Priceless Gems
Psalms 36:7 “How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” God’s love for us is priceless.
Program Ideas
There are over 300 different types of gems. See how many the women can name. The following website shows a picture and gives a brief description. https://www.gempundit.com/gemstones. This site list 10 of the rarest and most valuable. 10 of the Rarest and Most Valuable Gemstones in the World (thesprucecrafts.com)
Gemstone Kit
The following National Geographic kit is available from Amazon at a cost of $25.00. It contains games, bingo, gemstone trivia and over 150 rocks and minerals.
Borax Crystals
Check YouTube for video demonstrations on how to make crystals using Borax. The following are a couple of the sites: https://youtu.be/BHRFBKjqEvg and https://youtu.be/J-kUYFEtVh4.
Kindness Rocks
Provide smooth river rocks and pens. Invite the women to write encouraging messages on the rocks and leave them in various locations for others to find. Check the Internet for ideas.
Decorations
Cover the tables with blue table clothes. Scatter fake gemstones in the center of the table or use glass bottles with mini-LED lights. These are available from Amazon and some craft stores.
My Favorite Stone
When my husband and I started looking at wedding rings we knew that we wanted to include Celtic knots because of my husband’s background. We also wanted to go with some other stone rather than a diamond. We started to look at a tourmaline stone, which is also one of my husband’s favorites. We decided on a pink tourmaline stone for my wedding ring.
Tourmaline has a complex and varied chemical formula that is characterized by the presence of boron, one of the naturally occurring elements of the earth. The major source for the boron atom is cooling molten rock, called magma. Along with the boron, tourmaline contains silicon, aluminum, and several hydrate molecules. Tourmaline may also contain sodium or calcium, but not both. In addition, lithium, iron, or magnesium may be present.
Understanding the volcanic formation of pegmatite is basic to knowing how tourmaline is created. Most specimens of the colorful gem are found in veins that run through this kind of igneous rock. Pegmatite is characterized by being coarse-grained and often containing very large crystals. It occurs when magma undergoes a cooling process, but in contrast to other igneous rocks, pegmatite develops from aqueous solutions within the molten magma. These veins of hot liquids tend to be rich in certain earth elements such as silicon and iron. As the watery mix of elements cools and crystallizes, it forms the pegmatite rock, which can contain several different mineral crystals, one of which is tourmaline.
Ephesians 1:13, 14 states, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory.” Often in Paul’s writings he spends time admonishing the people for their bad behavior, lack of faith or for false teachings. In this portion of scripture Paul is addressing truth of the gospel and to encourage people in their faith.
It begins with the “… hearing the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.” Truth can only be found in scripture. It is where we find the plan for salvation. This the beginning of a firm foundation is in God. Only those who have heard the word of God can make a choice of accepting salvation. Unlike the formation of tourmaline, where the sources of the gems come from a variety of things, the truth of the gospel only comes from Scripture.
Once the gospel is heard, the reader must believe in the scripture. According to Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary, the New Testament Greek word pisteuo (believe) means “to be persuaded of” and “to place confidence in, to trust.” This means that we believe so strongly in God that we are willing to commit our lives to Him and live the way we know He wants us to live. He has bridged the gap between us and Him by sending His Son to remove the barrier of sin and become that “bridge.”
Paul goes on to tell the believer they are sealed by the Holy Spirit. This is His claim on us as His own. The Greek word translated “earnest” in these passages is arrhabōn which means “a pledge.” The gift of the Spirit to believers is a down payment on our heavenly inheritance, which Christ has promised us and secured for us at the cross. It is because the Spirit has sealed us that we are assured of our salvation. No one can break the seal of God.
The ring that my husband purchased as a symbol of the covenant we made on our wedding is valuable to me, but I know it pales in comparison to my relationship with God, the trust I put in Jesus, and the work being done by the Holy Spirit.
My Prayer
Heavenly Father, how I praise and glorify Your holy name for the immeasurable riches that have been bestowed on me, at Christ’s expense. Thank You that You have placed Your seal of ownership on me so that none can pluck me out of Your hand. Help me to live in the power of the Spirit, to Your praise and glory, all the days of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
