Digging For Diamonds

“It is very dangerous to go into eternity with possibilities which oneself prevented from becoming realities. A possibility is a hint from God. One must follow it.”
~Soren Kierkegaard

“Your diamonds are not in far distant mountains or in yonder seas; they are in your own backyard, if you but dig for them.”
~Russell H. Conwell

"Russell H. Conwell was former newspaper correspondent, minister and a motivational speaker from the late Victorian/Edwardian age. He’s most well known for his “Acres of Diamonds” speech, which was also published, becoming an instant classic in inspirational literature and a best seller.

In it, he tells the story of a Persian farmer named Ali Hafed, who sold his farm, and then travelled the world, leaving his family behind, to go in search of untold wealth. He searched everywhere, but could not find what he was looking for . . . the diamonds he was lusting after, never to be found. Eventually he took his own life, dying alone as a penniless and homeless pauper. His search had consumed his whole life, and he had nothing to show for it. In the meantime, back on the farm he had sold, the new owner lived a very content life. A life of hard work from sunup to sundown, but one filled with great contentment, surrounded by his family, each of them enjoying the fruits of their labours. They were happy and blessed, and then one day they discovered an amazing thing right in their own back garden. It was full of diamonds. They were living on a diamond mine, an acre of land that was literally an acre of diamonds. This simple farmer who had purchased the farm from Ali Hafed became wealthy beyond anything he could have ever dreamt of.



It’s an amazing story with an extraordinary and wonderful message. Each of us has the potential to be something great and to do great things. We all hold in our hearts and beings, a wellspring of abundance and opportunity, an acre of diamonds. We all have hopes and dreams just waiting to be discovered and fulfilled, hidden talents yet to be untapped. We don’t need to go out and search the world for all that can be ours, it is ours already. We only need to invest in it. When we cherish the dreams we have and believe in them, investing in them with love, creative energy, perseverance and passion, then we cannot help but to be a success with them.

What are your dreams? Where is your “Acre of Diamonds”? If you could do anything in the world, anything at all, what would it be? What is some wish that you hold secret in your heart that you believe would never be possible? Take it out and begin to believe it CAN be yours, and then, in believing, start to work towards that possibility. Let the imaginations of your heart soar and you cannot help but be a success. I believe that we all live on an Acre of Diamonds. Believing and trusting in yourself and your God given talents is only the beginning of a wonderful journey. Start it today. "

This was a piece I wrote on my Muses back on January 24th of this year. (My apologies to anyone who's already read it!) It goes along with the thought I have in my side bar, which says . . . "If you never have a dream, you never have a dream come true." I have plenty of dreams, and I'm happily making them come true, one at a time, while I busily dig up the diamonds I have in my own back garden . . .



We are doing Mormon Ads tonight in the Mutual Activity we have at our church every Thursday Evening for the youth. We girls are going to be each making our own posters which express something that is important to us that also follows the standards set out by the church for us to follow. It should be fun and I can't wait to see what the girls come up with. I can't wait to see what "I" come up with!!! I better get my thinking cap on!



I'll be making the draw for the cookbook tommorrow, so don't forget to leave a comment on the relevant post today. Here's the link: Awards, Winners and a Giveaway

I did the Make Me Bake challenge yesterday afternoon (don't forget to vote in the new one, Make Me Bake Cookies.) You are going to love these scones! They are supposed to be similar the ones you can get at Starbucks. Now, I have never had a scone at Starbucks, and actually I have never been to Starbucks, but I hear they're very good!



*Maple Oat and Nut Scones*
Makes 8

Tender and delicious and full of toasted pecans and oaty goodness these wonderful scones are real pleasers on all levels. I love the drizzle of maple icing on the top. To me, this is their crowing glory!

1 cup rolled oats (any kind, quick or old fashioned)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
2 TBS caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS baking powder
2 TBS pure Maple Syrup
2 1/2 TBS cold butter, cut into bits
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup double cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 - 3/4 tsp maple extract
2/3 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecan nuts
FOR THE GLAZE:
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted into a bowl
1/2 tsp maple extract
up to 5 TBS milk

Pre-heat the oven to 205*C/425*F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Put your oats into a food processor or a blender and grind them to a fine powder. Tip them into a large bowl, along with the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Whisk them all together to mix. Add the cold butter and rub it into the flour mixture with your finger tips until it resembles fine crumbs.

Whisk the milk, cream, eggs, maple syrup and maple extract together in a beaker. Add to the dry mixture and stir in with a fork to moisten all the ingredients. Stir in the toasted and chopped pecans. Gather the dough into a ball and tip it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead a couple of times and then shape into an 8 inch smooth circle. (Try hard not to overwork the dough as this toughens any type of scone or biscuit) Cut the circle into 8 equal wedges. Place them onto the baking sheet, placing them at least 2 inches apart if you want nicely crisped edges.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until they are light brown and well risen.

Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

While they are cooling whisk together all the glaze ingredients, adding only enough milk to make a smooth drizzable mixture. Drizzle the glaze haphazardly over the scones. Leave to set and dry for about 15 minutes before serving.