"Hath not the Potter power over clay?"

The Potter and the Clay

Spiritual Story by Unknown

The story is told of a couple who went to England to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and shopped at a beautiful antique store. They both liked antiques and pottery,and especially tea-cups,and so spotting an exceptional cup,they asked "May we see that? We've never seen a cup quite so beautiful."
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea-cup spoke... "You don't understand." It said, "I have not always been a tea-cup. There was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, Don't do that. I don't like it! "Let me alone," but he only smiled, and gently said; "Not yet!!" "Then, WHAM! I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. "Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to be sick!" I screamed.
But the master only nodded and said, quietly; 'Not yet.'

He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit himself and then...he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and knocked and pounded at the door.
"Help! Get me out of here!" 'Not yet.' When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool.
Oh, that felt so good! "Ah, this is much better," I thought. But, after I cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible.. "Oh, please, Stop it! Stop it!" I cried. He only shook his head and said. "Not yet..."
Then suddenly he put me back into the oven. Only it was not like the first time. This time it was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate. I begged... I pleaded... I screamed...I cried... I was convinced I would never make it. I was ready to give up and just then the door opened and he took me out and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited, wondering "What's he going to do to me next?"
An hour later he handed me a mirror and said "Look at yourself."
And I did... I said, "That's not me, that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!"

Quietly he spoke: "I want you to remember, then," he said, "I know it hurt to be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled.
"I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had any color in your life.
"And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have survived for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you."

I thought this cup was so cute!!...so I added it.:-)

Romans 9: 20 - 22 --- "Nay, but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to it that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?"

"Hath no the Potter power over the clay?......"

Sometimes I forget (not forget, but choose to overlook) that I'm the clay and Christ the Potter. I want things done my way, or I don't want to be in this circumstance, yet who am I to tell the Potter how it should be done? 

I found this little story, and thought it would go great with these verses. Plus, it says it better than I probably could. 

By -  Ashlyn Elaine

Ladies Retreat

This was the theme for the retreat

    Sunday night through Monday, our church, joined with a couple other churches had a ladies retreat. It was great to see the twenty ladies that came, and just the great time we had together; Learning some new crafts together, good fellowship, wonderful sessions and an awesome game time (it was hilarious watching each one intently focusing at the egg on their spoon, lest they drop it, or watching the pairs hobbling along in the three legged race.:-). Emily and I will Never forget that three legged race......for certain reasons:-) It didn't help that I was laughing so hard, because I am sure we looked hilarious.:-)     

   As you can see, the theme for all the sessions was "Faith is the Victory"; Each session I learned not just one thing, but many things, and I hope I don't stop at just learning these things but applying them to my life. 

  I could say tons more but I'll stop there, and let you look at the fun pics I put up, because, as you know, I love pictures.:-)

By - Ashlyn Elaine          

Ladies from Zion Road Baptist church singing a special

yet another 3 Mksketeers picture
 (I purposely did not stand on the tree stump with them, so I could , just once, be the shortest one in a picture.:-) It doesn't happen often:-)

yep, we're crazy.:-)

.....and on to the exciting games!

carrying water to fill the soda bottle

walking back to our rooms

all the bottles we made as flower vases

Lighthouse baptist Church ladies singing a special

and here is the youngest lady at the retreat...I assure you she got plenty of attention.:-)

What am I Doing?

"QUERULUS wastes much of his precious time in disclaiming against the management of public affairs; though he has neither access to the spring which move the wheels of government, nor influence either to accelerate or retard their motions. Our national concerns are no more affected by the remonstrances of Querulus, then the heavenly bodies are by the disputes of astronomers. While the newspapers are the chief sources of his intelligence, and his situation precludes him from being a competent judge either of matters of facts, or matters of right, why should Querulus trouble himself with politics? This would be a weakness, if we consider him only as a member of society; but if we consider him as a Christian, it is worse than weakness: it is sinful conformity to the men of the world, who look no farther than to second causes, and forget that the LORD REIGNS. If a Christian be placed in a public sphere of action, he should undoubtedly be faithful to his calling, and endeavor by all lawful methods to transmit our privileges to posterity: but it would be better for Querulus to let the dead bury the dead. There are people enough to make a noise about political matters, who know not how to employ their time to better purpose. Our Lord's kingdom is not of this world; and most of his people may do their country much more essential service by pleading for it in prayer, than by finding fault with things which they have no power to alter. If Querulus had opportunity of spending a few months under some of the governments upon the continent (I may indeed say under any of them), he would probably bring home with him more grateful sense of the Lord's goodness to him, in appointing his lot in Britain. As it is, his zeal is not only unprofitable to others, but hurtful to himself. It embitters his spirit, it diverts his thoughts from things of greater importance, and prevents him from feeling the value of those blessings, civil and religious, which he actually possesses: and could he (as he wishes) prevail on many to act in the same spirit, the governing powers might be irritated to take every opportunity of abridging that religious liberty which we are favored with above all the nations upon the earth. Let me remind Querulus, that the hour is approaching, when many things, which at present too much engross his thoughts and inflame his passions, will appear as foreign to him as what is now transacting among the Tarters or Chinese."--- "Select Letters of John Newton" (written in 1774-1781)

I know this is a big paragraph for some to read, but it really made me think! As Christians our main focus in life should be that of sharing the gospel with those around us. When we get so worried with what is going on in the world today it could potentially distract us from our duty as Christians or even hurt our testimony.
 What John Newton said about the "Tarters or Chinese" off the top of my head I didn't know what he was talking about... I had to research it. In the mid 80's we got a big scare over AID's. Today you can live a perfectly normal life with AID's just by taking pills regularly. In 1940 Hitler tried to destroy the Jews. Around 6,000,000 Jews were killed.In 1860 one nation divided over an issue with brothers fighting against brothers resulting in the death of 620,000. In 1792 the French Revolutionary War broke out resulting in the turmoil of a nation. In the 1400's the black plague swept through Europe and killed an estimated 30%-60% or 25 million people of Europe.
 So why are we so concerned about what is going on in our world today? During all of the above we saw mass revival resulting in the salvation of many. And in this day and age we have the most freedom we have ever had. And yet, what are we doing? We are too afraid to share or give out a tract because we are afraid of what people might think of us or say to us.
 I am so thankful for this challenge. I hope it is as big a challenge to you as it was for me.
By Emily Swain

       

A little craft

Ashlyn was over the other day, and so we decided to make something...   Mrs. R gave us the idea, and  said we might make more for decorations, for the Lady's Retreat this month. It is a pretty easy project. All you will need is... 

Yarn of your color choice 

Old bottles... we were thinking old soda bottles would work good too.

be careful and do not put your finger in it, like Ashlyn did. It might get stuck! :)  

Mod Poghe 

We didn't have any, but is really easy to make. Take regular glue and add half  the amount of it as water. 

Start putting the glue on it...do only a little bit at a time. 

Then start wrapping your yarn around it.

Here is the finished project... Pretty cute! :)

Of course we had to have Hadassah pose with it!! ;)  

By Sara Anne

Meet my siblings

Love this pic

I thought, I would do something a little different, and let my, three, youngest siblings write the post today.  I wrote out a few questions for them to answer, and by seeing their replies, you can know a little bit about each one of them. 
I have four siblings: Taylor (13 yrs. old), Zach (10 yrs. old), Winnie (9 yrs. old), and Suzy (8 yrs. old).





 List of Questions:
1. What is your favorite thing about Kenya?
2. What do you like best about being a missionary?
3. What's your favorite thing to do?
4. What is your favorite kind of chocolate? (yes, in my opinion, getting to know someone, means knowing their favorite kind of chocolate:-)
5. What's your favorite thing to learn about in school?
6. Tell me something about yourself.
7. Spell your name backwards. (I added this one just for fun;-)
8. What is Ashlyn's favorite thing to do? (I just wanted to see what they would say to this one.)

By - Ashlyn Elaine

.....and here is what the three authors of the day have to say....

                                                                   Winnie

1. Going to Kilifi Bay

2. Seeing a lot of people
3. Swimming
4. Hershey
5. Science
6. I'm a girl who loves chocolate (hey, that sounds like me:-)
7. einniw
8. Knitting 

                                                          Zach
1. Swimming in the ocean
2. We get to tell people about Jesus
3. Playing
4. Butter Fingers (He's got it right.....in my opinion:-)
5. Science
6. I am white ( at first I was like why did he write that, it's obvious, but then I realized he lives in Kenya, and just about everyone here is black. I guess to an Mk growing up in Africa being white is different.)
7. sueahccaz
8. Going to the Halstead's house:-)

                                                              Suzy
1. Going to Thika Road Mall
2. I like inviting people to church.
3. Going to church on Sunday and Thursday (I didn't know this, but I am glad she counts it as her favorite thing)
4. Lunch bar
5. Math because it is easy (and I am thinking wait till you get to Geometry:-)
6. I go to church on Sunday and Thursday.
7. annazus
8.  Going to diamond Plaza (a shopping mall) and getting honey candy (a certain kind of Asian sweets, that I love.)

10 Things about ME...and ME...and ME!

10 things about Emily!

Makes me Laugh!

1. If asked "Where are you from?" the expression upon my face will be... blank.

2. I like to sing while taking a shower in the hopes that no one will hear me.

3. As of now the only bones I've broken are my toes.

4. I have no cavities.

5. I tell my mom everything.

6. My family tells me I sometimes say things in a British accent without knowing it.

7. I finished high-school at age 16.

8. I started playing violin when I was 3, had lessons until I was 6, and fiddled around on the violin for the next 11 years. Now do you understand my violin skills?

9. People describe me as very formal.

10. I'm allergic to sugar...every time I eat it I break out in fat all over.

 

10 things about Ashlyn!

1. I love zebra stripes, the colour purple, and chocolate!

2. When speaking to someone in Swahili my mind switches over to Swahili/English mode.

3. I am a perfectionist.....at times a good thing, and at times a bad thing. What do I mean ? Something like: when someone sits on my neatly-made bed and I freak out to the point of a heart attack, ;-) (exaggerating slightly;-)

4. I love being around little kids, or working with kids; I love listening to their many stories they have to tell. (I don't know if you have noticed, but kids say just abut anything that comes to their mind.:-)

5. I have to put my alarm clock on the far side of my room, so I have to get up and turn it off, otherwise I probably won't be getting out of my covers.

6. Everyone tells me I spoil my cat too much, and I always tell them that's not true......but, (don't tell anyone) they are right! (by the way her name is Zahra)

7. I have a cute, little friend named Sara, I kind-of like her!

8. It takes me at least 20 min to do my hair. (each time I put a clip in my hair it pops out)

9. People tell me I'm a sleep walker and talker.

10. I love reading.  

10 things about Sara!

NOT Shy!!!

1. I sing in the shower very loudly in hope that people WILL hear me.
2. I hate wearing socks; it gives my feet claustrophobia. 
3. I am NOT shy, and never have been.
4. I LOVE coffee and if you don't like coffee... something is wrong with you.
5. The whole reason I have Ashlyn over is so she will clean my room. (pretty clever, Huh?) 
6. I have serious toe issues... almost all of my toe nails have fallen off at least once.
7. I have two seriously cute puppy dogs. 
8. I have resorted to rocks for indoor pets.
9. I love making things out of duct-tape. 
10. Before the age of ten I've had to turn down at least a dozen proposals of marriage.