Her diamond ring caught my eye.  In fact, I watched it sparkle with every move of her hand.
Gorgeous ring! I found myself distracted from what she was saying, by the constant brilliance
that shone from her finger.

I've thought about her ring since then, and for some reason, my mind recalled something about
I read recently, in an article on "How Diamonds are Made?"  It caught my attention, because
it was shared in the form of a recipe.  Recipes always get my attention, but this surprised me.
"Diamonds are made out of carbon-highly organized carbon, that is.  They (the
scientists) think the recipe follows something like this;

1.  Bury carbon dioxide 100 miles from Earth.

2. Heat to about 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Squeeze under pressure of 725,000 pounds per square inch.

4. Quickly rush towards Earth's surface to cool.

~from livescience.com

So that's what causes the sparkle... extreme heat and intense pressure were a part of the
process.

There are people we learn to know in life, whose lives reflect the same kind of
"sparkle" that can get your attention.

This past weekend, we celebrated the 70th birthday of one of those people.  He has been
in our lives for years, but for many of those years, he has suffered with the woes of
throat cancer.  In fact, I learned recently, that it has been 8 years since he has eaten a
meal.  He lives by injections of liquid food.  His ability to talk has been diminishing,
and often he finds writing out his words, is easier for him.  But, though the years, we
have rarely heard him complain, and his way of greeting us, is always with a smile.
He shows genuine interest in his friends, and he radiates God's love to all who meet
him.  In fact, we would agree that he and his wife would fall into the "diamond"
category.  She has walked through this journey with him, with grace and kindness,
often reaching out to others, through her own difficult situations.  Along with her
skills of administration in a local high school, she is a gifted artist.  She shared
her talents with us, in planning a birthday square dance celebration on Saturday
evening.

We were greeted with this attractive box of "bandana flowers", as we entered the door of
the big barn.

Each of the bright colored bandanas were folded so neatly, in flower fashion.

Individual bandana flowers.  One for each of us to take.

And then, of course, to wear in one form or another.  Here my granddaughter and me,
shared the same color choice of bandanas.

Our oldest daughter and their family, were honored to celebrate this special man's birthday too.

The table centerpieces dressed up each of the big round tables so beautifully.  The

bowls of peanuts were a big hit, and the opened shells added to the western flair of the party.

When you see big, brilliant diamonds, or when you meet exceptional people, that seem to
sparkle, on your journey through this life, I hope you are reminded, that often times, it is
the extreme heat and intense pressure of life's circumstances, that make them that way. 

Thank you Sarge, for what we learn from you and your wife, and the way you radiate God's
amazing love in your life, despite your adverse circumstances.  We are blessed by it, in so
many ways.

Thanks to each one of you, for stopping by today.