Today's Word
You are welcome to use the writings on these pages or pass them on to others who might find a touch from God in the words. Our purpose is always to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you everything, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring these words to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom its been shared. All rights reserved. Peggy Hoppes
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Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances.
The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers.
(Click for enlarged)
“Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord. Whatever you do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father, through him.” Colossians 3:12-17, WEB
Claude Monet and August Renoir were friends. They met when they were in their twenties, trying to make their way in the art world. They were both struggling, “starving artists,” in 1869 when they lived in Saint-Michel, a hamlet near Bougival, west of Paris. Monet had recently had work rejected and Renoir was living with his parents. They were living “hand to mouth existence.” Monet would paint until he ran out of paint, then sketch until he could save enough money to buy more paint. They painted together during that summer, often side by side, painting the same scenes from their own unique perspective.
Monet and Renoir painted in the Impressionist style that had been taking root in France during the 1860’s. The work they did that summer developing styles of capturing light on water influenced the Impressionist movement. They painted “en plein air” which means they painted outdoors, studying the world they saw with paint. They had different techniques, so their paintings were different even though they were looking at the same subject. Both have paintings of a place called La Grenouillčre or The Frog Pond, which was a popular meeting place on the Seine river near Bougival, where people met to swim, dance, and drink. The owner of the bar had mercy on the young artists and often purchased their work with food.
Monet and Renoir encouraged one another. It is impossible to know which one influenced the other more. En plein air is an artistic technique in which the artist quickly records what they see in front of them, often painting the same scene repeatedly to catch the light as it changes throughout the day. Their goal was to portray the transitory They were both learning how to make the water shimmer in their paintings, each using similar but different paint and strokes. It is obvious when you look at their paintings from the summer of 1869, that they were painting side by side especially Claude Monet’s “Bain ŕ la Grenouillčre” and August Renoir’s “La Grenouillčre.”
Just as Monet and Renoir had so much in common but were unique individuals with unique perspectives and techniques who influenced their world, so are Christians. We have so much in common, most especially faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. But each of us is unique. We have special gifts. We have different points of view. We have our own way of accomplishing the work God is calling us to do. We are called to walk together, to encourage one another, to teach each other what we have learned so that together we can influence the world in which we live. I would not be the Christian I am without the people who walked with me, not only the older Christians who shared their faith, but also the Christians who are journeying by my side. I can imagine that the artists had moments when they disagreed, but I can also imagine one saying to another, “What if you used this color?” I can see them pointing out details the other might miss.
We are called to live the life of Christ in every circumstance we face. We fail, but we are forgiven. As we are journeying in this world beside our brothers and sisters in Christ, let us always remember that we are unique. We are transformed by Christ, but we were also created unique and good. We have the ability to rise against our struggles, against the pettiness of this world, to put others first and take into consideration their needs. As a child of God, we put on a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another and forgiving one another. He has done this for us, so that we might do good things for others, helping them be the best they can be.
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“For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20-21, WEB
James Avery Jewelry is created in the Texas Hill Country. There is a museum at the main store where you can learn about the process used to make their pieces. The museum includes a film and other videos, as well as displays of the tools and examples of the steps of creation. It is a beautiful facility, and I never leave without buying something, but there was a day when you could actually visit the factory to see the process in person! Unfortunately, I was never able to visit the factory before they closed it to visitors. I would have really enjoyed seeing their studio and workspace.
We visited Austria a few years ago and during our trip we visited the Swarovski Crystal factory. We were looking forward to a tour of the factory and a stop in the store to buy something special. Unfortunately, the factory creates some items that are top secret in nature, like lenses and other things for military use, so we were not able to walk on the factory floor. I was disappointed because I love to learn about artistic processes. We better understand the value of things like crystals and jewelry when we see how they are made.
Instead of a factory tour, we walked through an art gallery with sculptures that were all made from crystal. Some of the art was quite beautiful and some was unusual. There was a very large wall made from glass blocks filled with crystals of every size, shape and color. There were replicas of other pieces of art such as “Melting Clock” by Salvadore Dali that was made in crystal. We saw the smallest jewelry crystal stones that have ever been cut, they had eighteen cuts and were barely the size of a pinhead. Another display showed the largest stone ever cut. It was larger than a basketball with one hundred facets. It was so clear and perfect that it looked like diamond magnified.
After the gallery, we visited the shop for a chance to spend our money. One gentleman was surprised at the cost of these fine items, saying that the diamonds in South Africa were cheaper than “this glass.” Another woman was disappointed because she could not find any larger crystal items, such as bowls or glasses. The shop only offered figurines and jewelry. At that point I didn’t really understand the process because we hadn’t gone through the factory, but later we visited a small village named Rattenberg that was known for centuries for making crystal. It was there that I had an opportunity to learn the process. We were able to watch as a man shared the process of hand blowing glass.
Crystal is made of quartz sand that is ground into a fine powder. Metal, such as lead or silver, is added to the mixture and it is heated to incredibly hot temperatures until it is a molten liquid. The liquid is shaped, cooled, and then cut to create the desired item. It is in the process of creation that the item is made more perfect and valuable than the original stone out of the mine.
Our Father in heaven is just like the crystal maker who grinds, mixes, melts, molds, and cuts the crystal to create a most extraordinary pieces of art. In the process, God removes from our lives the impurities that exist and adds that which makes us shine. He doesn’t create junk. You are becoming an incredible work of art, the best that can be created. Just like Jesus.
The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Savior Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honor Him today. Thanks be to God.
The Story of our Savior's Passion
The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective
When researching, I use several versions of the bible, including the New International Version and English Standard Version. Due to copyright restrictions, I have not included quotes for the scriptures on some of the archives, but highly encourage you to open your own bibles to read the scripture passages for yourselves. Where scripture is quoted, it is usually the American Standard Version or World English Bible which belong to the public domain. Any other versions used in quotes are identified.
The devotion posted on Wednesday is based on the Lectionary texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The Lectionary consists of four texts: an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text and follows the church calendar. Archives for these writings are found at Midweek Oasis.
You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes
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