the Potter and the Clay page 1

the Potter and the Clay page 1 by ric gustafson.


Myron Lindell opened one of his eyes. He closed them because he hurt so much. He could only remember that the group of young men chased him into the Potter's yard. He opened them again and then tried to look around. He tried to raise himself but it hurt too much so he stayed where he was. He could feel that he was lying on top of a mountain of pottery shards and he hurt. Because he could not get up, he closed his eyes to die.
" Son, let me help you get up".
Myron took the young man's hand and he slowly stood up.
" Looks like you've had a busy day".
Myron stared at the young man. He sported a dark beard and wore a white robe. " The Potter".
" Let's get you inside my house so you can start to recover".
As Myron leaned on the young man's shoulder, they slowly walked over the yard of pottery shards and walked inside the front door of the plain white house.



research help: ' Master Potter' by Jill Austin



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Exit 41 page 10

Exit 41 page 10 by ric gustafson.


Frank Miller slowly opened the furnace door. Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego now stood in front of it bound in ropes.
" Get in" Mayor Lulah shouted as flames blew out the open door.
As they slowly walked through the open furnace door, the three men prayed to God for protection.
After a while, Mayor Lulah peeked through the open door. " Frank, didn't you throw in just three men".
" Yes Mayor, I did".
The Mayor stared through the open door again. " I see four men with no ropes on walking through the flames". He yelled through the open door. " Meshach, Shadrach, Abednego come on out".
All three walked out of the hot furnace unsinged and unscorched.
" Blessed be your God" Mayor Lulah exclaimed as he turned to the elderly tow truck driver who was standing near him. " Lou, fix their car right away so they can continue on their journey".


The End- dedicated to Tom E.



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Exit 41 page 9

Exit 41 page 9 by ric gustafson.


" We are not worried Mayor Lulah" Shadrach said as the three faced the Mayor. " If we are put into a hot furnace, our God will save us".
Abednego spoke up. " Mayor, my friends and I will not comply".
" Police Chief Lenza, for non compliance of our new law please arrest these three men and bring them over to Frank's plant".
" Ok ". He pointed to a deputy who handcuffed the three and put them into two cruisers.
" Mr Adams" Mayor Lulah said as the two police cruisers left. " Tell Frank to heat up his furnace seven times hotter than it is right now".



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Everyone take care. Love Ric

Exit 41 page 8

Exit 41 page 8 by ric gustafson


Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego stood in front of Mayor Lulah. The Mayor could tell they were not afraid of him.
" Who are you?".
" My name is Meshach" said the young man. " These are my friends, Shadrach and Abednego".
" Meshach, why did you and your friends not fall to the ground and worship my statue?". " We will play the music again and the three of you will comply and worship it".
" No!" yelled Abednego as he stamped his foot. " We will not".
An angry look overcame Mayor Lulah. He turned to a gentleman who was standing next to him. " Frank, is your plant's furnace ready to go?".
" Yes Mayor" he replied with a smile as he clapped his hands. " Our furnace is as hot as we can get it".
" Meshach, I am giving you and your friends one more chance to comply or all three of you will be thrown alive into Frank's furnace".



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Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Exit 41 page 7

Exit 41 page 7 by ric gustafson.


Mr Adams watched as the three young men were still standing as everyone stood up.
" Mayor Lulah".
" Yes".
" Didn't you make a recent law demanding that everyone must fall down and worship your new statue".
" Yes Mr Adams, I did".
The Mayor's chief of staff stared at the three young men. " Didn't your law also say that if anyone refuses to worship your new statue, that they would be thrown into a flaming furnace".
" Yes".
" Well Sir, those three young men standing over there did not worship your statue".
" Bring them over here Mr Adams".



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Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the $ 1.92 Thanksgiving dinner

the $ 1.92 Thanksgiving dinner by ric gustafson.


John Morgan, the director of the shelter, carried a pan of carved turkey out of the small kitchen and put it into the trayline compartment. As he did this, Glenn Maxwell came out with a pan of mashed potatoes and put it into it's compartment.
Marsha Munroe put a pan of yams into it's compartment. " John, I heard it costs the shelter $ 1.92 to feed somebody this holiday meal".
" That's true the cost has gone up" was the reply as John noticed that the others were getting the trayline ready. He checked his watch. " Just ask Glenn how important this yearly event is".
The young man smiled as he watched the other volunteers put their hairnets and gloves on. " If it wasn't for this holiday meal, I would still be homeless".
" Glenn went through one of our transitional programs and now volunteers to help others".
Everyone clapped and cheered as the line began to form for the meal.
Later
Glenn yawned as he picked up a dirty plate from the soapy water. He was tired but the serving of the holiday meal was a success. He smiled at the thought of all the joy from that one simple holiday meal.
Marsha stuck her head into the dish area. " Glenn, there is somebody here to see you". ' Who could that be' he thought as he dried his hands on an old towel. He walked out to the serving area to see his friend standing next to a young man. " Can I help you?".
" Glenn, my name is Mack Popsel" he said as he shook his hand. " People call me Pops for short".
" What can I do for you?".
" I wanted to thank you for the meal that you just served us".
" My pleasure" was the reply as Glenn smiled back. " I remember when I was in that line a year ago".
" These are my sheep" the young man said as he pointed toward those still eating. " I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in".
" When did I do all that?" asked a perplexed Glenn.
The young man smiled and pointed to those still eating. " When you did it to one of my brothers of mine even the least of these, you did it to me".
" Glenn".
He turned around to see who was calling his name. He turned back to see that the young man was gone.
With peace now in his heart, Glenn went back to the dish room to finish his job.




My prayer is that everyone has a safe and happy Thanksgiving Thursday. Love Ric.

the spear soldier page 7

the spear soldier page 7 by ric gustafson.


Rabbi Nicodemus stared at Caiphas. " My lord High Priest, is it part of our law to judge a man without a hearing first?".
Rabbi Josaphat stood up and slammed a clenched fist on the wooden table. " Rabbi Nicodemus, no prophet comes from Galilee".
Caiphas lowered his voice. " Rabbi Yeshua bar Joseph will get his hearing as soon as he is arrested".
Nicodemus spoke up. " I do not see any evidence that the events of today have any connection with Rabbi Yeshua bar Joseph".
Caiphas gave Nicodemus an icy stare. " Rabbi, be careful whom you defend".



research help: ' The Spear' by Louis de Wohl



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Eve page 10

Eve page 10 by ric gustafson.


I gave him the fruit and he ate. I opened my eyes to see that it was only a dream. He had left me some vegtables and some water. He had started a small fire which lit up the cave. Since we ate of the fruit, everything about him began to irritate me. The smell of him especially bothered me.
He brought me some food to eat. " Why are you trying to feed me" I yelled as I hit his arm with a clenched fist.
" You can not die, don't leave me" he looked at me with loving eyes.
" Today, I call you Havah" he said as he kissed me. " You will live and bear children".



research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Eve page 9

Eve page 9 by ric gustafson.


" Run for the eastern gate" Adam told me as thunder crackled overhead. " I will find you there".
I ran along the river with my animal hide which was making it hard to move. I ran toward a high terrace and squated along the edge to wait for the storm to pass.
Soon Adam returned with a lamb around his neck. " We must reach that gate" he said as he began to run past shrubs shrouded in flames.
We ran for that gate as lightening struck trees. As we fled, I noticed animals fleeing with us.
Midmorning, we found a rocky overhang and fell asleep beneath it.



research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee



Everyone take care on this cold and windy night. Love Ric

Eve page 8

Eve page 8 by ric gustafson.


Eve watched in horror as wings and scales appeared on the serpent.
" Cursed be you of all cattle and beasts, on your belly you shall go and eat dust all the days of your life".
The serpent spread his wings wide and then stared at Almighty God.
" I will set enmity between you and the woman between your seed and hers".
The serpent let out a blood curdling laugh.
" He will bruise your head but you will strike his heel".
The serpent laughed again and then vanished.
Almighty God now looked at Eve. " I will give you pain when you give birth to children, your man will rule over you".
He now turned to the Adam. " You listened to the woman and ate from the tree I commanded you not to eat from".
The Adam hung his head low in shame.
" Cursed is the soil you will toil for the rest of your days" God exclaimed in a quiet voice. " Dust you are and to dust you shall return".



research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Eve page 7

Eve page 7 by ric gustafson


Eve and the Adam were clutching the edge of the dark cavern as the wind and rain blew violently around them. As quick as the storm came up, all of a sudden everything went still. She started to walk out when he stopped her. " Stay here".
He quietly walked out and she noticed that he had not gone far.
All of a sudden, a bright light filled the valley.
" Where are you?".
She heard the Adam talking.
" I heard you coming" he said in a trembling voice as he hid behind a bush. " I was afraid".
" Why are you afraid?".
" I knew that I was bare so I hid".
" Who told you that you were bare?" the quiet voice asked as the Adam cowered in guilt and shame. " Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?".
" The woman you gave me" he replied in a sad voice. " She gave me from the tree and I ate".
His gentle words invaded Eve's heart. " What is this you have done?".
Eve thought for a moment. " The serpent tricked me and I ate".



research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee



Everyone have a great weekend. Love Ric

Eve page 6

Eve page 6 by ric gustafson


Eve woke up and noticed how quiet everything was. She could not hear the river which was nearby nor the birds and animals. She suddenly remembered what they had done before they fell asleep and she became scared. Fruit that once looked beautiful now lay on the ground covered by insects. She looked around for the serpent to have him explain things to her but he had left.
He woke up and also noticed right away that things would never be the same. Both of them now stared at each other in a different light and it scared them.
' God, what have we done' she thought as she strained her ears to possibly hear the sounds they used to hear. The valley around them was quiet and she could hear fruit falling from the forbidden tree. Then she heard the buzzing of insects as they invaded and devoured the fruit. He came back later to tell her he was unable to find the serpent.
Later on as she ate a fig to settle her stomach, she noticed a large fig leaf. She looked at herself and now felt bare. She tore several leaves off of a tree and tied them together so they would fit snugly around her.



research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee



Everyone take care. Love Ric

the spear soldier page 6

the spear soldier page 6 by ric gustafson.


Caiphas was talking to some of the chief priests and pharisee rabbi's. An aide brought in three soldiers.
" Cassius, where is the Rabbi?".
" I made no arrest my Lord High Priest".
" Why is that Centurion?".
" Nobody has ever spoken as this man speaks".
Rabbi Josaphat spoke up. " Have you Centurion also been deceived".
" A lot of common people were listening to him".
" Cassius, you and the two others can go".
After the three had left, Caiphas slammed a fist on the table where everyone was sitting. " This man is more dangerous than you can imagine".
Rabbi Josaphat spoke up again. " This man should have already been arrested and in jail".
A gray haired Pharisee raised his hand.
" Yes, Rabbi Nicodemus".



research help: ' The Spear' by Louis de Wohl



Everyone take care. Love Ric.

Eve page 5

Eve page 5 by ric gustafson.


Eve stared at the serpent in shock at what he had just said. ' Was it possible to know as God' she thought as she looked up at the tree. The fruit looked so wonderful today. She looked around to see if he was coming. He had told her from the very beginning not to eat from this tree or to touch anything on it. She noticed that the serpent was not by the berry bush but was clinging around a branch of the tree.
He walked up to her and put his arm around her waist. " Flesh of my flesh".
" The serpent told me that we will not die" she said as he stared at the serpent.
She plucked off one of the large warm fruit and palmed it in her hand. She took a bite of the lucious fruit, smiled and then handed the rest to him.
He took a bite of the fruit.
Later, both of them got tired and fell asleep in the tall grass.



research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee.



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Eve page 4

Eve page 4 by ric gustafson


She walked up to the small shrub and noticed the dark berries clinging to it. She had promised to pick some for him. Confusion came over her face as she realized she had nothing to put them in. She turned to leave.
" Why are you leaving when you are hungry?".
She turned to see the serpent next to the forbidden tree. The tree looked very inviting with huge ripe fruit glowing in the sun. " You know I cannot eat from this tree".
" God really said that you must not eat from any tree in the garden".
" We may eat from any tree but this one" she replied as she pointed at the big tree. " The One said we cannot eat of it or touch it or you will die". She turned again to leave.
" You will not die" the serpent hissed as he slithered closer. " The One knows that on the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened".




research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee




Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Eve page 3

Eve page 3 by ric gustafson


I ran across the hills of the south, over streams and rocks and felt great. I ran through a meadow to the valley below. It was the middle of the day and the hot sun was beginning to make me sweat. Tiredly, I stopped inside the entrance of the vineyard and plucked huge grapes off of a wooded vine.
I sat down in a clump of high grass and ate the grapes. I yawned as I closed my eyes to rest. Later, I opened my eyes to see a serpent staring at me with strange eyes.
" I enjoyed watching you run, daughter of God" the serpent said as he slithered across the green grass toward me." You are beautiful because you search for understanding".
" I am here because of the One that is" I replied as I stood up and the serpent slithered back into the nearby woods.
Later, I asked him if there was a place to explore which was beyond where we were.
" Yes" he said as he stroked my hair. " Beyond the origin of our river is a wide basin covered with waves of grass".



research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee




Everyone take care. Love Ric

Eve page 2

Eve page 2 by ric gustafson.


" I am".
I woke up hearing the voice and noticed he was not next to me. I stood up on the damp ground and it felt different than the first time I walked on it. I heard a noise, turned around and saw him standing next to me.
" My counterpart" he said with a smile as he touched my cheek.
We walked toward the western end of the valley and he pointed out many birds and animals by their names. We started to wade through a cool river and I was worried we would drown.
" I want to show you something" he said as he stepped onto a small sandy beach and started walking inland.
I followed him until we arrived in the middle of the island where there was a large clearing. I stopped and began to stare at the most beautiful tree I had ever seen. The perfectly round fruit glistened in the morning sun and it looked more juicier than the plums I had yesterday.
I began to walk toward this tree when he put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.
" If you eat of this tree, you will know good and evil".
I shook my head in confusion to what he was trying to tell me.
" I was told" he said quietly as he looked around the clearing. " If you eat of it, you will die".



research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Eve page 1

Eve page 1 by ric gustafson


Awake!
I opened my eyes and saw a sea of blue above me. I looked to my left and saw a beautiful tree and a bird flying toward it.
Awake!
I turned to my right and something was standing next to me. I screamed. He had blue eyes and he smiled at me.
" Flesh of my flesh" he said as his finger traced the outline of my face. He bent down and slowly picked me up. My first steps were wobbily at best.
He started to walk toward a clearing and I tried to keep up.
We walked up to a slow moving stream and I noticed a deer drinking from it.
He cupped his hands and drank from the clear water.
As he watched, I did the same.
Then he led me to an orchard where we ate the juicest plums and oranges.
Later, I found some warm grass to rest.
" Flesh of my flesh" he said again as I closed my eyes.


research help: ' Havah, the story of Eve' by Tosca Lee



Everyone take care. Love Ric

Exit 41 page 6

Exit 41 page 6 by ric gustafson.


" How tall is that statue?" Abednego asked his friend as they stood in a large crowd.
Shadrach shook his head. " I don't know".
" Ninety feet high and nine feet wide" someone in the crowd yelled as they stood there staring at the covered marvel.
As the crowd grew larger, two men stepped up to a microphone stand.
" Citizens of Lulah, here is your town's statue".
Two men pulled off the protective covering to reveal a large gold statue of Mayor Richard Lulah.
Another man picked up the microphone. " My name is Troy Adams and I am Mayor Lulah's Chief of Staff".
Mayor Lulah looked at the crowd with a serious stare.
" When the high school pep band starts playing, everyone present must fall and worship the statue of Mayor Lulah".
Fifteen minutes later, the pep band began to play and everyone fell on the ground worshiping the gold statue.
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego kept standing where they were.


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Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Exit 41 page 5

Exit 41 page 5 by ric gustafson.


" I wonder how long we'll have to stay here" Abednego said as he stared out the large glass window.
" I don't know" Shadrach replied as he sipped from a diet coke. " Hopefully not long".
They watched Meshach come back with the tow truck driver.
" He does have a replacement belt".
The old man stared at his watch. " The bad news is I can't put it on right now".
" Why not!" Abednego exclaimed loudly as he jumped off of his chair.
" This afternoon, Mayor Lulah is going to reveal a gold statue of himself".
" A gold statue".
" Everyone in town is required to attend so why don't you boys come along?". He walked over and put a blue coat on. " When it is over, I will replace your belt and you boys can continue on your way".
Shadrach stared at his friend. " Meshach, we really don't have much of a choice".
" Ok".



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Exit 41 page 4

Exit 41 page 4 by ric gustafson


Abednego waved his arms as the blue and white tow truck approached. It stopped next to their car and an old man got out. " You boys having trouble".
" Yes" Shadrach said as he opened the hood. " The car just stopped".
The old man peeked underneath. His head came up with a long face. " It's what I figured it was".
" What is that?" Meshach asked as he got out of the car.
" It's one of the belts".
" Now what do we do?" Abednego asked with a scared look on his face.
" You boys can come with me to the station" the old man said as he closed the hood. " Hopefully we have the belt in stuck".
" Meshach, we don't have much of a choice".
" Ok".
Abednego nodded his head in approval and then followed his two friends into the large tow truck.



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Exit 41 page 3

Exit 41 page 3 by ric gustafson


Meshach yawned as he tried to watch where he was driving. Shadrach opened his eyes and looked out the passenger window. Cactus and open desert passed by him. " Where are we?".
Meshach yawned again and waited for the next sign to come up. Shortly it did. " A town called Lulah exit 41 five miles".
Four miles later.
" Meshach, I hear a strange noise " Abednego said with a concerned voice. " I think it's coming from the engine".
" We should probably check it out before it breaks down in the desert" Shadrach said with a long sigh.
" Ok, I'll stop at the next exit which is 41" Meshach said as he checked the time on the car's clock. " The nearest town is Lulah".



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Exit 41 page 2

Exit 41 page 2 by ric gustafson


Shadrach watched as the seconds ticked down on the TV. He bit into a frito scoop as he watched the winning team start to celebrate on the field. " My Super Bowl team lost again".
" My team won" Meshach replied with a smile as he sipped from a bottle of Sunkist orange. " Abednego, what are you doing?".
" Somebody texted us" the young man said as he stared at his cellphone. He smiled as he read the text. " Do you remember our friend Mesa?".
" Sure, he lives in California" Shadrach replied as he stood up and started to clean up the snack table.
" He's getting married and is inviting us to the wedding".
" California would be fun" Meshach said as he finished his orange pop.
" We could see the Grand Canyon and then drive through the desert".
" Ok" Obednego said as began to reply to the text.
" I'll text him and tell him that we will be coming".



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

the eye is the lamp page 2

the eye is the lamp page 2 by ric gustafson.


Pastor Parker was looking at downtown buildings when he noticed a white lunch truck handing out sandwiches to men and women in the city park. He thought he recognized someone so he drove into the park and got out.
" Here you are Marion" Pastor Peters said as he handed the sandwich to the smiling older woman.
" Bless you Pastor" she replied with a toothless grin. " Bless you".
Pastor Peters saw the man coming up to the window. " Pastor Parker, a pleasant surprise to see you".
" Pastor Peters" he replied as men and women kept coming up to the window. " I'm surprised a pastor with your potential would be handing out free sandwiches to the homeless in a small Montana town city park".
" I'm happy here in my hometown, helping people who need me". He passed out his last sandwich and then closed the truck's serving window. He noticed Pastor Parker's Lexus and walked over. " Are you happy Pastor Parker, I mean really happy?".
" Of course" was his reply as he grinned and pointed at his new car. " My church is going to open a third site and our combined attendance is 20,000 members a week". He showed Pastor Peters his new Rolex watch. " Life is good".
" Good" Pastor Peters said as he began to walk toward the white lunch truck. " Then we are both happy where we are". " God bless you Pastor Parker" he said as he opened the truck's driver door and then got in. " Go in peace". He started the truck and then left the park.
Pastor Parker stood for a moment, pondering that thought. Then he got into his Lexus and left the park.


The End- dedicated to Tom E.



Everybody take care. Love Ric
"

the eye is the lamp page 1

the eye is the lamp page 1 by ric gustafson.


Pastor Albert Peters handed out his last ham sandwich to Henry, who always hung around the city park. Pastor Peters ran the free lunch truck that Rejoice Lutheran Church was sponsoring for eight years now. After graduating near the top of his seminary class, Pastor Peters could have gotten a call anywhere he wanted to go. He decided to stay in his hometown and accept a call from Rejoice Lutheran. When the Pastor started his duties, he quickly found out that there was a large homeless problem. He decided to start a free lunch program for the homeless, rented a truck and headed for the city's main park.
Pastor Frank Parker got out of his grey Lexus and looked at his Rolex to see what time it was. His time was limited and he needed to hurry and scout locations for a third site for his church. His church, Fellowship Ministries was based in Fort Lauderdale and had now grown to 10,000 members. In the time of his being the senior pastor, the church had grown so fast they opened a second church in Franklin Tennessee and now he was scouting for a third.



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

Thanksgiving dinner with the Sower's page 1

Thanksgiving dinner with the Sower's page 1 by ric gustafson.



Jesus sat down and could hear the water lapping against the boat. He smiled at the large crowd. " Behold, the sower went out to sow".
" As he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road and birds came and ate them".
" Other seeds fell on rocky places where there was not much soil and sprouted, but they had no roots and withered away".
" Other seeds fell among the thorns and the thorns came up and choked them".
" Other seeds fell on good soil and yieled a crop, some one hundred some sixty and some thirty".
" He who has ears, let him hear".
One of the disciples looked at Jesus. " Why do you speak to them in parables?".
" To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted".




research help: The Ryrie Study Bible



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric