Sharing a post I read today on Proverbs 31 Ministries.  I love this post.  it is very much the beat of my heart for this season and the coming year. 

“Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.” I Kings 10:1 (NKJ)

The Queen of Sheba was wealthy and beautiful. She had everything a queen could want – gold, silver, ivory, precious jewels and servants taking care of all her needs.
Well, almost everything.
She’d heard about the famous King Solomon and his miraculous God. Even though her people had many gods to worship, none intrigued her like the Lord God of Israel. Her heart was so moved by His Name she traveled 1,400 miles across the desert sands of Arabia to visit King Solomon, a man who knew this God personally.
Camels can travel around 20 miles a day, so the trip would take her six months each way. She brought a great caravan of servants, loads of spices, gold and unusual woods to give as gifts to Solomon. Her heart and soul longed for riches she did not have, and she sensed they would be discovered through him.
When she finally arrived, she stood before the grandest palace she had laid eyes on. But her purpose wasn’t to see the most beautiful archeological place ever built, it was to find a secret treasure.
Scripture tells us she talked to Solomon for hours, asking him deep questions about God. Based on her response, she found what she had longed for and declared, “Blessed be the LORD your God” (1 Kings 10:9a NKJ).
The Queen of Sheba took great pains to find wisdom, yet the wisdom available to her at that time was the lesser wisdom of a man. Even so, Jesus mentions the Queen in Matthew 12:42 and honors her desire for His wisdom.
The wisdom we have access to through Jesus far outshines Solomon’s. If the Queen of Sheba would travel six months to find truth, how much more should we search for wisdom by opening our Bibles and hearts to Him in prayer?
When people travel to our home this week, it will not be the seasonal décor or cleanliness that will ultimately impress them. It won’t be a perfectly sculpted yard or a new car in the garage. It will be spiritual insight and the presence of grace they will be drawn to — through the Holy Spirit living in us. When we share the love of our God with them they will have visited a wealthy home.
As rich as Queen Sheba or King Solomon’s palaces.
Our home is where our heart is, and our heart is Christ’s home — a dwelling place for the Lord. Let’s be sure to spend time with Him this week so we can be filled with love and prepared with wisdom to offer our guests. May those who enter our homes this Christmas, and in the New Year to come, find treasures that people have traveled the whole earth in search of!

Dear Lord, I want every person who walks into my home to find the riches that only You can deliver. Help me to be a conduit for Your wisdom and love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

You can see the original post and discussion question here.

People are our greatest gift.  I hope the way I love mine will always reflect the way my Jesus loves me. 

Happy day to you my friends

S.
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The Lens of my heart

It's a term I've never heard before, but have so often thought of when wanting to savor something forever.  The look on one's face, the glowing clouds in the sky as the sun slips behind them on it's way down.  The sound of my girls laughing and enjoying one another.  Those moment sneak up on us...or do they?  Is it possibly that we're not still enough, aware enough of their comings and goings?  Today's post on the Proverbs 31 blog, was a gentle reminder that we only have this moment.  Nothing else is a guarantee.  As much as there are things that need to be done today, this week, this month.  I pray that I don't live in that undeserved space, the future.  Lord help me to live more fully in the moment of now.  If you'd like to take in the Proverbs 31 post, you can find it here.

source

Cheers,
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Building Self Esteem Through Cookies?

Remember these?

Eden bought herself one the other day with her birthday money.  I wish I had taken a picture when she was carrying it out of the store.  She bore a smile as wide as Niagara Falls.

Yesterday, her fabulous Daddy helped her break open the box, and baked miniscule size cookies with her.   They weren't bad actually, given that they were baked with a 100 watt light bulb.

The little afternoon experience they shared (while I was out in the yard gardening - hence the very few photos) was highlighted for me this morning, as I read the Proverbs 31 Ministries Devotional.  Today's note was all about raising girls to know their value within the freedom of God's deep love for them.  It talked about our desire as mothers for our girls to not fall victim to the messages of the world.  Messages that say "you're only lovable as long as you...look like, sound like, participate in..." etc.  We want to model to them what living with a healthy sense of self-worth and self-esteem looks like.  Our job begins when they're very young, and continues on until the day we are no longer around to do so.  Having a daddy take the time to wash pans, stir batter, ensure she doesn't burn herself, and share in her fresh baked goodies meant the world to our 8 year old daughter.  Her self esteem was built up just a little bit more yesterday afternoon, through intentionality.  My prayer for her is that in times when the voices of the world want to creep in and drown out the voice of the Holy Spirit, that she will remember this brief, sweet afternoon with her daddy.

 

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe…” Ephesians 1:18-19a (NIV)

Thanks for stopping by today.

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