Stars for You and Me

 

Stars, wondrous stars!       ✨

What do you feel when you look up at night?  Are you awed, inspired, or frustrated that we are so limited in our exploration of space!  Can you find the constellations?  Does it make you feel rather insignificant, or like you are one in a million? Perhaps a visit to a planetarium might prove an enjoyable outing. Or maybe you want to learn to take pictures of those wondrous stars. 

   I am enriched by all that the universe has to offer. Following are some of the treasures I discovered.    

   🎄  We are in the holiday season, with many people celebrating Christmas. Part of the story of Jesus’s birth includes an important star. Of course, Jesus is the most important star of Christians world wide!  Jesus Christ, Super Star!  was a musical written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber in the 70s.  It had great appeal with young people, and provided plenty of discussion among theologians.

          But I am referring to the Biblical narrative found in Matthew 2:1-2,  which tells of a star in the eastern sky that the wise men followed  to find the new baby.  They observed the heavens and understood the meaning of the new celestial orb.

          Astrologers and astronomers, physicists and geologists, study heavenly bodies, looking back eons of time to see the extremely distant light reaching us today.  Recently, there was a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn making them appear extra bright in the evening sky. The universe is an busy place with all sorts of action going on: Stars being born and others dying, asteroids colliding, comets zooming around and matter everywhere!

    

Taken in Bermuda

Early explorers used constellations for navigation. Rulers consulted the seers about the projected future of their kings and  nation. Astrology is a big business. Many celebrities live their lives around their horescopes. Many newspapers include them, daily.

    Billions are spent to research the planets, and scientists circle overhead in the space station  discovering new information about our planet and solar system. 

💥                                                💫

Investigating the universe can be mind-boggling.  In addition to all of the visual phenomena, there are sounds out there-- even notes of music! Unfortunately, some are of a frequency inaccessible to our limited hearing. Yet, on a positive note, there is technology which can record it.

   I read an article that reported a sound was picked up from the depths of space, which happened to be  the musical note B flat. As a musician, I know that many instruments tune to B Flat or A.  I  was dumbfounded to learn that the whole universe resonates with that B flat, the standard for musicians to play in harmony.     🎹

And the colors filling space would need the richest artist's pallet to  reproduce it, accurately .     

   I am not very good at photographing stars. But some members of our photo club do great work mastering spectacular pictures of the heavens.

I do like to think about them. I was an avid Treckie and Star Wars fan. I am better at writing about my heavenly visions, and appreciate the work of the media to spark our imaginations. 

A former pastor mentioned in one of his sermons, that cliché that we are the "twinkle in our Daddy's eye", which provided inspiration for the following essay I composed:

 

When I look to the dark summer skies, I think I know how all those stars came to be.  Each child of God was a twinkle in His eye, before the universe was made. We were in His dreams before His plan became reality.   On the day of my birth, He took the sparkle that was for me from his eye, and placed it in the galaxy.

A special star shone brightly when Jesus was born. He was the twinkle in His Daddy’s eye.

As a child of God, and an equal heir, I know, I too, had a special birth star. For each of us a twinkle, for each of us a star!  I look into that night sky and wonder, which is the star of my nativity? Among the billions upon billions, there is no way to tell. I smile and realize that they are ALL my birth stars bringing God’s love and light to me, and to all mankind, the twinkles in God’s eye.

So, get busy. Look up! 

 

                 DIVERSITY 1

                My spouse and I enjoy watching TV shows about zoos.  They must be popular programs as at least 3 stations offer them.  It is fascinating to see how some of the animals are trained. Not to do “circus tricks”, but to cooperate for their own wellbeing.  It surprised me to see the extent of care zoos provide for their inhabitants.  Among the procedures we were able to view, was a tusk removed from an elephant, physical therapy for a flamingo chick who had trouble weight bearing, and witnessed a half dozen births of a variety of critters, most of whom were members of an endangered species. Some of the veterinarians risk injury while treating their  patients.

             

    The caregivers often form emotional bonds with their charges, be it with a snake, or penguin. One week focused on giraffes, one of whom had to be put down. It was very emotional for the caretakers, and for me. I fast forwarded through that section! (we usually tape the programs)

     I find it amazing when I consider the number of species on our planet—and the variations within the species. For example, there are 35 types of sparrows in North America, one of which is the harbinger of spring—the humble robin.

         One of the features  put the spotlight on monkeys. I had no idea there are so many different types, and we saw only a dozen or so. There were howler monkeys, tamarinds, snow monkeys, owl monkeys, orangutans, baboons, and of course, those entertaining chimps!  Baby animals were the focus of one of the shows, and I just melted. Oh how cute!  I do not find rhinoceros particularly endearing, but the offspring certainly are. Did you know that they do not develop the horns until after birth?? It was nice of God to design a method to spare the mother too much pain in delivery.

        An observation we hear repeatedly is how each critter has it’s own personality.  All are given personal names, whether it is an otter or a bird.   Trust is a key element while working with the animals.  Caretakers need a great deal of patience because training has to be done according to the “students' ” idiosyncrasies.   Some of the captive residents are very ugly, in my opinion, while others are stunningly beautiful.  Most provide plenty of opportunity for some great photography, too.

        Animals have many habitats from the snow capped mountains to the depths of the ocean.  Some have yet to be discovered. You may have noticed I titled this post, Diversity 1. There is so much more I could write about this subject, I am sure to revisit it again.

So, where am I heading with all this? I hope to some interesting questions like: what are your favorite animals, and why?  What are you doing to protect endangered species? When is the last time you visited a zoo?  Most are open year round. It’s an outside activity, therefore, safer to do in these days of death threatening viruses. Or, if you haven’t the time, find a comfortable  viewing location nearby, and just see how many different animals come into view.  What are you waiting for?? Grab your camera and head out the door.

 

                                           Genesis 1:   ⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the                                                      livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that                                                              move a  the ground according to the  And God saw that it was good.