{"product_id":"9781456871840","title":"Splinters of Light","description":"We are not given the choice of being a light to the world.--\u0026gt;  John tells us in his gospel that we \u003ci\u003eare\u003c\/i\u003e the light.  When we accept Christ and become part of the family of God, we \u003ci\u003eare\u003c\/i\u003e put on a lamp stand.  We \u003ci\u003eare\u003c\/i\u003e the city on the hill.  People \u003ci\u003ewill\u003c\/i\u003e see us. Our light \u003ci\u003ewill\u003c\/i\u003e shine.  The only choice we have is the amount of Light we allow through the cracks in these earthen vessels.\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e    \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSo, how do we do it?  What does it mean to \u003ci\u003eshine\u003c\/i\u003e, to \u003ci\u003eilluminate\u003c\/i\u003e?  I can say only that we shine in spite of ourselves.  Our shining is not a product of our own labor.  It is not something we can will into being.  Rather, it is the byproduct of a life lived in the presence of the true Light.  We are a reflection of Him.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe brilliance of that reflection, the penetrating power of Christ’s Spirit in our lives is His gift to us.  As we allow our hearts to overflow with His goodness, mercy, and love; with the knowledge of who He is and what He is, that goodness and mercy and awesome reality somehow manifests itself to those around us.  The love we receive from Him flows naturally into our world and into the lives of those with whom we come in contact.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNow, I offer to you those words He would not let me ignore; words that crowded behind walls of hesitancy, words that tumbled through the cracks and became splinters of light.  May Christ be honored and a tiny part of His glory revealed in these small splinters.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Xlibris Corporation","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47140775395568,"sku":"9781456871840","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781456871840_p0.jpg?v=1763861095","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781456871840","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}