How To Shine.
Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. (Psalm 37:3-6)
Have you ever heard someone describe themselves as “a diamond in the rough?” Well it just might be true, at least according to a company called Life Gem. This Chicago based company claims to have developed a process by which they take cremated human remains and turn it into a diamond. You heard me correctly. This company says it can take the cremated remains of your loved one and turn it into jewelry you can wear. It’s always been claimed that diamonds are a girl’s best friend – but now apparently you can have your best friend turned into a diamond! “We’re building on the simple fact that all living creatures are carbon-based and diamonds are carbon-based,” says Greg Herro, head of Life Gem Memorials, which has begun marketing the diamonds as the answer for people who think a headstone or an urn full of ash is just too impersonal. Mr. Herro, who describes himself as an entrepreneur, said he spent three years refining the process. The process involves purifying the ash from cremated remains, turning it into graphite. That material is then placed into a press under intense pressure and heat, thus replicating the forces that create a natural diamond. It’s not exactly a new process. Companies have been manufacturing synthetic industrial diamonds for some time now. But this is the first time it has been used to make dead people sparkle. The process takes about 16 weeks to complete. The longer the process the clearer the diamond - and of course the higher the cost. Surprisingly, it doesn’t take much to make a diamond. A thimbleful of ash can be made into a ¼ carat diamond for which Life Gem charges around $3,500.00. A full carat can cost upwards of $20,000.00 Even pets can be turned into a gemstone. Don’t want to say goodbye to “Sparky?” Just have him crystallized and you can still take him jogging with you every Saturday morning.
Herro says his diamonds are of the same quality as those “you would find at Tiffany’s.” And it appears that he’s right. His diamonds have been certified for quality by the European Gemological Laboratory, an independent laboratory that vouches for diamond quality. Mark Gershburg, director of the American branch of the laboratory, said it was impossible to distinguish Life Gem diamonds from other synthetic diamonds.
Now I don’t know about you but I find this all just a bit freaky. Can you imagine a guy giving his fiancé an engagement ring made from the remains of Dear Old Aunt Betty? “She was always such a bright light in my life.” Yuck! Or how about a set of matching ear rings made from Mom and Dad? My guess is that this process has appeal for some because it gives them the opportunity to “shine a light” after they pass on. And realistically, I guess there is nothing wrong with that – I just find it a bit creepy personally. I also don’t like the symbolism of this whole deal. I don’t want the pressure of this world to cause me to become as hard as a stone. I want the light of Christ to soften me so that his light might shine through me. If you really want to shine, I suggest you follow the advice of King David in Psalm 37:
Don’t Fret – Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; Worry takes the luster out of a person’s life. If you really want to shine in this world – stop worrying. Everyone faces situations we wish we could avoid. But we don’t gain anything by worrying about our problems. Worry doesn’t solve anything. Worry never paid a debt. Worry never alleviated a pain. Worry never made an enemy a friend. Worry never turned a wrong into a right. A Christian who is known as being a “worrier” is a poor testimony. By their constant worrying, they are sending out a message - and the message is this: “God is unable to cope with my problems; He’s not big enough or He’s big enough, but my faith is too small. Don’t Fret – He’s big enough to deal with the issues you are facing.
Trust in the LORD and do good – Webster’s Dictionary defines trust as an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone. Trust is not something we give away for free. It is always earned. Love is free. Trust is earned. Our Great and Mighty God has earned our trust. His wisdom is perfect. His power is real. His faithfulness is unchanging. His mercy is everlasting. He keeps every promise he makes. When we learn to trust in the Lord and obey him, our entire countenance changes. Turn your eyes upon Jesus – trust him fully with all your heart - He’ll light your world up.
Delight yourself in the LORD – Find delight in the relationship you have with the one who spoke creation into being. God’s greatest delight is when you find delight in Him. The easiest and quickest path to joy is simple delight in our God. When your desires become His desires, you will find yourself living within His will. When you are living within his will, your heart will be at peace and you will be a light for others.
Commit your way to the LORD - Commit your way to the Lord. Give him your heart – your whole heart. Give to him an unwavering faith. Totally surrender your ways to his ways. Commitment is not a once a day decision or a once a week activity. It’s a lifestyle. We don’t commit something to the Lord and then take it back. A farmer doesn’t plant his seed and then keep digging it up to see if it's growing! Commit your life to Jesus and move forward in faith. He’ll provide the light you need to take every step you make.
If you do these things God makes a promise: He’ll make you sparkle! He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. If a person rejects worry, trusts in Him, finds delight in Him, and remains committed to him – for that person God says, “I’ll make them shine like a diamond.” Why? Because those are the kind of people he wants the world to see. If you really want to stand out in this dark world, don’t let the world pressure you into becoming hard as a rock. Let the Lord of creation soften your heart so that His light can shine through you.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
Have you ever heard someone describe themselves as “a diamond in the rough?” Well it just might be true, at least according to a company called Life Gem. This Chicago based company claims to have developed a process by which they take cremated human remains and turn it into a diamond. You heard me correctly. This company says it can take the cremated remains of your loved one and turn it into jewelry you can wear. It’s always been claimed that diamonds are a girl’s best friend – but now apparently you can have your best friend turned into a diamond! “We’re building on the simple fact that all living creatures are carbon-based and diamonds are carbon-based,” says Greg Herro, head of Life Gem Memorials, which has begun marketing the diamonds as the answer for people who think a headstone or an urn full of ash is just too impersonal. Mr. Herro, who describes himself as an entrepreneur, said he spent three years refining the process. The process involves purifying the ash from cremated remains, turning it into graphite. That material is then placed into a press under intense pressure and heat, thus replicating the forces that create a natural diamond. It’s not exactly a new process. Companies have been manufacturing synthetic industrial diamonds for some time now. But this is the first time it has been used to make dead people sparkle. The process takes about 16 weeks to complete. The longer the process the clearer the diamond - and of course the higher the cost. Surprisingly, it doesn’t take much to make a diamond. A thimbleful of ash can be made into a ¼ carat diamond for which Life Gem charges around $3,500.00. A full carat can cost upwards of $20,000.00 Even pets can be turned into a gemstone. Don’t want to say goodbye to “Sparky?” Just have him crystallized and you can still take him jogging with you every Saturday morning.
Herro says his diamonds are of the same quality as those “you would find at Tiffany’s.” And it appears that he’s right. His diamonds have been certified for quality by the European Gemological Laboratory, an independent laboratory that vouches for diamond quality. Mark Gershburg, director of the American branch of the laboratory, said it was impossible to distinguish Life Gem diamonds from other synthetic diamonds.
Now I don’t know about you but I find this all just a bit freaky. Can you imagine a guy giving his fiancé an engagement ring made from the remains of Dear Old Aunt Betty? “She was always such a bright light in my life.” Yuck! Or how about a set of matching ear rings made from Mom and Dad? My guess is that this process has appeal for some because it gives them the opportunity to “shine a light” after they pass on. And realistically, I guess there is nothing wrong with that – I just find it a bit creepy personally. I also don’t like the symbolism of this whole deal. I don’t want the pressure of this world to cause me to become as hard as a stone. I want the light of Christ to soften me so that his light might shine through me. If you really want to shine, I suggest you follow the advice of King David in Psalm 37:
Don’t Fret – Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; Worry takes the luster out of a person’s life. If you really want to shine in this world – stop worrying. Everyone faces situations we wish we could avoid. But we don’t gain anything by worrying about our problems. Worry doesn’t solve anything. Worry never paid a debt. Worry never alleviated a pain. Worry never made an enemy a friend. Worry never turned a wrong into a right. A Christian who is known as being a “worrier” is a poor testimony. By their constant worrying, they are sending out a message - and the message is this: “God is unable to cope with my problems; He’s not big enough or He’s big enough, but my faith is too small. Don’t Fret – He’s big enough to deal with the issues you are facing.
Trust in the LORD and do good – Webster’s Dictionary defines trust as an assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone. Trust is not something we give away for free. It is always earned. Love is free. Trust is earned. Our Great and Mighty God has earned our trust. His wisdom is perfect. His power is real. His faithfulness is unchanging. His mercy is everlasting. He keeps every promise he makes. When we learn to trust in the Lord and obey him, our entire countenance changes. Turn your eyes upon Jesus – trust him fully with all your heart - He’ll light your world up.
Delight yourself in the LORD – Find delight in the relationship you have with the one who spoke creation into being. God’s greatest delight is when you find delight in Him. The easiest and quickest path to joy is simple delight in our God. When your desires become His desires, you will find yourself living within His will. When you are living within his will, your heart will be at peace and you will be a light for others.
Commit your way to the LORD - Commit your way to the Lord. Give him your heart – your whole heart. Give to him an unwavering faith. Totally surrender your ways to his ways. Commitment is not a once a day decision or a once a week activity. It’s a lifestyle. We don’t commit something to the Lord and then take it back. A farmer doesn’t plant his seed and then keep digging it up to see if it's growing! Commit your life to Jesus and move forward in faith. He’ll provide the light you need to take every step you make.
If you do these things God makes a promise: He’ll make you sparkle! He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. If a person rejects worry, trusts in Him, finds delight in Him, and remains committed to him – for that person God says, “I’ll make them shine like a diamond.” Why? Because those are the kind of people he wants the world to see. If you really want to stand out in this dark world, don’t let the world pressure you into becoming hard as a rock. Let the Lord of creation soften your heart so that His light can shine through you.
Live the Victorious Life,
PT
posted by Larry | 11:03 AM
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