Rest in Him for Your Strength!

For details about the March 18 - 20, 2011 Retreat, please visit http://www.clarahinton.com. Register today and give yourself the gift of hope! I look forwardto seeing you in Warm Springs, Georgia! -Clara Hinton
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There are times when we grow so weak from the sorrow and pain of this life that we think we can't go on. We die just a little bit more when others tell us to "buckle up and be strong." How can we be strong when we are so weak we cannot even open our eyes or lift our weary heads from bearing so much pain?

How greatly we are tempted to become depressed and to feel lost in this big world of ours during our moments of heartache and aloneness. This is when we most need to remember the kindness and gentle caring of our Father. He gently and tenderly reminds us to simply trust Him and "be still." Being still during our weakest moments is necessary so that we can be revived. Rest. Be still! Lean completely into the arms of our Father who intimately knows our pain, and allow Him to dry our tears.

By trusting and resting in His strength, we will gain new strength and hope. If today finds you feeling totally lost and depleted, if you are wondering how much longer you can go on, you are in need of complete rest in Him. That's all God really asks of us. Don't try to be strong; just be still and allow His deep love, His tender caring, and His strength to transfuse you with hope and new strength once again! -- Clara Hinton

"God reserves His best medicine for our times of deepest pain." --Clara Hinton

"Be still and know I am God." --Psalm 46:10

Finding the New Normal

“When does this pain of loss end? Is there no relief?” This is often the cry of a parent who has lost a child. The grief seems too big and too hard at times. And, there seems to be no end in sight for the pain and isolation. And, yet we know that somehow, some way life must continue on.

We keep trying; keep reminding ourselves that we must take life one day at a time. In fact, sometimes we take life one hour at a time, giving ourselves the time we need to adjust to our new world, our new way, this life that now is labeled “the new normal.”

And, so we train our minds daily to look for the good, to listen for the song, and to watch for the sunshine and blue skies. We force ourselves to move forward into this world knowing that it will never be the same again, but also understanding that we must choose to move forward into this
new land beyond our grief journey. And, so we do!

Hope is amazing as it teaches us that the very same sun is still shining and waiting to warm us. Nature is still painting the world with beauty beyond words. Our Father is still giving us comfort and help in order to help fill the void. And, so we slowly move forward knowing that one day the curtain of grief will be pulled back and we will be able to see life with new eyes and a heart filled with hope! --Clara Hinton

“There is no way out, but there is a way that goes forward.” --C. Hinton

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” --Isaiah 40:31

Which Blue are You?

Blue is such an interesting color! It can take on the meaning of so many different things, feelings, moods, and traditions. There is sky blue, ocean blue, true blue, blue ribbon, blue moon, feeling blue, singing the blues, and having the blues. You get the picture. Sometimes blue is associated with springtime, and nature, and wonderment. Often blue is used synonymously with peaceful and tranquil, and serene.

Blue can also take on the meaning of feeling sadness and sorrow. Blue can mean bemoaning our circumstances in life. And, having the blues can even be related to feelings of depression. What numerous contrasts of meanings found just in the simple word, “blue.”

When we are going through a loss, we will often use “blue” to describe the state of our emotions. We are feeling sad, lonely, isolated, and depressed. We don’t see the world as a place of peace and quietness, but rather our world is mixed up and out of sync. Nothing feels right or in place. We feel displaced and upset. We are sad blue. And, oh how we long for the time when we will see life as “sky blue” once again! With a heavy heart we wonder if that time will ever arrive!

If you are in a place of sad blue right now, hold on! Remember that blue is an ever-changing color! Your time of springtime and newness will arrive again! Today your world might look blue etched in the darkness of black. Your world may feel as though it is crashing apart. But, hope is alive, and will return to bring you back to a place of blue calmness just as sure as the sun rises and sets each day.

How do you know when your sad blue will take a turn for the hopeful blue? You will know when your eyes see the shades of blue differently. What looked dark and frightening will appear warm and inviting. What looked lonely and angry will look complete and filled with peace. You will once again see the sky as an expanse of blue with billowy white clouds, rather than seeing the sky dark blue filled with angry storm clouds.

Hope will color your blue with springtime! Hope will bring new life to your blue! Hope will ignite your heart and allow you to love life once again! Hold on! Keep looking upward and believe that your day of “new blue” will arrive! And, most assuredly it will! --Clara Hinton

“Who can resist the feelings of hope when staring at the expanse of the beautiful blue sky?” --C. Hinton

“Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the help of my sad countenance, O my God.” --Psalm 43:5

Thirty Days to Finding Your Heart

A new year has begun, and yet we find ourselves feeling the same pangs of emptiness and loss as we did the year before. And, so we ask, “How does one begin anew when the heart has been taken out of life?” That is the question every parent asks when a child dies. “How? How does one begin anew?”

When our heart has been broken, we don’t have answers – at least not answers that make any sense. And, so in our desperation and brokenness, we turn to God for our help. We look to the only One who can give us the hope and the reason to go on.

Practice this exercise faithfully for the next 30 days and you will begin to notice small, subtle changes that will eventually give you back your heart. Say “thank you” aloud for five blessings each day. Take ten minutes to experience nature – listen to the birds singing their morning praises, experience the miracle of the rising sun, gaze at the twinkling stars in the moonlit sky. Memorize five verses from the Psalms – healing verses that tell of God’s mighty power and His infinite love for you.

At the end of 30 days, you will desire to continue this practice for another 30 days, and another, and another all throughout the year as this is your way of feeding your soul and bringing life back into your once empty heart! -- Clara Hinton

“Life has a way of bringing you back to places you thought were forever forgotten.” --Clara Hinton

“Cease striving and know that I am God.” -- Psalm 46:10a

Hope is Alive!

The pain of loss is something that cannot be explained by words alone. How does one explain a pain that runs so deep that it makes the heart bleed? How does one tell others what it feels like to have a cloud always hovering above with reminders of the life that no longer exists as we once knew it? How can we possibly share the personal pain we feel to the extent that others understand? It cannot be done. Grief is too personal.

How then do we move forward? How do we find our place in our new world – the world that has been created by our loss? How can we find a way to bring joy back into our hearts that hurt so much each day? Is it even possible to reclaim joy?

This world is full of pain and grief. That is a fact. But, it is also brimming over with joy and blessings. When we are in the pits of grief, we feel alone and abandoned by all blessings. But, as we allow hope to ignite within us, it acts as a magnet drawing the blessings of life closer and closer to us until finally we reach that point where we can see joy again. No longer does grief rule our lives. It is there. We will always feel that sting of loss, but no longer will it govern our every thought and action.

Hope is alive, and it is bigger than any pain we are feeling right now! Cling to hope and it will ignite a fire within your heart so that you can find your way out of the darkness into light! –Clara Hinton

“Be still and allow the hope within to warm your heart with joy.” --Clara Hinton

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.” -- Psalm 18:2:a

Healing and Hope Come One Day at a Time

Grief is a journey, and every person experiencing grief knows that. What we don’t always know, and cannot fully grasp, is the phrase, “one day at a time.” Wow! That’s so hard! How do you only look at this day – today – when so much of yesterday and so much of tomorrow has been taken away?

Living in the “today” is often the griever’s biggest heartache. Learning to grab hold of today and enjoy something about it without sorrowing about the future – the things that will never become part of our today – is often the most draining part of loss. Yet, we know that it’s a necessary part of our healing. Living just for today is hard work, but we must learn how to do it if we choose to live this life with renewed joy.

At first, one thinks only of making it through the lonely days and nights. Then, our walk becomes a bit more “normal” as we call it in the world of grieving. We come to understand that our normal is a new normal. Things will never totally be the same again. Then, our final step in this journey of grief is the total understanding of what has happened, and learning to live just for today and grasp the joy and renewed hope of today.

This change doesn’t come right away. It may take many long months, which reach into years. But, you will know with full certainty when you are living in the joy of this day.

When you can hear the birds singing their morning song and your heart whistles along, you are beginning to heal. When you can see the sunrise and smile with assurance knowing this is going to be a good day, you have begun to heal. When you hear laughter from others and you give yourself permission to join in, you will absolutely know that you are beginning to learn to live in the joy of this day!

Joy will return. It will be different than before your loss, but your new hope and joy will be deeper, more meaningful, and you will live in the presence of the gift of this day! -- Clara Hinton

“I will not try to bypass the pain of grieving. I will take it one day at a time until hope and joy return!” -- Clara Hinton

“Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” --Psalm 37:7

The Newness of Grief

Facing change under the best of circumstances is difficult and a bit frightening, to say the least. What will it be like? How can I be prepared? When wills this awful feeling leave? How long will it take me to get to a place of feeling normal again? Change brings about many new things for us, and the loss of a child is perhaps the worst change one can ever go through! We no longer can find the ground beneath us, much less travel the road of grief we have now been placed upon!

Mercifully, the sharp edges of pain that accompany grief will not always be there. With each passing day, we are making progress in finding our way through all of the new grief – even if it doesn’t feel like it. Time stops being our enemy and actually begins to help give us what we need to help navigate through this dark, winding path called grief.

If you are in the newness of grief right now, life is not at all routine for you. Everything is different from the rising of the sun to the close of the day. Hold on! Millions have walked this path you are now on, and they, too, struggled. They searched. They fell down. They suffered battle fatigue. They asked hard questions. They cried millions of tears, but they made it. And, you will make it, too!

Hope is stronger than the grief you are experiencing today. Hope will eventually help you begin to feel alive again. Hope will emerge strong. Hope will light your path. Hope will brighten your journey. Hope will calm your fears. Hope will give you purpose again. Hope will carry you through! -- Clara Hinton

“Hope is stronger than any grief, and when my aching soul surrenders to hope, I will begin to see light once again!” –C. Hinton

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” --Psalm 23:1