With This Symbol, I Thee Wed

 By Kathy Kovach

Let's go way back into history. The date was July 12, 1975. An epic day, at least in my life, when I wed the cute boy from church. Okay, 46 years may not be way back there, but it does give me the opportunity to highlight the time honored tradition of marriage.

Specifically, the ring.

This tiny piece of metal, (or leather, or twine, or thimble...more on that later,) really packs a punch in the symbolism trade. Let's take a stroll—to the tune of the Wedding March—through the years to explore this trinket of love.

We'd have to travel back some 3000 years to Egypt to find the first wedding ring. Several symbols were attributed to it because, well, ancient Egyptians loved to attach meaning to inanimate objects. The design of the ring meant no beginning and no end. A pledged love throughout eternity. The circle reminded them of the sun and moon, which they worshipped. Today, we could say the sun and moon represent our heavenly Father and His Son. The empty space within the circle was said to be a pathway to the unknown as the happy couple stepped into the future together, naïve and probably a little frightened. They wore this symbol on the fourth finger of the left hand, just as we do today, with the belief that the vein in that finger is directly connected to the heart. We know now this isn't correct, but the sentiment is lovely and worthy of continuing today.

The tradition continued into Greece and later into Rome. The material varied, with copper and iron most prevalent. In some cases, a key motif was worked into the metal to symbolize that the wife was now in control of the household goods. By the 2nd century CE, gold had become the preferred metal.

On into Medieval times, the gems themselves carried significance. Sapphires symbolized the heavens, rubies were for passion, and diamonds reminded one of steadfast strength. Of course, diamonds did hold steadfast, especially thanks to marketing in the 1950's where we were told diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Amongst all this talk about gold and shiny gems, the Puritans went the practical route. A thimble was given as a pledge of love. The new bride accepted it in the sweet way that Wendy presented the kiss—or thimble— to Peter Pan. The puritan bride then went on to sew items for the couple's new home. Once that was done, her groom would often cut off the top of the thimble for her ring. Now, I'm as pragmatic as the next gal, but give me a sparkling bauble and I'm good.

The Hebrew nation eventually adopted the ring from the countries in which they lived. However, they kept them free of jewels or intricate embellishment. Rather, the idea of a simple gold band held monetary value, as could a coin, property deed, or any other token of worth. The groom was not buying his bride as his property, but more precisely buying her intimacy, sealing the contract that she agrees to be with him and him alone. Traditionally, the ring had no gems, as the ring itself was to be presented as the true worth. Once precious stones were finally allowed, they needed to be of the finest quality, and not imitation. For the union itself should be pure as the purest gold, free of distractions, and simple in its faith between two people and their God.

Symbolism is an excellent way to ground one's belief. Yes, we've exchanged rings, but what does that mean? They are a reminder that our marriage is to be steadfast and true, free from distractions, and intimate in its very nature.

James and Kathleen, July 12, 1975

Happy 46th anniversary, my love! 

MissAdventure Brides Collection
Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures? Includes:
"Riders of the Painted Star" by Kathleen E. Kovach

1936 Arizona
Zadie Fitzpatrick, an artist from New York, is commissioned to go on location in Arizona to paint illustrations for an author of western novels and falls for the male model.

Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Kathleen and her husband, Jim, raised two sons while living the nomadic lifestyle for over twenty years in the Air Force. Now planted in northeast Colorado, she's a grandmother, though much too young for that. Kathleen is a longstanding member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God's peculiar people.

Website

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The History of the Emerald: May's Birthstone

Blogger: Amber Schamel

May is my favorite month. The sights, sounds and smell of Spring as it finally arrives, the baby animals that can be seen all around, the fresh smell of rain on newly growing plant sprouts. It's just a lovely time of year! And it's my birthday month. But that doesn't make me biased at all. ;) 

I've always been fascinated with the birthstone of May, the emerald. It's a beautiful stone, and one with a rich history. So let's explore where this gem was first discovered, and how it has progressed through time. 

The first known emeralds were mined in Egypt around 1500 B.C. That's about the time that Moses was being called by God to return to Egypt and free the Israelites from slavery. So it is possible that Hebrew slaves were the ones to mine the very first diamonds from the earth. 

Cleopatra

The Emerald was Cleopatra's favorite stone, and she was obsessed with them. One of the mines was located near the Red Sea, and she took that mine from the Greeks to have as her own. When visiting monarchs left Egypt, Cleopatra would present them with an Emerald etched with her own likeness as a departing gift. The lost mines of Cleopatra were rediscovered in 1817, although the supply of the precious stone was long exhausted.

The ancient Egyptians believed that the Emerald was more than just a beautiful stone. They believed it possessed the power to treat eye diseases, and that the green color gave it power of fertility and rebirth. Often they would bury the dead with Emeralds as a sign of eternal youth.

Later on, the Romans took over the obsession with Emeralds, although the main source was still Egypt. Pliny the Elder loved the gem, and asserted that nothing in existence could be greener. He too believed in it's power over the eyes, for he is quoted as saying that they “have no better method of restoring their eyes than by looking at the emerald, its soft, green color comforting and removing their weariness and lassitude.” Science today has found that indeed the color green does have the ability to reduce stress and eye strain. 

Columbian Emerald
Credit:Parent Géry / CC0

When European explorers came to the New World, they discovered a new and rich source of Emeralds in the country we know as Columbia. The Incas had been using the stones for at least 500 years, but it was plundered away from them by the Spanish conquerors. However, the Spaniards valued precious metals above precious stones, so they traded them for gold and silver, much to the delight of Asian and European monarchs. 

Today, Emeralds are still one of the most sought-after stones for jewelry pieces, and Columbia is still our major source. 

I just discovered that it is believed that wearing an emerald will expose the truth or falseness of a lover's oath...I wonder if that is why my husband presented me with an Emerald engagement ring. ;) Either way, it worked out perfectly, because it is not only my birthstone, but also a reminder of the month we got engaged. 💚


Happy May everyone! I hope you enjoy this month of green and new born life. 

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  

She lives in Colorado Springs near her favorite mountain as a very happy newlywed.  

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Add Spice to Your Life

Cooking with Spice

 by Martha Rogers

I have always loved to cook. My grandmother taught me to make cookies when I was only five years old. I believe that’s what led me to major in Home Economics in college. I taught homemaking in high school for eighteen years before moving on to teach college level English. Because of those early cooking days, I’ve always been interested in cooking with herbs and spices. They have been around as long as history has been recorded. We can trace them back to Biblical days and the spice routes that made up much of the trade in those days. Those early spices were highly prized and costly. Remember Joseph’s brother sold him into slavery to spice traders on their way to Egypt. 

Included among those early spices were black pepper, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg to name a few.

The spice trade picked up in Europe during the years of the Crusades which made them even more popular than ever. Since those early days, the spice trade grew and the East India Company formed by the Dutch in 1600 became one of the most powerful trading companies in history.

People often lump herbs and spices into the same barrel, but they are entirely different. Herbs are fresh or dried leaves of plants, usually green in color. They are grown in temperate climates all over the world. We have herb gardens in our yards or smaller ones in our kitchens. Fresh herbs are also available in our grocery stores or supermarkets today.

Spices are the flower, fruit, or seeds of a plant. They may also be the bark or root of tropical plants. Spices come in a variety of colors from black and brown to orange, red, and yellow. Some plants have been known to produce both herbs and spices. One such plant is Coriandrum sativum. The leaves may be dried to make the herb cilantro or the spice coriander. One of the best attributes of spices and herbs is that they add very few calories to our good. Other good things include having substantial antioxidant qualities because of flavonoids. Cumin and ginger are two of highest in antioxidant activity.

Here is an array of the colorful spices and herbs available today

Many countries adopted certain spices and herbs to liven up their cuisine. Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Italian and Greek all have spices and herbs especially identified with dishes. Many cooks stick to the same old favorites and rarely experiment with different ones to liven up our recipes, but others of us enjoy mixing and matching and coming up with new flavor combinations for our foods.

Although not as popular today, many early medical remedies included special herbs put together for their healing powers.

The list of herbs and spices is long and colorful. This month I’m listing the most popular spices. Next month I’ll post more about herbs and their uses.

Cayenne Pepper is a strong, spicy product made from tropical chilies. In its powder form, it is used in a number of ethnic cuisines such as Mexican, Indian, Southeast Asia, Chinese and African. It comes in around 200 varieties and is known to add a little heat to your dish.

Cinnamon comes from the dried bark of several different types of laurel tree and was one of the most sought after spices in early history.

Cloves are native to the Molucca islands in Indonesia and are the fruit of the clove tree. Pungent in both taste and smell, most of us have enjoyed cloves with our baked hams or in Wassail at Christmas.

Garlic can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago. The pods are made of up cloves which can be minced from the fresh pod, dried into a powder, mixed with salt, or minced and preserved in liquid. It has also been used as a way to ward off evil spirits and to cure ailments. 

Ginger was first cultivated by the Chinese and Indians, but its true source is unknown. It is a root fairly common today in both the solid form and dried powder. It is the prime spice in our favorite gingerbread concoctions.

Mace and Nutmeg come from the same fruit growing on an evergreen tree in Indonesia. Nutmeg comes from the inner brown seed while mace is the deep red outer membrane. Nutmeg has a warm, spicy and sweet flavor. It can be used in sweet dishes like spiced baked goods, custards, eggnog and on fruits. It can also be paired with vegetables for savory dishes.

 Paprika originated from Central America where the peppers grew wild. The spice was introduced in Spain in the 1600’s. The peppers are ground into a powder that varies in flavor from mild to mildly spicy to spicy and is most often seen as a garnish on such foods as deviled eggs and potato salad.

Star Anise is the fruit of a small Oriental tree native to China and Viet Nam. The boat-shaped pods give the fruit a start shape. It has a strong licorice flavor like regular anise, but star anise is bitter. It's a rather pretty fruit.

Tumeric is the root from a plant in the ginger family and has been used as a medicine, flavoring and dye for centuries. It is primarily grown in India, China and Indonesia. It’s an essential component of curry powder.

Saffron is a rare spice coming from the stigma of a flowering plant in the crocus family. To make one pound of saffron, pickers must collect as many 225,000 stigma. It has a pungent, bitter flavor and is orange in color. Today it can be purchased online.

Cuisine from India is known for its use of curry powder in its native dishes. This spice is a blend of a number of spices such as coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, and chili peppers in its blends. 

For more about curry and making your own blend, visit 

https://www.spicesinc.com/p-3832-all-about-curry-powders.aspx

Here is a picture from my own cabinet with a few of my favorite spices.

Because we didn't have enough entries last month, I'm extending my give-away to this this month. Leave a comment and tell me about your favorite spices and be entered. Be sure to leave your email address as well. If you entered last month, you may enter again for an extra chance. 

Lasso Around Her Heart: Allie Logan promised her mother to take care of the family after her death, and she’s kept that promise for over five years, but now Jarrod Wright comes into her life and threatens that promise. When she learns her of her father’s attempts to arrange a marriage between her and Jarrod by offering him land, she shuts herself off from Jarrod only to find he’s already lassoed her heart. But how can she forgive her father for offering to pay a man to marry her and Jarrod for accepting the offer? 

Martha Rogers is a multi-published author and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Martha and her husband Rex live in 

Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church. They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and great-grandparents of five. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years teaching Home Economics and English at the secondary level and eight years at the college level supervising student teachers and teaching freshman English. She is the Director of the Texas Christian Writers Conference held in Houston in August each year, a member of ACFW, ACFW WOTS chapter in Houston, and a member of the writers’ group, Inspirational Writers Alive.