The Heavens Declare

Even the rocks will cry out....

2011-06-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

By Him All Things Consist

2011-02-28T22:58:00.000-08:00

Very cool "sounds" from space

2011-02-18T17:09:00.000-08:00

Embedded video from

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology

The Tongue (and the Fingers) - How God's People Are Steered Off-Course

2010-11-10T14:21:00.000-08:00

I'm grieving in my spirit today....I feel SO sad.

It started last night while I was watching the news....they had another wild-eyed woman on TV talking about "Second Amendment remedies". Which apparently involve the use of guns against Democrats who have won elections over any of their favored Tea-Party/Republican candidates! She literally said that if she did not like the results of the election, she would head for the hills to round up like-minded people to start a revolution!

There have been a number of people shouting this type of rhetoric lately; the really scary thing about this is that many of them claim to know Jesus Christ!

Then this morning a Facebook post got to me. I don't log into FB that often, but I like to check on my friends and relatives from time to time, so I did log in today.

On Facebook I stumbled across a discussion amongst a group of Christians about our right to bear firearms. There was a quote, purported to be from George Washington, which had sparked the debate, and the only disagreement between these brothers and sisters in Christ was whether or not Washington had truly said this. Someone was insisting that it had been debunked, that it was not a true saying by GW. But EVERY SINGLE ONE of them agreed that they needed their guns, to ensure that their rights would never be violated by the government!

Here is the bogus quotation:

Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence. The church, the plow, the prairie wagon, and citizen's firearms are indelibly related. From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to insure peace, security and happiness, the rifle and the pistol are equally indispensable. Every corner of this land knows firearms, and more than 99 99/100 percent of them by their silence indicate they are in safe and sane hands. The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference; they deserve a place with all that's good. When firearms, go all goes; we need them every hour.

--- Falsely attributed to George Washington, address to the second session of the first U.S. Congress.

OK, TIME OUT PEOPLE!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE????

Well, for ONE thing, if we are Christians, it means that we are supposed to be "Christ-like", right?

So FORGET what George Washington may or may not have said.....what does JESUS say about the government, and resistance or fighting for your rights or "Second Amendment remedies" or whatever??

Luke 6:29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. (NIV)

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (NIV)

SO WHERE EXACTLY DOES JESUS SAY, "LOCK AND LOAD!"???

I hate to break this to all of the so-called Christian Right out there, the Tea-Partiers and Republicans who HATE the current administration, but Romans 13:1 is talking about, among many others, Barack Obama and his White House, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid!!

(Yes, I admit that this scripture was very hard for me to swallow during the Presidency of George W. Bush. But I tried to accept it. It's still a tough one to deal with whenever I see John Boehner on TV.)

But what can we conclude from these scriptures? Can ANY of you read those verses and then conclude that Jesus truly advocates "Second Amendment remedies"??

Incredibly, this very UN-Christian meme, this truly evil idea (that is, using Second Amendment remedies to ensure our rights) has spread like wildfire, like an evil weed, just like the kudzu vine has spread over the South and choked the native vegetation. This idea has spread throughout the Christian community in America via the Internet, and few Christians are apparently aware of just how evil it is.

They should know better, of course, but...they read it on the Internet...and it even came from a "Christian" person (they think)! Therefore this idea, that of using violence to make things come out their way, even against a majority vote, must be OK! Right??

And of course it appeals very much to the flesh, doesn't it? We all love the idea of getting our way!

But here is what the Bible has to say about such ideas, these fleshly ideas that are extremely anti-Christian, these ideas that spread like wildfire. The word "tongue" is used here, but you can probably substitute "fingers" for tongue in many places in this passage, since typing words on the Internet is the primary means of communication for many people these days:

From James Chapter 3 (NIV):

⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

If any of you "Second Amendment remedy" people out there are reading this, and you know Jesus, it's not to late to turn back to Him! Don't let yourself be led astray by this scheme of the enemy! We all know who our TRUE enemy is! And he loves to deceive us...don't let him fool you this way any longer!

I am praying hard for our country....for all of us, Republican, Democrat, and Independent. Repent of your anger and your hatred, and pray with me, please.

"Kept" Woman

2010-06-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

I cannot take credit for this....I received it in email this morning from my dear mother, who in turn had found it in an email from a friend of hers, Liz, who has MS. It really hit home....I was in a bad place this morning and this message was such a blessing to me that I had to share it:

Am I a "Kept" Woman?

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,

But GOD kept me in perfect peace. "You will keep in perfect peace, Liz whose mind is steadfast, because she trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal." (Isaiah 26:3-4)

There were times when I thought I could go no longer,
But the LORD kept me, "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go . . . " (Gen 28:15a)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough, but GOD has helped me to keep the lights on, the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34) "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

When I was anxious, HE kept me calm in his care. "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Pet. 5:7,

When I was weary, HE kept gave me rest "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matt. 11:28-30).

I'm blessed to be "kept."

Are you...or do you know a "kept" woman?

If so pass this message on to her to remind her that she is "Kept"

I'm Kept by the Love and Grace of God.

He keeps me each and everyday. Without Him, I can do nothing but with Him "I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me." Phil 4:13

Socialism.....or the Word in Action?

2010-03-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Psalm 82: 3-4

For years now there has been a very strange movement afoot in the Church in the United States. Some of those who call themselves disciples of Christ have actually begun to espouse the opposite of the above scripture in certain situations; for example, they oppose government generosity in providing healthcare for the needy and afflicted. They join groups on Facebook called "Socialism Doesn't Work".....they, and those who say they speak for them in the media, claim that people should have to take care of themselves and their own problems. They scoff when an 11-year-old boy talks about his deceased mother, who died because she had no insurance and could not afford healthcare.

I can only speak to what is happening in the U.S. because that is where I live. I pray that this is NOT occurring elsewhere in the world, and that the Body of Christ is functioning as it should be.

The scripture quote at the beginning of this post was spotted in the blog of TUC; she is always an inspiration. It made me think, and brought things in my heart to the surface. These things NEED to be said.

Don't misunderstand me....it is perfectly OK to have opinions and politics different from mine. The healthcare bill that recently passed through the legislature is like every other bill that makes it through; it has its good points and its bad points. There are many, many things in that bill that I do not agree with. But I do agree with EVERY SINGLE ONE of those provisions that are in line with Psalm 82:3-4.

If you are a Christian, you must strive to have a heart of love, not hatred, bitterness and strife. The scripture at the top says it all. It was NOT written by a Democrat, but by the living Spirit of "I am that I am".

It is not OK to disagree with the Word of God. Not unless you are ready to stop calling yourself a Christian.

Please pray for our legislators and our President....they have very tough jobs.

The Beauty of Pain: a LONG overdue post

2010-01-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

So much has happened to me since my last post on this site.....I don't think I have the time or energy to share it all now. I have been traveling through a deep, dark valley for quite a while now, but there are still tantalizing glimpses of the glorious peaks that surround me.

Since June 2008, I have been diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases plus fibromyalgia. In less than two years, I have gone from being a fairly healthy, active adult to a wheelchair-bound invalid who is holding onto two jobs by her fingernails. Most days I work from home because I don't feel well enough to go to the office....when I teach, I cannot do that remotely so must get myself to the college somehow. I have had my driver's license taken away due to issues with narcolepsy, vertigo and double vision, so my husband must drive me (or I take the bus).

But the Lord has blessed me beyond measure by leading me into an online friendship with Judy Dillard, author of "The Beauty of Pain", a small book full of humor, profound wisdom, and joy. Judy has lupus; among many other things, I have been diagnosed with a "lupus-like" autoimmune disease. I first encountered Judy in an online lupus group. I have been deeply touched by her testimony in this book....it has helped me to see that, YES, the Lord is able to turn anything to the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

He does have some reason for all that I am going through right now; I don't see it yet, at least I don't think I see the whole picture. I know now that one of His purposes is to help me to be a broken vessel, so that He can take the pieces and make me a vessel of honor for His use.

One scripture that has stayed with me lately is Psalm 51: 16, 17:

"For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it
thou delightest not in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and contrite heart, O God,
thou wilt not despise."

For any who suffer from chronic illness, or who may have a loved one with a chronic illness, this book, "The Beauty of Pain", is a must read.

Blessings to all who may visit this blog.....

Touching base....

2009-06-28T21:51:00.001-07:00

Life has been incredibly hectic for me for many weeks now; the NASA mission I support is entering a new phase and we are working seven days a week. But this is normal for an operational mission during special times! I can't complain....I truly love my work.

It does make it difficult to keep up with blogs though, particularly when one is trying to manage multiple sites. My more prosaic blogs have had more of my attention of late, but I shouldn't neglect this one.

I still haven't posted the latest data from the telescope in space (which I promised long ago!)....just to tantalize you, here is one multi-color image of the star-forming cloud I posted about earlier (a stellar nursery if you will) including some of the most recent data:

Isn't it beautiful? His handiwork always amazes me!

I must report that the Lord has been good to me and my family: we are all still together under one roof, and I still have my job. In today's economy, that means a great deal!

I do pray that you all are experiencing the Lord's blessings in your own lives....

More soon.

Wind and waves

2009-05-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

Often I feel empathy for the disciples who were in that small boat in the midst of the sea...I think I know what it feels like to be battered by wind and water from every side. They must have been worried; as the Bible says, "the wind was contrary". Then they saw Jesus walking towards them on the water.

They were frightened at first, thinking He was some sort of ghost. Then He spoke to them, identifying Himself, "It is I; be not afraid."

Right now, in my life, the wind is being a bit contrary. The boat I'm in is being tossed to and fro by the waves.

I pray that when Jesus comes walking towards me, that I will recognize Him. That I will not be afraid, but will know His Hand as it works in my life to accomplish His Will. And if He should call me to step out of the boat and walk to Him on the water, I pray that I will have the faith to obey Him.

Brief update

2009-05-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for a while, obviously.

I've been taking an unplanned hiatus due to the steadily increasing "busy-ness" in my life at the moment.

My family and I are dealing with a number of health issues, while at work we are reaching critical junctures and anticipate more and more stress over the next several weeks.

I will try to post something more soon. Say a prayer or two when you remember me....thank you and God bless.

Dancing barefoot....

2009-04-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

There's a wonderful blog called "Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground"; it's written by Lynnette Kraft. I was drawn to it because of my brother's recent tragedy, the death of his adult son who was killed by a speeding car when he was crossing a street late at night. As I've mentioned in a previous post, my brother and his family are still struggling to cope with their loss, despite being sincere and devout Christians.

I was amazed to learn that three of Lynette's children have passed away and gone home to Jesus, yet her blog absolutely vibrates with the joy of the Lord!

She is sponsoring a blogging event called "Getting to Know You", and I am participating in this; if you're interested in this please click here to read the rules. In any case, even if you decide not to join in the fun, please visit her blog site....it's well worth visiting!

Chaos and Love

2009-04-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have been incredibly busy lately with my two jobs and my family, so my posts have been few and far between. This post will be brief, but I feel led to say this.

This morning, as I was attempting to work from home, the background noise of the children rose to a deafening roar, and I heard my poor husband in the background trying to quiet them. He is "Mr. Mom", as he is retired and stays home with our adopted babies (our biological grandkids, ages 2 and 3) while I work.

He walked into the room and told me that he was at the end of his rope; the noise the kids were generating was just too much for him this morning. He had a headache and was losing his temper. I could sympathize....even in the back of the house at my desk it was incredibly distracting.

But then I read a post at one of my favorite High Calling blogs, which put the whole thing into perspective: we tend to forget that the mess, the noise, the dirt, and the chaos represent the presence of Love in our lives....they prove that we are raising children. I recall our lives before we adopted Matthew and Emma, how clean and neat and quiet the house was. And how lonely and empty it seemed at times.

Thank You, Lord, for the chaos in our everyday lives....

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord" - Psalm 127:3.

Amen.

If words were....the Word IS

2009-04-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

A response to the latest writing prompt from L.L. Barkat:

If words were
Hands
Would we
Send them forth
To bind up
The wounds of the world?
Or would we
Dispatch those words
Bearing weapons
To war, to battle
To plunder and pillage?

If words were
Paintbrushes
Would we
Fill our canvases
With glowing portraits
Of love, of truth?
Or would we
With our brushstrokes
Glorify ourselves
And diminish others
With images of injustice?

If words were
Nails
Would we
Construct homes
For the homeless,
A refuge for
The helpless ones?
Or would we
Erect tall fences
Cobble together cages
To keep our brothers
At arm's length?

If words were
The Resurrection
And the Life...

His Word was
Flesh
And dwelt among us
Taught us, healed us
Bore our sins
Carried our afflictions
Died in our place
Took away the keys
Of Death and Hell
And rose again
On the third day
Is now seated
With the Father
In Heaven

Selah

Writing assignment...a first attempt

2009-03-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

L.L. Barkat of the High Calling Blogs has given out a new writing prompt: "what is poetry?". We can attempt to answer the question or just put the word poetry somewhere in our poem.

I've decided to give it a shot, with a great deal of trepidation. Here is the image that inspired me....clearly the image deserves better! :)

Galaxies dance
Shouting His praises
Through the poetry
Of motion

Blazing pinwheels
Flinging spiral arms
As they whirl full
Of joy

Island universes
Encompassing trillions
Upon uncounted trillions
Of stars

His fingerprints
Marking indelibly
The very fabric
Of space

Electromagnetic beacons
Transmitting psalms
Across vast oceans
Of time

Mankind marvels
Attempting to capture
The infinite expanse
Of universe

Augmented senses
Seeing ever further
Ever blind to the light
Of God

**************************

P.S. You can click on the image to see a larger version!

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away....blessed be the Name of the Lord

2009-03-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is sort of a stream of consciousness post....I'm thinking "out loud" here. And pardon me; the topic may seem gloomy.

I belong to several online health groups due to my daughter Emma, who has serious medical issues.

This has been a very sad week for one of those online communities: Parents of Severely Disabled Children. One little girl passed away a few days ago, while two other children are nearing the end of their time here on Earth. The families are grieving, yet trying to be strong, particularly those whose children are still here. They are trying to provide a loving and peaceful atmosphere for their little ones as they prepare them to go home.

Then yesterday I spent a little bit of time "blog hopping". In less than an hour I encountered two separate blogs, both written and maintained by wonderful Christian people, one of whom had just lost his healthy 8-month-old son (he just died in his sleep for no reason at all); the other had lost her twenty-year-old son last month in Iraq.

I read their stories and cry....I pray for them, for comfort and peace. I cannot imagine their anguish.

Why is it so terribly difficult for us to step back and see beyond this life to the joy of the next?

Somewhere inside we know that this life is temporary, that our bodies are not really ours but on loan to us....yet when the reality of death is before our eyes, particularly when a child passes on before a parent, the grief is excruciating. Even devout Christians may experience rage, crushing depression, and immobilizing sorrow.

Somehow we don't anticipate these things happening to us.

My own brother lost his son a little over a year ago, and is still in the grip of such anguish that it affects everything and everyone around him. And all I can do is pray for him....I don't know how to help him apart from that.

We must cling to the promises in His Word at such times:

Isaiah 25:8 He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces.

Revelation 21:4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Someday all will be made right. We believe that we will all be together again, in the Life to come. We believe that those who have gone before us are with Him now, in Paradise.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Lord, help me to have the faith of a little child; help me to let go and trust You in all areas. Help me to rejoice in the fact that our life here on Earth is temporary. Thank You for the peace and comfort that You have provided and are still providing to all of those families mentioned above, including my brother and his family. Amen.

Post Script: Looking back at this post it doesn't seem very "stream-of-consciousness", does it? It's actually somewhat organized, and almost makes sense. Yet I'm still in the grip of the nameless emotion that prompted the post. Apparently I didn't say all that needed to be said...I don't know.

High Calling Blogs

2009-03-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

There is a new logo in my sidebar because I've recently joined the High Calling Blogs, a network of Christian bloggers. I've been feeling a leading in that direction for some time now, as I know that I need to be part of a community in order to learn and grow. Also, a community is more effective than one person alone.

I have been frequently awed and inspired by posts on other High Calling Blogs, and I pray for guidance as I post to this one.

I've got data....and more coming!

2009-03-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm an astronomer. I don't get to do research all the time, of course. In fact, most of my time at work is spent supporting OTHER scientists research, because I support a NASA space telescope, and I actually schedule other people's observations on the telescope.

But recently, I was privileged to use this telescope in for my own studies of a particular molecular cloud. It's a stellar "nursery", where stars are currently forming, so many of the objects in that cloud aren't really stars yet, but they will be someday. The youngest of these are protostars, which are very cold (temperatures not far above absolute zero) so the only way to see them is in the far-infrared or at even longer wavelengths (radio frequencies, for example).

Here is the cloud at the mid-infrared wavelength of 24 microns:

And at the far-infrared wavelength of 70 microns:

Lovely, isn't it? Well, it is to me, anyway! :)

The filmy, fuzzy stuff is the cloud, and most of the bright spots are the very young stars or protostars in the process of condensing from the cloud material. Many are still too cold to be seen in the wavelengths of light detectable by the human eye. Those that show up at 70 microns only are very young indeed....maybe only tens of thousands of years old (that's young for a star).

I am waiting impatiently for more of my data to be processed....just this past Monday the cloud was mapped again at four other wavelengths (3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0 microns) by the space telescope, and I'm SO excited. I can't wait to see what I've got!

It is such an honor and a privilege to be allowed to study His handiwork.

I am always awed by the vastness and complexity of His universe, and how incredibly small and insignificant our planet is among the billions upon billions of stars out there....by how He manages to give us His attention, how He listens to us as individuals, even as we crawl ant-like on the surface of this pebble in the sky. The Lord is infinitely beyond our comprehension, yet loves us so tenderly that He sent His Son to live among us and die for us.

My mind is boggled, but my spirit rejoices.

Beginnings can be difficult....but wonderful too

2009-03-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

I am compelled to start yet another blog due to a longing that has not been satisfied by posting elsewhere.

Thus far I've blogged about my adopted special needs daughter, Emma, who is such a wonderful blessing to us (as is her brother Matthew of course). I've also blogged about my new gluten-free lifestyle and my reasons for going gluten-free (multiple autoimmune diseases including celiac disease); that blog has a companion site which is my place to stash any and every good gluten-free recipe I come across or invent myself.

I even have a third "secret" blog that I began long ago about the ups and downs of being a mother and grandmother who is working (more than) full-time outside of the home and raising two adopted babies (my biological grandchildren) at the same time. That one has been my "catch-all" blog, where I have been able to vent, and express myself on nearly any topic....where I've talked about my illnesses at length. It's a bit personal and I want to keep it that way.

But it's time to be brave and blog about the profound as well as the mundane. To discuss my faith, to open my heart about the infinite and the unchanging God of this Universe. This is at least part of the purpose of the new blog....more may become clear as time goes on.

I am a scientist by profession, an astronomer to be precise.

Therefore I will begin this blog by listing some of the scriptures in His Word which mention the stars and the Universe they illuminate:

Psalm 19:1-4 (from both the King James and New International Version):

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. (King James)

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (NIV)

Other scriptures:

“He (God) made the stars.” (Genesis 1:1)

“He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names” (Psalm 147:4)

“(God) Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea. Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south" (Job 9:8 & 9)

I have felt the connection with God, with His handiwork, in such a special way when I've gone on observing runs. There's something incredible about being on top of a very high mountain in the dead of night, billions of stars wheeling overhead, as one who can use one of the world's largest telescopes to take data for a personal research project.

But the truly amazing privilege, to a Christian who knows the Creator of those stars, is just to be allowed to study His creation as part of my job. He put me in that job, and will no doubt continue to keep me there as long as it is in His plans.