AKARN

From Old Norse “akarn” comes the word “acorn.” James Hillman's bestselling book, The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling, outlines what he calls the "acorn theory" of the soul. This theory states that all people already hold the potential for the unique possibilities inside themselves, much as an acorn holds the pattern for an oak tree. He proposed that our calling in life is inborn and that it's our mission in life to realize its imperatives. He called it the "acorn theory" — the idea that our lives are formed by a particular image, just as the oak's destiny is contained in the tiny acorn.

From the book that has survived thousands of years to remain on the bestseller list, is the Bible. There is no theory; but rather truth that God made us, male and female and breathed life into each of us. We are formed in our mother’s womb’s and made in God’s image. Our destinies are in His hands and it is our mission to become more like Jesus Christ each and every day.

Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

We all hold the potential, abilities and talents that we have been given. In Matthew 25: 14-30, Jesus tells his disciples the “Parable of the Talents.” A master had several servants and before he left on a journey, he entrusted his property to them. According to the abilities of each of them, he allocated money. One received five talents, another two and the last one only received one talent. The first servant worked to double his master’s investment, as did the second servant, but the third servant dug a hole and buried the master’s money.

When the master returned from his trip, he commended the first two servants and told them, “job well done!” To the third servant, he told him to take his money and give it to the first. He was furious for that “play-it-safe” attitude and told others to throw the servant out into the darkness.

You see, just as the potential for Israel was great, as for the servant and you and I, and the more you fulfil your God-given potential, the more He will entrust you with. God wants us to live a life of abundance. Don’t waste your gifts, money or talents! Use them and God will bless you with so much more. We have much to be thankful for. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

KOMOREBI

Sunlight leaks through the trees and the beauty of rays of light dapple through overhead tinted leaves, casting dancing shadows on the forest floor. God grasps his paintbrush, dipping it in vats of colors as He paints the fall landscapes across the valleys, fields and countryside.

The hills are alive! The firey reds, shimmering greens, vibrant yellows and pumpkin oranges weave their chorus along the trickling streams and rivers. King David declared in Psalm 34, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.”

This is autumn - fall - end of summer heat - shorter days of sunlight. And as we end another season and with the approaching Thanksgiving - we are once again reminded of the blessings of living in a country that shows four seasons.

But of the four - autumn is the flabvoyant flair of nature dancing across the earth’s canvas. Beauty to behold! Praises to be exclaimed! Blessings to besow! and eyes to absorb the masterpiece before us.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3: 3-4

And so, as we perhaps enter another season of our lives, as we consider these past number of years or as we recognize that we cannot go back in time; let us linger on the thought that our inner beauty - Christ’s spirit in us - would radiate to others. Look to the author and perfecter of our faith.

I will extol the Lord at all times;
    his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
    let us exalt his name together.

 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
    he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant;
    their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34: 1-5

GODFIDENCE

The word “confidence” is feeling certain about the truth of something and knowing that appreciation or ability is to be relied upon. We are confident that the sun will rise in the morning; that we will age with time; that each of us will find our path in life; sooner or later.

This is what the daughters of Zelophehad displayed in Numbers 27. Because of the courage of these women to ask for what they wanted, they not only received it, but they demonstrated the confidence they had for other women who came after them.

The daughters of Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, belonged to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milkah and Tirzah. They came forward and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, 

“Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah’s followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father’s name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father’s relatives.”

So Moses brought their case before the Lord, and the Lord said to him, “What Zelophehad’s daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father’s relatives and give their father’s inheritance to them.

“Say to the Israelites, ‘If a man dies and leaves no son, give his inheritance to his daughter. If he has no daughter, give his inheritance to his brothers. If he has no brothers, give his inheritance to his father’s brothers. If his father had no brothers:he may possess it. This is to have the force of law for the Israelites, as the Lord commanded Moses.’” Numbers 27: 1-11

When we make our requests known to God, we can be confident that God will certainly do something about our situation, circumstances or lives. It may not be what we thought would work, but if we understand that we need to trust in God knowing that I can’t, but He can, then miracles can happen and prayers can be answered. Now that’s Godfidence!

EPHEMERAL

When we were children, we would spend our Saturday mornings cruising down to the Corner Store on our banana bikes. With our 10 cents in our frayed jeans, we would gaze longingly at the rows and jars of assorted colors at the candy counter and thoughtfully select our jaw breakers, sugar straws and the oh so delicious mint green Mo Jo’s.

Recently, friends and I journeyed to a small town corner store in search of the famous Mo Jo candy, but to our dismay, it was now No Jo. The company simply didn’t produce this item anymore. Not only are sugar treats, cereals and certain food items unavailable, but machines, certain technologies and automobiles, simply not made anymore. They are short-lived or ephemeral.

When you take the number of days in a year and multiply that by your age, you will be astonished to discover that the number is very low in terms of eternity. A twenty-year old has only lived 7,300 days. A thirty-five year old merely 12.775 days and even a seventy-five year old has only breathed 27,375 days. Merely a miniscual number in terms of millions and bilions.

And yet, eternity has no number value - it is forever. Then why do we spend our lives worrying, scurrying and burying ourselves with life, consuming and a million different tasks that we deem important now? Our focus should be where our souls will reside.

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.  At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.  In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.  So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Luke 16: 19-31

KOINONIA

I don’t know about you, but I love people! I love get togethers when family and friends converge and the space is filled with laughter, chatter, as if everyone had consumed a 7-11’s inventory of energy drinks. There are times when I float away on clouds of aloneness and solitary isolation, but I choose to be in community with others when I can.

Even when I am alone, I have koinania or fellowship with God. On a Sunday morning, I have koinania with other believers. We need each other. Plain and simple.

In 1951, Ray Bradbury, an American author, wrote a collection of 18 short stories entitled The Illustrated Man. The conflict between cold technology and psychology of people was the recurring theme in these stories. Who knew that this would be the theme of much of our world today with its AI and the isolation that people in our society are suffering from.

In one of his stories entitled, The Man, space explorers encounter a planet where the population is in a state of bliss. They find out that a mysterious visitor had arrived. The explorers believe this is Jesus. One crewman takes the spaceship and tries to catch up with this mysterious traveller. On every planet he arrives at, he discovers he is too late as this visitor has spread his message and left. Another of the spacemen had decided to stay on the blissful planet and rejoice in the mysterious man’s glory. Other crew members decide to stay as well and learn from this contented community and discover that “He” was still on the planet.

There are many people who are searching for Jesus and doing life on their own. We need each other, but more importantly, we need Jesus. Find your koinonia and learn that “He” is with us always. He is here on this planet with us now. Talk with him, rejoice because of Him and get to know Him. You don’t even have to leave the planet!

“… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20

CONJUBILANT

Whether it’s Taylor Swift or Beyonce - Phil Wickham or Casting Crowns - when a stadium fills to capacity with bodies swaying and chanting in unison, as the crowd’s voice crescendos in a roar and the performers create an atmosphere of anticipation, all eyes are focused on the stage.

The exuberant delight and joy radiates from one like a dry parched land that drinks of the water to quench the thirst of the thousands waiting to receive a musical annointing. And they are not disappointed when the first note echoes across the concert hall or stadium.

Conjubilant is what it is - the shouting out in joy together. The exhilerating feeling of coming together to share the experience from the pounding of the drums, the beginning guitar and keyboard tones of the performers who truly love music by laughing as they play and sing to the collective mob that scream along with the lyrics.

That’s just a little of imagining what heaven will be like when we sing around the throne! Holy! Holy! Holy! Is the Lord God Almighty!

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.

 In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
    be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Revelation 5: 11-14

While we are living and breathing on this side of heaven, let us shout for joy, sing together and be conjubilant! Check out a song to get you singing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raFnjGVkHe8

Praise the Lord!