The Potters Vision

MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2007
The Potters Vision
Isaiah 64:8 (NIV)
"Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter;we are all the work of your hand."
When the potter looks at the clay He has a vision of what His skilled hands will create. With love and joy he shapes the clay forming it into the image he has planned for it. God is the Potter we are the Clay. God has a plan for you. He is with you in your trials and walks with you in the fire. He longs to use these things to form you into the image of His son Jesus Christ.
I wanted to look more closely at how the image of the potter is an image of the spiritual life. So I did some research.
Interestingly enough,clay begins as Mud. For wheel thrown pottery the clay cannot be worked until it is pugged. This is when the clay master takes his raw materials and prepares them with a process by which it becomes thoroughly blended and almost all the air is forced out of the clay.( This can symbolize a purification from pride)
Next, with water and sponge, and using the action of His spinning wheel the master patiently shapes the clay. And as the clay surrenders to the plan the master has for it, its beauty and form begins to take shape.
In preparation to be “fired” the pottery is set on a shelf (left alone) to dry for several days. (In our suffering we often feel alone but God is using this time to prepare us. Remember the potter is watching, He has a plan, we are not alone.)
It is then placed in the fired up Kiln. The initial firing removes impurities that would cause the pot to break or return to mud in the glazing process. (God wants to purify us of anything that will keep us from fully receiving His love and He wants to make us strong )
As part of the glazing process the pot needs to be returned to the kiln for a second firing.It is important to note that before it is returned to the kiln for a second firing the bottom of the pot is placed in a pan of paraffin otherwise the glaze would adhere to the bottom and the pot would become a permanent part of the Kin shelf. (We belong to Him(our Lord) not the Fire. )
This all reminds me that in our trials we often forget we are children of God. God, like the potter looks at us and sees a beautiful work in progress. As we submit ourselves to His handiwork the image of a lump of clay diminishes and with the help of a purifying fire The Potters vision becomes a reality and a testimony of the great things that God can do with a soul who trusts in Him. So in your difficulties remember what I said when I began this piece.
When the potter looks as the clay He has a vision of what His skilled hands will create. With love and joy he shapes the clay forming it into this image he has planned for it. God is the Potter we are the Clay. God has a plan for you. He is with you in your trials and walks with you in the fire.(Daniel 3:25,John 19) He longs to use these things to form you into the image of His son Jesus Christ
Come Holy Spirit. Spirit of Fire and Love help us submit to God’s handiwork. Amen.
The Potters Vision, by Jdandrow Spirit Bytes

A Little "Byte" Funny or a Little Funny "Byte"

Children's Notes to God taken from http://www.basicjokes.com/djoke.php?id=412
A nun asked her class to write notes to God. Here are some of the notes the children handed in:
Dear God: I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool.
Dear God: Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't You just keep the ones You have?
Dear God: Maybe Cain and Abel would not have killed each other so much if they had their own rooms. That's what my Mom did for me and my brother.
Dear God: If You watch me in church on Sunday, I'll show You my new shoes.
Dear God: I bet it is very hard for You to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I'm having a hard time loving all of them.
Dear God: In school they told us what You do. Who does it when You're on vacation?
Dear God: Are You really invisible or is it just a trick?
Dear God: Did You mean for the Giraffe to look like that or was it an accident?
Dear God: Who draws the lines around the countries?
Dear God: I went to this wedding and they kissed right in the church. Is that okay?
Dear God: Did You really mean "do unto others as they do unto you"? Because if You did, then I'm going to get my brother good.
Dear God: Thank You for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy.
Dear God: Please send me a pony. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up.
Dear God: I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big, but not with so much hair all over.
Dear God: You don't have to worry about me; I always look both ways.
Hope this started your day with a smile. Have a great Day. Mrs. TLF

First Peter

1 Peter
Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.
Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, and strengthen you.
To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The enemy is always telling us that we are alone in our suffering. God tells us we are not alone("...knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world" 1 Peter). We must resist the prince of lies with the Word of Truth. The Word of God that tells us Christ will restore us, establish and strenghthen us. Cast all our cares upon him, for he cares for us.
St Peter Pray for Us.

The Quest

John 10: 11 - 16
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
13 He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me,
15 as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
16 And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd.

To be known and to know. It seems as if that is everyone's quest these days. We watch daily as people in the media seeking after this quest destroy themselves and the lives of the people around them. The voice of the media with it's materialistic message of fame and fortune gets louder and louder and like sheep being led to the slaughter we witness our society heeding it's call and falling from grace.
But not all are of that fold. There are people like Mother Theresa and John Paul II who also saught to know and to be known, but by God , not the world.
We are all known and loved by God. It is said that to know Him is to love Him and to know the truth about Him and ourselves sets us free. We pray for the grace, we need to listen to His voice and to answer His call. Jesus had a quest, to lay down His life for us. What is your quest?
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. jdandrow@cox.net

John 3
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.'
The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."


In the midst of the violence we witness in the news today I hear the call that we need to call on the Holy Spirit with great resolve and fervor, inviting Him to manifest the fullness of His power in our hearts in a way that will truely change us and our world. Let us pray for the victums of violence that our Lord would comfort them and help them in their sufferings. Dear God please help them and save our country. Do not let them become overcome by evil but may their sorrow lead them to know the power of Jesus, the power of His resurrection and the power of His great Love for them. Come Holy Spirit.
Amen

Divine Mercy

"Those who sincerely say ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears."
"There is nothing more man needs than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights to the holiness of God."
—John Paul II Shrine of Divine Mercy in Cracow, Poland on June 7, 1997

http://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/johnpaul/quotes.php

"Woman, why are you weeping?"

John 20:
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”
Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher).
Mary was weeping so hard that she could not see/recognize Jesus when he was right there standing with her.
Dear Jesus in moments of defeat and sorrow help us to hear your voice calling our names, strengthening us to follow your call.

Forgiveness

Forgiving the Unforgivable
(taken from the book "Rachel's Tears" pg. xxii The spiritual Journey of Columbine Martyer Rachel Scott by Beth Nimmo and Darrell Scott)

"Our understanding of God's heart left us only one choice, the decision to forgive. It was the choice of Jesus as He hung on a cross dying. ....Forgiveness is not just for the offender. It is also for the one who is offended. If we do not forgive, we end up in perpetual anger and bitterness and eventulally offend others with our words or actions. If we forgive, we experience a "letting go" or cleansing process that frees us from the offender. ..If we forgive we experience a "letting go" or cleansing process that frees us from the offender... God wants us to over come Evil with Good. ..Such a thing is beyond human ability, but it is possible when we acknowledge our weakness and submit to God's grace. ...- Darrell Scott and Beth Nimmo Parents of Rachel, Martyr at Columbine

THE FIFTH SORROWFUL MYSTERY –THE CRUCIFIXTION

In this Mystery, with Mary we gaze upon Jesus crucified for us.
With Mary, Let us " look upon on Him whom they have pierced” (Jn 19:37).
In prayer, Let us enter into the pierced heart of Jesus overflowing with love for us.
Jesus with wounded hearts, we gaze upon your broken body. We trust you with our broken spirits, our broken dreams, our sickness, our sinfulness and all that needs healing. With trust, and thanksgiving we offer ourselves and our loved ones to you. Let our prayers, joined with Mary’s prayer, grant us the graces to fully receive your healing love and forgiveness offered to us in this saving act of redemption. Help us to forgive ourselves. Help us to forgive one another. Written and Prepared by J.Dandrow for Mary’s Prayer, March 11, 07 for the Oratory of Jesus

A Byte (or two ) of Laughter

Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, 'Where have I gone wrong?'
Then a voice says to me, 'This is going to take more than one night.'." Charlie Brown.

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me." Emo Philips.

Reconciliation

In the garden of G. Jesus saw all the sins of the world, yours and mine included and his pain was intensified as He was abandoned by his followers. We see Jesus abandoned today in the elderly and the poor, in our schools and families, in the unborn who often have no one to defend them . . . This Holy week as the Church invites us to enter into the passion of Christ with our lives, we have the opportunity to comfort Jesus in his agony by reaching out in a special way to those who are abandoned. We can find Christ in the sick and in the poor, in family members that need our attention. . . We can find Christ in the Sacrament of Confession.
Even if it as simple as going to Confession (Reconciliation) for the first time in months or years, this small but great act will console our Lord and heal our souls.  I love how the Church invites us to Come to Him and receive the sacrament of mercy and healing where we can reconcile ourselves with the one who gave His live for us and with who in the course of our busy lives we may have forgotten, neglected or abandoned. Thank you Jesus for your Mercy and Love shown to us in the sacrament of confession.
Jesus said . . .

Matthew 11:28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.