I have been pondering a name change for my blog for a while now and I finally settled on "Life On The Potter's Wheel". 

Next February, I will be married for 20 years.  I have joked off and on throughout the years that when I said "I DO", my head started spinning and it hasn't stopped since.  We got married and then 4 months later found out we were expecting our first child  - that was not our plan, but I guess God had a different plan.  Then when she was a little over a year old, we found out we were expecting again - again, that was not our plan, but God again had a different plan.  (We did plan for our 3rd child though.)

Anyway, as I look back over the past 20 years of my life, I get a very real sense that my life has been spinning fast and furious and for most of that time I had no idea where I was going or what real goal I was striving for.  I was basically in reaction mode for most all these years.  Yes, I have been a christian all those years, and yes, I have gone to church, and yes, I thought I was working towards a goal of sorts- you know the one, becoming a mature christian.  And yes, I have made progress on that, but truly when I look back over my life, I realize that I spent most of my time reacting to every crisis or circumstance (aka jumping off the Potter's wheel) instead of being focused and determined to really let the Master Potter shape me into the vessel He wanted me to be.

Over the past 3 months I have been faced with situations that I really didn't think I could ever handle and I have discovered that I was right, I couldn't handle them, but I also discovered that when I finally didn't have the energy to "react" anymore, God was waiting right there for me and He has lovingly and gently started making me into who He wants me to be.  I just had to get to the point where I was finally willing to really trust Him and stay where I was supposed to be, and He has been very real in my circumstances.  No, all my situations/circumstances have not worked out the way I wanted them to, but I have started to discover a deep, abiding peace in my heart that I have never experienced before.  For the first time in my life I am actually staying on the Potter's wheel and letting Him shape me into the person He wants me to be and I am finding rest. 

Lest you think I have achieved perfection, rest assured, I guess I should amend my previous comment and say that I am actually staying on the Potter's wheel for "longer stretches of time" than I ever have before.  I still jump off occasionally and scurry about trying to fix things and do things in my own strength, but more and more I am learning how to stay on the Master's wheel and what a great thing that is.

So, that is how my new blog name came to be. 

What about you?  Is there a story behind your blog name?

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Aug. 14, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by ApplesofGold

I so loved reading this-it was very encouraging to me. Love your new blog name! Holly

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Aug. 16, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Happyhome

What a fantastic testimony Donna. It is hard to stay on the wheel isn't it? We so often think we can fix things on our own so we go jumping off and end up making a bigger mess of things...at least that's been my experience. It takes wisdom to realize that staying on the potter's wheel brings growth. It's a positive thing, not a negative.

I've always loved the mental picture I get from the potter and the clay. I guess that's where I came up with my blog name - The Potter's Hand. He is constantly molding and shaping me to look more and more like Him. "So the Potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to Him." Love this verse. It is an awesome reminder that He knows what's best for my life.

Hugs,

Ang

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Aug. 18, 2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Anonymous

That is an awesome testimony!! I love the new name!

My name came about years ago when I was trying to come up with a title for sending out a mass e to family & friends to keep them posted on our family.

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