Stars...They Already Have a Name!

Have you ever sung this nursery rhyme:

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are!"

Stars are amazing! I find it fascinating and never tiring to take a moment to look up at the stars at night. I was particularly mindful of stars this past week as my family gathered outside to look at the lunar eclipse. What a spectacular cosmic display of beauty! I was also reminded about stars while I was listening to the radio as I was driving home from work and heard a very interesting advertisement that invited me to pay nearly $55 to "name a star after someone." I thought that was very interesting. If I sent this company my money, I would receive a "Star Chart" containing the name of the constellation and the telescopic coordinates where I could "find my star" by looking through a telescope. The more I thought about this the more it sounded like a waste of money…although at first it sounded like a neat idea. I began to wonder about what God would think about a company taking peoples’ money to "name a star" after someone. So, I looked in the Bible to see what God had to say. I found the answer in Psalm 147:4 which says in the Contemporary English Version that "[God] decided how many stars there would be in the sky and gave each one a name." WOW! All the stars in the sky ALREADY have a name! Although we may never know all the names God has given to the stars, we can take comfort in realizing that God not only knows how many stars are in the Universe, but that He knows each one by their name. So, the next time you look up at the sky at night and see all the stars, just remember that YOU CAN KEEP YOUR MONEY and your suggestions as to "what to name a star" because the God who placed each one of those stars in the universe is the same God who has already given each one of them their name. May astronomy never be the same again! Happy star-gazing!

Lent - Finding Identity

The forty days of Lent is a time for us to remember that we are to give up something that is a sacrifice, an act of self-denial, or some act that will remind us of Christ. Lent is sacred and spiritual for every Christian. This is the season that reminds us of the great sacrifice of Christ for each one of us. Centuries ago Jesus Christ went through an agony, a scourging, a crowning and a crucifixion. The tragedy of Good Friday led to the triumph of Easter Sunday. The acts of self-denial, the acts of sacrifice we make during this season helps us identify with the sacrifices of Christ. Uniting our sacrifice with that of Christ, uniting our pain with his, Lent is set aside just to remind us of these factors. Lent is not just a season we reflect upon and apply only to ourselves. Our acts of self-denial, our acts of sacrifices not only are directed to Christ, but to our neighbor. The whole thrust of the season of Lent is to increase one's spirituality. This comes from the simple knowledge that anything worthwhile in life demands a sacrifice. I think it's safe to say that all of us have experienced some sort of agony, a scourging, a crucifixion. It might be the agony of trying to forget a past mistake, it might be the scourging of some physical illness that just won't go away, or watching a loved one make tragic mistakes over and over again in life. You, in this year, might be going through a crucifixion of a different kind. Lent reminds you that Christ has already been where you are. Lent reminds you that if you identify your suffering with the suffering of Christ your cross will become lighter. Lent reminds you not only of the suffering of Christ, but of the love of Christ. The more you realize the sacredness of this season, the more you offer your suffering in union with the suffering of Christ, the more you identify with Christ, the more spiritual you become, the more sacred your Lent becomes.

Off the Cuff is Off the Mark

Most 'off the cuff' remarks, although paritally true, cannot stand up to scruitiny simply because they are laced with as much inaccuracy as fact. If you are going to make claims, statements, and rebuttals always take the time to think through what you are going to say. It is so easy in "the heat of battle" such as arguments and disagreements to fly off the handle with accusations such as "you're always late!" "You always say that!" and "I've had to work every weekend!" These are what I call "off the cuff remarks" because the person making these statements has not taken the time to "think through" what they are actually saying. For example, if an employee arrives late to a staff meeting and you verbally assualt the person with "you're always late" then you better make sure that it can be proven by fact that this person has been late to every single meeting since they were employed. If they have been late to 4 out of 30 meetings then how can you rightfully say "you're always late" to them? If you, after seeing the newly posted work schedule, exclaim "I'm always working weekends" but, just three months ago, were given not only Christmas, but New Year's AND the Martin Luther King holiday weekend off, how can you rightfully say "I've worked EVERY weekend? You may be RIGHT in saying "it seems like I am working every weekend" or "it seems like you've been late for a few meetings this year" but you are totally WRONG when stating these facts with the words such as "always" and "every" to make it appear like it happens all the time. Proverbs 16:13, "Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth." Exodus 20:16 "You must not testify falsely against your neighbor." When speaking and addressing issues of interest just make sure you're not speaking "off the cuff" because you could end up "losing your shirt."