NASA Space Success

Since Voyager 1 was launched on 5 September 1977, and its sister spacecraft, Voyager 2, on 20 August 1977 I have followed their journeys. The NASA probes' initial goal was to survey the outer planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, a task completed in 1989. Then they were dispatched towards deep space, in the general direction of the center of our Milky Way Galaxy..

After 33  years the probes are still working and sending back information. They have reached the edge of our solar system and will soon cross the boundary into interstellar space.

All I can say is AWESOME! 

Boswellia Sap

The Boswellia tree is a scraggly tree that grows in India, southern Arabia and Somalia. It can be tapped like a maple tree to collect its sap but there is a big difference between the two saps. The maple is sweet and runny while the boswellia is sticky and pungent.

The wise men gave Jesus some of the hardened sap from the boswellia and it was an expensive gift that is also known as frankincense. It has several uses one of which was for burials and the other was as incense in temples all over the Middle East.

Today we use many different fragrances’ make us and our homes smell better. I usually receive some as a Christmas gift and apply it every day. It was a good gift on the first Christmas and it still is.   

Star Trek Values

I started watching Star Trek on day one of the TV series. I still enjoy watching tapes of the Original series. Often the story line involved some or all of the main characters to “Beam Down” on an alien planet with a few crew personnel from the Starship Enterprise. Any one who follows the show knows that at least one crew member was not going to make it back.

The “extras” were expendable while the stars of the show had to be around for next weeks show. Being hired as crew on the Enterprise was a dangerous job. From week to week you didn’t know if you would live through the show. Of course with alien makeup you could return as something else.

In real life we are all expendable on this earth and for each of us there comes a time when by misadventure, illness, or old age we are recalled by our maker. It doesn’t matter if we are president or pauper when it comes time for us we leave this life as we came in. Our souls are worth an equal share to Jesus no matter who we are. One of the thieves hanged with Jesus was saved and each one of us who calls on Christ is saved. Rich or poor on earth we have the same value in heaven. 

Private Christianity???

Christianity must never be identified with our private version of it, still less with our own social and economic background, that we assume is right.

Being an Americian does not make us a Christian. 
Too many of us forget that point and assume that all Christians must look like us. 
 There are Christians all over the world and most of them are not 
Americans and can never be. But thanks to be God who saves us all, 
we are all united under God's care and we are all one in Christ.

A Christian may make his or her religion a kind of projection of what we know. How can we think that all Christanity has to be like the church we belong to?

In 1Corinthians 9:19-23 Paul writes that he became all things to win others to Christ. He tries to find common ground with everyone to bring them to Christ. We can take this to heart and accept that faith in Christ works in all cultures.

Three Kings?

There are things we think we know about the bible because of art, songs and movies or plays.

I was at a clergy meeting last year when one of our number gave out a Christmas Bible quiz loaded with trick questions.

One question was: "How many kings visited Jesus in the stable?"

Sadly - most of us answered 3. Well you know the song, "We three kings of orient are."

Actually the bible does not say kings. It says that "Maji" or wise men came looking for Jesus. It does not say kings nor does it say how many wise men there were though the word is plural. They brought three kinds of gifts so we assume one gift from each wise man but you know all about assumptions.

In addition to that it was pointed out that the bible never says Jesus was in a stable, only that his crib was a manger. Which could have been brought in to a house to be used as a crib. Yet every Christmas the stable is part of the scene. 

Overwhelmed?

One can feel overwhelmed by all the economic news on a daily basis. Not enough investment and too much debt. Should taxes go up to bring the debt down or be kept low to spur on the economy? We hear many experts saying opposite things and that causes us to worry. Fear and pessimism could easily grip our souls.

To over come the overwhelming fear our focus must be to center ourselves on our faithfulness to God. When we do that then we will keep our personal physical and financial house in good order. Be prepared for any possibility.

We have seen that the world economy can be put in to collapse and natural disasters can create havoc all around us at any time. Fire, flood, winds and ice can create conditions that make us feel helpless. The life that is without spiritual strength will falter while the one who is centered in the spirit of God will strive through anything.

Kentucky Colonel

I received my commission as a Kentucky Colonel in the mail today.

This happened all because I sent a Thank You note to the governor after receiving a from letter congratulating me on my election as Mayor of Bellemeade.
 Now I need a new frame.