Something of Value

 

The Things We Value We Protect

It is amazing how everyday things can teach you about God. I learned about God from my purse today. While in the ladies room, I was searching for a place to put my purse. I refused to place my purse on any surface that was not clean. It was then that I realized just how much I valued my croc leather Dooney and Burke purse.

I remember the first time I saw a Dooney and Burke purse. My aunt purchased one when she first became an RN. I had to be about 10 years old, and I was fascinated by the pretty green leather. I remember knowing that the purse was very expensive. I wanted one, but I knew my mother would never buy me one. It would be years before I could afford a designer purse.

As I finally found a place to set my purse, it came to me. The things that we value we protect. We are careful with them. If a person values us, then they treat us with care and respect.

 How often have we settled for people who don’t really love us or respect us? How often do we sell our virtue for far less than it is worth? God tells us that “our price is far above rubies”. So, we must stop selling ourselves short. As ladies, we must really learn to place the same value on ourselves as God does.

Luke 12: 24~ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

Childlike Faith: Trusting God Inspite Of

Children are fascinating. They can believe something without having to see a whole lot of proof. Unlike us, they have not learned to be suspicious yet. They still see the world through rose-colored glasses. They believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth fairy. And, just as they believe in these mythical characters, they also take Christ at his word. They believe without seeing. They don’t have to see the nail prints in his hands. I have often wondered why I couldn’t be like them. Although I have faith and love God, sometimes it gets a little difficult to believe that God is going to do all of the things he promised. It is difficult to believe that he will open up the windows of Heaven and pour me out a blessing when the light bill is past due. It can be hard to believe the words of King David, who said he had never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread, when the cabinets are bare and there is nothing in the refrigerator. Thankfully, over the years, I have learned to look less at my situation and more to the promises of the father. God has not asked us to do the impossible. He asked us to simply believe-to have the faith of a grain of a mustard seed.When I stop worrying-stop trying to fix it myself-things change. So, my prayer is that I can adopt the faith of a little child.

Psalms 37: 25

John 20: 25

Malachi 3:10

Matthew 17: 20

Leaving a Legacy Behind: Things We Must Leave Our Children

A few years ago, I wrote an article called “Legacies” for Yahoo Voices. In this article, I talked about a family from Kemper County whose parents had left them a lasting legacy of love, pride, and service. How wonderful it must be to be left with a legacy like that. As parents, it is our job to leave a lasting and positive legacy for our children. We should strive to ensure that our offspring is better off than we were to begin with.

Yes, I know we may have struggled, and many of us feel that our children are not any better than we are. But, did you ever stop to think how different your life would have been if you had been left with a positive legacy? Did you ever wonder how much further along you would be if your parents had provided a better financial foundation for you?

Well, I do. I think about all of those people who inherited their grandma’s house or their parents’ old car. I think about the money I would have saved. I also think about how much better off financially I would have been if someone had only taught me to budget my money when I was younger. No, I am not crying over spilled milk. The past is the past. And, I believe in moving forward. As my mother once said, you can’t drive a car if you are constantly looking back.

What I would like to do, however, is ensure that my children don’t have the same struggles. No, we should no give our children everything they want. No, we should not make them lazy. Yes, we should encourage them to work and make a living. But, we should make it a goal to leave them a legacy of honesty, hard-work, integrity, and financial and spiritual wisdom. We must educate our children on how to budget. We must teach them how to have a good work ethic. We must teach them respect. We must teach them be empathic to their fellowman.

So, as parents, we shouldn’t waste all of our substance (money/knowledge) on ourselves. We should provide a financial and spiritual legacy for our children.

http://voices.yahoo.com/leagacies-11617932.html

http://voices.yahoo.com/ending-cycle-poverty-indentifying-cause-12028759.html

http://voices.yahoo.com/ending-cycle-poverty-among-african-americans-11980800.html

Luke 15:11-32
Proverbs 13: 22