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The Ultimate Potter

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.  (Titus 2:11-14)

For years I kept a journal to document the events of the calendar year gone by:  my accomplishments and failures, my highs and lows, my goals and plans.  With this web site, those journals have become a thing of the past as I now have an on-line journal that is accessible for anyone (most notably myself) to see. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t always such a good thing.  It can be a bit disconcerting as I flip over to the archive sections of the site and review the things I did and said in each verse application.  At times, it has made me feel like a hypocrite.  At others, it has saddened me to view a continuing struggle with some of my greatest weaknesses. 

But such struggles are a tonic to my soul.  Just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, the reshaping of my heart is an on-going, delicate process that is being molded by the ultimate potter, Jesus Christ.  That process can be difficult and humbling at times, but I welcome it.  I want to be more humble, less competitive, more loving, and more trusting in the Lord.  I never want to be so complacent with myself that I have removed Christ from the throne of my life, for the more I realize that I am a far cry from the man I want to be, the more I’ll recognize my need for Christ.

I don’t know how the Year 2001 will unfold.  I’m sure I’ll write an application or two that places some egg on my face six months later.  But as I’ve learned over the past year, that egg might be exactly where the Lord wants it…and my heart needs it to be.

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