This Painting is Worth the Search

I spotted this painting in Larry’s office. It’s considered a treasure to he and Staci because Payton, their son, painted it for them years ago. In terms of value in dollars and cents, it might not have a high sticker price at the At Home store. But in terms of value in sentiment – priceless.

When Staci and Larry moved into their new town-home here in Frisco Square, Staci and I were on a mission to find items like accent pillows and rugs that would pull the living area together. This painting had the exact colors in it that we were looking for. We headed to the At Home store to find our accessories, toting the painting with us. I put the painting in the shopping cart and we began our search. Before long, we had what we needed, made our purchases and headed back to their home.

The next day, my lightning-fast mind didn’t remember the painting coming out of the car with our purchases. I realized that I must have left the painting in the shopping cart. I called the store and inquired about the painting. No one had seen it, but promised they’d watch for it. Mind you – it is on a canvas, very similar to their paintings. I couldn’t wait. I headed to the store -- spoke to a manager, but it had not shown up. Now, I was in high-energy prayer-mode. What is lost -- must be found! I saw a young man stocking in that area and asked if he had seen it. He said “No, ma’am, but if someone found it without a price on it and took it to check-out, they would probably set a price for it.” That was no comfort at all. Isn’t that just like the enemy who makes us quit believing – to come up with reasons that a relationship can’t be restored or keys or a precious treasure can’t be found?

I would not be denied. I slowly paced up and down the aisles – looking in all the stacks of canvas paintings, and if you know the At Home store, you know they have hundreds and hundreds of paintings. Now, I’m praying in my heavenly prayer language (tongues) – yes, I’m bilingual AND in English. I am interceding and I’m asking all my heavenly support team to intercede for divine intervention with me! God knew right where that painting was and I would not relent. After more than an hour of flipping through paintings, tightly squeezed in between two larger paintings was Payton’s painting. My heart was overcome with gratitude – so much so that tears began to flow. My young store clerk saw me and rejoiced with me. He took this photo that you can see my red, tear-stained face! Oh, happy day!

What once was lost – now was found. Like I said – the price tag would not have been very high to someone else – but it was priceless for us. Did you know that is how priceless we are to God? He paid a great price to redeem mankind. We use the term "priceless" today to illustrate that there is no amount of money on earth that could buy or purchase something "priceless." And, all the wealth of the earth couldn’t purchase man's redemption. It took something of far greater value to pay the price, so God sent the most valuable and precious gift He had, to pay the price for our salvation and that was His dear Son, Jesus. So, in God's eyes we are "priceless." Nothing on earth could purchase us but the value God saw in His Son is the value He sees in us. Thank you, Lord, for the incomparable price you paid for us. And, as for you and me, our Lord calls us "priceless" too, so we should start treating ourselves and others as treasures -- like God does!
"For you are bought with a great price. Glorify and bear God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:20

The Seagulls are Everywhere!

It’s not uncommon for me to be inspired for a blog from the “birds of a feather that flock together”, so here I go again! Yesterday morning, I was “perched” in my lawn chair at 6 am here at Aransas Bay on the Texas Gulf Coast, praying for the inspiration for tomorrow’s blog. The brilliant sun was rising and seagulls were walking stealthily along the ocean's edge for their next fish or mussel treat. They’d grab a bite to eat then fly away. Then another would land right in front of me.

Jesus talked so much about birds. In Matthew 6:26 He tells His followers not to be anxious about food, but to rely on God as the birds do, who are worth far less than the people He provides for. I started thinking about how privileged those birds are to live where food is so abundant. As I ate a bite of my protein bar, I remembered my granddaughter eating chips from her kayak and being attacked by seagulls. Sharing wasn’t what she had in mind and neither was I. I quickly shoved that bar in my mouth -- quickly! Those seagulls don’t seem to have a preference for land or sea food!

Are those birds really “privileged” or do they have an innate sense of being who they were destined to be? “Privileged” is a word we’ve heard in abundance in the last few weeks. “Privileged” as in born into wealth or born in a certain ethnicity or born into a specific family of origin.

Let’s consider who the real privileged folks are! I am saying that with happy thoughts daily because I choose to believe that I was born into privilege as a member of the royal family of God. I was born into a family that believed that and so did I. As children of God, we are privileged with abundance, but we must step out in faith and go for the opportunities that are just waiting for us. When we receive Christ by faith, we become His children. We are adopted into His family. "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." - John 1:12.

In Matthew 6, Jesus put it this way “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (privileges) shall be added to you.”

Indeed, we are privileged to be children of God Who daily offers us so many blessings. It's time for us to recognize our privileges like living in a free country, having a roof over our head, running water, a warm bed to sleep in, and plenty of food to eat. Yes, we are privileged.

I’m All Grown Up, But I’m Still a Kid

I embraced every minute of precious family time during Thanksgiving week. My family is right up there at the top of my “gratitude” list. We are a diverse family with diverse interests and diverse ways of life. None of us were cut from the same mold, but we have this one thing in common – we are family. I came from a middle-class family. We didn't have much, but we had all we needed. We knew love, but by no means did we know royalty and wealth, or the social graces that went along with it.

But, then, one day, I came into a royal family -- the Family of God -- not as a result of merit or anything I earned or was born into, but I was adopted into this wonderful Family of God. It was simply because I asked to come in, and I believed the Father of this royal family has a very special Son Who paid a hefty price for me to be welcomed into the family. I didn't have to pay my way in -- I just had to believe in HIS royal family. And, guess what! You have been invited into the FAMILY, too! The invitation goes out to "Whoever believes in HIM....."

There are no adults in the Family of God. Father God only has children. Adults complicate things. They try to figure out what's next, how, why, where and when. Kids just say "Okay!" They just believe. I believed. Stuff happens. No problem. My Father has everything under control. And, He keeps telling us to "Be like children" who just believe.

While doing a lot of my holiday baking, I watched a sweet and tender Hallmark Christmas movie. I’ll admit it. I’m a “Hallmark” junkie – just knowing that the movie is going to end with a sappy, predictable ending, makes me happy. I saw one where two children whose Mom and Dad had died in an automobile accident. Their very wealthy grandfather (who they had never met) asked them to come to visit him at his royal mansion in England. Once they were there, they had all the privileges that their lineage provided -- sitting at the grandfather's table, eating the best of foods, wearing elaborate clothes provided by the grandfather, being served by the maids and butlers. They didn't even know their grandfather before, but all their lives, royalty was waiting for them. But, to live in the grandfather's home, they had to change some of their rough ways. And they did because they wanted to please the grandfather. And when they pleased him, he just kept pouring on the blessings to them.

Once we come into the royal Family of God, we should have a hard time being disobedient children. If we daily make a purpose to NOT disappoint our Heavenly Father, He'll keep pouring His blessings on us. If we abide in Him, and His Word abides in us, then we'll have a hard time messing up. We just don't want to take a chance on disappointing our Father. Still, I have disappointed Him. But when I did, His grace flowed out to me. His nature IS love and grace. It's going to be Christmas in just a few weeks, and if we gave our kids a gift, we would never want them to turn to us and say, "What do I owe you for this?" No, we would simply say to them, "I so love you and want to bless you."
The man in the movie had to discipline those grandkids from time to time for being naughty. And there's also a judgment side to God, but if we obey Him, we'll never see it. There's a judgment side to us, but if our kids obey us, they'll never see that judgment.

Today, our Heavenly Father has His arms open wide to His naughty or nice kids out there. He's ready to bless them. He's ready to invite them to sit at His royal table and feast and dine with Him. It's ours for the taking. Now let's throw our hands up in the air and shout out, "CHOOSE ME!"

1 John 3:1 "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."

Living Like Royalty

I came from a middle class family. We didn't have much, but we had all we needed. We knew love -- but by no means did we know royalty and wealth, or the social graces that went along with it. But, then, one day, I came into a royal family.....the Family of God -- where now I'm UPPER class -- not as a result of merit or anything I earned, or was born into, but I was adopted into God’s marvelous Family. It was simply because I asked to come in, and because I believed in the Father's Son of this royal family, Who paid a hefty price for me to be welcomed into the family. I didn't have to pay my way in -- I just BELIEVED. And, guess what YOU'VE been invited into the FAMILY, too! The invitation goes out to "Whoever believes in HIM....."

I'm all grown up now, but there are no adults in the family. Father God only has children. Adults complicate things. They try to figure out what's next, how, why, where and when. Kids just say "Okay!" They just believe. I believed. Yesterday I put up my Christmas decorations and this little outdoor sign says "Believe". I know Santa is saying "Believe in me", or, no, maybe he's saying "Believe in God!" Father knows best and Father has everything under control. And, He keeps telling us to "Be like children" who just believe.

I was doing some holiday baking last week and, I had the Hallmark Channel on and I watched one of their sweet, tender, sappy and predictable-ending movies. This one was about some children whose Mom and Dad had died in an automobile accident and the very wealthy grandfather (who they had never met) asked them to come see him at his royal mansion in England. Once they were there, they had all the privileges that their lineage provided -- sitting at the Grandfather's table, eating the best of foods, wearing the royal clothes provided by the grandfather, being served by the maids and butlers. They didn't even know this Grandfather before, but all their lives, royalty was waiting for them. But, to live in the Grandfather's home, they had to change some of their rough ways. And they did, because they wanted to please the Grandfather. And when they pleased him, he just kept pouring on the blessings to them.

Once we come into the royal Family of God, we should have a hard time being disobedient children. If we daily make a purpose to NOT disappoint our Father, He'll keep pouring His blessings on us. If we abide in Him, and His Word abides in us, then we'll have a hard time messing up. We just don't want to take a chance on disappointing our Father.

But even when we slip up and disappoint Him, when we ask for forgiveness, His grace flows out to us. His nature IS love and grace. The man in the movie had to discipline those grandkids from time to time for being naughty. And there's also a judgment side to God, but if we obey Him, we'll never see it.

Today, our Heavenly Father has His arms open wide to His naughty or nice kids out there. He's ready to bless them. He's ready to invite them to sit at His royal table and feast and dine with Him. It's ours for the taking. Now let's throw our hands up in the air and shout out, "CHOOSE ME!"

1 John 3:1 "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us, is that it did not know Him."