A Sky Full of Fire
Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak TONIGHT!
There has been a stirring in my heart this week, as I sit down to write this and think of the reasons why I am feeling this stirring; it's because I am seeing God move, not just in my life, but in the people around me. I walk alongside many men at different stages in life and in their spiritual walk; some are struggling, some are thriving, and some are in the middle, trying to figure out the next direction to go, much like the meteors I captured in this photo above, all scattered, but still all a light with the capacity to burn bright.
Monday night, I attended the Rock Solid Men event and had the amazing opportunity to hear Jim Pardue of a local church here in my town speak; his message was clear: what is our focus, and is it celebrating the right things in this world? Meaning, are our emotions tied up in earthly celebrations (like our favorite football team winning), or are we focused on making sure our heart celebrates the blessings we have been granted by God’s son?
He shared a nugget of wisdom that I loved, and that was this: we have a cross and a throne inside of us and our heart; we are either on that throne, and Jesus is on that cross, or Jesus is on that throne, and we are on that cross. So which is it for you? Are you the king of your heart, or is Jesus? We must die to self for Jesus to reign over our heart. I will be thinking on this more in the days ahead to find the clarity to make sure my heart is right.
Night Sky Events
This week, the moon steps out of the way at just the right moment. New moon falls on Wednesday, August 12, and that same night, the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak, with no moonlight to wash out the show. Forecasters are calling for excellent rates, potentially 50-100+ meteors an hour under a truly dark sky. Best viewing is midnight through dawn on the nights of August 12-13, looking toward the northeast where the constellation Perseus climbs the sky, though the meteors themselves can streak anywhere overhead. No telescope needed, just a lawn chair, some patience, and a spot away from streetlights. If you’re up early any morning this week, look east before sunrise for a bonus: Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn are all lined up in the pre-dawn sky, with Mercury and Jupiter closing to within a moon’s width of each other by August 15.
Something is fitting about the sky going dark on purpose, all so a hundred small fires can be seen falling. Each Perseid is just a grain of ancient comet dust, burning up seventy miles overhead, and yet we drive out to dark fields to watch them fall.
Psalm 19:1-2 (ESV) says it plainly: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.” This week, the night has a lot to say, so go, listen with your eyes open.
Until next time, keep looking up!
-g