Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Precious Gems


Revelation 21:19-21And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; 20  The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
21  And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.




Gems are mentioned throughout the Bible. In the last book of the Bible (Revelation 21:19-20) we read how the aging apostle John is told by the Angel of the Lord about a most beautiful city to be built in the New Heavens and the New Earth.

The Angel describes its foundations as ".... decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst."
















There certainly seems to be some relationship between the 12 foundation stones listed in the New Testament Revelation, and the 12 precious stones which covered the priests breastplate in the Old Testament.


Exodus 28:17-20 states the Lord told Moses to decorate the breastplate with " four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold."

The Mosaic Priests jewels in turn seem to have some connection with the gems which adorned the one who became Lucifer (or Satan, or the devil) in the Garden of Eden. Ezekiel 28:13 tells us that when Satan was "in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:"

The Lords promises to Israel were also tied to gemstones He created. The Lord says in Isaiah 54:11 (KJV) "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires."

The origin of gem names also provides interest. Jacinth came from the word Yacinth which is from the Greek Uakinthos, from which we get the name for the blue Hyacinth flower-Jacinth today refers to red-blue zircon or to blue sapphire. The ancient Greek region of Chalcedonia was a source for a quartz variety which has been called Chalcedony.


Since 50AD gemologists have changed the names of only a few gems, i.e. Carnelian for Sardius, hence the list of gemstones in modern Bibles differ only slightly from the Greek New Testament or the 1611 King James Version. The English and Greek names are: Jasper (Iaspis), chalcedony (chalkedon), sardonyx (sardonix), carnelian (sardius), chrysolite(chrysolithos), chrysoprase (chrysoprases), amethyst (amethustos), sapphire (sappheiros), emerald (smaragdos), beryl (berullos), topaz (topazion), jacinth (uakinthos).

One intriguing fact about the gemstones in Revelation is that they belong exclusively to minerals that split light into 2 polarized beams; one at right angles to the other. This property is called anisotropy, and it produces a wonderful rainbow effect when viewed under a polarizing lens.

Another intriguing fact: of the 28 stones that are normally regarded as gemstones, only 16 are anisotropic. Since anisotropic behaviour has only been discovered in the last century, the odds of 12 stones picked randomly being in that one group, is 1 in 30 million (according to Woodward 1984).

What is more intriguing is the 4 anisotropic stones not included in the group, such as ruby we can use for the production of laser ray equipment. It may very well be that the Lord in choosing the stones for the foundation of the new temple, deliberately avoided stones that could act as lethal death rays and instead chose stones that disperse light to produce a brilliant rainbow effects. After all, we will be dwelling in the presence of His light forever.

Regardless of their history, such stones have much value in the eyes of men because of the great beauty God gave them at the time of creation. They are a constant reminder that the Lord God loves all things bright and beautiful, and so should we!












Saturday, July 28, 2012

Dipping A Net

Dipping a net in a memory's stream and pulling out thank You's 
for Grace Gifts.

Ah, sweets on a hot summer day... 




What sweet grace gifts these little fellas are.

Yummy.... fresh fruit; another grace gift.
Little buddy's smiles... precious grace gifts, indeed.





















Thursday, July 26, 2012

Come With Me

~Come With Me~
Phil Collins does an awesome job with this song.
At first, I think of my 5 children and 8 grandchildren when I listen to the lyrics.


Then I think of my sweetie, Stan...


Then..... I hear the song as a kind of Love Song between me and the Lord.

I just love this song and the message it holds.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VHFxnjz05s&feature=related



I'll try to make the sun shine brighter for you
I will even play the fool if it makes you smile
I'll try to make you laugh if there's a tear in your eye
After all is said
After all is done
I'd do anything for you

Come with me, close your eyes
Hold my hand, it'll be alright
Don't be scared, don't be shy
Lift your head it's gonna be alright

I'll try to make the stars shine brighter for you
And I'll take you on my shoulders, hold you way up high
I'll even chase the rainbow hanging in the sky
COs after all is said
After all is done
I'd do anything for you

Come with me, close your eyes
Hold my hand, it'll be alright
Don't be scared, don't be shy
Lift your head it's gonna be alright

Through the eyes of innocence
You will find, you will see
There'll come a time it all makes sense
And you won't know, but it will show inside, deep inside

Come with me, close your eyes
Hold my hand, it'll be alright
Don't be scared, don't be shy
Lift your head it's gonna be alright

I'll try to make the days last longer for you
From the daybreak, 'til the sunset, 'til the end of time
I'll keep you safe, away from the heartache
COs when all is said
And when all is done
I'd do anything for you

Come with me, close your eyes
Hold my hand, it'll be alright
Don't be scared, don't be shy
Lift your head it's gonna be alright





My Inmost Being


For you created my inmost being;
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful,
       I know that full well.
 My frame was not hidden from you
       when I was made in the secret place.
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
 your eyes saw my unformed body.
       All the days ordained for me
       were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.
~Psalm 139:14-15
We think a lot about where we are going, but for a moment this morning I'm thinking back to where I came from, before I joined my earthly family.
Think of it! Each one of us, you and I, were formed by the hands of our Creator. These ideas are too great for me. How personal, how lovely, how breathtakingly dear.
He saw my unformed body? Think about what this means.
You and I were in His mind long before we became physical realities!
Before I existed, He saw me. He saw each day of my life,  all of my mistakes and victories and hurts and joys.
And get this: He knows each one to come! 
He has it all written down. . .
and blessed thought, He knows the moment I will depart, and He has made preparation for that, too, in His Son Jesus
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! 
       How vast is the sum of them!   Were I to count them, 
       they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; 
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 See if there is any offensive way in me, 
       and lead me in the way everlasting.


Golden Apples On A Silver Tray



Proverbs 25:11

vs.11 A word spoken at the right time is like golden apples on a silver tray.
   


Friends, our words are important! Not only do they affect our heart and our life, they affect those around us. Will you determine to be more careful about how you use your words?







Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Fireflies

Lightning bugs or fireflies....
They're so magical and tranquil and I love how you see them just as twilight begins, the most peaceful time of the day.


 They also remind me of my childhood, catching them in mason jars on Nana's driveway and then barbarically  rupturing their abdomens to smear their glowing guts on my face. Kids are gross!



Yep, lightning bugs definitely help me  relax and enjoy summer.

The beautiful print above reminds me of Psalm 4:8, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone O Lord make me dwell in safety." Thanks for reading this, writing it was a good exercise for me to remember how blessed I am and how good God is.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Picnic~memories of my sister and me~


Remember when we were wee ones and a picnic of jelly sandwiches in the back yard was an adventure?
Well, my dear sister, the sun is shining  the weather is mild
 ( ok, it's really hot, not mild...but mild sounded more pleasant), and I'll pack the sandwiches. Will you please come?




We brought a rug for sitting on,
Our lunch was in a box.
The sand was warm. We didn't wear
Hats or shoes or socks.
Waves came curling up the beach.
We waded. It was fun.
Our sandwiches were different kinds.
I dropped my jelly one.



When There Are No Words


We live in a world crushed and broken and torn,
a world God Himself visited to redeem."
~Elisabeth Elliot



Saturday, July 21, 2012

Love Is Patient~1 Corinthians 13:4

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Shine


                               * * * Stars * * *
 God knows their number and their names. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. (Psalm 147:4). Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26).



When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
~ Psalm 8:3-4






Let Us Be Kind


He knows when you have been bruised by unkindness.
Perhaps, He has allowed the bump,
as a call to pray for one in silent pain?




“Let us be kind, one to another;
everyone you meet
is fighting a battle,
 carrying a heavy burden."







Sarah Marie, my Darling

My dear Sarah Marie,
As I was looking through pictures on the internet to use on my blog, I saw this and immediately thought of you...
Sweet, Sarah Marie, my Darling.
We love you !


My Heart Longs To Go...

My heart longs to go. . .
"To unpathed waters,
Undreamed shores."
~Mr. Shakespeare


Thursday, July 19, 2012

Little House


                   Ah, the simple life.... yet harder.





  


Wish I Could Still Hop

I use to be able to play hopscotch all day long.
I may not be able to hop anymore but I'm still a kid at heart.

Imagine Yourself

Imagine yourself as you really are . . . a beloved daughter or son of the King.