During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “We cannot escape from Thy presence and control, nor do we desire to do so.” —Valley of Vision, “Fifth Day [Thursday]: Morning”

Petal 2: “I can never get away from Your presence!” (Psalm 139:7, NLT)

Petal 3: The thought, “I can never get away from Your presence,” has a contrasting impact on me when I hear it. On one side, I am reminded that He is always aware of my actions; this puts a reverential fear of Him in me. On the flip side, I receive great comfort and security in knowing that He is always there with me. Perhaps my current actions, thoughts, or needs are the determining factors for which side I am dwelling on at that moment: if I’m about to make a wrong choice, it is good to respectfully remember that He will see what I am about to do; if I’m feeling alone and uncertain, it is good to whisper to Him in gratitude, “I can never get away from Your presence!”

Petal 4: Today’s book recommendation is Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions. These words from the Preface describe it best: “The prayers in this book are drawn from the largely forgotten deposit of Puritan spiritual exercises, meditations, and aspirations. They testify to the richness and colour of evangelical thought and language that animated vital piety in an important stream of English religious life.”

Petal 5: Choose three points throughout your day to stop and recall that God is there with you; then, determine which “side” comes to mind based on the action or thought you had upon remembering His presence.

During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “In the situations where I want to become unglued, I always have the choice to be a reactor or a responder.” —Lysa TerKeurst, Unglued Devotional

Petal 2: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV)

Petal 3: I did a short book review of the Unglued Devotional in which I stated that I had a love-hate relationship with the book (find out why: here)—suffice it to say that the old saying is true: “the truth hurts!” However, it was a “happy pain,” because anything that scrapes away at the rough edges of my heart only makes my spirit “smoother” and allows me to serve Christ without as many jagged edges getting in the way! Focusing on the spirit that God gives me—a spirit which has power, love, and self-discipline as its attributes—helps me to remember that these qualities have their source in the One Whose very life exemplifies those traits; therefore, I can rely on Him to keep growing those characteristics in me. As I continue to learn from His perfect example, my reactions to situations that might otherwise cause me to become “unglued” can instead be embraced by a right response!

Petal 4: The book I quoted from (in Petal 1) is Unglued Devotional: 60 Days of Imperfect Progress, by Lysa TerKeurst; this is an excellent companion devotional book to the must-read book Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions, also by Lysa TerKeurst.

Petal 5: When (not if) a situation arises today that might cause you to become “unglued,” line up your reaction next to the rungs of the ladder of right response—am I reacting with: (1) His power? (2) His love? and/or (3) Self-discipline? If the answer to any of these is “no,” hang on tight, because you’re going to slip down the ladder! Instead, find a verse that meets the need of the struggle you’re facing (do a keyword search on BibleGateway.com if you need to) and keep climbing upward on the ladder of right response!

During the month of March, I am forming a bouquet of blog posts using a variety of “roses” that will be formed with these petals from the basket : (1) a quotation, (2) a daily verse, (3) a devotional thought, (4) a book dealing with that day’s topic, and (5) an idea to put into practice!

Petal 1: “The most amazing thing about being women in the King’s court is that all of us—no matter how we see ourselves—are beautiful in His sight.” —Priscilla Shirer, A Jewel in His Crown

Petal 2: “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NLT)

Petal 3: Two of my dear friends, Liz and Carrie (pictured below with author and speaker Priscilla Shirer), know that I am grateful for the impact of Priscilla Shirer—daughter of Pastor Tony Evans—in my life (i.e., I’m a mega-fan). When they heard her speak at the True Woman Conference last year, they bought me one of her earliest books as a gift, and they not only had her sign it for me, they also took a picture to prove it! I started to read it once and couldn’t do it, because I was not at a place where I was ready to hear what she was saying through her written words. But I am now at the end of the book, and I am grateful for the reminder that I have great value to the King of all Creation—after all, the familiar verse in John 3:16 states that He valued me so much that He sent Jesus to take the punishment that I otherwise would have had to pay for my sinful actions and attitudes. Because of the value Jesus placed on my life through the sacrifice of His very own, how can I do less than give Him my best and strive to be a woman of excellence?

Petal 4: The illustrations of God’s love and grace that run throughout this book—combined with the godly life of its author (who is clearly dependent on God’s grace and who totally credits God for her skills and gifts)—make A Jewel in His Crown: Rediscovering Your Value as a Woman of Excellence, by Priscilla Shirer, the recommended book for today.

Petal 5: Read Psalm 139 today (click here to listen to Psalm 139—for two minutes and twenty-six seconds—on biblegateway.com) and write down three gifts, skills, or abilities God created within you. Thank Him for those, and then choose one of those areas to develop, use, or share with others throughout this week!

Liz, Priscilla Shirer, and Carrie at the True Woman 2012 Conference after Priscilla signed A Jewel in His Crown for me (the book is still in Priscilla's hand)!