The Potter’S Clay

By Christina Larsen

The Potters Clay explores the journey throughout the potters studio as the potter transforms a lump of clay (a metaphor for you and me) into a beautiful pot designed for His purposes. The potter in this story is God, and the clay represents humanshis ultimate creation. Come along on this adventure to see what God wants you to do with the life He has given you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Mar 4, 2016
• ISBN: 9781490891811

Christina Larsen

Christina Larsen holds a Masters degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy. Throughout her carrier she has worn many hats: Counselor, Mom, wife, and now she adds author to that list.

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Copyright © 2016 Christina Larsen.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ All rights reserved.

WestBow Press

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-9180-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-9182-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-9181-1 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/25/2016

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Creativity and Being Created in the Image of God; the Ultimate Artist and Potter

Chapter 2 The Potter

Chapter 3 The Clay

Chapter 4 Reality of Being Created

Chapter 5 Pushed, Pulled and Stretched

Chapter 6 Using Your Gifts, Being Fruitful!

Chapter 7 What It Looks Like for a Pot to do the Will of the Father/Potter

Chapter 8 Choosing to do the Will of the Potter

Chapter 9 The Potter’s House… and Waiting on the Shelf vs. Being Stuck on the Shelf

Chapter 10 Living a Life of Joy

Closing Thoughts

Resources

Introduction

My introduction to pottery came in my senior year of college. I was a Psychology major and most of my time was spent in one building, as is the case with most students in the final years of their college careers. Typically, Psychology majors and Art majors only have pre-requisite classes together. Then they each go their separate ways and never meet again until graduation day.

As a Psychology major I felt I had little in common with the artsy crowd.

Psych majors are generally more focused on the inner workings of the brain, thoughts and emotions. They spend their time trying to learn a million different theories of human behavior instead of trying to make something beautiful or letting their creative juices flow.

Then one day, a fellow classmate told me about one of the classes she was taking for an elective, Ceramics. She talked about how much fun she was having getting to make things with her hands. Since I needed to shore up my electives, I looked into this class and enrolled the following semester. Even though I was sure I hadn’t taken any art classes since I was under the age of 12; it seemed exciting and a little intimidating.

As I was one of two Psychology majors who were in the Art building during that semester, at least that was how it seemed; I truly felt like a fish out of water. Again, no art since age 12. Everything was new and different to me, but I was up for the challenge. As we began using the potter’s wheel and creating things with clay I started to truly enjoy the process of creating. I came to relish the times I was able to throw pots, bowls, cups, and anything else I wanted. I even made a tea pot; those of you who know me will find this humorous since my preferred beverage is coffee.

Being allowed to create things with my bare hands provided me with a sense of peace and contentment I had never felt before. I was able to relax and truly enjoy the process of making pottery, more so than I thought possible. The pottery studio became a refuge and place of peace for me. What started out as a way to earn electives to graduate, truly became an enjoyable experience for me. As I ended that semester and prepared to graduate, I told myself I would really love to have my own kiln and potter’s wheel someday. Then life happened.

I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, got married, had two children, went back to grad school in Counseling, graduated with a dual Masters, adopted my daughter from Korea, moved several times to three different states, had different counseling jobs, homeschooled my children, placed my children in private school, placed my children in public school, homeschooled my children again, and finally realized something in my life was missing; and no it wasn’t sleep.

Could it be I was bankrupt of ME time, maybe; I am a busy mom. Or, maybe it was the fact I was created to create; just like my Heavenly Father created the universe and everything in it. And somewhere along the line, I had let this slip away from me; or never fully allowed it to surface.

Something that was discovered 18 years ago in a pottery studio. Something I was willing to investigate and rediscover; the process of creating.

So fast-forward 18 plus years and all the stuff I mentioned two paragraphs ago. Now, I am thinking about the pottery class that I took so long ago, and what it brought to my life. What it allowed me to experience. How it provided me with a front row seat into creation. What it looks like to take a lump of clay and create something amazing. But not only the process from beginning to end for the finished piece. The process the clay undergoes to become the piece the Potter originally designed. The process the clay has to withstand isn’t always enjoyable just like there are times in our lives’ when we feel we can’t take any more pulling or stretching from our Potter. But it is all part of the creation process; which leads us to discover our