Great Expectations

     What is your favorite part of the Christmas season? 

     I love the decorations! The lights on a Christmas tree sparkling and bright...hung with ornaments full of memories...the nativity set of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus placed in the manger...candles and fireplaces and the warm glow that seems to surround this holiday!

     A few years back, one of our treasure hunts yielded boxes of old glass ornaments. They were similar to ornaments my mother-in-law used to decorate her house - even the ceiling of one room! The ornaments reminded us of Christmas' past, and the celebrations with her that we still treasure in our hearts.

     The ornaments were also fragile, some shattered when lifted gently from the box!

     The ones that made it were placed into this apothecary jar-

    

     Another decoration I treasure is the baby Jesus my son fashioned out of clay when he was in elementary school -

     

     The decorations we pull from boxes and set around our homes have a special place in our hearts. Filled with memories of family gatherings past, we expect them to set the stage for a perfect celebration full of new memories.

     We have great expectations for Christmas...

     But what happens when holiday reality doesn't live up to our expectations?

     If our expectations are for a perfect Christmas experience we may find that dream shattered like one of my fragile ornaments. 

     Christmas is the celebration of a child born in a stable in Bethlehem - a less than perfect setting! In all our decorating and preparation may we remember that it wasn't the setting, but rather baby Jesus' birth that makes our Christmas celebration perfect. 

     That Jesus Christ is the only reason we are celebrating at all...

     

Globes; To the End of the Earth

     We are part of a local vintage market that takes place a couple of times a year. It's great fun to go from booth to booth, checking out what treasures our fellow hunters have found, and how some of them have re-purposed those treasures!

     One thing we see over and again is vintage globes. The kind your teacher had on her desk when you were in elementary school; the one you twirled round and round while you waited in line to ask a question. These are in demand, some for their historical value, some to be transformed with boldly written travel quotes.

     I enjoy these old globes, and have taken to collecting them when one appears at an estate sale. A globe seems to say, "...there are places to go, people and sights you need to see, just waiting..."

Cram's Scope-O-Sphere World Globe

     

     And maybe it's not so strange that I am intrigued by these globes...

     Before Jesus left the earth to return to Heaven, He gave this instruction to His disciples:

     "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." *

     We have been instructed to share the gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere that we could point a finger to when we twirl the globe! This is a big command, one that may look impossible,  but we need to note that He didn't expect us to do it on our own. The power needed to obey Him will come from the Holy Spirit. The opportunities to share the Gospel will present themselves at His leading. We are not alone!

     So where will you be led to share His message of redemption? Your neighborhood? Somewhere else in this country? Or will He take you on a spin to the other side of the globe, and a people group that are waiting to hear His Good News...at the "end of the earth...?"

*Acts 1:8

                                                               

Another Resource Faces Extinction

     Our media is constantly reminding us that the precious natural resources we treasure are dwindling, becoming polluted, facing extinction...

     And we can see this truth for ourselves. We were placed here as caretakers, but more often than not the care we take, is of ourselves. Without concern for the effect it may have on the air, water and plants our lives depend on, we continue to violate these resources, most often for gain.

     My heart is saddened by the need for new and more that our country embraces, and that in part is what keeps me out hunting for treasure. With so many beautiful old pieces of jewelry left, things that have lasted 30 years or more, shouldn't we continue to use them?

This beautiful Victorian necklace is over 100 years old, a unique accessory you won't find everyone wearing!

     But this week end I discovered another treasure that is in peril of extinction:

     Silence.

     At a women's retreat we were challenged to spend two hours in quiet; we read, prayed and listened to see what God might have to say to us.

     As I walked away to find a secluded place my hand reached for my cell phone. It was an automatic gesture, and I was tempted to fill my time catching up with the "urgent" requests that it announced with a flash and hum. It was with great reluctance that I put it away.

    Finally, I settled into a quiet corner of the camp. The building appeared empty except for another person across the room seeking her own solitude. I started reading. I really was hoping to hear from God, there are many things going on in my life right now that require His direction. And He told me He would be there if I would just seek Him...

    The quiet was suddenly broken by music. Speakers I didn't realize were near loudly started playing Christian music. The words were beautiful, and normally soothing - but it was not the voice of God I'd hoped to hear. I debated...should I move...would I find quiet anywhere?

     And there is the problem - the treasure of quiet is becoming extinct. God tells us to "Be still and know" that He is God, that He will be exalted among the nations and in the earth. As quiet disappears, so does our ability to know mighty God. *

     He also tells us that, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength..."* Is it any wonder that we feel weak and overwhelmed by our lives? 

     And then there was this other thing, and maybe it explains why we are allowing silence to become extinct...

     Do we really want to be alone with our thoughts? When they remind us of unresolved conflicts in our relationships with God and people, it is tempting to just turn them off with the flip of a switch. But in doing so we turn off the One who has the ability to heal these conflicts.

    I would like to challenge you to find a quiet place this week, and spend time seeking God. Eventually I found the quiet I was looking for last week end, and I did hear from God as He confirmed His direction for me. If you seek Him, He will be there in the quiet for you too!

     "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul"    Deuteronomy 4:29

*Psalm 46:10, Isaiah 30:15

     

The Big Picture

     The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is a great place to find treasure! There are rooms full of antique furniture, photos, delicate ceramics, and paintings from every period by the masters of each! A few summers ago I visited for the first time;  each room seemed more splendid than the last as we progressed from the treasures of Egypt through the French Impressionists (my favorite)!

     It was impossible for me to focus on one thing - each painting drew my attention and so I flitted from one to the next, unable to concentrate for very long for fear I might miss something!

     My son was traveling through time with me that day as we viewed the great artistic treasures created by man throughout history. He humored me as I ran around exclaiming over a Roman necklace here, a Tiffany vase there...

     And all the while he was patient and focused....

     Because he had a goal. There was a painting that he would see that day. Everything else was interesting, and he enjoyed sharing our time together, but as we progressed he knew where we were headed.

                        

"Washington Crossing the Delaware" -Emanuel Leutze-1851

     This magnificent painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware was the treasure he was there to experience. And that he did to the fullest, as he took in the expression of each man captured by the artist's brush strokes. The painting stirs feelings of patriotism and a gratefulness for those who sacrificed all, that we might know the blessing of calling this place home! I was thankful for his determination to see this masterpiece, it is a memory I will always hold dear.

     And like that day at the museum I will sometimes find myself fluttering here and there through life, wanting to see it all...

     God has a purpose for each person, and that purpose is leading us toward a goal. As my son was interested in all the things around us, he didn't get distracted by them; he knew something great was waiting for him further on.

     I need to be reminded of what God has waiting for me further on -

      " Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.  Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”   Revelation 21:1-5

     Someday, I will be with God in Heaven. No more tears, no more pain or death or sorrow. And  Heaven will be a place more beautiful than anything we could possibly imagine - or that the great masters were able to depict on canvas.  Even Michelangelo! 

     But while I am still here, God has a purpose for me, and while I am easily distracted by all that life involves, my purpose is to share...

     ...that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life...that no one can come to God the Father, except through Him.* To encourage everyone He puts in my path,  to press on through all those beautiful distractions that life offers,  toward the big picture...the eternal life we will have with God...in a place that is the most beautiful of all!

*John 14:6
  

     

Compartments

     I always cringe just a little when I'm paying for items at an estate sale and the cashier drops all the old jewelry into one big clump. OUCH!

     It usually means I'll find a chip here, a tangle there, sometimes a random rhinestone just pops right out of its setting! These treasures need their own space, gentle treatment, a bit of wrapping!

     At home I place them in dividers:

An assortment of brooches from early 1900's - 1960's.

     Dividing these aging beauties gives me some control over their condition, and condition is everything to the collectors looking for these pieces.  

     Sometimes we try to separate life into dividers...

     This does not have the same results!

     We become a different person at work than we are at home. Our friends would be surprised to know we attend church on Sunday. Our belief in Jesus Christ has no bearing on our world view. Each facet of life neatly placed in its own box- just like these brooches!

     Jesus told his disciples that, "All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth." 

     His authority opens all those boxes we try to shut. Recognizing this frees us to live a life of integrity where we are honest with Him, others and ourselves!

     The condition of my vintage jewelry may be better separated, but the condition of my heart is at its best undivided, completely given to Him! 

     

     

     

Radiant Beauty!

     Estate sales have taught me a valuable lesson - don't judge a book by its cover. Or in this case, don''t judge what is inside a home by a vanilla stucco exterior!  A home on a street where all homes shared a strong resemblance, was unique when the front door opened - because it had been filled by an artist and collector of modern art! Like stepping into a museum, it was hard to know where to look first - each wall holding something more interesting than the next!

     Okay - of course I knew where to look first - at the jewelry! But before I was able to head in that direction something caught my eye. Two cobalt blue Lucite sculptures...

"Gems" 1 & 2 of 25 by R.R. Reynolds Jr.

     Modern Lucite sculptures do not interest me. Normally. These, however...had this glow that radiated from the inside out. Of course seeing their name, "Gems" engraved in the bottom when I flipped them over was a sign that they needed to go into my "hold" pile by the cashier.

     On further inspection, I was able to see that the inside had been carved out, and with some clever sculpting, Reynolds had been able to make the carved areas shine brighter than the dark blue surrounding them. 

     There are people who seem to radiate a kindness, love, and compassion as they move through life. I'm sure you've met one...and were drawn to them. Usually, when you hear their life story, it isn't one of privilege - most often they've been touched by pain or tragedy. But instead of letting tribulation leave them in darkness and defeat, they've allowed Jesus Christ to turn it into something beautiful.That carving out of self allows His beauty to radiate in us. The work of art He creates may look like Elisabeth Elliot, a woman who went to Ecuador to share Jesus Christ with the same tribe who had earlier killed her husband, missionary Jim Elliot. She allowed a carving away of the anger and bitterness she might have been justified in feeling; instead,  the same love Jesus Christ has for a people dying in sin and without hope, radiated through her to them.

     Paul shared, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

"Something beautiful, something good

All my confusion He understood

All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife

But He made something beautiful of my life."

                                                          - Bill Gaither

     

The Potter and the Clay - Art Fair Treasures!

     Our small town on the edge of the desert hosts a great art fair twice each year. Thousands flood past the tents lining the center of town, shopping for that one-of-a-kind creation being offered by some of the best artists and crafts people in the Southwest! The fair is a feast of color, kettle corn and alternative music - it draws a crowd as diverse as the art work it offers.

     I admit that I don't always attend. The crowds can be a little overwhelming, and like most of the residents of this town, I am drawn here by the quiet life our town offers. However, it's hard to stay away for too many fairs in a row; after missing a few I'll find myself caught up again in the flow, ducking in those white tents hunting for a treasure to take home.

     Without fail, I end up in the same spot...

   

                                                                                      ...circling the shelves of pottery!

     Each piece is unique, fashioned by hand, never completely perfect - but all beautiful!  I'm afraid it may be an addiction as I look around our home, one I've had for years. The wavy finished lidded pot is a piece from 25 years ago, made by a Virginia artist, purchased at an Ohio art show!


     God, our Father, tells us that we are clay - and He is the potter. Each of us is the "work of His hand".

     Tall, short, bumpy, round...each unique, each one of a kind, each the work of a Master.

     Can you imagine a piece of clay, while being formed into a beautiful vessel, looking up at the potter and asking, "Why did you make me this way?" Or when it's finished, " You didn't make me - you know nothing! I evolved into this work of art from a lump of clay!"

    Of course not! What an absurd idea!

     But that's exactly what we do.

     When we question why we look the way we do...

     When we deny God as Creator, the One responsible for forming man out of the dust of the ground and breathing life into him...

     At the art fair I'm looking for unique pottery, things I don't have, to add to my collection. After watching artists create some of these pots and vases, it is obvious that a lump of clay will never be anything but a lump of clay until that artist molds and shapes it.

     Our Father has created us....made each of us unique...with a purpose in mind. It is up to us to acknowledge Him as the Potter, accept our role as clay in His hands, and trust Him to make our lives a work of art that brings praise to Him!

"Have thine own way Lord! Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still."

Hymn lyrics by Adelaide A. Pollard  1862-1934
   

What's Really in That Storage Unit Box? Not Always a Treasure!

     In pursuit of a different kind of treasure last week end, we decided to take a few days off and enjoy the cooler weather on the West coast. Passing through a beach community we stumbled upon a large swap meet and decided to stop. And off we went, ready to hunt for the treasure we normally pursue!

Like these rhinestone, faux pearls and beautiful bead work, Haskell/Hagler style vintage earrings!

     We wandered up and down the rows, stopping to look at the vintage, and not so vintage offerings of the vendors. While I lingered over a table of costume jewelry, my husband pressed on- and found a celebrity, of the treasure hunting sort! He hurried back, and guided me through the tables to stand before one of the key players in a reality show based on the purchase of storage unit contents. Of course he was easy to recognize with his name written in huge letters on the side of the truck parked behind his space.

     Now, if you watch this reality show, perhaps you've been led to believe that most every locker these guys purchase is full of amazing treasures. The kind of things a special appraiser has to look at, and then values at a price much higher than the buyer paid for the entire unit. However, this is not necessarily so...

     A patchwork of tarps in front of the celebrity and his truck told a different story. There on the ground were piles of mismatched, broken, unwanted items - the real contents of storage units not shown during the television show.

     It seems that though some units do yield treasure -safes full of jewelry or coins - many are also filled with boxes of junk that people won't  throw away. And so they drag it around... and store it... paying a price to keep hold of what they just can't let go of...

     It's amazing, until we consider our own lives. Someone hurts us, and we stuff it in a box, refusing to deal with the person or the pain, until it grows into a hard and unforgiving attitude. Over time, bitterness sets in and we are hauling a box of trash around with us wherever we go. And do we ever pay a price for storing it! Many health problems can be directly linked to how we handle the stress of  anger, and inability to forgive.

     Sooner or later, that box of trash surfaces, just like the ones in the storage units. It's opened, and where treasure is what's hoped for, junk spills out everywhere.

     Jesus stated it like this, " Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

     The very things that we have boxed up and stored in our heart - eventually will spill out of our mouths. The anger, the bitterness...laid out like the mess on the tarps, so that everyone sees the truth about what was inside - even though we've tried to act like only treasure was stored there!

     We choose what to keep...what gets stored in our hearts. If we fill it to the top with the treasure of His Word, there won't be any room for those boxes of junk...

A Rich Man's Regrets

     The minute Angie saw us, lined up to wait for the open of her estate sale at the crack of dawn, she asked why we had missed last week's sale. Angie owns one of the best estate sale companies in the area, and over the years we've enjoyed her sales and her friendship. She stopped to visit long enough to let me know I'd missed out on some treasures - the estate had contained a vintage jewelry collection.

     I'd seen photos. Knew I should be there. But it was on the other side of town, and I didn't want to get caught up in the rush hour traffic that morning. So, I stayed close to home and went to some sales in our neighborhood. Of course I'd found nothing like the pristine jewelry that would've belonged to a collector, and now, a week later, I was filled with regret.

     Regret for my laziness...

     Regret for wanting to stay where I was comfortable...

     Regret for missing out on what might have been an opportunity to find some rare treasures...

     

This link bracelet features filigree, applied Old World dolphins and carved art glass, a treasure like this was worth the inconvenience!

     How often do we look back on a situation in our lives and wish we'd handled it differently. Sometimes it plays over and over in our minds - what we should have said, how we should have acted - but no matter how hard we wish for another opportunity, that doesn't always happen. And we are filled with regret.

     I would've...I should've...I could've...

     Jesus told the story of a man full of regrets; a rich man, that had enjoyed the finest in life - while the beggar laying at his gate desired just the crumbs that fell from his table. This man and the beggar both died. The beggar was escorted to Paradise by angels, while the rich man awoke in Hades, tormented in flames. The rich man realized that it was too late for him, but if the beggar could just be sent to speak to his brothers, who were still living, perhaps they would be saved from the torment he was experiencing. But no, Father Abraham told him, if they did not listen to what Moses and the prophets had said, they were not going to be persuaded by one raised from the dead.

     This man had been too lazy to show concern for the hungry beggar lying at his gate...

     He had cared only about his comfortable life...

     And he would forever miss out on the real treasure...eternal life in Heaven.

     Perhaps you have heard about Jesus Christ dying on the cross for your sin, but you don't trust Him as the only One who can save you from an eternity of torment after you die. Jesus said that He is the way, the truth, and the life - no one comes to the Father except through Him. If you are not persuaded by Jesus, who did raise from the dead, then you will find yourself full of the same regrets as the rich man. 

     When we die, it is too late to be filled with regret for what we would've, should've, could've done...

     Now is the time to believe, now is the day of salvation...

   

Treasure - Because it Rained This Morning...

     It rained this morning.

     Hmm...  If you read this blog to learn more about pursuing treasure, this opening is disappointing; in fact it looks a little sad to me, too!

     However, if you are a desert dweller, used to temperatures over 100 degrees this time of year, you may have smiled as you read that sentence. My porch, yard, the streets and even mountains had a layer of brown dust, that left everything looking dry and parched - and, well, dusty!

     So I watched it rain this morning. Watched as the rocks in the back yard showed off colors hidden underneath the dust; as the plants sprang to life, almost dancing with each drop that bounced off their leaves. Stood for a long time, coffee cup in hand, grateful for the monsoon rain and the cooler air it brought.

Mountains obscured by clouds as the rain fell this morning.

     Because, when you live in the desert, rain is a treasure.

     Each day God gives us a unique work of art in the sky, no two days are ever identical, with perfect colors and composition. Michelangelo's work in the Sistine Chapel doesn't compare to the vibrant oranges, reds and purples of a sun slipping below the mountains. It's right in front of us, a priceless gift from God. What happens when I become too busy to watch a sunrise, or look up on a dark night, at the stars that feel so close?

     Or stop watching the rain fall on the hard desert ground? 

     Or forget to thank God for all of it?

      I have to admit, when I become that busy in my "pursuit of treasure", I will be pursuing the wrong treasure. And though it's fun to find those sparkling rhinestones - they can't compare with the beauty of God's creation, or the feeling I had... 

     Because...

     It rained this morning.

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; and have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas, O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!"

Psalm 8:3-9

     

Antique Post Cards - Words Last a Long Time!

      Sometimes finding a treasure takes more pursuit than others! Sometimes you have to dig through piles of wadded up paper or clothing - and sometimes there isn't anything even close to being called a treasure when you get to the bottom...

    And then... sometimes...you find something wonderful!

     One Thursday morning, under a pile of wrapping paper I found an old box that once held cheese - not a treasure. But inside the box was hundreds of antique and vintage post cards. The front side of each was unique- Holiday greetings,  photo cards of sports figures, celebrities, actors and actresses, and witty 1920's era humor. Some were blank on the back, but many had short notes...treasured by someone for almost a century! Then there were a few where a writer had attempted to erase some of the words...leaving just an impression behind.

     I must confess - I save most of the greeting cards I receive that have a personal note;  the time it's taken someone to write kind words, and the thoughtfulness behind the gesture are things I treasure.

     And if I'm honest, there are words not written down, not-so-kind words...that I wish I could erase...and forget...

This colorful card came from Germany in the early 1900's.

          Jesus said, "...the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart...every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

     Paul told the Ephesians to use words that were helpful for building others up according to their needs, words that were a benefit to those listening. 

     Let's stop to think about what words have come out of our mouths in the last 24 hours? They gauge what is going on in our heart! 

     The words of Jesus and Paul are convicting. We may need to ask forgiveness for those words, and the heart issues that are behind them.

     Reading the old post cards made me realize something - the words we share may be around for a long time! If not on the back of a post card, perhaps in someone's heart. Would we want the words we're about to share to last one hundred years? Or would we wish we could erase them?

     

     "For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether." Psalm 139:4

      

     

The Treasure You Leave

     A friend recently shared his decision to search for a different kind of treasure - real estate. Now some, who were devastated by the last crash in property values, may want his name, so you can tell him he is delusional. However, his motivation was this; He wanted to buy some investment properties, rent them out, and one day give them to his children - "so I have something to leave them when I'm gone."

    He was thinking ahead, his children are young, and it would be years before they would even understand what their father was doing for them. But he had a plan...and wanted his children to have financial security when he passed on.

     Which, of course, started the wheels turning in my own mind. What would I be leaving my children? Of course there are the treasures from all those estate sales. Sadly, though, the estate sales are a weekly reminder that most children aren't interested in the "things" their parents have collected over the years - I see all kinds of beautiful objects lined up on tables week after week, rejected by the children sorting out what's left of parent's lives.

     Which brought me back to the idea of real estate...or a savings account...or stocks...or gold JEWELRY...

     But as I thought about each treasure I realized they could all be lost, or stolen...and then my children would have nothing. How would they know I'd loved them, planned for them, wanted them to have a good life...

     On Saturday we attended a funeral. My son-in-law's grandmother had passed away, and the funeral home was packed. As family members stood at the front, explaining what "Grandma Clara" had meant to them it was quickly apparent what treasure she had left... 

     Grandma Clara loved God and served people. 

     When it was our son-in-laws turn to speak he referred to his grandmother as a "wise old owl" that had answers for his questions about the Bible...others remembered her for speaking to God on their behalf...for caring about people so much she would share the love of Jesus with them. The treasure she left had nothing to do with her material possessions.

This charming Art Nouveau owl trinket box was one of many someone had collected, and reminds me of another "wise old owl"!

     Her treasure was a legacy of love...

     Every person there, and countless others, were touched by her relationship with Jesus Christ, they knew His love through her.  It changed their lives, and gave them a Treasure that would help them through their hard times - One that would stay with them always.

     We may not amass properties and wealth to leave our children - but we can give them something more precious...when we tell them about Jesus, His love for them, their need for Him, and pray that they would make Him Lord of their life!

"...do not worry, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For after all these things the Gentiles seek. 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 shall be added to you."  

Matthew 6:31-33

A Tale of Two Treasures: Which Got the Highest Bid?

     A small wooden bracket shelf caught my eye in a pile of stuff at a recent sale. The gilt paint was chipping off the wood so it looked a little shabby, but the carved heart at the center was just too sweet, and made this Victorian piece something I couldn't pass up - even if it didn't look like much of a treasure!

     Another sale, not long after I'd found the chippy shelf, yielded this golden rhinestone set:

   This beautiful set was nicely displayed and it was easy to see that it was most definitely a treasure! The sparkle made the choker necklace and dangle earrings the center of attention!

     The shelf and the rhinestone set both sold at auction recently. Look at the pictures closely. Which would you guess had the highest bid?

     If you guessed the elegant rhinestone set ...wrong! The chippy Victorian shelf sold for more! 

     Why?

     That requires some thought, but here's what I believe; The carved wooden shelf, though a little humble in looks, serves a purpose. It quietly works hard - holding whatever thing the owner has placed on top of it. It is useful and doesn't complain if it's moved room to room, inside or outside, or is overshadowed by the beauty of the thing it holds.

     The rhinestones are a different story! Their use is limited by the occasion - wearing them to work in the garden would never do, these beauties want to shine at a gala event in the garden! They are fussy about where they're stored, moisture darkens them and they scratch easily or fall out of their prongs without notice. Yes, that golden sparkle is beautiful, but - their sole purpose is to draw attention to themselves.

     We see these two types manifested in people, also...

     There is a sweet woman with a big heart in our community who cares about the kids in her neighborhood. She invites them into her home for meals and conversation - many of their parents work long hours, so they are alone. For the same reason they are sometimes in trouble. But she invites them in anyway. Without thinking of what she can gain, without asking for recognition. 

     Not to say she doesn't have motivation, though...

     She is motivated by her love for Jesus Christ. When she fixes a meal, she believes what Jesus said - that it's as if she's done it for Him. Her love overflows onto the children she's serving, and they want to know about this Jesus who would cause her to care for them!

     She is like that little chippy shelf - not that she isn't beautiful, but her beauty is filled with purpose.

     We've also seen others whose goal in serving is to draw attention to themselves. Jesus addressed that too, "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward." (Matthew 6:2) 

     Like the sparkling rhinestones they shout, "Look, look at me!" instead of reflecting the love of Christ.

     When we think we know the value of something or someone we need to remember how God judges worth...

     "...Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  (1 Samuel 16:7)

    The little wooden shelf with purpose gets the highest bid every time in God's Kingdom...

     

Time - Part of the Price

     Ask a business owner to explain what happens when they sell inventory for less than it costs, and they will tell you that, without a profit, the business will fail. So, it is very important to know exactly what something costs before you determine a price!

     To forget to add the value of time spent in finding a treasure, when deciding it's worth, is a common mistake. A few weeks ago,  I found some beautiful old jewelry in California, and felt it was purchased at a great price. Then I calculated the time involved in getting to that jewelry - a few hours of being lost increased the price significantly! To determine the true value of those treasures I have to consider what my time was worth, and add that to the cost.

Bucherer Swiss made pendant watch features enameled pansies on both sides - the cover on this charming pendant watch keeps time hidden - beautifully! 

     The cost of time figures into our personal lives also. A man who has decided to ask a woman to marry him may know the price of an engagement ring, a wedding and honeymoon; but if he's failed to take into account the time that will be involved in maintaining a loving relationship with his wife, he has not accurately determined the cost of marriage.

     A loving relationship with Christ will cost something too...valuable time! 

     Time spent reading the Bible, learning how to follow Him.

     Time spent praying, talking to Him about ...everything!

     Time spent loving people as He loves them.

     We are willing to spend our time seeking the things we treasure, but are we willing use our time seeking a relationship with the greatest Treasure of all?

"Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For after all these things the Gentiles seek. 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 shall be added to you." Matthew 6:31-33

     

     

Norwegian Solje Brooch - Wedding Gift or Wedding Dress?

     Reflections of golden light, a faint tinkle, and beautiful filigree wire work caught my attention one morning when a beautiful Norwegian Solje brooch found its way to an estate sale display.

   
      This, and one like it, waited patiently while I searched for information. My listing description eventually included the name and country of origin - also, another appealing tidbit - this was a wedding dress embellishment! A sense of accomplishment accompanied the final "submit listing". Another mystery solved!

     Until the next day...

     When my inbox held a message that referenced my freshly listed Solje! The expert who had taken time to write the message revealed my research was incorrect. I would need to cancel the listing and re-write it, a change of price was in order also. A Solje is not a wedding dress embellishment, but could be a wedding gift. Somehow that information had gotten mixed up as it was passed around, a little like a child's game of "telephone", where someone whispers a phrase in her neighbors ear, and the last person in the line shouts out what they think they've heard. It is rarely the same, being changed a little each time it is shared!  The true description of this lovely brooch finds it to be a part of traditional Norwegian costume. It represents the sun as you can see in the charming golden dangles.

     The expert included a link to photos of the Solje being used as a costume adornment as further proof.

     How often does being "close" to the truth effect what we believe about something? I believed that my brooch was one thing, while it was quite something else - leaving my auction description inaccurate. When a bit of truth - both descriptions have something to do with weddings - is included, it makes the false more believable.

     At one point in my life I believed that doing good things for people would please God, and by pleasing God, I would one day be ushered in to Heaven. There is some truth to these beliefs- God is pleased when we do good things for others. Jesus commends people who have fed the hungry, given drink to the thirsty, taken in the stranger and clothed the naked, when He states in Matthew 25:40, "...inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me."

     But any good deeds I may have done were not enough to guarantee my eternity in the presence of Holy God. Only Jesus Christ's sacrifice could open that door, "...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

     So, what I initially believed about God and Heaven was inaccurate. An Expert had messaged me with the truth and I had a choice to make. I decided to get rid of my false ideas and live according to the words of the Expert...

     Because anything else is just what you would expect to hear at the end of the "telephone" line - not completely accurate!



   

Lost and Wandering in the Pursuit of Treasure!

     "Not all who wander are lost" reads a quote my daughter had framed for me a few years ago. It hangs over my desk as a gentle reminder - I've always wandered, many times been lost, but always told her and my son as they worried from the back seat of the car, that we were on an "adventure"! Last week end as I made my way from Manhattan Beach to Pasadena, by way of Los Angeles I was indeed lost...three times...and somehow managed to confuse even the GPS in my phone. All in the pursuit of treasure.

     The Pasadena Antique Center is a place worthy of a treasure hunter's attention. The vintage jewelry that's been absent in local estate sales recently was found in abundance there. The staff was helpful and courteous, all around a great experience...once I arrived...

      This Victorian rose gold plated bangle bracelet was patented July 21,1874 by H & B Jewelry Co. is a treasure found at the Center. The engraving is beautiful on both sides!

     The first time I realized I was lost that afternoon was after driving through three tunnels and finding my exit on the left rather than where I'd taken for granted it would be - on the right. The decision to pull off and figure out how to get back on track was a good one...if I'd exited into a different neighborhood...one without "prison bars" on everything... I found myself completely turned around driving in circles around the obstacles of road construction before a road sign welcomed me to the freeway I'd initially missed.

    The second time I was actually very close to my destination, but made a wrong turn and had to stop again to figure out where I was. This time my wandering had taken me to a beautiful neighborhood and as I pulled off on a side street to recalculate my GPS the house in front of me looked like a scaled down version of the White House. I sat there for a few minutes collecting my wits...this time it was actually quite pleasant to be lost!

     All of this reminded me of a day twenty-some years ago that I started a journey with Jesus Christ. A relationship with Him is a treasure worth pursuing, and Bible in hand as my guide, I've been headed in that direction ever since.

     But sometimes I've wandered...

     And sometimes I've found myself totally off the path...

     Some of those wanderings have led me to places of fear, panic, and the knowledge that I am in the wrong place, a bad place...that I need to pray and ask Him guide me back to the path He has for me. To confess that I've followed my own "right", when His path took a "left"!

     Sometimes the places I've wandered haven't looked so bad. They were pleasant and  comfortable, and I've wanted to stay there, even though I'm not where I should be, rather than press on to find what He has planned for me.

    "Lost" and I had one last experience that afternoon. This time,though, I wasn't actually lost. I was in the right place, wrong parking lot. And I think it was intentional - on God's part - not mine!

     Since I was a child I had watched the Rose Bowl parade, loving those bright, beautiful flower-filled floats! Every time I watched, there in the background was the stadium, it's iconic rose accented sign proclaiming it as the sunny West coast host. So imagine my surprise, and delight, when I looked up from the parking space I'd found to check my GPS one more time and there in front of me was the sign. Just like I'd seen it on television for years! The golf course, where I was supposed to pick up my husband was right behind, but if I'd managed to go straight there I would've missed something I'd always hoped to see. God had allowed my "wandering" so I could have the fun of finding this spot!

     God has a path for all of us. We will have to get off the path we are blazing to follow Him. But there, on His path, we will find a better life than anything we could ever imagine!

     "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh and strength to your bones."
Proverbs 3:5-8
   

   

Snake Jewelry - Emblem of Eternal Love?

     There's a new vintage jewelry hunter in the estate sale jungle this summer. Many of us have been a bit ruffled when she shows up at the front of a line, rushes to the jewelry display, and plants herself in a place that crowds out all other hunters! She's new to the hunt, and hasn't learned that there are factors besides sparkle that make a vintage piece of jewelry a treasure. And that is why this rare set was still available when she had moved on:

 Designer ART bracelet, ring and brooch set features a textured snake motif with red rhinestone eyes and white enamel accents.

    Or maybe she didn't like the snakes!

     Snake motif jewelry has found a place of favor on and off throughout history. For Cleopatra it represented her royalty. To Prince Albert and Queen Victoria it represented eternal love - Albert proposed to Victoria with a ring made in the image of a snake, emerald accents included. The pieces above were probably made about the time Elizabeth Taylor starred in the 1963 movie, "Cleopatra." 

     In the Bible we see the snake as a deceiver. The one who tempted Eve to disobey God by eating from the only forbidden tree in the garden of Eden. Who spoke and said, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." When Eve gave in to temptation, ate the fruit and gave it to Adam to eat also, all of creation was changed. Including the snake!

     Because of that disobedience Adam and Eve were separated from God. They were no longer innocent in a garden paradise, but sinners - aware of their nakedness and hiding from God. The God they had enjoyed walking with in the cool of the day...

     The first lie told to mankind by Satan the deceiver was this: Sin will not cause death. 

      God's truth states, "For the wages of sin is death..." 

       "But..."

  

       "...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

      Our great God has provided a way for us - the deceived ones - to be restored to life. Not because we believe that our sin doesn't cause death, but because we believe Jesus Christ paid the "wages" of our sin with His own death on the cross.

     Snake jewelry has held many different meanings for its wearers throughout history.  The Victorian belief of eternal love is the one I will share, though not the kind that Albert and Victoria professed. I will see it as a reminder of God's eternal love that changed the penalty for sin from death to eternal life through Jesus!

  *Genesis 3, Romans 6:23  

     

     

      

     

     

Real Treasure Stands the Test of Time

     It's amazing to find rhinestone accented costume jewelry from six decades ago, all stones intact and sparkling - and yet - there they are, shining up from an estate display! Perhaps it has something to do with the workmanship involved in these old pieces. The mountings were carefully cleaned, buffed, and sometimes hand enameled. Then the rhinestones were prong set into cups or spaces as the design required. If you ever try to replace one of these stones you will quickly understand what a tedious task this was! Yet the worker accomplished the task with such care that we can still enjoy these stunning pieces today!

   

Trifari 1951 Gem of India Necklace, Bracelet and Earrings Set

     During a recent trip to New York, I looked across an intersection to see a table set up near the corner. A throng of women were circled around it, so I had to cross over and see what could be so interesting! The rickety table had a small sign at the front marked, "All jewelry $5.00 each". A mountain of white jewelry boxes with clear lids were being flung left and right as the women searched through for treasures. The sparkle of rhinestones caught my eye, so I picked up one box, then another. It didn't take a magnifying glass to see that this rhinestone costume jewelry was poorly made and already missing some of the stones. I put it back and watched it get snatched up immediately.

     It didn't meet my standards, because I'd enjoyed the beauty of real workmanship. Jewelry made with such care that it lasts for decades. 

     Too often we are willing to settle for something less. Something that won't last. We grab on because we see others doing it, it doesn't cost us much, and it's quick. Like the pile of street corner jewelry! And for a bit it seems to satisfy our craving...

     But then it breaks down, and we're out there searching for something else. 

     In the case of the bad jewelry choice, the buyers were out a small sum of money, the results of their poor choice wouldn't effect them too much. However, what happens when we decide our eternity in the same way?

   When we make a decision about whether or not to believe in Jesus Christ based on what everyone around us is doing, wanting something at very little cost to us, and wanting it to be quick so we don't need to spend much time thinking about God's will for our lives, that decision is sure to break down. It's trusting in something fake to fix the craving that God placed in each of us...that can only be filled by Him!

    The beauty of this truth,  "...that Christ  died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures...", is eternal. 

     It may not be popular...

     It will cost us everything...

     It will not be a quick fix, it will change our lives now and for eternity.

     But it is worth never settling for anything less than Jesus.

* 1Corinthians 15:3b-4

Freedom is a Treasure

      Finding a photo album in a stack at an estate sale always surprises, and saddens me. In between the worn covers the memories of a family still exist. The bride in her wedding finery, chubby cheeked babies with toothless grins, graduations, grandparents...

     Many of our family's photos are in my possession, and I treasure each one! It's fun to look at the serious pictures taken in the early 1900's - everyone posed in their best outfit - and think about the life they led. The stories told sound like pages from a history book - one great-great grandmother lived in a sod house on the plains and raised thirteen children!

     In those pictures I also find men and women who loved their country and were willing to leave the comfort of home and family to fight for freedom.

     This picture of a great-uncle was taken not long before he left to serve in World War II. The ship he served on was bombed off the coast of Italy, and he was one of the men that lost their life that day. I've contacted the survivors - hoping to find more information about this brave uncle, and while none of them knew him, many shared memories from the war. All were heroes, willing to give their lives for something they treasured - freedom!

     Though the freedom of our country has been hard won, Paul states in the book of Romans that we are slaves. Not slaves to a tyrant ruling with an iron hand over our nation, but to sin. Jesus stated that, "whoever commits sin is a slave to sin."  Without a courageous Messiah, One who was willing to die for our freedom, we would remain slaves.

     Because of the death of Jesus Christ we have all been given the opportunity to know freedom. To be set free from the penalty of sin - eternal death, and receive eternal life. Our part in this war is to believe that Jesus came to earth, died on the cross, was buried and rose again - to believe the truth!

"...If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31b-32)

   
   

To Inherit a Forever Treasure

     Wealth.
     What does wealth look like to you?
     For most, it is something tangible. Stacks of one hundred dollar bills. A pile of gold coins. A beachfront mansion. Diamond jewelry...Treasure you can touch.

   

     
     This treasure is an Eisenberg sterling silver and multi-color rhinestone fur clip dating to the 1940's. The woman who purchased, and wore, this stunning clip would've been considered wealthy at the time! I found it at the bottom of a dilapidated old jewelry box with other cast-offs at an estate sale. Some treasures lose their value to the owner over time. We've all cast something away when it was no longer precious to us!

     So what is something that lasts, a forever treasure?

     A rich young man ran up to Jesus and asked Him how he could inherit eternal life. Perhaps he wanted validation; he went on to say that he had kept the commandments - Do not murder, do not steal, do not commit adultery, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother - since he was a youth. Surely this would be enough to gain the treasure of eternal life!

     Jesus looked at him, and in love, told him the truth. "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But the rich young man became sad, and went away grieving.

     The man's wealth was what he treasured...more than eternal life...

    So let's ask Jesus the same question -what we must do to inherit the forever treasure of eternal life? Some of us may give an accounting of all the good we've done and hope this is enough. It can be quite an impressive list!

     Jesus, however, knows that one thing we treasure in our hearts above all.  And...if it isn't Him...He will in love reveal the truth to us - that thing must be moved aside!

     We like the story of the rich young man - because we may think that eternity awaits if we have no wealth - and for most of us, that is not a problem. But what if He tells us to give up our comfortable life near family and friends to share Him with a faraway group of strangers? Or what if He asks for our time to minister to orphans, widows, the sick, hurting?  Is our comfort or time the thing that causes us to turn away sad and grieving?

     Jesus knows that thing we treasure most in our heart - the thing that is our wealth. The thing we want to own and control.

     And He is calling us to let go of it...let go and follow Him!

     Christ is our forever treasure!

(Scripture: Mark 10:17-22)

   

Each Gift a Treasure!

     Imagine over 100 booths, filled with the treasures of as many hunters, all under one roof. Add thousands of people eager to add those treasures to their own collections and you have an event I participated in last Fall!

     In the early morning hours before the sale I walked the aisles, enchanted with the dizzying array of items. Though we all shared a common theme - the items in our booths had to be vintage, hand made or re-purposed - each booth was unique! Over 100 booths full, some, of course, featuring similar items, but each as different as the treasure hunter that had filled them.

     Early one Sunday morning I walked into the sanctuary at church, sat down, and quietly watched what was going on around me.

    Musicians were practicing the songs of worship we would sing, greeters were walking up and down the aisles welcoming new faces, ushers passed out bulletins, and one dear friend sat down, put her arm around me and asked if everything was okay! I must have looked like I was lonely sitting there - and though it was intentional, I was blessed by her concern.

     We, as believer's in Christ are not robots, programmed at the time of our salvation to all do the same thing,  but creative individuals serving our Creator! Our church is made up of many musicians - but when one shares their musical gift it is unique from the others. Each different, each valuable!

     When I walked the aisles at the event last Fall I saw a booth that featured signs. A rustic map of the United States caught my eye, and I wondered why I hadn't been clever enough to think of creating something like that! That thought then grew into, "I need to make these myself for the next event!" In one short moment I had looked, envied, and become ungrateful for the treasures I had to offer - coveting someone else's.

     How often does the same thing happen in church? God gives us the ability to serve in a certain area, and we go about it with a heart to please Him - until we look at where He's placed someone else. Paul recognized this problem and addressed it in 1 Corinthians 12:14-19, "For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body?  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?"

     If we are all eyes, we will fail to hear the cry of those in need of Christ.
     And if we are all ears, we will not see those who need to be served.

     The truth is, we all need each other, and we need each person just as they are - uniquely gifted. Because God Himself has set us where we are, just as He pleased...




   

A Nice Story - but Is It Truth?

      The book, Tales From the Arabian Nights, weaves stories of ordinary people who stumble into great wealth. In Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Ali is going about his business when he witnesses a band of thieves gain entry to their mountain hideaway by uttering the magic words, "Open Sesame". Ali is able to hide until the thieves leave, then open the door to the hideaway by using the words he overheard. Inside he finds great treasure the thieves have spent years accumulating, and helps himself!

     The story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, is one that most are familiar with. When a magic lamp comes into Aladdin's possession he finds, by accident, that simply rubbing the side, will cause a genie to appear and grant him what he desires.

     The stories from this book formed some of my earliest ideas about treasure hunting. Finding great wealth was simply a matter of being in the right place at the right time! Some mornings when I'm standing in a long line at an estate sale it seems that everyone has read these tales and come to the same conclusion!

 Vintage Frederick Cooper Lamp Base

(Nothing happens when you rub the sides)

         The ideas in these stories- and others- take root and grow in our minds. The world views they contain, however, clash with Biblical truth. "Money that comes easily disappears quickly, but money that is gathered little by little will grow." (Proverbs 13:11) has little to do with being in the right place at the right time, but rather teaches that treasure grows over time as the result of hard work!
   
    The genie in Aladdin's lamp waited for Aladdin to make his wishes known, and then did what was commanded. Some teach that we have the right to tell God what we want, and He is obligated to give it to us.

    Matthew 7:7-11 reveals the truth; God expects us to ask Him when we have a need, and in turn knows how provide for us even better  than our earthly parents.  He does not grant us every wish or whim, not everything we ask for would be the best for us. Because He is all-knowing and all-seeing, and we can't see beyond the moment we live in, it is best to leave the answers to our prayers in His loving care.

     How much does the information we are constantly gathering effect what we believe about God? If we don't take time to compare it to the truth found in the Bible, we may never know!

     
   

   

   

   

   

What do I Treasure Most?

     Piles of old needlepoint pillows, stacks of well-traveled luggage, old china plates and cups that have shared the confidences of friends during tea, and stacks of vintage books with tried and true happy ending stories - all competing for my attention. Which group of treasures should I peruse first at an estate sale full of treasures?

     Should I look at the items with the most value, or the ones that grab my heart?

     The very real dilemma of prioritizing is one we all face...

     What do we treasure most?
 
     Jesus told us where to look for the answer to that question, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) The key to understanding what we treasure is the priority we've given it in our heart. Because... "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (riches, material wealth).

     And so we must prioritize...

     When I made the choice to follow Jesus Christ - believing that He died, was buried and rose again on the third day, admitting my sin and believing that He alone took away that sin by His death on the Cross - I gave ownership of my life to Him. He is the master I serve, the One deserving my loyalty, the One I love. He is my treasure!

     At the estate sale I referred to earlier, a decision had to be made - which treasure would I pursue? I would not be able to thoroughly examine the items in any one area if I was racing from one to the next. I had to make a choice, knowing the treasure I chose would mean letting go of other things I treasured.

     And so...

              each of us must ask...

                            what do we treasure most?