Category: Romans

  • The Prince’s Tears

    Beautiful but Fragile

    A clear glass drop with a long tail is displayed against a black background. A "Prince Rupert's Tear"
    Prince Rupert’s Tear

    For Christmas, some years ago, a dear friend gave  me a reprint of a book from the mid-1890s. It is a recipe book of sorts, and it tells how to make everything from common household cleaners to medication to explosives. 

    The recipes and information are fascinating, although I don’t think I’ll try most of them. Many of the processes are highly dangerous.

    One of the things I learned how to make was called Prince Rupert’s Drops or Prince Rupert’s Tears. According to one source, “The drops are named after Prince Rupert of the Rhine, who brought them to England in 1660, although they were reportedly being produced in the Netherlands earlier in the 17th century and had probably been known to glassmakers for much longer.”

    PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS. The tears are made by letting drops of molten glass fall into a tub of cold water. The glass hits the water and cools, creating beautiful tear-shaped drops. They are hard, clear, and have a small glass tail on them.

    Amazingly, when you hold a drop and break off its tail, it explodes into fine powder, and the explosion can be felt in your hand. I suspect that a vacuum must be formed when the glass hits the water, and when air is let in, the drop can’t handle the pressure change.

    At first, the recipe was simply one of those interesting but useless pieces of trivia that can catch my attention occasionally. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what an apt metaphor for life it was.

    Our hearts can be as beautiful as Prince Rupert’s Tears and just as fragile.

    We go through life with hearts that are hard and empty. An event will occur that shatters our hearts, and we’re left holding nothing but dust. The impact of the brokenness rocks our world. At that moment, many of us realize that we need a relationship with Jesus.

    Fortunately, we serve the God who mends the brokenhearted. When we encounter them, we can share the reason for our hope and joy.

    …in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect 1  Peter 3:15 ESV

    May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 ESV


    Until next time, if your heart is breaking, turn to the one who can heal it. If you know someone with a broken heart, tell them about Jesus.

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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  • A Walk in the Park – The Creator Revealed

    A pair of chickadees

    Yesterday, Kathy and I took a stroll at Campbell  Valley Park in Langley. Although it was cool, cloudy, and drizzly, the walk was a refreshing blessing. We met a few people on the trail, but weekdays are always less busy than nice weekends.

    Water levels were up quite a bit from the last time we visited, but not nearly to peak levels. As always, a few mallards were hanging around, primarily drakes. For whatever reason, the drakes outnumber the hens here by about 5 to 1 or more.

    We enjoyed the company of a few squirrels, dozens of chickadees, some spotted towhees, and various sparrow and sparrow-type birds. The chickadees followed us, stopping when we did and often coming within a foot or less of us.

    Chickadees are one of my favorite birds. They are cute and very friendly. Their song is lighthearted, and they always seem happy little birds. A chickadee always brings a smile to my face.

    I always find my mind clearer after spending time in the woods. The woods calm my heart and spirit and allow me to focus. Often, when walking in the woods, hunting, or fishing, I feel God’s presence the most clearly.

    That’s one reason many people end up worshipping nature. Their experience fools them into thinking that nature is God, a dangerous mistake.

    For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. Romans 1:18-25

    God created everything around us for two reasons. Firstly, it testifies to His worthiness and power, giving Him glory. Secondly, it acts as an undeniable signpost that points humanity towards Him.

    The world around us, the world of “nature,” is a gift to us and also a responsibility. God calls us to be stewards of it all. It’s made for our use, but careful use. Too often, we have exploited our home for short-sighted gain.

    The natural world surrounds us. Enjoy it. Steward it well. Give glory to God.

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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