December Topaz

As cool and inviting as a blue lake on a blistering summer day, such is December's birthstone, the blue Topaz. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "tapas," meaning fire. This is because Blue Topaz was considered by ancient civilizations to have cooling properties.

It was believed to be able calm hot tempers. This gemstone was credited with many other healing properties, among them the ability to cure insanity, asthma, weak vision and insomnia.

Blue Topaz is the hardest of the silicate minerals. The blue hue is created when Topaz is heated, whether the heat source is natural or engineered by man.

It reminds me of a little board my parents put up on the wall outside my bedroom, which read, “keep your temper, no one else wants it.” Does the book of James not warn us about the problems that can arise due to an unbridled tongue? Raw anger will easily lead to anxiety and an inability to make rational decisions.

We ought to take heed of that warning and rather than feeding wild fires of anger, let us be the cooling, soothing, presence of the Holy Spirit.