Sunday, December 12, 2010

Stars & Light of Life

 
 
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!





The snow today brought about thoughts of the stars; the lesser lights. Thoughts particularly of the Christmas star (since it is that time of year) and of when that star appeared so many years ago that it must have surprised many who saw it.

Then, perhaps, instead of the snow, it was the holiday music, We Three Kings of Orient Are, which brought the thoughts about this star. Thoughts still coming and how it has been told that the wise men not the shepherds in the field followed the star and that Christ was not really born on Dec 25 and this was a date chosen by someone, somewhere and somehow. Thoughts that it had been told that 9 1 1 had some connection to the birth.

Thinker thinking, "But how could the timing be so?". Oh, be still, thinking thinker. Speeding faster than a twinkle of a star, fingers typed in 9 11 christmas star christ birthday. Up popped an article by Joseph Prescia, September 11th, The Birth of Jesus Christ

Answers and details to it all including facts from the Roman Catholic church, astronomy and the Bible. Thoughts now at peace and a smile at the thought that those who saw that wonderful star must have said:

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!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Fire up your nose Rudolph and let that light of yours shine on brightly!

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
you'll go down in history!
Do you remember Rudolph?

He had many obstacles to overcome. He faced life being different. He was ridiculed by his peers and at one point in the movie he was so oppressed by his perceived misfortune that he withdrew from his family and friends and his nose stopped glowing.

Many times life does this to us just like Rudolph. Children, so-called friends, peers, family… “People” say things that we believe to be truth about ourselves and then we condemn ourselves and our lights get very dim. We withdraw, hide in our rooms, run away, try to become wallflowers so we are not noticed and basically hide from the world around us. We do things that we know are not good for us and things that can ultimately hurt us because we feel “what’s the use”.

Many times it takes encouragement from someone we respect or who we feel are influential to show us they think we are valued. Then we begin to change our thinking and see that we are not what we perceived about ourselves and that we have value after all. Once we become peaceful and make the choice to move forward, then we, just as Rudolph, can shine brightly once again.

God is all powerful. He formed, made and created all we see and touch; he knows all and sees all. There is none more influential and none who deserves more respect. In the Bible, in Ephesians 2:10, God, tells us we are valuable “for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (King James Version, (KJV))." Think of that, we are his workmanship. If God made us, then who is to say we are not valuable? No one.

God loves us and already has given us a way to overcome the oppression, to keep the light in our lives and give us a rest from our obstacles. You can read this yourself in the Bible, in Luke 1:71 “That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; (KJV)”. Luke 1:79 tells us that God’s son, Jesus Christ, came “To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (KJV).”

Believe what God, the one who hung the moon and stars, says about you and shine on, for you are valuable in the sight of God. In the Bible, Romans 10: 9-10 tells us how to be saved from the ultimate oppressor. Then reading the Bible or God’s Word builds your understanding and helps keep your light trimmed so it will shine brighter. Now fire up your nose Rudolph and let that light of yours shine on brightly!