fire” did not occur with Native Americans but with the nomadic Israelites.

However, since this passage brings to mind Native Americans, I will reflect on them.

I had two interviews in February 1999. One was with a renowned black artist. The other was on the history of the Connellsville Armory. During both interviews I was confronted with treasures of the mid-west Blackfeet Indian descendents.

The coincidence influenced my request to my local editor to do a story on

And who will reach the downtrodden? Lent Devotion #18

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

AND WHO WILL REACH THE DOWNTRODDEN?

Lent Devotion #18

 

SCRIPTURE: Judges 6:15     And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I (Gideon) save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.  (KJV)

DEVOTION: Janet sat at my table in tears, sharing her story of the worst kind of childhood abuse. Several trusted family members had sexually abused her from the time she was a toddler, and she was claiming responsibility for their actions. In turn, when her own children were molested Janet blamed them rather than the adult perpetrators.

The county’s trained professionals had custody of her children but they were unable to help Janet. She was not responding to their “program.” Now she was sharing tea and her problems with me.

According to legal regulations I am not

Who will take our church from us? Lent Devotion #30

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

WHO WILL TAKE OUR CHURCH FROM US?

Lent Devotion #30

SCRIPTURE: Lamentations 1:1    How solitary and lonely sits the city (Jerusalem) that was full of people! How like a widow has she become ! She who was great among that nations and princess among the provinces has become a tributary—-in bond service! (Amp)
DEVOTION:  Five months after we moved to Connellsville, Pennsylvania, the sanctuary of our massive, stone and steel church burned. Signs forbidding entry were immediately posted on the double red doors at the top of the cement steps. Yellow police tape was tied across the bottom of the steps. The church that was great in our nation and truly was a princess in the province (city) looked solitary and lonely, like a tributary waiting for its new assignment in bond service.
     The scene reminded me of the war-closed synagogues in Europe, many of which are now

The Red Tuque

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

THE RED TUQUE

The Rev. Monte W. Holland, Guest Writer

SCRIPTURE: Do your best to improve your faith. You can do this by adding goodness, understanding, self-control, patience, devotion to God, concern for others and love. If you keep growing in this way, it will show that what you know about our Lord Jesus Christ has made your lives useful and meaningful. 2 Peter 1:5-8  (CEV)
DEVOTION: When I wore my red knit tuque (a knit hat—to view photo click http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/3378357280/ ) on a visit to Dorothy, a church shut-in, she said it needed a tassel. The next time I stopped she presented me with a

Hidden Transgressions: The Importance of Integrity

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

HIDDEN TRANSGRESSIONS

The importance of Integrity

 

SCRIPTURE: Job 31:33     I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom. (KJV)
Matthew 23:25     Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess!  (KJV)

DEVOTION: Our personable church organist was loyal to the church, a good worker and faithful in all ways. Who would believe he would become a convicted as child molester? His skill at leading a double life was truly honed.
     Isn’t this behavior similar to what Job is sharing? As Adam hid his

Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS.

FATHER’S, DO NOT PROVOKE YOUR

CHILDREN TO WRATH

This post is part of a continuing series about child abuse and parenting. At the end of this article are links to the other posts on this subject. If the links do not work, go to www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com , click on the folder CHILD ABUSE, and scroll down the posts to find answers to your questions. Also click on the DEVOTION folder for child-abuse specific devotions.

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 6:4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

DEVOTION:  Fathers—and mothers—can and must direct and discipline their children. This may anger the child like we ourselves become angry with someone who corrects us. Eventually, however, appropriate discipline will strengthen us and out relationships.
     Wrath is, however, violent anger, rage, fury, resulting in inappropriate discipline styles that leave a child feeling worthless and inhuman. Wrath physically or verbally “kills off” parts

Ashes to Ashes: A Devotion for Ash Wednesday

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

ASHES TO ASHES:

A DEVOTION FOR ASH WEDNESDAY

Guest writer Monte W. Holland

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 6, selected verses: “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven—when you give alms, sound no trumpet before you—do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing—when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret—when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret.” (RSV)

DEVOTION: In the Western church, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and the seventh Wednesday before Easter. Its name comes from the practice of

GENERATIONS OF BLESSINGS #26

GENERATIONS OF BLESSINGS

 

SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 5:10     “but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (NIV)

REFLECTION: An interview with Lieutenant Mary Powell of the Pennsylvania State Police alerted me to this scripture. She used it in reference to genealogical research.

Lt. Powell feels really blessed. Her faith is strong, reinforced by a faith healing as a child. But she doesn’t stop there.

“I would like to know who (my ancestral) Christians were that the Bible says about, ‘I will bless you for a thousand years. The generations of blessings