Posted by The Clarks on December 16, 2002 at 10:40:50:
This is a copy of the text only from the Christmas Newsletter...
The main thing you're missing is the snowflakes and the picture of the family.
But you won't miss the children's additions.
STREET CORNER MISSIONARY
Glen Clark Ministries
The Online edition of our newsletter
A Christmas Story
This story may seem strange to some for a Christmas story, but this is something I must write. I realized lately that I am always trying to be transparent and in my writings, real and honest. So, I can show people the truth, as best as I know it of this walk and God’s reality and His goodness to us all, around us at all times in all things. Then lately, I have been reminded that I often write of hard, graphic, even ugly stuff. Maybe I don’t share the mountain top experiences as much or the easy, good times of this walk as much. Even though lately it seems as if the truth is, I almost always live in the valleys or the deserts. Maybe it’s because God loves me so much that He wants me to stay close to Him. Dependant on Him, loved and nurtured by Him and only Him. Like maybe He’s jealous that if I move out of the valleys or deserts too much that I might move in with someone else, get into adultery with one of the many other of the gods out there that we have made, especially in this country. That are constantly tempting us to come to them so they can consume us, and then imprison us. Thank you God for your freedom. The only true Liberty. The only true God, even the only true Provision. Hold me in your clutches of Truth that set me truly free. I am so glad He knows me. So glad He loves me enough to keep me where He knows I need to be.
Well, what I started to write about was recent events. I told the children that for Christmas I wanted all of them to write a story about their best memory or favorite Christmas or Thanksgiving that they have had in the ministry. We would then put that in a special Christmas Newsletter. I gave that request out then, I am trying so hard not to be manipulative about anything these days we are in such needy-ness that I am constantly having to check myself and my words so I am not trying to manipulate people in anyway to get our needs met. Thought why did I say “in the ministry?” I wrestled with that, then the Lord assured me it was okay for that’s all these children have ever known is Thanksgiving and Christmases in the ministry. I thought back of early on in this walk of several Christmases and Thanksgivings we spent giving out of ourselves to the homeless & poor, street people, drug addicts. Even lonely people who have it all but love. No real family, no real love. We have experienced many things thru the years. Maybe I should write them all down in the future to share with others, for we have truly had some inspirational times of seeking to serve God through the poor and destitute, through the hurting and broken, the lost and sinners, the dirty people without homes to celebrate Christmas. It’s like we have found God by trying to give to those who do not have anything to give in return. We have found God in the strangest, dirtiest places. Rejected by society, by the religious, by family, by most. We found him in the poor, outside in the cold in the dark places living like animals. Why didn’t we get it when He came the first time in a manger?
The story I am trying so hard to write is about yesterday, riding in van with family and two helpers to go and finish taking down house in Winnsboro, SC, and to get our salvaged stairs loaded up to bring to Greenwood SC. This all involved getting dump truck, trailer, Guatemalans to help us. It was a lot of driving so I had been reflecting for days as I prepared to write newsletter. See, I had been looking for something to write about. I had been wanting to be inspired. I wanted it to be a great Christmas Newsletter. Then maybe I would get some response and get us out of this deep hole we are in, and yes, we are in deep. See, I know some of you know of this because of the emergency emails that we sent out. But most don’t, so bare with me as I try to share our predicament. We had a hard year, betrayed and rejected last year when we left Asheville, NC. This left me burnt out. Then devoted 21/2 months to my brother. This needs to be another newsletter for January. Praise God for being able to spend such precious time with one you love and have prayed for, for years. Thank you Jesus. My baby brother is now a Christian. He is doing good. That would be another whole book. Well then so much for sabbatical. So, we went to Minnesota for a wedding and to spend a little time with family and friends. Then we just stayed out on the road, went to Cornerstone and through all this we began to spend monies designated for building home base. Well, Linda kept telling me, “It’s okay. God will provide when it’s time to build.” I said, “ouch” and began to spend even more of out lifetime savings to get our home base for ministry.
Then it was time to go back to Asheville for Halloween outreach to the Witches, Wicans, Pagans, etc. Well, this year we had many commitments. Last year our budget was $20,000. This year, well, lets just say, what do I say? The money did not come in. So, we paid for outreach out of our savings. We borrowed our home base money so we could follow through with ministry. Even if no one else kept their commitments. We had to. I want to thank the few local people there who did help. You were a blessing. But it just costs a lot to do these things and it just didn’t come in, even afterwards, like we had hoped. Then it was on to Columbia, another new outreach, a Thanksgiving outreach to the poor in Columbia, SC. This had been planned as a big event, with much preparation. Thank you Lord for Shannon. But the finances did not come in, again the local churches did not do what they said they would. So, here we were again and we should have canceled, for we did not have finances to do this. We borrowed again, Linda really felt it was God and that we should go and He would take care of building later. I knew God told us to go and stand, so I did. And He blessed me internally like I had never had happen before. It was incredible what He did in me. (I wrote about it in Thanksgiving story over internet.)
Well, then we were really out there financially. Then on Monday after outreach, people and materials started showing up to pour our foundation and slab for basement of our home base. God sent someone out of nowhere to help. This is another incredible story I don’t have time to write right now. You must send me your email addresses and I can send you all these stories as they happen. Anyway, we now had checks out and were many thousands of dollars that we owe and some bills from outreaches that still haven’t come in yet. I was stressed to max as I realized we now owe several thousand dollars and we have a few hundred. We have gas and some food but if the electric gets turned off…well, it gets cold in South Carolina. And we are two months behind in rent, and it is Christmas. With seven, oh yeah I almost forgot we had a baby this summer. And Beau had another major ear surgery. Now have 8 children at Christmas. With no money and too much to pay right now with nothing to pay it with. I realized this will take a miracle, for I can do nothing, except write and ask for help. But I don’t want to be one of those ministries who beg and plead for money, God. God already told me it was my pride that kept me from asking for help. So, I am asking. Help, please. We need your support, desperately. But then God told me the reason you don’t want to look like one of those ministries who are always asking for money is because of your judgement on them. Because of things you spoke out of your mouth about them, judging them as bad when they were My servants and you do not know everything. So, God please, please, please forgive me. For all I have said about other ministries and how they get their finances. It truly is none of my business.
Anyway, I am in van traveling and I turn around to this homeless man who showed up to help pour our foundation and is now living with us. And also by the way, one of the children believes he is an angel. Well, I know he was sent from God. Anyway, I began to share with him and Blake (another brother who volunteered to come help us). I told them of how our bus engine burned up one Christmas Eve, and us with all the children on the road. And I told God, I can’t go back out on the road with family, til I get a dependable piece of transportation, and I meant it. And how God walked me through the tearing up of our van every weekend, until I realized we need a new van too. And it was new, instead of junk. Then how we got a newer bus. Not new, but only because I was afraid to ask for new, I was afraid I couldn’t afford it. And I didn’t deserve it. Well, God taught me much about what I thought and how what I thought about me was all wrong, because it was really all about Him. Then how God provided the new van, then registration & insurance for first year then the first two payments. I mean this was good. I began to share many things over and over again of God’s faithfulness and how throughout the years He has always been found faithful and the things that stop me from receiving His blessings, are my limited ways of looking at myself and at God. And always, it is my thinking on how I can make things happen or fix it, or get it that stops God from moving on my behalf. I realized I really want God and His miracles, but yet I seem to always stop Him by my fears, doubts, unbelief. Which always leads me back to me taking care of it and well, playing God or not playing but trying to be God.
Then I reached over and picked up our Devotional Bible which has Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest, and read out loud what I had read privately earlier. It was how faith is not faith until it is tested. And as I read aloud again what God had started my day with, I realized, God had me right where He wanted me, between a rock and a hard place. Where I could not know or do anything to get out of my situation. It required God. And all it took from me was letting go and realizing this, that He was God and I wasn’t. And He could and would take care of everything. I had learned at Thanksgiving outreach not to depend on the church or any man for my provision. But God only.
Yesterday, once again as I ministered to a homeless man, I realized my situation has not changed at all. I am broke and hurting financially worse than ever. It is Christmas with a wife and 8 children and a homeless man to take care of.
But God has done something inside me that is so huge I am bursting at the seams with life and joy, my outside situation hasn’t changed, but my inside situation has. For Christmas, God gave me the gift of knowing I am not to depend on or trust in anyway, money to be my security, or my provider. God wants that job too. Make no mistake, men and the church will let you down too, but money will always let you down. No wonder He said “the love of money is the root of all evil.” So for Christmas, He gave me something money can’t buy. He gave me a Provider that I could truly trust for all my security. Do yourself a favor, go spend some time with a homeless man or someone poor for Christmas. If you can’t find one in your neighborhood, come see me. Or best yet, if you get on your knees you can probably find one in a manger. I love you God, and yes, I will write of all the many great things You have done for me. Glen
Faith's Favorite Parts of Christmas
“About the presents. Remember, I told you about the presents and… Angel the dog at our church. Remember. Well, those are 2 of my favorite parts and… Oh, and about we getting a present that’s 3 of my favorite parts. Oh yeah and about me having a wolf puppy… No, I don’t have one I’m just writing it down so I can get it on my birthday. And 1 more thing, I hope I get a teddy bear for my birthday. Yes, that’s all. Yes.”
Fishing at Thanksgiving
“When Michal and Caleb went fishing and Uncle Mike caught a small large mouth bass and he laughed and me and Caleb began to laugh when Uncle Mike caught the Large Mouth Bass and then he said “maybe I will throw it back” and then he threw it in the pond. And then I said “why did you throw it back?” and Uncle Mike said he threw it back into the pond because he said everyone would laugh at him because he caught the small mouth Bass.
That’s the end.” Michal
Christmas By: Ben
I remember when I got my little red bike w/ training wheels.
And when I learned to ride it without training wheels and I remember that after that Daddy got mad at Mommy because he wanted to take the training wheels off. And I remember when I used to like eggnog and when I had apple cider & rice pudding and the fruit pancakes that Daddy made. And I remember when I got my construction set..
O.K. now we’re going to Gatlinburg. I remember when we went to Gatlinburg and it was snowing and we drove up this really high mountain and after we made it to the top we stopped at the mall and went ice skating at the skating rink and Mommy and Faith and Michal got soft big pretzels and when they got back Beau fell down & hurt his head & I fell down and hurt my leg. And oh, yeah we had to go back out to the van to get Josh’s socks cause you couldn’t go skating without them. And then we went outside & we looked down at all the stuff and we saw a trolley and a plane. Then we went back down the mountain when it started to rain. And we were about to go into the noahs ark Christmas thing but it was closed and it was cold, very cold. So, I don’t remember anything else. And one more thing what I’ve always wanted, well not always wanted, for my birthday is a banjo.
Christmas By: Jessica
Last year (2001) we were in Asheville NC ‘til Christmas Eve. We were there almost all year. We went Christmas shopping and decerated the bus with a little tree and Christmas lights and evergreen branches and hung Christmas lights on the roof! Then wrapped our presents, then we went to FL to go to my Grandmas house. Our whole family is there on Christmas Eve. We have a Christmas Dinner & open presents, we give Jesus our presents and we read the Christmas story, then go outside. Us girls; Hope, Haley, Carley & Cami and me & my sisters; Michal & Faith and everybody else sing Christmas Carols. Then we go inside then and get ready to leave. We (my familey) got in our bus and drove two hours to my other Grandparents on my Mothers side. When we got there my Grandma & Grandpa were awake waiting for us. They had wrapping paper and bows in a box as big as me! The Christmas tree was really pretty. My Mom, Dad & Daniele stayed awake and Daniele went to bed about three hours later. Mommy & Daddy stayed up all night and morning & they were awake when we got up. We take turns opening presents one at a time it took hours but it was fun. The best part was not just the presents but being with familly celibrating Christmas together. We stayed until New Years and had a good time. And I know that this will always be a good memory to me. Being with family and celabrating Jesus Birthday.
Written by Jessica.
*The spelling is a Jess trademark.
Joshuas Thanksgiving
One of my Thanksgiving memories was when we went to His Laboring Few Biker Ministries in High Point North Carolina to do Thanksgiving Dinner and our bus broke down and so we were there for awhile. But we got to play in the leaves, we raked up a whole lot of leaves & made a leaf town. That was fun. And a few days later the weatherman said it would snow 1 foot! And we, being from Florida, don’t get to see snow much so, we were excited!
But it didn’t even snow flurries so the next day the weatherman came out with a paper bag on his head. Josh
I am not satisfied with the outcome of this paragraph but I am not a writer.
Beau's Family Christmas
One of my favorite memories is when we were at our house & it was near Christmas time and I woke up and Daddy was starting a fire and my Mom had to go somewhere. So, my Dad made some homemade fruit pancakes & then we went to Mammamas house for the Christmas Eve. And the next morning we did not open our presents, we went to Aunt Jennifer’s house and ate breakfast there and played awhile & then we went back & opened our presents. And Grandmama & Granddady came & watched us open our presents. And I’m thankful that I have a family to share it all with.
Beau
One, Real & Good
I’m not sure who I’m writing this to. Honestly, I’ve been going through some hard places. I know that hard things are good for me but that doesn’t make me want to go thru them. I am human. (Laugh) my perfectionist has had to learn that the hard way. In other words I’ve proven to myself especially in this past years time my humanness; created by God but “born to trouble as the sparks fly upward” saved and made alive only by grace. Thank God for His love and grace and reality that keeps me alive. I was gonna write about Thanksgiving & Christmas memories being in the ministry (since my life has been made a ministry, that should simplify it right?) but memories aren’t always good..
So, I go on a search for memories, as with most of my searches I find more than what I thought I was looking for. When digging I don’t just find what I want, I find all that’s buried. Now, the flood… Last year Thanksgiving was a different thing, I was at a different place. We spent it at my Grandparents in Georgia a “Normal Family Thanksgiving” that’s rare but it was alright.
But that’s not what I’m looking for. There it is, that tingly feeling that is a good memory - a real memory. Until last year we’ve spent many Thanksgivings in High Point, NC doing ministry and feeding hungry, lonely, people with His Laboring Few a biker ministry that is family to us. We spent real Thanksgiving there, with real family. Isn’t it cool how God makes family for us? Especially if there is a lack or a separation from our family here on earth. God has given me sisters and brothers and Uncles and Aunts and all, who were and are what I needed when I needed them very much. He’s now teaching me again that it has little to do with the people – nothing here on earth really has anything to do with us you know… We’re just players in a plan, or pieces in a puzzle. That’s very humbling. Knowing and wanting to get to a place were you know that everything “you” do is nothing, but for God. Every person who was or is anything in my life good or bad is only there because God let them be to teach me something or to be something for me that He knows I need. I am only what God has planned for me. Anything (good) I do or am for someone else is only by the hand of God. And the places I’ve “missed it”…. He knows…He knew before time began. It can make me feel very small but when I’m small, He can hold me. When I see that I am nothing there is all the room for Him to fill. Am I making sense? It is a beautiful thing I’m being shown. He is beautiful. Well, that wasn’t were I thought I was going but it’s good. God knows.
Christmas… is good. I love to give and… does anyone else think Christmas Carols are beautiful? Pure worship. As always music can reach places that we can’t go otherwise. God is so perfect, He teaches us thru life if we let Him. Do we realize how much we are given? He gives us every opportunity if I can just look beyond my all consuming self and keep that view. As long as Georgia’s on my mind… we spent a Christmas in Atlanta way back when I was Joshua’s age we went to this big warehouse called Blood n’ Fire on Christmas day, in the morning we all divided into groups and went down to the projects with bags of groceries, knocked on doors and gave them out, I guess I could’ve been scared at my age, but I wasn’t it was good…it has that tingly feeling of goodness…realness. That I now know comes from God and from giving (of yourself) to others/to God. I have so many strong Christmas memories…so many places, again, so many people. Memories aren’t such a hard thing after all I guess. Precious because of the people that God surrounds me with and what He‘ll show me thru them if I‘ll see. It’s worth the search even if it’s bittersweet to find that goodness. God is good in all His ways, I thank Him for my life and every memory in it that He put there. Thank you God for the life you’ve given me that brings me to the places you want me. Keep taking me.
All honor and love to the one, only real & good, God. Daniele
....and I am blessed
Oh, where do I start? Glen asked me to write my part of the Christmas Newsletter and I have too much in my heart to communicate it all.
This year has been so much of everything I mean the intensity of everything. I don’t know if it’s because I’m getting older if it’s just the season we’re going through. There have been days when I would cry for no reason. Question everything. Wonder if things would ever change. Wonder when things would stop changing or if our lives were ever going to be “normal”. Then I would pray that they never would be because I don’t know what that would be like.
God has blessed us so much. I’m flooded with memories when I try to think of the “favorite” Thanksgiving or Christmas. What’s amazing to me is that even the memories that are the “worst” things, all have turned out to be the best things. Blessings! The way God does it! Because He loves us! Grace! Mercy! Forgiveness! Life! More abundant! Thank you Jesus! Do you know that there’s not a day that goes by that He doesn’t send someone or something in my path to encourage me or lift me up?
I’m not even able to go over the whole year because it’s just too much! God is so good!
I really want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. You are incredibly tuned into the spirit and obedient in your serving Him. Our lives are different because of you! I don’t think I can express enough what it has meant to me to know you all are there. Praying for us, loving us.
The last few months have been a little tougher than usual. I’ve been through all the “worst case scenario” thoughts – everything from “what if something happens to Glen? What if something happens to one of the children? What about Beaus ears, they’re not healed, we have to start planning his “last” major surgery in a couple of months, how am I going to deal with everything?” Then one of the children get my attention with a comment like Faith, our 3 year old saying, “I think Grace is glad I’m her big sister. See, she’s smiling.” I see her heart and I’m blessed. Or Michal, our 6 year old, letting me know that she “likes being a servant.” after she has helped make everyone’s plate for breakfast. I see her heart and I’m blessed. Or Benjamin our 9 year old giving me a picture he has drawn of Jesus with a crown of thorns on his head and He’s weeping and you can see the pain in His face. I see his heart and I am blessed. Or Jessica our 11 year old– making & serving us lunch at the “P” café where everything on the menu started with a P – Pumpkin pie, pudding, and peanut butter sandwiches & pizza. I see her heart and I am blessed. Or Joshua, our 12 year old, coming to me, out of the blue and apologizing for not behaving like he should. I see his heart and I am blessed. Or Beau, our 15 year old, sitting down at the keyboard and playing some beautiful, soothing, melody after I’ve been so stressed out during the day. I see his heart and I am blessed. Or Daniele, our 20 year old, pouring out her heart into a new song she has written. I see her heart and I am blessed. Or one of you, sending me a note or an email, I see your heart and I am blessed.
I don’t deserve all these blessings! But, you know what? The God I serve is not fair. He doesn’t give me what I deserve. Instead He gives me grace, mercy and love. I see His heart and I am blessed… I love you all, Linda
JUST ASK >>> We sent an email out letting everyone know we were doing a short Christmas tour to raise funds. We are still in need of the financial support if any of you feel led to take a love offering at your church now, we would be very blessed. If you could, send it to the South Carolina address below. Anyone wanting to schedule something in 2003, please call or email Linda to find out when we will be in your area. Thank you for your obedience.
God bless you abundantly!
Glen Clark Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 49701 (813)299-9629
Greenwood, SC 29649 glenclarkmin@aol.com
Glen Clark Ministries &
Jesus Village Flying Circus Dinner Theater and Fish Camp
(Where we take our fishing seriously)
813-754-1466
glenclarkmin@aol.com
jesusvillageashe@aol.com
po box 49701
Greenwood,SC 29649