Nugget and the Refiner (Kerry Tittle)

Nugget and the Refiner

“Why are bad things always happening to me?”

Nugget and the Refiner is a parable about how a loving God uses hard times in the lives of His children to remove their sin and mold them into the image of Jesus. It is not intended to illustrate how we are saved, but rather how God often works in the lives of those who have been saved.

Nugget is a rock. Not a gem but an ugly hunk of ore buried in the ooze and he’s comfortable there. That is, until one day when a traveler wrenches him from the ground and takes him on the most uncomfortable, but surprising, journey of his life.

Written in loving memory of husband Rob Tittle and daughters Tori & Rebekah Tittle.

“But now, thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.  When you pass through the waters I will be with you.  And through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you.  When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” — Isaiah 43:1-2

About the Author

Kerry Tittle lives in Little Rock, Arkansas, and is a mother of nine children. In 2014 a tornado took the lives of her husband, Rob, and two of their daughters, Tori and Rebekah. With the help of others, Kerry founded Refined Family, which is created to encourage others to find hope in the gospel in the midst of trials.

About the Illustrator

Jim McMurry is a watercolor artist from Little Rock, Arkansas, with 35 years of experience. His interests include landscapes, portraits, and small-town life. He serves as worship leader and elder at Redeemer Community Church in Little Rock.

Endorsements

“A warm, gospel-centered, imaginative story crafted in the furnace of affliction. God has uniquely prepared Kerry Tittle to help children understand the tragic beauty of the frowning providences our loving Heavenly Father ordains to refine his children into joyful and useful vessels for his glory.”

— Douglas Bond, author of numerous books of historical fiction, biography, and practical theology including the children’s book God’s Servant Job.

“What a beautiful story of hope and help for anyone in suffering! Written for children but applicable to all of us. If your own story reflects deep hurts or relatively minor ones, you will connect with Nugget, and hopefully his Refiner.”

— Kevin Carson, pastor of Sonrise Baptist Church in Ozark, Missouri; professor and department chair of biblical counseling at Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri

“Well done! This imaginatively written story illustrates the process by which our God, the Refiner, shapes us into the likeness of His Son.”

— Wayne Mack, Director of Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) Africa and past chairman of biblical counseling at Master’s University and Seminary

“Kerry Tittle and her family were taken through the crucible led and loved every step of the way by God. She brings that experience to this warm tale of Nugget. Plucked from the mud, Nugget goes through the fire and the flame to become exactly what God wanted him to be. This book helps us all, children and parents, to learn anew and again to trust the sovereign, loving, gentle, and kind hand of the Refiner.”

— Stephen J. Nichols, president of Reformation Bible College, and chief academic officer at Ligonier Ministries