The Tarnished Teapot

The tarnished teapot which was once bright and new
Is an everlasting reminder of who's inside of you.
Filled with cool refreshment on a summer’s day
Or warm and inviting to chase the cold away.

It may look tarnished, tiresome or old
Just as we do when the world takes hold.
However, with love, tenderness and care,
It can be revived, restored and repaired.

To create more work it is not meant to do,
But serve to remind we need polishing, too.
As you polish your teapot and see the reflection,
Who’s looking back now for your inspection?

Is it God or you or the things of the world--
For remember who came and died for us all.
And just as our teapot, our lives can grow dim,
But with the Lord’s help we can soon shine again!

-Carrie

The Tarnished Teapot

"The Tarnished Teapot"

The tarnished teapot which was once bright and new
Is an everlasting reminder of who's inside of you.
Filled with cool refreshment on a summer’s day
Or warm and inviting to chase the cold away.

It may look tarnished, tiresome or old
Just as we do when the world takes hold.
However, with love, tenderness and care,
It can be revived, restored and repaired.

To create more work it is not meant to do,
But serve to remind we need polishing, too.
As you polish your teapot and see the reflection,
Who’s looking back now for your inspection?

Is it God or you or the things of the world--
For remember who came and died for us all.
And just as our teapot, our lives can grow dim,
But with the Lord’s help we can soon shine again!

-Carrie

What is the Tarnished Teapot?

The Tarnished Teapot is a blog created by two "tarnished teapots" who happen to be sisters in real life as well as sisters in Christ. We wanted to enrich each other's lives and help keep each other focused on our callings as Christian wives and mothers. Scripture encourages us to spur one another on towards love and good deeds; that is exactly what we hope this blog will enable us to do. Are we experts in any of the fields we discuss? No. Are we perfect? No! Are we real? Yes. If you look no further, check out "Polishing Your Teapot," and start polishing your own. If you want to know more about us, read our bios. And, if you have lots of spare time, feel free to browse around the blog or even read it frequently as we reflect on our current lives, struggles, and efforts to polish away the tarnish. Because we are very different from each other in many respects, you will see some differences of opinion, different methods of child care, different favorite Scripture passages. We hope you will see that there is more than one way to skin a cat; that is, that when we seek to glorify our Lord and live as he calls us to live, it might look different in one person's life than another's. We would love your feedback and tips--we need new ideas, too!

Why the "Tarnished Teapot"?

We all love either tea or coffee and a quiet moment to drink it. The name evolved in searching for the right birthday gift for my sister. We had both been struggling with our time, our mothering, our messy houses, and trying to become a Godly wife and mother. Feeling quite "tarnished" myself, and knowing Betsy loved tea, I (Carrie) created the tarnished teapot. For just as our teapots, we can shine and sparkle and look perfect; however, with our daily struggles and the world bearing down on us, we slowly dim and loose our focus. We all need "polishing," restoring and repairing to remember where our focus needs to be. So shine your teapot, as you shine your life. And maybe, as we encourage each other, our teapots won't tarnish so often!

Betsy's Bio

My life is very, very different than it was 3 years ago. Then, I was married to a wonderful Christian man, working full-time as a school teacher, and supporting my husband as he finished a grueling PhD program. In 2005, in the space of 5 short months, I quit my job, my hubby took a new job, we moved from our big, sprawling city to a medium-sized city, we had our first child, my hubby finished his dissertation and graduated, we joined a new church, and we were off and running. I kept thinking I would soon get "back to normal" (meaning, of course, the way I looked and acted pre-children), but that has not been the case. We had twins a mere 18 months after our daughter was born, and I've been coming to the firm conclusion ever since that life will NEVER be the same for me again (and I still don't know what the "new normal" will be). But I'm learning anew how sufficient the grace of God is no matter what our situation. I'm learning that the Lord has different ideas of what our lives should look like than we do. In the past couple of months, I've begun to get excited again to look ahead and see where the Lord takes me and my family. I've also begun to have a renewed desire to seek Him first in all that I do, to serve Him as I serve my family, and to study His word.

Carrie's Bio

I am Carrie, sister of Betsy both by blood and by Christ. I have a wonderful husband and two active young boys. We had been married for 6 years when my life on cruise control spun out of control. The events of the next two years would begin to re-shape and repolish my life. We were faced with putting our ultimate trust in God. We were at the end of our rope financially, we on threads marriage wise, and realizing how the things of this world had totally taken over. So my husband quit his job (a major factor!). Thus began a journey consisting in faith God would provide (which he truly did, and too long to detail now), another move, and starting on a new life. Although we were trying to refocus, deal with young kids, trying sometimes to get my house clean and decluttered (you try that with boys under your roof), I was still feeling the need to slow down and start new. We had finally felt at home, where we belong and were moving in the right direction. Then God slowed us down again, and we lost a little boy my 16th week of pregnancy. It was around that time I had been feeling the need to spend more time with my kids, not so begrudge my daily chores, and try to become more of the woman God wanted me to be. After talking with Betsy and hearing other women voice the same concerns we started working on The Tarnished Teapot. Yes, there were plenty of other "self-help" blogs and websites out there, but we both felt the need to have one really place the focus on God and what he is doing in our lives, be REAL about what can be accomplished with little ones running around, and help each other help our lives.

Polishing Silver

We have grown up using the family silver: silver water goblets, silver flatware, silver tea and coffee pitchers, silver platters, etc. This is the real stuff, the real deal, not silverplate. What we have learned over the years as we've learned to carry on the tradition of polishing these heirlooms and then enjoying them can apply to our own lives as well. So, as you polish your teapots, metaphorically and in reality, remember these points:

1. You can always polish REAL silver, no matter how tarnished. It might not look brand-new, but you can get it to shine.

2. Real silver sometimes needs to be buffed. During this slightly more abrasive process, the scratches can be buffed out, bringing real shine to older pieces. This can be a painful process if you yourself are the teapot/silver in question.

3. Real silver can be bent back into shape if need be. It won't be perfect, but you can make it work.

4. Real silver gets more tarnished from sitting on the shelf and being neglected than it does from daily wear and care.

5. As it ages and is used over and over again, real silver develops a rich luster that adds to its beauty. It becomes a treasure.

6. There is always an outside agent in the shining/buffing: the silver polish and/or the tool used. In our lives, this agent is the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.