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)!