the Father's Hand

Let the Father's hand land heavy on me as I go through this season to shape me. Let His hands in the messiness of my life - in the brokenness - to make the wholeness of a vessel to be poured out for Him.

This was something I wrote after watching a teacher throw a clay pot and tell the story of the Potter's Process. I cried the whole time, cause I saw myself as that lump of clay.

The past few months of been intense for me and I have had to let the Father into the messiness and brokenness of my past and present. It has been a time of truly forgiving others, the easy part and a time of forgiving myself, the hard part. It has been a time of healing and wholeness. A time of freedom. He is not done yet and at times i feel as though He is still trying to center me so He can began the task of shaping me into the beautiful vessel He wants me to be.

All because He loves me.

the Potter's Process

1. He has a plan and He alone knows what He will give you the capacity to hold.

God's plan.

2. He prepares the clay by working out all the air pockets. If He does not work them all out you will explode in the heat of the firing.

God's grace.

3. He puts the lump of clay on the wheel and has to center it. His hands on the clay holding on applying pressure to center it.

God's presence.

4. He begins to open the clay.

God's emptying.

5. Once the clay is open He can start to form and shape it into a new vessel.

God's forming.

6. The first firing and most important, cause if there is still junk in it it will explode.

God's testing.

7. The second firing and the hottest firing where the process is completed. Now it can be used.

God's glory.

A beautiful mosaic?

"The Spirit said, "All the broken pieces of your life are nothing more than the beautiful mosaic of your future."
So, I shared my simile of our lives as clay tablets; works of art that we're improving upon daily. We each paint our own tablet. While some of our tablets are bright and beautiful, full of color and life, others are drab, with only beige and brown paint signifying an unfilled life. More important though is what happens once your precious clay tablet slips from your fingers one day and falls to pieces at your feet. No matter the color of your tablet, once it's shattered you will bow your knee to inspect the damage. Bowing down to the broken pieces of your life is an automatic reaction. One person bows down and picks up the pieces. Then, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he redesigns his picture, pasting the pieces to create a new mosaic. Because, "all the broken pieces of your life are nothing more than the beautiful mosaic of your future." Another person knells down among his destruction. He too collects the pieces, but then he sits in it - defeated. It cuts him and he bleeds. Every time you pass by, you see him still sitting there among the fragments of his life, bleeding. He cherishes his pain and bitterness flows from it. --Retha Mc Pherson a message from God

Something to think about!

Psalm 143

A Psalm of David.

Hear my prayer, O LORD,

Give ear to my supplications!

Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your

righteousness!

And do not enter into judgement with

Your servant,

For in Your sight no man living is

righteous.

For the enemy has persecuted my

soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has mad me dwell in dark places,

like those who have long been dead.

Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed

within me;

I remember the day of old;

I meditate on the work of Your Hands.

I stretch out my hands to You;

My soul longs for You, as a parched

land.

Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit

fails;

Do not hide Your face from me,

Or I will become like those who go

down to the pit.

Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the

morning;

Teach me the way in which I should

walk;

For to You I lift up my soul.

Deliver me, O LORD, form my

enemies;

I take refuge in You.

Teach me to do Your will,

For you are my God;

Let Your good Spirit lead me on level

ground.

For the sake of Your name, O LORD,

revive me.

In Your righteousness bring my soul out

of trouble.

And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my

enemies

And destroy all those who afflict my

soul,

For I am Your servant.

This has been a Psalm that I have prayed for the last few months. It has been the prayer I have cried out to God with and I have found peace and comfort in it.

Every Can Counts!

Every Can Counts!

My nephew, Ty, watched a program about orphans in Africa. He decided to start collecting cans and recycle them to help feed the orphans.

He told me about his plan and I decided to help him. One day we put on our rubber gloves and took off on the quad with black trash bag in hand to collect cans. Our first stop was my cousin's house that is being built. We collected quiet a few cans and then took off for the ditches. Ty was ditch hopping and i was driving the quad. He would throw the cans up and I would empty them and smash them and put them in the bag. Team work!! He grabbed a real muddy dirty nasty can and I told him not to get that one. He told me with all seriousness, "NO, Aunt Kathy, Every can counts!" Man o man did that ever hit me hard. So, because he was right we collected a bucket full of muddy dirty nasty cans along with a half bag of other cans not so dirty. Mostly beer cans. I love that. I thought a lot about what he said. I even had a conversation with a dear friend about "every can counts".

What if we really lived each day like every can counted? Really think about that question!

Could we end poverty?

I think we could end poverty if we lived each day like every can counted. I think no person would ever go hungry.

I know we will always have the poor with us, cause Jesus tell us we will, but they do not have to go hungry.

I can not pass a can with out picking it up. I have even done some trash can diving and ditch diving. The enemy tried to stop me by speaking to my pride and saying what will people think of you, but I remember why and who I am picking up the cans. I pushed my pride aside and continued to dig in the trash, cause "Every Can Counts Aunt Kathy!"

What else might end if we lived like every can counted?

Think about it and let me know.

Free to Dance GRACE

Free to dance

my dance.

GRACE

He extends His hand to me.

Will I take it inspite of my fear?

GRACE

He longs to lead me in the dance of life.

Will I let Him lead inspite of my insecurity?

GRACE

He whispers cease striving and know I am God.

Will I cease to strive?

GRACE

Inspite of all my fears, insecurities, and striving

I let go

I take His hand

I let Him lead

I cease striving.

GRACE

He looks into my eyes

holds my gaze

smiles

and my heart melts.

I relax

I breathe

I enjoy

I am free

I dance!

GRACE

The Tree of Life

I am the Tree of Life. I stand in the middle of the Garden, where the "rivers of the water of life run." (Rev. 22:1)

I am the Tree of Life. I was not the tallest of trees, nor the leafiest and there was noting attractive about me. In fact I was just "a tender shoot and like a root out of dry ground." (Isaiah 53:2)

I am the Tree of Life. The only fruit I had to offer was the fruit of love & joy, peace & patience, kindness & goodness, faithfulness & gentleness, and self-control. Often I am passed by without even a second look or thought.

I am the Tree of Life. I saw it coming the fall and with the fall curses and death.

I am the Tree of Life. So, I waited and watched and began to grow and deepen my roots. Seasons came and went. Sometimes I got excited cause great Kings would rule, but they too would fall.

I am the Tree of Life. Finally, the day came and I could hear them off in the distance and I knew they were coming for me.

I am the Tree of Life. They stripped me of my bark and leaves. They cut my limbs, they busied my fruit and I stood tall with my roots deeply grounded.

I am the Tree of Life. When they were done I stood there. Sap poured out everywhere covering the ground. I stood there and for a moment darkness covered the earth and the ground shook and I knew, It is finished.

I am the Tree of Life. Anyone who hungers and will come after me will have life eternal.

I am the Tree of Life. I stand on the banks of the river of life where the water flows crystal clear. I now produce twelve kinds of fruit ripe each month. My leaves are for the healing of the nations. Never again will anything be cursed. (Rev. 22:1-2)

This is my first creative writing for a class I am taking called the God Story. We had to read Genesis 1-3 and pick a character and write from their perspective.

Missed It!!

Matthew 6:41-42
"If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

I often ask God to show me those in need. I ask Him for eyes to see. I ask Him to show me Isaiah 58 here in the states. Daily I ask these things!!

Well the other night I passed a homeless man who I said hi to and he asked me for "one dollar." I opened my wallet and all i had was a five. I told him I was sorry that I did not have "one dollar" and walked off.

Early the next morning I woke up thinking about what had happened. I was reminded of the above scripture and was convicted. Why didn't I give him the five? All I could do was admit I missed it and ask forgiveness.

Hopefully I will not miss the opportunity to give more than is asked of me from a stranger or a friend, whether out of abundance or out of need!!