Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The Energy From Within


We look up at the stars at night in wonder. They are so far away, but they have so much light to share. We’re so enamored by stars; we call those human beings who are famous or popular, “stars.” We say things like, “You are the light of my world,” “he is a rising star in the sports world,” and “I want to be a superstar.” So what is it about stars that we want to be them?

Some would say it’s just a metaphor for shining bright, but I think it’s something more.

I looked up some famous pictures of celestial bodies (stars) and read about them. I read about what makes a star bright. While looking at some NASA photos, I came across the following definition:

Fusion: A process where nuclei collide so fast they stick together and emit a great deal of energy. In the center of most stars, hydrogen fuses together to form helium. Fusion is so powerful it supports the star's enormous mass from collapsing in on itself, and heats the star so high it glows as the bright object we see today. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html

Do we know why stars were created that way? What is the thing, that fusion, which keeps them from collapsing?

Looking deeper into the definition of fusion, the online Merriam Webster dictionary gives these responses:
2: a union by or as if by melting: as a: a merging of diverse, distinct, or separate elements into a unified whole 3: the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy when certain light elements unite


Hmmm. Can we apply this same fusion to human beings…“a merging of diverse, distinct or separate elements into a unified whole?” We each have diverse feelings, separate elements of our being that we build on. Many times, we want to be happy but are sad, we want to help others but are afraid, we want to be better people, but have forgotten how.

What happens when we ask God with our whole heart for help with these diverse elements?

He NEVER lets us down. He gives us the strength to find solutions to our nagging issues, and ultimately gives us peace to handle whatever situation we need to mend.

You know that feeling you get when you are so happy—that warmth, contentment, and love that builds inside? When we feel this way, we feel as though we can take on the world! That positive energy keeps our enormous mass from collapsing in on itself. That is the fusion of God with our souls. That is the “union by or as if by melting,” that is our heart in union with God.

The same energy that the stars in the heavens contain is the energy that we contain when we unify ourselves to our God. We can do that in our daily tasks, or in some big problem we feel overwhelmed with, or in some special thing we’d like to accomplish.

Feel like a star today—because you are. Shine bright today because you can. Live life to the fullest because, “with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26)

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Splendor of Creation


I took the summer off my blog and spent it with my kids doing all the fun summer things. As a family, we took made the annual weeklong trek up to Rocky Mountain National Park to hike, relax, and enjoy the fun things about the town of Estes Park. It’s become almost a ritual for us. Every time we go, I renew my love for those beautiful mountains and all of God’s amazing creation. (Today there’s even a picture of RMNP for you!)

Today I talked to a relatively new friend who lives back east. He saluted the Cape Cod area and New England in general. He boasted that New England was the best place in the world to live. He even (I’m still shocked) boasted that it was better than Colorado!

Imagine my shock! Well, we went at it for a while, but neither party won the other over.

However, it did get me thinking. Isn’t it amazing all the different places, climates, mountain ranges, deserts, oceans, and islands God created just on Earth alone? There is literally something for everyone. It’s as if God sat back and said, “I’m going to create these amazing creatures called humans. I’m going to tell them to be fruitful and fill the earth. Subdue it, and be stewards of it. So I better make it an amazing place that they can live in and thrive.”

A few blogs ago, we learned that the Hebrew translation for the first six words of the Bible is, “In the beginning of God’s creating…” We reasoned that the active word, “creating” meant that creation never really ends.

We see that today in the thousands of new species of plants and animals that pop up around the world each year. Australia alone found 1300 new species of both varieties just in the last decade. One of the most popular has been the flesh-eating pitcher plant that can “consume small rats, mice, lizards and even birds.

Wow!

God’s creating process doesn’t end there. Each day approximately 216,000 new human beings are born. Each of those precious little ones carry their own unique DNA rich with traits such as eye color, personality characteristics and qualities that no one else has.

We live on a planet lush with constant new creation. Something for everyone! I know I couldn’t be that creative, could you?

Sometimes we are so stuck in our everyday routine that we forget to appreciate the constant creation around us.

God doesn’t. I think that’s why he waits until we’re quiet to talk with us. He calls us to Him in the beauty of the flower, the stroke of the breeze, and the song of the bird. He kisses us goodnight in the splendor of the sunset and beckons us to arise with each brilliant sunrise.

Still doubt the love of God? Revisit my blog from November 21st of last year and remind yourself of how much God really loves you.

In the meantime, while my hat is off to my friend back east, I will sit on my Colorado porch and enjoy the creation the Lord has given me. Thanks, Gerry, for your wise counsel, you helped a great deal. And don’t worry, I’m sure Cape Cod is just as spectacular as the Rocky Mountains—maybe…