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