Indiana Memories

I spy with my little eye...something round...and bumpy...and beautiful. This little treasure is one of many that we have collected in Indiana's creek beds. One summer we visited Indiana and Nathan's late Uncle Steve drove the tractor and pulled us all through the creek beds on a flat bed as we spotted and retrieved these fine jewels. We had Haley & Alyson in tow and they loved this treasure hunt! There can be some great mineral specimens inside of them. They are sphere shaped on the outside and have a partially hollow cavity inside that is lined with beautiful sparkling quartz crystal on the inside. They begin as bubbles forming from glaciers that covered Indiana many years ago.
Over time the outer shell hardens and water forms inside which results in a variety of minerals (quartz, amethyst, calcite, chalcedony or jasper). So each one of these is unique in its composition and the only way to discover what is inside is to crack it open. Some people call them "Mother Nature's lottery ticket" because the anticipation of what is inside can be exciting as it could hold some great value such as amethyst, ankerite, aragonite, goethite, siderite or honessite-selling by the "carats" and being quite rare. Most Indiana varieties began as cauliflower-like growths of salt called gypsum. When we brought them home from Indiana we just enjoy them "whole" placed in landscaping. (Although here is one picture of one broken Jane has in her flowerbed) Nathan's Dad built this little well years ago by placing them in cement. These pretty rocks are called Geodes (greek for "earthlike"). They are beautiful treasures in nature and I like to think that God sees us just that way. Unique-not one is alike-and all has an inner beauty inside. But you cannot carelessly smash open a geode, you must cut or crack carefully to reveal the shining interior. Isn't that how each of us like for others to learn about who we really are? To carefully and slowly and ever so gently discover what makes each one of us special. I have also learned the more I grow in God-the more I understand that my life is always on His GPS. It is significant. And by reminding ourselves we are each very different-unique and specially made by God-then we are reminded that nothing in our life is arbirtary. Everything has a purpose.

I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. ~Isaiah 44:2

Aren't those the coolest things you ever did see? You are going right out now to the creek to see if you can find some aren't you?

I spy with my little eye...something round...and bumpy...and beautiful. This little treasure is one of many that we have collected in Indiana's creek beds. One summer we visited Indiana and Nathan's late Uncle Steve drove the tractor and pulled us all through the creek beds on a flat bed as we spotted and retrieved these fine jewels. We had Haley & Alyson in tow and they loved this treasure hunt! There can be some great mineral specimens inside of them. They are sphere shaped on the outside and have a partially hollow cavity inside that is lined with beautiful sparkling quartz crystal on the inside. They begin as bubbles forming from glaciers that covered Indiana many years ago.
Over time the outer shell hardens and water forms inside which results in a variety of minerals (quartz, amethyst, calcite, chalcedony or jasper). So each one of these is unique in its composition and the only way to discover what is inside is to crack it open. Some people call them "Mother Nature's lottery ticket" because the anticipation of what is inside can be exciting as it could hold some great value such as amethyst, ankerite, aragonite, goethite, siderite or honessite-selling by the "carats" and being quite rare. Most Indiana varieties began as cauliflower-like growths of salt called gypsum. When we brought them home from Indiana we just enjoy them "whole" placed in landscaping. (Although here is one picture of one broken Jane has in her flowerbed) Nathan's Dad built this little well years ago by placing them in cement. These pretty rocks are called Geodes (greek for "earthlike"). They are beautiful treasures in nature and I like to think that God sees us just that way. Unique-not one is alike-and all has an inner beauty inside. But you cannot carelessly smash open a geode, you must cut or crack carefully to reveal the shining interior. Isn't that how each of us like for others to learn about who we really are? To carefully and slowly and ever so gently discover what makes each one of us special. I have also learned the more I grow in God-the more I understand that my life is always on His GPS. It is significant. And by reminding ourselves we are each very different-unique and specially made by God-then we are reminded that nothing in our life is arbirtary. Everything has a purpose.

I am your Creator. You were in my care even before you were born. ~Isaiah 44:2

Aren't those the coolest things you ever did see? You are going right out now to the creek to see if you can find some aren't you?