I love star gazing. I remember being a young boy laying on my back in the grass of my parents backyard looking up at those pin holes in the sky while the cool, summer wind whispered gently with words of comfort that the cruel sun had gone to bed. I would wonder what some of those stars looked like up close and would lay there for what seemed like hours imagining that I could travel to those distant galaxies. I would marvel in the beauty and creativity of all that I saw.
The best nights to draw lines in the sky searching for constellations are when the moon rises late or when there is a New Moon. New Moon. What exactly is a "New Moon?" Does the moon recreate itself? Now, the moon has its time in the limelight with me as well. Read on.
I love how a Full Moon radiates across the dark canvas of night giving everything a soft glow of comfort. When it snows, the snow lights up like a blanket of diamonds and trees glisten as if they were made of crystal or sugar. I sometimes would want to go lick the sweet, sugary trees just to see if the moonlight possessed some type of magical power to turn the mundane into something extraordinary.
Now that's the funny thing about the moon, isn't it? The moon does not generate its own light like the stars or the sun. The moon can only reflect the light that shines on it. The moon isn't so wonderful at its New Moon phase because it isn't doing me any good being dark in a dark world. Conversely, when the moon is in its Full Moon phase, I bask in the goodness of its light and I am thankful that the moon is living with me in the darkness providing me with the comfort of light reflected from the sun. The moon would not have its glory with out the sun. The moon would still have value and worth but the sun is what makes the moon glorious!
This is how I am when I am living as Jesus taught. As a follower of Jesus, I am just like the moon... I am supposed to reflect the Light of God. There is no doubt that we live in a dark world... just turn on the evening news for that confirmation. But what good is it to curse the darkness for being dark? This is what Jesus meant by telling His followers that they were the light of the world.
I must admit to you that I am not always a Full Moon in my journey and I have times when I am more like the New Moon. I confess that I do not always fully reflect God's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self-control to the world around me. I am sure that I am not the only one that has this problem. The truth is this... I am an imperfect person trying to live by Jesus' perfect example and I fail sometimes. I do not excuse my failure but I call it what it is; old habits, old ways, the old me that once existed to live for only me. I gladly confess my downfalls, ask forgiveness to whomever I may have affected and I move on. As I have shared previously, I tried to play god in my life and got wrapped up in a lot of self-centered behaviors, self-destructive habits and self-absorbed thinking. Fortunately, God's Spirit is alive in me cleaning house in my heart, mind and soul. God has made me a new creation. I am a new person. I am no longer bound by the old me and I get a "do over." THIS makes all the difference. I am truly becoming more like Jesus the more I allow God's Spirit to uproot all of the junk that I planted in my life. It is because of God working in me that enables me to move past the moments that I trip and fall and to move forward in my journey.
We all have the choice to get a "do over" in this life. We can all come to the table hungry, thirsty, weary, tired, exhausted and cried-out and He will give us a chance to start again. He will give us a chance to shine. All we need to do is accept the offer.
The best nights to draw lines in the sky searching for constellations are when the moon rises late or when there is a New Moon. New Moon. What exactly is a "New Moon?" Does the moon recreate itself? Now, the moon has its time in the limelight with me as well. Read on.
I love how a Full Moon radiates across the dark canvas of night giving everything a soft glow of comfort. When it snows, the snow lights up like a blanket of diamonds and trees glisten as if they were made of crystal or sugar. I sometimes would want to go lick the sweet, sugary trees just to see if the moonlight possessed some type of magical power to turn the mundane into something extraordinary.
Now that's the funny thing about the moon, isn't it? The moon does not generate its own light like the stars or the sun. The moon can only reflect the light that shines on it. The moon isn't so wonderful at its New Moon phase because it isn't doing me any good being dark in a dark world. Conversely, when the moon is in its Full Moon phase, I bask in the goodness of its light and I am thankful that the moon is living with me in the darkness providing me with the comfort of light reflected from the sun. The moon would not have its glory with out the sun. The moon would still have value and worth but the sun is what makes the moon glorious!
This is how I am when I am living as Jesus taught. As a follower of Jesus, I am just like the moon... I am supposed to reflect the Light of God. There is no doubt that we live in a dark world... just turn on the evening news for that confirmation. But what good is it to curse the darkness for being dark? This is what Jesus meant by telling His followers that they were the light of the world.
I must admit to you that I am not always a Full Moon in my journey and I have times when I am more like the New Moon. I confess that I do not always fully reflect God's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness or self-control to the world around me. I am sure that I am not the only one that has this problem. The truth is this... I am an imperfect person trying to live by Jesus' perfect example and I fail sometimes. I do not excuse my failure but I call it what it is; old habits, old ways, the old me that once existed to live for only me. I gladly confess my downfalls, ask forgiveness to whomever I may have affected and I move on. As I have shared previously, I tried to play god in my life and got wrapped up in a lot of self-centered behaviors, self-destructive habits and self-absorbed thinking. Fortunately, God's Spirit is alive in me cleaning house in my heart, mind and soul. God has made me a new creation. I am a new person. I am no longer bound by the old me and I get a "do over." THIS makes all the difference. I am truly becoming more like Jesus the more I allow God's Spirit to uproot all of the junk that I planted in my life. It is because of God working in me that enables me to move past the moments that I trip and fall and to move forward in my journey.
We all have the choice to get a "do over" in this life. We can all come to the table hungry, thirsty, weary, tired, exhausted and cried-out and He will give us a chance to start again. He will give us a chance to shine. All we need to do is accept the offer.
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composed by
dave
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