The Clallery

When we are dazzled while riding on a carousel.  Jesus’ arms are wide open, “Look upon Me, my beloved child, come towards Me!” When we are occupied by our chessboard of life. Jesus’ arms are wide open, “Look upon Me, my beloved child, come towards Me!” When we are submerged in the loud music of a band. Jesus’ arms are wide open, “Look upon Me, my beloved child, come towards Me!” When we are circulating around a loop, thinking that we are going somewhere. Jesus’ arms are wide open, “Look upon Me, my beloved child, come towards Me!” When we are building our towers. Jesus’ arms are wide open, “Look upon Me, my beloved child, come towards Me!” When we are dwelling in our dream places. Jesus’ arms are wide open, “Look upon Me, my beloved child, come towards Me!” Suddenly, the church bell rings! Jesus is everywhere, and He is with you always. “Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is Your way with those who love Your name.” Psalm 119:132

Indeed, Abraham’s descendants scattered worldwide, especially after the diaspora of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC when the Neo-Assyrian Empire conquered it. They were as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore scattering all over the continents. Even with modern DNA technology, it is very challenging to trace the numerous assimilated descendants of the ten tribes across the globe. “15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore . Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:17-18)

Whether a community welcomes colonization has very much to do with the original culture of the people within the community. The British once colonized Hong Kong and Canada. On the spectrum of welcoming colonization, Hong Kong was more on the positive side than Canada. This might be culturally related. Most Chinese prefer their children to receive education, and the ancient Chinese schooling system was very rigid, with parental corporal punishment on children as a norm, and rigorous Chinese traditional examination systems already implemented. Therefore, when the British came to Hong Kong to establish a Western education system, the Chinese were willing to send their children to study in the schools founded by the British. The parents learned the Western way of raising children, gradually reducing parental dictatorship and corporal punishment of children. On the other hand, the indigenous children in North America were mostly born and raised in rural areas, and their parents were free-go...

Conflicts are unavoidable. Conflicts under love yield Godly consequences. Conflicts under hatred yield evil consequences. Once upon a time, there were two boys from two families. Conflicts with their fathers accumulated as they are growing up. One of the boys loved his father very much and his father loved him very much. They are very close, and conflicts developed from being too close for comfort. The other boy resented his father for living up to his expectations, and the father was mostly absent while he was growing up but spoiled him out of false love. Conflicts developed from hostilities. The boys became men. The man who had conflicts under love was spiritually and psychologically healthier in general, and lived an authentic life. The man who had conflicts under hatred was spiritually and psychologically malformed, and lived a split life.

Sad & Disappointed, Encouraged & Hopeful, Revolutionary! Praise the Lord! ~ Clara, The Clallery

Light yellow meets light blue Light blue meets light yellow Mix and yield light green Radiate a wavelength of 532 nanometer Areas of rich meadow pasture For grazing For lying down For Rest and Peace ~ Clara, The Clallery

  Group spiritual direction is for spiritual formation, which often involves inter-disciplinary subjects, praying about each other’s encounters in life, for reorienting our hearts towards the Triune God. ~ Clara, The Clallery

Scientific oriented people and artistic oriented people manifest “love” in different ways. People in science express their love through rationality, such as wearing masks and keeping social distancing would be a loving manner towards your neighbours; people in arts show their love through emotions, such as countenances and physical gatherings would be a loving expression towards your neighbours. Hopefully, the technology of video conferencing would be able to play an intermediate and temporary way of bridging the two. Whether you choose to meet online or in-person, may all be thankful to the love from above and beyond! ~ Clara, The Clallery

  The boat once was covered with dirty stains, being plunged under a wave and then surfaced. All the stains were washed away, and the oars were lost! The inside of her hull was purged, ready to be filled with God’s Word. Without any oars, the boat is being chartered celestially in faith down the windy coastlines, across the stormy seas, up the streams, across serene lakes, while witnessing God’s almightiness on “making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland”. Along with other boats of different colours and shapes, she sails in and towards the Kingdom of God!  ~ Clara, The Clallery

  The buzzing bee is about to work; the idling bee is at work. How much pollen have you collected? How much pollen are you collecting? How much more pollen are you going to collect? How much pollen have you been producing? How much pollen are you producing? How much more pollen are you going to produce? The flowers are blooming; the idling flowers are at work. ~ Clara, The Clallery

  Looking at our drawing of an aeroplane and a hang glider, I asked the child who painted this with me, “Do you think the aeroplane is faster or the hang glider is faster?” The child said, “Of course, the hand glider is faster! The aeroplane is too heavy with so many inside it.” I smiled, internalizing the logic of a powerful man-made jet engine and the gentleness of the uplifting wind, then the song “It’s a long road to freedom” by Medical Mission Sisters came to my mind. I ponder on the lyrics “walk in love with the wind on your wing” with an image of a soaring eagle found in “Isaiah 40:30-31 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. ” ~ Clara, The Clallery   “It’s a long road to freedom” by Medical Mission Sisters ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txK5ZazkJBU ) It's a long road to freedom, a...

  wet, moist, cool, refreshing...  ~ Clara, The Clallery

  May you always recognize the presence of our Triune God in the shade or under the sun. Being here & now under the blessing of His grace and mercy ~ Clara, The Clallery "Whenever I am, at home, in a hotel, in a train, plane or airport, I would not feel irritated, restless, and desirous of being somewhere else or doing something else. I would know that here and now is what counts and is important because it is God himself who wants me at this time and in this place."  ~ Henri Nouwen, The Genesee Diary (New York: Doubleday, 1981), 77