The Journey to Porcelain

By Jarrod Spencer –

When I was studying art in college, I had to take a pottery class. It was a medium of art I had never had the privilege of working with. To say the least, it was difficult. I improved my skills throughout the semester, but did not come close to “having a handle” on this art form.

I remember being a bit frustrated when I would go to “paint” my pots and not know what colors were going to appear. Some colors will appear a different color as when they go through the extreme heat of the kiln.

Mildred White Struven shares this thought: “A clay pot sitting in the sun will always be a clay pot. It has to go though the white heat of the furnace to become porcelain.”

As life hands each one of us our fair share of challenges, we may forget what we can become by going through the heat, because of those challenges. Sometimes life can be tough and cause us to experience heat like that from the sun. And our goal is never to come out on the other side so hard that we are no longer flexible. Still, in order for us to be molded and reshaped, we are required to go through the deep heat of the furnace.

It is only through the heat in the furnace that the clay can become porcelain.

PRAYER: Father, may I always be moldable, never becoming so hard that You cannot work with me.

“Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8 NIV).

Faith, Family and Freedom

By Judy Davis –

I noticed once again how beautiful our country is as our family traveled on vacation. We passed through the rugged mountains of Tennessee, the blue grass of Kentucky, and the amber waves of grain in Indiana.

While visiting Ruby Falls, in Lookout Mountain Tennessee, a lady leaned over my shoulder and whispered, “How can anyone see this and not believe there is a God?” My granddaughter softly spoke pointing to her chest, “God is real and He lives right here in my heart.” The lady laughed and said, “You are so right my child, don’t ever lose the child that is in you.”

Later, I thought of the lady and her words realizing it’s not that we don’t believe there’s a God, but do we know Him? How can we know Him if we don’t read His Word? If we begin each day reading our Bible with a joyful attitude, it can break bondages of despair.

America seems to have forgotten the Bible but our founding fathers knew the value of the Bible as the foundation of morality. George Washington said, “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” Abraham Lincoln said, “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man.” Patrick Henry said, “The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed.”

Years ago our former president Bill Clinton spoke the following at the state of the union address. “Let’s be honest. Our problems go way beyond the reach of any government program. They are rooted in the loss of values, the disappearance of work, and the breakdown of our families and communities. We cannot renew our country when, within a decade, more than half of our children will be born into families where there is no marriage.”

Look at our nation today and this is exactly what has happened. Our leaders need to wake up and move forward ruling under the admonition of the Lord. America is beautiful, but has many problems. What can we do? We can start where we are by taking it back to basics, back to truth, back to honor, back to character, back to integrity, back to morality, back to work ethics, and back to the Bible.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Oooo, Ahhhh

By Cheri Cowell –

I love fireworks! One Fourth of July I had the privilege of viewing them from the bow of a boat anchored in the river. With each burst of color the water surrounding me reflected the beauty that filled the sky. As I watched the dazzling show above and around me I became as a little child, filled with awe and emotion. I beamed from ear to ear, and spontaneously commented with each boom on the majesty displayed in the sky.

On the return home after the fireworks I thought about how glorious it will be when Christ comes again to take His throne. It will be more glorious than any fireworks show can ever be, and my heart will soar more than it ever could while viewing anything man-made. For such a time as this we were created: to fall in adoration at the spectacle of our Lord taking His rightful place as the sovereign power ruling over all the earth. Won’t that be a magnificent day?

Some scholars believe Daniel’s visions prophesy the fall of the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Still others label this as a second coming prophesy. Either way, the clear message is that God (the Ancient of Days) sits on the throne, overseeing a judgment (court) with books that detail the sins of those who oppose Him. At His will, He will destroy these men and women with their own boastfulness. Then the Son of Man (Jesus Christ) will take His place as ruler over all. All the people, of every tribe and nation, will worship our Lord forever! Won’t that be a magnificent day?

PRAYER: Dear God, penetrate me deeply today with the vision and reality of Your great return. Help me prepare for Your second and final coming. To You be the glory, forever and ever.

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14 NIV).

A Grrrr-eat Attitude

By Rosemary Flaaten –

Imagine if the only things you had today were those which you were grateful for yesterday.

If this were to become a reality in my life, what would I have left today? Would I have a house, car, a bureau full of clothes? Would I still have my husband and three children? Would any of my friends remain? Would I even be able to stand or would I be a shrivelled-up hollow of a woman because I had not been grateful for my health? Would I have a relationship with Jesus, my Savior or have taken that for granted as well?

Thankfully this was just a posting on Facebook and not a reality I need to worry about, but it does cause reason for pause. I go about each day interacting with people and accomplishing the tasks before me. But how often do I include a thankful spirit or an expression of gratitude in my daily routine? Has gratitude become a way of life or just an occasional blimp when something extraordinary occurs?

Scripture abounds with both examples and admonishment to be thankful for everything. Gratitude is to overflow from us. Overflow—that would be the antithesis of the dribble that comes from my heart.

Gratitude is a grrrr-eat attitude. Its choosing to see the blessing in the little things and the extraordinary. It’s expressing thankfulness for the easy and the hard. Its relishing the time we have with people rather than taking them for granted. Its accepting others for who they are, instead of wishing them to be different. Gratitude changes our inward perspective to one that is other-focused, forgiving and kind.

Choose to live today as if this Facebook posting were the gospel truth. Start each day with gratitude. Look for people and events to be thankful for at every turn in the day. End the day with whispers of appreciation for all that has transpired. Watch how it changes your heart and ultimately your world.

PRAYER: Thank You for life, love and opportunity. Thank You for strength and health. Thank You for each hardship and challenge. Thank You for each blessing. Thank You for You.

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (I Thessalonians 5:16 – 18 NIV).

Fan into Flames

By Jennifer Slattery –

When we lived in Southern California, a massive fire ravished the San Gabriel Mountains, destroying 1,000 homes and forcing many to evacuate. Rumor had it the fire was started by a cigarette casually flicked. Others said the fire was started by an arsonist. Regardless the source, the initial spark turned exponential until it devoured 90,000 acres, becoming the largest fire San Bernardino County had ever seen.

Fire is a powerful thing. When fed, it grows to unquenchable proportions, its heat radiating for miles. We’ve all heard stories of raging forest fires started by a single match. I’m sure we’ve also all experienced the frustration of trying to set kindling ablaze.

I’ve been on a handful camping trips, and try as I might, I can barely ignite a few measly twigs. I’ll use matches, gasoline and crumpled paper. I’ll blow and fan the air. I’ve tried leaves and straw, which initially catches only to smolder into a puff of black smoke. What’s the difference between my efforts and the 2004 forest fire that raged through Southern California?

Both started with a spark, yet one grew while the other dwindled. The difference, I believe, is the forest was ripe, ready to combust. We’d had little water and intense heat, so it didn’t take much to set the trees ablaze. Then came the wind, fueling the flames with a steady supply of oxygen until the entire forest blazed.

This image came to mind when I read 2 Timothy 1:6. “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (NIV).

Paul tells Timothy to “fan into flames” the spiritual gift God gave him.

In essence, Paul was saying, “Lay it all on the line, Timothy. Don’t let anything hold you back from full surrender. When others pull away, step up. Burn like a wildfire!”

Note, he wrote this letter to Timothy, a man Paul loved like a son, from a prison cell. During a time of extreme persecution, when many might’ve been tempted to slip into hiding, Paul told Timothy to step it up.

I believe God is calling us to do the same. If we’ve accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we’ve got the spark of the Holy Spirit burning within us. But our heart is much like the trees in a forest. We share the same flame, but some trees are more combustible than others. Some are doused in flame-retardants—sin, distractions, and all those temporary fillers that steal our time and dull our hearts—others are ready to ignite.

What’s your heart like? Is it prepared to be set on fire or have you allowed it to smolder? If the latter is true, will you fan your heart and your gifts into flames?

Each time we draw near to God, each time we dig into His Word and spend time in heart-felt prayer, each time we use the gifts He gives to serve others, our flame grows. Every time we squelch our flame with sin, selfishness, and those temporary fillers that distract us from our true need, our tiny flame smolders.

The match is lit. Let it burn, my friend!

Let’s talk about this.

I’d love to hear from you. What do you think it means to fan our spiritual gifts into flames? What are some practical steps we can take to ignite our passion for Christ? What can threaten to “douse” our passion?

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