Whatever is Lovely and Admirable!

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Philippians 4:8

I saw the Big Dipper!  Can you believe it?  For the first time in my 51 years of age, I saw Big Dipper!  The thing is, growing up in Panama, looking for and talking about star formations and constellations was not a thing.  Those who did were considered a bit...how shall I put it? ... strange?  I guess sailors and fishermen did know about such things, but I didn't know any sailor or fisherman.  Therefore, my knowledge of stars was limited to the "Three Marys."

Do you know about the "Three Marys"?  No?!  Let me tell you.  That's what we called the three stars in Orion's Belt...in reference to the women who went to the tomb of Jesus the morning of His resurrection.  Yep, everyone knew about them.  That's the only thing I ever saw on the night sky as far as star formations...Then, I come to the United States and boom!  I'm about the only person around who has never heard about things like "Cassiopeia," "Ursa Major," "Little Dipper," "Orion," "Big Dipper."

At any rate, we got a telescope last Christmas for Grant, and we still haven't had time to figure out all its features.  We got to see the moon a few times, and I have to tell you, it was mighty impressive...but I have to admit, the Moon is about the only thing I can ever find on the sky anyway.  I still can't quite see Orion other than his belt (A.K.A. The Three Marys).  But this morning, as I took Link outside in the brisk, still dark wee hours of our fall dawn, I turned my head toward the northern sky...and there it was!  The Big Dipper!  Right in display for me to see!  It was so clear, I can't believe I've never seen it!  I have been taking Link outside before sunrise for over a year now, always looking up at the sky, marvelling at God's creation, and never saw anything until this morning...

It was huge!  Kind of upside down, but perfectly clear.  It was as if God had opened my eyes.  It was so "there" that I still can't believe I never saw it before...it was like a veil had been removed and I could finally see...and it was admirable!

I was so excited, I came inside and announced it to everyone, and ... nobody cared.  "I saw the Big Dipper!" "I saw the Big Dipper!"  I said, "OK, cool" I heard in response...it wasn't a big deal for them.  But it was for me.  It was a gift, an it was lovely!  And it made me think of the glory revealed in His creation.  Who, other than Our Amazingly Creative God would have thought of forming the stars for our amusement and amazement? And to think that He made the atmosphere clear so we could see it!  WOW!  It's no wonder David, a shepperherd used to spending nights without end staring at the sky, couldn't help but proclaim:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Paul guides us as to where we should invest our thoughts into.  He tells us to place them into whatever is lovely and admirable.  Well, I tell you, today, in a world that seems to be in decay, with not much to find lovely and not much to admire, there is still God's creation and its ability to surprise us with its grandeur and majesty! Therefore, when I find myself falling into the default darkness of  my mind, I am going to remember to look up and be marveled at the lovely and admirable glory of the work of His Hands proclaimed by the skies!

p.s.:  I still can't believe I finally saw the Big Dipper! LOL!