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A Most Blessed and Happy New Year to Our Very Special Blog-Nog Friends,

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Click the Microphone below to listen to
Marjorie read God’s Goodness Shines blog!

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Now, as we embark upon the brand new voyage of 2011, I am reminded of our Oklahoma friend, Nelly, who called us as she and her husband boarded the gigantic Queen Mary 2 ocean liner in New York Harbor.  Nelly was setting sail to visit her homeland of Switzerland.  Her rancher/cowboy husband, David, was wondering how his cowboy boots would fit in with English afternoon tea.

The Queen Mary 2 is one of the largest ships ever built at almost four football fields long and eighteen stories tall!  It seems the glowing descriptions of this wonder of the sea may have exhausted the adjectives found in Webster’s Thesaurus.  And it is, indeed, a credit to man’s creative genius to build such a beautiful floating city.

No doubt, Nelly and David were enthralled viewing God’s heavens, projected on the ceiling of the Queen Mary’s unique planetarium – the only one on a non-scientific ship at sea.

As I read the lengthy, impressive descriptions of the architect’s building of the Queen Mary 2, I was struck by the contrast of Genesis 1:16 which states in stark simplicity these words: “…. He (God, the Divine Architect ) made the stars also.”  Five little words to describe the creation of the magnificent canopy of our starry heavens. With just the touch of God’s architectural hand they appeared! And at the same time, He numbered the stars and named them all (Psalm 147:4), and He saw that it was good.

Among God’s myriad of celestial wonders is Halley’s Comet which appears every 75 to 76 years – there is always great anticipation and excitement as it nears our solar system.  What if, as our Christian Mother Goose rhyme suggests, the starry heavens appeared only once a year?

Would it make us long for the nightly display of God’s sparkling diamonds called stars?

Was it a delightful surprise to Adam when the stars re-appeared on his second night on earth, and he realized they were permanent lights declaring the glory (goodness) of God to mankind?  Or, as the beloved Matthew Henry wrote almost 300 years ago in his beautiful Bible Commentary: “They (the stars) have no speech or language, and yet their voice is heard, and all people may hear these natural,  immortal preachers speak to them in their own tongue the wonderful works of God.” (Psalm 19: 1-4)

And as Robert Louis Stevenson wrote in a Child’s Garden of Verse: “The world is so full of a number of things / I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings.”

One of those wonderful things is the discovery of the fantastic cosmic Star Diamond by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics .

This Star Diamond, numbered BPM 37093, reported to be the biggest diamond in the galaxy, is said to be a mass of crystallized carbon (the hot, compressed heart of a star that is left after the star uses up its nuclear fuel and dies).

How amazing! A diamond in the sky that measures almost 2,500 miles across! It is some 50 light years away from planet earth in the constellation Centaurus, with an approximate weight of 10 billion-trillion-trillion carats!  (Yes, that’s 34 zeros.)

Who can grasp such mind-boggling numbers?  “You would need a jeweler’s loupe the size of the sun to grade this diamond,” said Astronomer Travis Metcalfe, the leader of the team who discovered the distant gem.

So, if BPM37093 ever reaches earth, there goes the diamond market!  Just like Humpty Dumpty, the insurance value on the famous Cullinan Diamond would have a great fall! Oh, dear, all over one single star!

And how many more of God’s surprises are awaiting us?  Who, but God, could create such marvels?

I thought of this as I looked at my dear husband Dale’s jeweler’s loupe yesterday.  He loved observing the brilliance of a perfect diamond through his loupe, and would explain to us the criteria used in judging the quality of each diamond – color, cut and clarity. What a marvelous time he must be having studying Heaven’s endless perfect gem collection!

During the years we raised our four boys, Dale would lead us on intrepid expeditions of treasure hunting, gold panning, and diamond excavation.  But, like the fishing trips (see “Once I Caught a Fish” archives, April, 2009), we most often came back empty-handed, but with stories of fun and adventures galore – and it was never too long before hope would rise again.  So, when some friends in our town of Hotchkiss, Colorado, told us about the lost treasure of Dominguez Canyon, we were all set to go with our friends and fellow adventurers, Ray and Stella.  First, everyone was asked what they would do with the treasure if we found it.  Ha, ha!  A good time to peek into the Scripture, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

The next weekend we drove about 25 miles to the Canyon’s rim. It was a blistering hot day, but this time, unlike our meteorite hole family trek, (see “Jack and Jill” archives, February, 2009) we were prepared with a picnic basket of food, tea and water.

The wall of the canyon had cracked forward, creating a narrow passage leading down to the canyon’s floor.  Stella and I led the way, with six children following, and the men bringing up the rear with the big picnic basket.  All was well until we got halfway down the passage.  It suddenly became very narrow, allowing only the two slim wives and even slimmer children to proceed.  Thanks to their more muscular build, the fathers found themselves wedged in halfway down, but nicely shaded, and with lovely picnic refreshments to snack on.

The treasure hunting that day became a case of “Women and children only.”  And although we did find rusted marks of antique hinges on a huge rock, the sweltering heat and crowbar exercise to move it defeated us. The elusive gems and diamonds of Dominguez would have to wait till each husband lost weight!  So we joined the “gentlemen of leisure,” (who were still stuck in the narrow passage) for afternoon tea, and what was left of the edible picnic basket treasures.

In finishing: as Nelly and David gaze upon the stars from the Queen Mary 2’s planetarium, somewhere up there is the fascinating giant Star Diamond. With its rough exterior hiding the inner treasure, it’s a penetrating picture of the believer in The Lord Jesus Christ – He Who is “The bright and morning Star.”

The Scripture says: “For God, Who commandeth the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”  (II Corinthians 4: 6-7)

May there be many new “discoveries” of God’s Star Diamonds shining here for Jesus!  This world needs His light now more than ever!

Keep shining bright dear friends, and may God’s shining light guide you and your loved ones along the loving path of His grace, love and salvation in 2011. Happy New Year!

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Christian Mother Goose®

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