Brusselsprout,

If I may please add something to your OT comment about truth and gold.

Truth is the absense of the lie or misinformation. Truth is not just a concept it is tangible. It has an origin as does the lie. Truth originates in a Person and so does the Lie. With respect to both these Entities, nothing has changed down through the ages. We will believe something and that ultimately translates into Someone and our belief system will ultimately be based on believing the Truth or the Lie.

Pure gold is for the most part hidden from view and in regard to a finished product it is often times out of our natural sight. To get the 'gold' out of the 'rock', there is a process. The rock must be crushed. There are other things that must occur to get all the impurities out like fire or caustic chemicals being added to the mix. Finally the mix must yield up all the dross. I am sure that other things happen as well but the point is that there is a process.

It kind of reminds us of life in general. We come to the Truth of the matter first. Hopefully] Then He, the one that is the essense, epitomy and author of all Truth starts His process and in one way or the other it is an 'ouch experience' but in the end we will come forth as Vessels of Gold/Silver or whatever other 'precious metal' we were designed to be from the get-go. Considering it is the Christmas season and considering it will soon be the Easter season, we should very seriously consider Who is the reason for those seasons less we miss out in the end and our lifes show that we were nothing but wood, hay, stubble dross OR perhaps, fools gold.

Have a very Blessed Christ-mas and happy Holyday.

Jane and Jerry Francis

A] must be gold their to begin with