Hello hello!
Can you believe it is already the Christmas season? I started gathering gifts a while ago and just yesterday my husband and I strung up twinkle lights. Did you ever wonder where this tradition came from? I’d like to share this little article written my the great creationist Henry Morris…
“The Festival Of Lights
by Henry Morris, Ph.D.
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“ ‘That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world’ (Philippians 2:15).
The Jewish season of Hanukkah, which begins on this date and continues for eight days, is also known as ‘the Festival of Lights,’ because of the many lights that are used to light their homes and communities during that period. The so-called "Christmas season," going on at the same time, is also marked by many lights everywhere.
“The Hanukkah holidays were established long ago to commemorate the expulsion from the temple and from Jerusalem of Antiochus Epiphanes and his Syrian hosts by the Maccabees. ‘Hanukkah’ means ‘Dedication’ and ‘the feast of the dedication’ is actually mentioned in John 10:22.
“Exactly how and when the use of many lights to mark Hanukkah (and, for that matter, the Christmas season) originated seems uncertain. In any case, as far as Christians are concerned, we are exhorted to ‘shine as lights in the world.’ The Lord Jesus Christ is, of course, the one real ‘light of the world’ (John 8:12), but we are expected by Him to so reflect that light to a dark world that we also can be, in effect, ‘the light of the world’ (Matthew 5:14).
“Therefore, Jesus said: ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven’ (Matthew 5:16). We are thus expected to ‘shine as lights in the world,’ but never with the purpose of honoring ourselves, but only in order to lighten the way to Christ, and thereby to glorify our heavenly Father. We are children of the Father by faith in Christ, and He expects us to act as those who are, indeed, ‘the children of light’ (John 12:36). HMM”1
I think it’s wonderful that we want to reflect Jesus’s light outwardly this time of year. I pray that we all Reflect His light inwardly all year long!
God bless and take care,
Willow Dressel
This week in the night skies; “Saturday, December 13. The Geminid meteor shower should be at its strongest late tonight and tomorrow night. Bundle up even more warmly than you think you'll need, find a dark, shadowed site with an open view overhead, lie back in a reclining lawn chair, and watch the stars. Be patient. Under a fairly dark sky you may see a meteor every minute or two. Also, Mid-December is when the dim Little Dipper hangs straight down from Polaris around 9 p.m.”2
For the southern lats; “...from Southern Australia (northern Australia is similar but Gemini and the radiant is higher in the sky) on Monday December 15, the Geminid radiant is marked with a starburst. The Geminids are a fairly reliable meteor shower and this year moonlight will partly interfere. Unlike the Leonids, where there is a very narrow peak of high activity, the Geminids have a broad peak and will show good activity well before and after the peak, and on the day before and after. The radiant doesn't rise until just before midnight (daylight saving time) in most of Australia, so you will still have to disturb your sleep for this one. Australians should see a meteor every three to four minutes under dark skies in the early morning of the 15th, between 1:00 am and 4:00 am local time. You can find predictions for your local site at the meteor flux estimator (choose 4 Geminids and date 14-15 December, don't forget to change the date to 2014).”3
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:) This is so interesting! Thanks, Willow. I love Christmas! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! love you too! =) Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteThank you! Love you and i love Christmas too! =) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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