Venus Transits and Geranium Leaves



This photo was taken "just as the Sun
went behind some trees at Pinnacle
 Mountain State Park (AR) by my boss's
friend. Ed Swaim. He was projecting
the image from a small telescope
onto a little metal screen."

 Yesterday was the big day, the day we humans could view through specially-made space telescopes a twice-a-century event called the "Venus Transit" when the orbit of the planet Venus' takes it between Earth and the sun. You can see Venus, the little round black dot on the sun in the picture to the right. It's no eclipse by any means, but it does serve as an amazing reminder of the size and grandeur of the sun. Venus is called Earth's twin because there are only about 400 miles difference in the diameters of the two planets. And, remember our sun is small compared to other stars in the universe, like Betelgeuce, who's circumference would fall somewhere between Mars and Jupiter if it were to suddenly jump into the place of our Sun.  For a jaw-dropping perspective of planet and star sizes go to www.kiroastro.com/writings/perspective . 

"God's glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.

Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening."

Psalm 19:1-2 (The Message)

And then there are the little wonders in my own backyard like geranium leaves. While I was watering a pot of brilliant coral red geraniums this morning, I accidently broke off a stem and couldn't help but notice how lovely and perfect geranium leaves are, yet, how seldom they get much attention.  They collect sunshine and turn it into nourishment for the plant, yet they rarely get much personal admiration. Take a look at those scalloped, bright green workers and remember, we're all small compared to some, but that doesn't excuse us from fulfilling God's purpose for our lives or celebrating Him and the wonders He's made. 

  "Hallelujah! Thank God! Pray to Him by name!

      Tell everyone you meet what He has done!

   Sing Him songs, belt out hymns,

      translate His wonders into music!

   Honor His holy name with Hallelujahs,

      you who seek God. Live a happy life!

   Keep your eyes open for God, watch for His works;

      be alert for signs of His presence.

   Remember the world of wonders He has made,"

Psalm 105:4 (The Message)

 

Who Stole Your Knees?

Shel Silverstein lit our kids' bedtime routines with laughter.  Sometimes, instead of a bedtime story, we would read poems from "A Light in the Attic" or "Where the Sidewalk Ends," reading our favorites more than once.  Both Julie and Nick appreciated Silverstein's random humor and how his drawings often served as the punchline for the poem. 

Recently, as I read to some children staying with us, God convicted me through a Silvertein poem called "Stop Thief!"

Stop Thief!

Policeman, policeman,

Help me please.

Someone went and stole my knees.

I'd chase him down but I suspect

My feet and legs just won't connect.

- Shel Silverstein from "A Light in the Attic"

Now the question "Who Stole Your Knees?" pops into my head when I start to worry or "strive" to figure out a solution that's beyond me.  I have to answer, "Nobody stole my knees, Lord; I just forgot about them and the power of fervent prayer."

According to the verses below, God's will includes reclaiming our knees from the thieves of busyness, apathy, and unbelief.  We can reattach those bony, bendable parts to rediscover what happens when we use them to pray fervently^.

^" Rejoice always,  pray continually,  give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."  

1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." James 5:16 

From Head to Toe

Aren't you thankful to live in a world of modern medicine and scientifically measured anesthesia?  In spite of  a high tolerance for pain, the thoughts of what a surgeon is doing with those sharp instruments would make me pass out anyway.  The kind podiatrist who sat me down in an upright chair for a bunion-ectomy told me I could even watch if I was interested, but I almost passed out when he showed me the needle he would use to inject the bone to deaden it.  I spent the remainder of my time with him trying to keep still and not look or listen, but I could feel the tugs and knew what he was doing. Shudder!

No physician can help us if we don't sit still to accept the remedy and the Great Physician is no exception. Unfortunately, we may technically "sit still" while doing our best not to look or listen.  The verse, however is a two-part command, a two-fold remedy for what ails us.

 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

Psalm 46:10

God's remedy requires time, patience and focus as we learn to know Him through studying His Word and talking with Him in prayer. In fact, the more we look and listen to the Doctor, the more healing we see from head to toe, from heart to mind, from hands to mouth.  This is the plan of action until the day we get what we long for: instant transformation with one look into His Face.
 

^"Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is." 1 John 3:2

Father-God, You offer us healing and lasting transformation into Your likeness - from the inside out.  Help us sit still and gaze on the beauty of Your Holiness.  Build our immune system against interruptions and discouragement.  Thank You for loving us enough to save us and spend all the time in the world helping us become the people You can make us.

In the Name of the Great Physician Himself, Jesus Christ

From Head to Toe

Aren't you thankful to live in a world of modern medicine and scientifically measured anesthesia?  In spite of  a high tolerance for pain, the thoughts of what a surgeon is doing with those sharp instruments would make me pass out anyway.  The kind podiatrist who sat me down in an upright chair for a bunion-ectomy told me I could even watch if I was interested, but I almost passed out when he showed me the needle he would use to inject the bone to deaden it.  I spent the remainder of my time with him trying to keep still and not look or listen, but I could feel the tugs and knew what he was doing. Shudder!

No physician can help us if we don't sit still to accept the remedy and the Great Physician is no exception. Unfortunately, we may technically "sit still" while doing our best not to look or listen.  The verse, however is a two-part command, a two-fold remedy for what ails us.

 “Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

Psalm 46:10

God's remedy requires time, patience and focus as we learn to know Him through studying His Word and talking with Him in prayer. In fact, the more we look and listen to the Doctor, the more healing we see from head to toe, from heart to mind, from hands to mouth.  This is the plan of action until the day we get what we long for: instant transformation with one look into His Face.
 

^"Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is." 1 John 3:2

Father-God, You offer us healing and lasting transformation into Your likeness - from the inside out.  Help us sit still and gaze on the beauty of Your Holiness.  Build our immune system against interruptions and discouragement.  Thank You for loving us enough to save us and spend all the time in the world helping us become the people You can make us.

In the Name of the Great Physician Himself, Jesus Christ

Stanley Can't Save You

"As for God, his way is perfect:The Lord’s word is flawless; He shields all who take refuge in Him."
Psalm 18:30

As a child, our daughter Julie had imaginary friends named for Disney characters: Wendy, Peter, John, Michael, Eric, and Ariel to name a few. Nick didn't have imaginary friends but he did and does name everything.  He calls his saxophone, donning a red case, Jessica. His yellow soccer ball answers to Bruce and the pool robot cleaner, Stanley, swims with our family while cleaning the pool.

Stanley does an excellent job while moving gently and quietly on the bottom. I've rarely noticed him until yesterday when I found him sleeping in the shallow end of the pool with his cord floating on the water the length of the pool and across the concrete to his base. As I stepped into the water I noticed strange looking insects all along Stanley's cord. Upon closer inspection I found a couple of beetles and several balls of ants.  These adventurers had walked out onto the cord thinking it would take them somewhere and then couldn't figure out how to put their parade in reverse. I've always known ants were social creatures, but I've never seen them huddle in literal balls.  I wondered if they were thinking "Safety in numbers" or if they were climbing on top of one another to get away from the water.  Either way, Stanley couldn't save them and the cord led only to more danger. It reminded me of the Titanic, only there were no lifeboats.

Our social nature tempts us to act much like these stranded ants since we also place our trust in the safety of begin lost in a crowd.  Like the ants, we may follow an exciting new road because of a charismatic or strong leader like Stanley. Or, we move in the direction the crowd moves and find out we've placed our trust in others who placed their trust in others who placed their trust in others who didn't have a clue where they were going.  How heartbreaking when this practice applies to people choosing how and in whom to place their faith, their lives, their futures, their eternities.  

"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'"  Isaiah 41:13

Father, You're the only One who reaches to us to help and save us Who can follow through. Guide us to think Your thoughts and to lead others to You and not down dead-end paths.  Guard us from being tempted by "new" roads when You're the Way to new mercies and miracles every day.  Help us realize the importance of our testimony leading those who watch us for direction to You. Help us be lifeboats for those still waiting for the Stanleys of the world to save them. 

In the Name of Jesus, the only Savior, the only One worth following