These rings have quite a history. The jewels are precious and have all been given to me from various people for special occasions.

The top ring, a glass ‘amethyst’, was given to me by my Daddy when I was in first grade. How do I remember that so well? Because one day at school I dropped my ring into the toilet! In my innocence I went to my teacher, who was absolutely lovely, Miss Courts, and asked her to get it for me. She came with me to the restroom and asked me first if I wouldn’t like to fish it out. I politely said, “No, would you please get it for me?” And that lovely woman put her hand in the toilet and brought it back up to me. Precious!

The ring with the beautiful blue aquamarine was a gift from my husband upon our engagement. He let me choose whatever stone I wanted. I knew nothing of jewelry, but I liked the blue color. It did not have any diamonds at the time. Around the year 2000, I noticed one day that the stone was missing from the ring. I checked everywhere but couldn’t find it. After about 6 months I asked my husband for something to wear on my ring finger and he bought me the diamond band. Precious. I was happy.

BUT… months later I returned from a choir rehearsal at church and my son showed me something he found on the carport while he and his brother were playing basketball. It was my aquamarine! My husband had used the compressor that day to clean out dirt between the garage floor and the carport area, spraying dirt and dust all over. My aquamarine had been nestled in that crevice all those months but the force of the compressed air pushed it out in a place where it would be found. It could have ended up in the dirt where no one would ever find it. But it didn’t! So the ring was fixed and the diamonds attached and I can only use that one word again–Precious.

The ring with my mother’s diamond in the middle and the rubies surrounding it has a special story too. When my mother died around 2002 she left me her wedding ring. I cherished it and loved it, but one day I heard God telling me to give it to a certain preacher who had a healing school. I agonized over this for a few months, but knew in my heart it was the right thing. So I went to this lovely man who accepted it graciously while I cried as I presented it to him. I thought he might sell it and use the money for his ministry, but he put it in his safe. Lo and behold only 6 months or so later he ended up marrying a lovely woman and he gave her this ring! Precious.

So why do I have the ring now? Because Cheryl asked her husband 13 years later for her own diamond, and he purchased one for her. She called me one day and presented my mother’s ring back to me in this little green, bejeweled box. I have promised the ring to one of my children whom I hope will cherish it because it sat on the fingers of 2 very godly, wonderful women. Precious.

The ring with 6 jewels began with a diamond and an emerald which were my mother’s. The children added the other 4 for their birth months and thus emerged my ‘mother’s ring.’ Precious. I would not trade one of my children for any jewel, though!

The triumph is in receiving what my Heavenly Father did for me in bringing back these precious jewels. I could not have orchestrated the return of each the way He did. You and I are precious jewels to Him and He even bought us back for His own crown. He returns to us what is truly Precious. I hope you realize this more and more: that you are ALWAYS precious to the Father, no matter what you do. He paid for you to be in His crown and you are there forever!

Do you tell your family and friends EVER that you love them? That you appreciate them? I want to tell all my friends and acquaintances that they are loved. Here’s a sweet old song by Henry Mancini I recorded this year for you.

Kinda takes you back to high school, right? Oooh, those could be great days or troubled days, depending on who you hung around with. Being in choir, I enjoyed myself thoroughly and loved making music with Loren Squires et al at Burnsville High School in Minnesota. We did a couple of musicals and I received the honor of being Maria in the Sound of Music and Marian in Music Man. I played opposite some wonderful singers. Music was all important to me and I began to find my identity in it. But not often enough did I think about eternal things.

However, I longed for more. Something was missing. I found it when I went to college as a music major in Texas. My friend Rich kept singing about Jesus and I was so intrigued I asked him to tell me more and more. Then it was oh so natural to commit my life to Him. My music took on a whole new angle. I thought I would end up on the musical stage, but as I grew, and especially now as I look back, I realize that type of life never could have been meant for me. I’m a bit more contemplative than a career of that fashion would allow. I love teaching and writing and singing and taking walks where I sing to my Creator. I am delighted with more than music. The ‘not often enough’ turned into ‘all the time’ as I learned to demonstrate to others how I love and appreciate them.

What’s your ‘not often enough?’