A Story of Value - Part Two

Related: A Story of Value - Part One

The conditions upon which my purchase would depend were clear, and I could see the saleswoman was carefully weighing her options. She dug deep, handed me an offer I just could not refuse, and I left the store minutes later with the immersion blender for less than half of the original 'sale' price... along with a pair of black shoes for SJ (but that's a different story altogether ;) ).

Sitting here now - many burgers, cutlets, bowls of hummus and cashew butter later - I believe I have received my money's worth many times over. And the blender? Still going strong.

But that is not the real point. :-O

How do we determine value?

In this case, the saleswoman was more or less concerned with the declining market value of a faulty item sitting on the shelf. I, on the other hand, was concerned with personal value... how much benefit I could derive for as small a figure as possible. The blender was valuable to me, however, only because of who I knew.

The 'connection factor' can be a vital part of determining value, and this is especially true when we are talking about the Christian life.

In God's eyes, each individual is valuable, not because of popular vote or market share, but rather, because of who he can become in the hands of Christ...

The soul that God has created and Christ has redeemed is of great value because of the possibilities before it, the spiritual advantages that have been granted it, the capabilities that it may possess if vitalized by the word of God, and the immortality it may gain through the hope presented in the gospel. - The Acts of the Apostles, p. 370

Connection is everything!

In Christ, the possibilities are endless. At His feet, His Word uplifts and liberates (Jn. 8:32). In His strength, we can do all things (Phil. 4:13)... always for His glory.

But this is not just about us. It is about the other people on the periphery who bicker, and goad, and nitpick, and irritate, and annoy, and tear down rather than build up.

Yes.. this is about them too.

Do we see them the way they are? Or as they can/will become... in Christ? As God sees them?

Have our things (possessions, ideas, agendas) become more important to us than the people Christ died to redeem?

Are we more concerned with the popular vote (the world's value system) than we are with Divine perspective?

Today, pause with me to reflect on priorities.

I want my priorities to be divinely-ordered, to reflect the very truth I profess to believe. That people are more important than things. That I value what my Father values. That Who I know makes a difference to the value I place on others... and myself.

What say you?



Blessings,

A Story of Value - Part One

Just over the threshold of the new year, I spoke of chickpea cutlets and an immersion blender. What I did not mention then, as that there was a bit of a story behind the acquisition of said blender.

You see, it all started with a hunt for black shoes for SJ. (Say what?)

Oh yes... A hunt for black shoes by a mother who overlooks no sign that says SALE.

(For your sakes, I will share the short version of the story.)

My girlfriend and I browsed around in a store that I can only describe as a 'variety' store... since the sign out front declared that they were in the shoe business, but we found that approximately half of the store was dedicated to appliances. But, alas, I digress.

I really like kitchen gadgets, so I zoomed in on a package that contained a Toastmaster 1740 (which I had no business doing, since I was looking for black shoes), and turned it around looking for a price tag. There was none, so I asked the lady who seemed to be in charge. The price quoted - at the time - was closer to US$20, but - she said - there was a problem. It was the only one they had left, and the switch was broken.

Well... sort of. The switch itself could work, but the little 'cap' to manipulate it was broken off and - in order to use it - I would need to hold it 'just so', since the actual switch was below the surface. She was not sure I would want it, but I knew what she did not... I am married to a man who can fix anything, and I was absolutely certain that he could fix this little glitch.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, I addressed her (with my best 'poker face' firmly in place) : "I'll take it, but you will need to discount it." Yes, I knew it was already on sale... but it was on sale for the same price as its predecessors with straight-from-the-manufacturer switches.

So I waited for her to decide.



Related: A Story of Value - Part Two

Let's Get Down To 'Brass Tacks'

During yesterday's 'reading', I came across this thought-provoking quote from John Piper:

The critical question for our generation, and for every generation, is this: If you could have heaven with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters... could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ was not there? (emphasis mine)

A pertinent question that demands an introspective look, and deserves an honest response.

When you are done, ask yourself... Am I really in love?

I will be back when I'm done doing just that.



Be blessed!

Learning To Read With My Ears

I had just hit 'PLAY' on my media player in an attempt to absorb even a small part of this audio book before I need to get moving again. It was my free download from Christian Audio for the month of July, but I had not yet settled down to it.

This was my first 'sitting' of the day. A time when I begin the process of whittling down the number of unread subscriptions in my Google Reader... and right at the top of the list in the 'Blogs I'm Following', I realise that Ann V. is guest blogging for the Bloom Book Club on Chapter 6 of the printed version. I do not want to jump ahead (I'm at Chapter 2... and it's good!), so I am bookmarking her post for later reading. You - on the other hand - can feel free to jump right in.

One more thing...

If you have not yet registered with Christian Audio, you may want to click the link to head on over. The audiobook, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan (unabridged), is now US$5.48.

I am decidedly 'old-fashioned', so I would prefer to curl up with the printed version... but I am making do for now, and learning to read with my ears. ;)

I Am Humbled

Just before I signed off last evening - with half a dozen posts floating around in my head, but refusing to come out in any coherent form - I checked my unmoderated comments and realised that Thandi had nominated me for one of these....

I thought I would 'sleep on it' and express my gratitude in the morning (when everything would be clearer). ;)

I awoke to find that, not only was the award still there (I wasn't dreaming), but another had been sent my way by the lovely Ann over at His Grace To Me.

To both these ladies, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for their grace at a time when my posts have been long in coming and I had been contemplating exiting this little nook entirely. I am thoroughly humbled by this gesture.

The guidelines for spreading the love are as follows:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award
2. Copy and paste the award on your own blog
3. Link the person who nominated you.
4. Name seven things about yourself that folks may not know.
5. Nominate seven Kreativ bloggers
6. Post links to the seven bloggers you nominate
7. Leave comments on each of the blogs letting them know that you have nominated them!

1, 2, 3... check! Now on to the others.

It is difficult to think of seven things about myself that I had not covered in my synopsis of sorts, but I will try:

• I am 'real-life' sister to Verne over at Verne's Oasis. Yes, I am. I did not think it would be fair to nominate my own sister, but - not to worry - Ann already did! :D

• I dislike stovetop cooking, but if it can go into the oven, I am all over it. Weird, I know, but I like baking!

• I never imagined I would ever be a vegetarian of any kind, but I am now... and I love it! I enjoy experimenting with the many ways I can kick the animal products to the curb when baking. Moreso, I enjoy observing the looks of disbelief on people's faces when they invariably say... "No eggs! You're kidding!"

• Apparently, I am as easily amused as my three-year-old, because I was laughing out loud when I typed the above sentence. God is so good... I can laugh! ;)

• I enjoy good conversation, but - wouldn't you know it? - I have blocks of time (huge blocks at certain times of the month ;) ) when I want to say nothing and hear nothing. I do mean nothing. That gets a bit challenging when you have a three-year-old whose mouth is in constant motion, but I am learning.

• I parent at my best when I am in tip-top physical shape, and - in an ideal world - that would be every day. I am learning to make do with less. :-O

• I have found that I have a higher level of tolerance for excruciating pain and bitter medicine than for persons who persist in hypocrisy. I am learning how to extend grace.
  

My seven picks for the Kreativ Blogger Award - in no particular order - are:

Ann Kroeker- A delightful lady who inspires me to stretch my mental capacity during Mega Memory Month, and offers slow down solutions for those who want to learn to be still.

Indian Lake Papa - His lighthearted posts are sure to put a smile on your face, as his love for the Saviour he loves shines through. Absolutely delightful gentleman who actually responds to you in his comment thread.

Life Adapted - Delightful, dedicated Christian who uses humour to get you to look at life with different eyes. Her comment thread also doubles as her 'inbox'. Love her!

Ann Voskamp - Humble host of the Gratitude Community, her posts inspire and prick hearts. She may not find time to participate, but I am registering my appreciation for her words of encouragement, hope and comfort anyway.

Sarah Markley - She opens up and shows you the stuff she is made of - where she has been, who she has become in Christ. Humble recipient of God's grace, she inspires, uplifts and encourages.

Pure Perseverance - Heart wide open in transparency and the love of her Saviour shining forth, this lady will uplift you on your darkest day. (Yes, I know that Ann beat me to it, but weariness has set in, and I would have nominated you both anyway if I had done this post last night like I should have. LOL!)

Bryanna - Vegan chef and cookbook author, this delightful, down-to-earth lady has been a blessing to me in more ways than one. Ever so helpful, she has assisted me in my move toward healthier eating habits, answering every last one of my many and varied questions. All my aforementioned experiments in the kitchen have been inspired by her (but she is only responsible for the ones that came out right... LOL!)



Be ever so blessed!

Questions, Questions, Questions

Let us just agree right now that children - more specifically, three year olds - ask really strange questions.

I mean... really strange.

SJ: "Mommy, why don't we eat ants and cockroaches?" [pause... while Mom ponders] "Did God tell us not to eat them?" [Hmmm... new development]

Honestly! How does he dream up these things?!

Yesterday, another really strange question came my way... "Mommy, do dogs use tissue, Mommy?" (Does 'Mommy' work as quotation marks?)

I was at a loss to figure out the motivation for such an outlandish thought, until DH pointed out the package....

Come on now, 'fess up'! If you were three years old, would you not have asked the same question?

There it is... one less unsolved mystery. ;)


P.S. I had already disposed of the packaging, but I dug it out for this post on the chance that someone out there could probably use a laugh to round off the week. A small preview of good things to come on the weekend perhaps?

Have a great one!