Early Dawn Sky

Didn't sleep very well last night.  Woke about 3:30 with lots of thoughts swirling around my head.  I got up about 4:30 and did some writing.  Both my cats came to be with me at one point.  Been thinking a lot about aging especially after seeing my parents recently and reflecting that I'll be 50 in just over a year. Where has the time gone?

I took the dogs out about 5:15 and marveled at the beauty in the pre-dawn sky.  Venus is so bright this time of year from my horizon.  

Last fall my brother-in-law told us about the wonderful iPad application called Star Walk.  I love it.  Here is an image of what my eyes saw this morning.  I lay down on the deck for a few minutes and took in the amazing beauty and depth.  Amazed by what I can and cannot see with my naked eye.   

Pre-dawn sky at my horizon this morning -
image from Star Walk iPad app

A Beautiful Sight

Discovery left earth Saturday evening for a 12 day mission. The pictures are spectacular.

Picture courtesy NASA from Tom's Astronomy Blog.

A Hubble Photo

Discovered a new blog the other day about astronomy. Until about 15 years ago I hadn't paid much attention to the skies. Occasionally, I'd marvel at the star lit night during visits to our cabin in the Wyoming mountains. We only have a tiny bit of artificial light there, so the nights provide a great opportunity to see the heavenly displays.

The Hubble photo posted on Tom's Astronomy blog is worth a quick look. I am just amazed at what I see. Swirling galaxies of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Very, very, cool. Here is the link to the zoomable version. (I'm so glad they fitted Hubble with glasses a number of years back!)

Worship

Real Live Preacher's recent blog entry "On a Wing and a Prayer" touched me today (as they most often do). He stretches my thinking and often leads me to a small glimpse (grin). I'm most touched by his last few paragraphs about worship. Here is a brief clip. (If you have time, read RLPs essay. It is really good...plus he includes a really cool picture)

"When the end you seek is so wonderful, so unthinkably good, and so compelling that you will throw yourself against time, space, and even reality for the slightest chance of finding it, you have found worship." Real Live Preacher (On a Wing and a Prayer)

I've always considered worship as something exclusively related to singing and/or music. Although I love music and I've been touched at times, I struggle with worship. I've observed people deeply moved by a piece of music. It is a sacred moment, but I find myself wondering "what is wrong with me". RLP's essay shows me another way.

Several weeks ago I was contemplating the Opportunity and Spirit landings on Mars as part of the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. That these tiny man-made machines are occupying space on another planet and sending information back to earth...WOW.

How tiny the space I occupy on earth...
How tiny the earth within its solar system...
How tiny this solar system within the universe...

In this context my infinitesimally small existence in the universe was mind boggling and bending. Quite frankly it was sobering. Yet, I still believe that somehow and for some reason this really powerful God of the Universe truly, truly loves me. I think this was a moment of worship.