15 Aug, 2007
Are you a meteor messenger?
Perseid Meteor Showers: Still a Chance for Sky Watchers
Did you miss the Perseid Meteor Shower early Monday morning? There is still another chance for the light show and sky watchers can still get a glimpse of the wild show in the night sky. Last night was the peak night for the annual shower, and if you were far enough away from the lights of civilization, and blessed with a cloudless sky, this is a small example of what you would have seen.
However many were shut out by cloud cover. Tonight won't be quite as spectacular but some meteors should still be visible in the next few days.
Like all meteor showers, this one gets its name from the constellation it appears to originate from. The showers occur when Earth intersects debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle. Tiny grains of dust ice collide with the earth's atmosphere at speeds of up to 30 miles per second, each creating an arc of incandescent light.
The best places to see the showers is as far away from city lights and other light pollution as possible. More will be visible at night time over the next few days provided that the skies are clear.
photo & story courtesy nationalledger.com, 8/14/07
Matthew 5:14-16
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (ESV)
What does Jesus teach us about being His "light" in today's God's Story scripture?
I can't say it any better than the study notes in Tyndale's Life Application Study Bible notes:
If we live for Christ, we will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like. We hide our light by (1) being quiet when we should speak, (2) going along with the crowd, (3) denying the light, (4) letting sin dim our light, (5) not explaining our light to others, or (6) ignoring the needs of others. Be a becaon of truth - don't shut your light off from the rest of the world.
Did you notice in today's story that the meteor show (which happens once a year) is great, but not visible to many because of cloud cover?
This reminds me of the way many of us as followers of Jesus often live. Either we get serious spiritually annually (like at Easter time) or our witness to Christ's truth is covered up by some cloudy choices on our part.
But Jesus calls each of us to put on His "light show" all the time.
No doubt most scientists would want us to believe that these meteors evolved from some monkey-shaped dust particles or something...but we know that ultimately this burning light comes from the the one Who created the dust - Jesus!
In the same way, the power that it takes to be Christ's light in this dark world comes from the One Who created us - Jesus!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Praise your Heavenly Father for shining the light of Christ into your life. Confess any way in which you have been hiding the light of Christ in your life. Ask His Spirit to make you willing to humble yourself so that your life will draw only on the power of the Son in you.
- Review the LAB study notes and be honest about one way you tend to hide Christ's light. Pray about this every day until you see this part of your life light up!
- Using a Bible study guide, look up five verses that use light as an analogy for living the Christian life.
- For one week, write down at least one daily opportunity Jesus gave you to be a light to someone. At the end of the week, evaluate what you have learned.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story and our story to others?
- Make it your daily goal to shine Christ's light toward one person who is in spiritual darkness...this might be a friend at school, at work, or a family member.
- Ask your friends and family if they heard about the meteor light show this week? Use it as a conversation starter to find out what they believe to be the ultimate source of the meteors? Trust Jesus to show you if this is the time to talk about how He has brought you from darkness into His light.
- Write a note of appreciation to another follower of Jesus who has been "letting a little bit of light into the world".
- July 2008 [17]
- June 2008 [13]
- May 2008 [20]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [19]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [19]
- November 2007 [17]
- October 2007 [20]
- September 2007 [19]
- August 2007 [18]
- July 2007 [13]
- June 2007 [11]
- May 2007 [14]
- April 2007 [11]
- March 2007 [12]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [5]
- November 2006 [14]
- October 2006 [18]
- September 2006 [12]
- August 2006 [17]
- July 2006 [11]
- June 2006 [4]
