Unmute

   An upscale downtown shoe store window proudly displayed an impressive pair of red designer heels. The shoes seemed to call out to a young woman as she attempted to pass by. Captivated, she walked inside to have a closer look. She approached the salesman anxious to know the price. He informed her the heels in question were expensive, limited edition shoes, and the store only had one pair left.  The shoes were definitely over her budget but she figured there would be no harm in simply trying them on. She promised herself she'd only wear them for a moment and then she would promptly take off the fabulous pumps, walk out of the shop, and try to forget they existed. But as she held the elegantly crafted box her heart seemed to skip a beat. She quickly pulled back the decorative packaging revealing the most exquisite pair of shoes she had ever seen. Barely stifling the squeal that erupted from her lips, she removed her shoes and hurriedly slipped into the beautiful heels. They seemed

  I n a place far, far away there lived an old, bag woman who was revered by the townsfolk; she was known for making predictions about the people of the town. The people believed her words; whatever she spoke about a person would somehow come true. The young and the old alike would come from both far and near to hear her speak her prophecies. The townspeople would gather around her as she rocked in her old rocking chair. After a minute or two she would begin to hum, quietly she'd get up from her chair, walk over to the old kettle stove, reach into her pockets and pull out 3 mint leaves, drop them into the pot and begin to stir the boiling water. Then she would speak her prophecies to the memerized crowds. The people believed her words and sat spellbound in her presence as she spoke. And sure enough, her words would eventually be fulfilled. One day, two young girls from the same side of town went to visit the old, bag woman. The girls wanted insight concerning who they would one d

  Have you ever thought about how some of the most invaluable assets of our world came to be? We rarely consider the processes that are involved in refining gold, diamonds or other precious stones. We simply admire the finished project without regarding the sweat equity that produced these beautiful and costly items.  Pressure is defined as constant physical force that is applied to or against an object. Many of the world's precious treasures that are here today would cease to exist with the absence of pressure. Although the process of pressurizing an object can be a burdensome and tenuous task; I think we'd all agree it's worth it.  Diamonds are formed from carbon that is buried, deep beneath massive layers of earth. They are put under intense pressures equaling 725,000 pounds per square inch. Next, they are exposed to extreme temperatures totalling 2,200 Fahrenheit.    Once found they must be cleaned, sorted and inspected. Only a small number of these diamonds can move on