The Bright and Morning Star

I apologize right up front for another sky-view blog. I can’t seem to help myself. I think I've officially become an earth-moon-sun- star-gazer! I blame it on God Who keeps awing me every morning. I’m grateful I have His attention, because it would be misery to face blogging every day and wondering “What is there to blog about today?" Today, is my 2,334th blog and my "unlimited" God sure hasn’t let me run out of content.

Yesterday at 6:01 am, I captured this photo of the moon still high in the sky. What drew me in, was the bright star that was slightly above it. When I got home, I googled what that star was all about. I found that it wasn't a star at all. It is Venus, the planet. It can appear larger and closer to the sun than any other planet because it reflects 60% of the sun's light. From the Google site, I saw these words: "Venus, the Morning Star and Evening Star", but if Venus isn’t a star, why the nicknames? When Venus is on the other side of the Sun, it leads the Sun as it travels across the sky and will rise in the morning a few hours before the Sun. As the Sun rises, the sky brightens and Venus fades away in the day-sky. This is Venus the Morning Star. In the evening, when the sun sets, Venus is brightest when the sun goes down.

My analogy: in Revelations 22:16, Jesus referred to Himself as “the Bright Morning Star.” The Morning Star in Biblical times was the brightest star anyone saw in the sky, just before daylight. The famous Bethlehem star led the Wise Men to Jesus. That star "led", and Jesus as our Bright Morning Star is leading us, too -- right here at this time and place, and in the midst of all this chaos and confusion, Jesus, our Bright and Morning Star is wanting us to understand that He is with us and guiding us too. And, like Venus really isn’t a star, but a planet, Jesus isn’t just a star among many stars; He the ONE and ONLY Star. He IS the Way - the Truth - the Life. (John 14:6)

Venus, as the bright morning star, represents the promise of a new day! But let’s stop with this “Venus” talk. Let’s finish this blog by pointing us all to the promise of new days ahead for us. Many people around us are in darkness. They are hopeless, lost, confused and wonder “Could there ever be a better day?” Oh, yes, there is. It is this new day!

I know Jesus, the Bright Morning Star, personally. We talk and walk together daily. I once was lost in darkness, but now I'm found. I used to be hopeless and confused and wondered if I could make it another day, but since I met Jesus, it’s a new day every day. I used to have low self-esteem, but since I met Jesus, it’s a new day now. I used to feel sorry for myself, but it’s a new day now. I used to be afraid, but it’s a new day now. I wake up to each new day with great expectation that something good is going to happen to me today.

Oh, my precious friends, on the horizon is our Bright Morning Star Who tells us that not only will we rise and shine as a reflection of Him on this earth, but best-news-ever: we will forever be with Him "in the city that has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light."
(Revelations 21:23)

Clean Up Time -- Getting Out the LINT Roller!

Clean Up Time -- Getting Out the LINT Roller!
I, accidentally, threw a towel into my wash with my black slacks. Oops! Lint – those little fibers from that towel got all over those pants. I proceeded to pull out my trusty, sticky lint remover roller and I got all those tiny balls of lint off of them.

My word for today is LENT (not LINT). Often we hear the word "Lent" and we think "lint”. Actually, “Lent” and “lint” sort of mean the same thing. It’s taking the time to "come clean" -- to rid ourselves of the funk and junk that has settled in our hearts.You better believe if I knew Jesus was coming to my house today, I'd make sure it was "spic and span"! And, He does make His residence in us, so shouldn't we be sure that our hearts and minds are "swept clean" for His place of residence?

Lent is a time to open the doors of our hearts a little wider and understand our Lord a little deeper, so that when Good Friday and eventually, Easter comes, it is not just another day at church, but an opportunity to receive the overflowing graces God has to offer. Lent gives us the opportunity to contemplate what our Lord really did for us on the cross -- and it wasn't pretty, and it’s about a laser focus on Christ’s resurrection.

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday (the first time since 1945 that Ash Wednesday and Valentine's Day fell on February 14th). Ash Wednesday was a call out to us for amping up our LOVE LIFE with Christ and Valentine's Day was a call out to us for amping up our LOVE LIFE with others. Lent continues on for 40 days (symbolic to the 40 days Jesus was in the wilderness) through Holy Thursday just before Easter. It's the time of intentional laser focus on HIM -- about HIS love for us. It's about heart change -- from "It's all about me" to "It's all about YOU, God!" “We stand honestly before God and say, ‘You are God and I am not."

Typically, our thoughts are more on what our next meal will be, or the next TV show to watch, or the next assignment we'll be on to, or the plans for the weekend or the next trip or vacation we'll take. Many times, we simply go about our routines without really ever giving God a second thought. So, what if, for the next 40 days, we were able to be less distracted from our relationship with Him by making a few changes to our routine -- taking bites of time to dig deeper, pray more, be kinder to those around us, maybe take a walk to bask in God and His creation -- just to get closer to Him in our thoughts and actions.

Perhaps as we acknowledge the little things that sometimes distract us from God, we could become more aware of the weight of His sacrifice for us. Then this Easter will be a REAL resurrection to celebrate -- the resurrection from our OLD selves to our NEW selves in Him. Indeed "It's all about You -- not me, Lord!"