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Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Reflection
Prompt: Be present. Describe something peaceful with as much sensory imagery as you can. What are the sights, sounds, scents, and feelings?
When I think of a peaceful setting, I think of something out in nature. And my most recent nature-intensive trip was to Isle Royale National Park this summer. I am reminded of one afternoon toward the end of our trip. We had just walked a few miles from the campground at Daisy Farm to the campground at Three Mile. The next day would be our last as we made the trek back to Rock Harbor, boarded the ferry, and traveled back to the mainland. We had already broken off from two people in our group, leaving just four of us. We claimed a shelter at Three Mile, which consisted of three wooden walls, one screen wall with a screen door, a wooden floor and a roof. There was plenty of room for us to drop our backpacks and set up our sleeping bags. We even moved the nearby picnic table inside.
It was a bit chilly that day, especially once we had stopped hiking, but I wanted to spend some time just thinking and reflecting. Our shelter faced Lake Superior and had a nice out cropping of rock that sloped toward the water. We had nothing on the agenda for the rest of the day - no day hikes - nowhere else we had to get to. Everyone else had wandered off to do their own thing; so, I stopped and sat down here for a while, over looking the lake and thinking about the beauty that we were experiencing. The lake was calm, but freezing. The sky was gray and the air was fresh and crisp, with a bit of a bite to it. It wasn't the prettiest day on the island, but it was peaceful. There was nobody around making noise. The only sounds were the gently lapping water against the shore and the few animals that made their homes nearby. The loons would often wail and yodel or splash through the water. A nearby squirrel was busy scurrying here and there. The rest was calm and quiet. Pine trees scattered the area, with just a bit of vegetation peeking out between the cracked rock that was the ground. It was a simplistic landscape, with many more coniferous trees lining the small island across the way.
There was a feeling of isolation, knowing you were on an island miles away from Canada or the United States, in the deep, dark waters of Gitche Gumee. But the stillness and the quiet brought serenity, and isolation faded to a tranquil solitude as I silently pondered the greatness of our God and all of his creation. I thought about the the trip of a lifetime becoming a reality and realized with a deep sense of gratitude that I had been able to overcome my health issues -- at least for a week -- as I hiked through the wonders of the island. The distinctiveness of the rocky ground and shoreline made a deep impression on me, and I recall the petrous paths we traveled with fondness. As I sat and reflected on all that had happened and all that was around me, I simply smiled at the joy that day brought.
When I think of a peaceful setting, I think of something out in nature. And my most recent nature-intensive trip was to Isle Royale National Park this summer. I am reminded of one afternoon toward the end of our trip. We had just walked a few miles from the campground at Daisy Farm to the campground at Three Mile. The next day would be our last as we made the trek back to Rock Harbor, boarded the ferry, and traveled back to the mainland. We had already broken off from two people in our group, leaving just four of us. We claimed a shelter at Three Mile, which consisted of three wooden walls, one screen wall with a screen door, a wooden floor and a roof. There was plenty of room for us to drop our backpacks and set up our sleeping bags. We even moved the nearby picnic table inside.
It was a bit chilly that day, especially once we had stopped hiking, but I wanted to spend some time just thinking and reflecting. Our shelter faced Lake Superior and had a nice out cropping of rock that sloped toward the water. We had nothing on the agenda for the rest of the day - no day hikes - nowhere else we had to get to. Everyone else had wandered off to do their own thing; so, I stopped and sat down here for a while, over looking the lake and thinking about the beauty that we were experiencing. The lake was calm, but freezing. The sky was gray and the air was fresh and crisp, with a bit of a bite to it. It wasn't the prettiest day on the island, but it was peaceful. There was nobody around making noise. The only sounds were the gently lapping water against the shore and the few animals that made their homes nearby. The loons would often wail and yodel or splash through the water. A nearby squirrel was busy scurrying here and there. The rest was calm and quiet. Pine trees scattered the area, with just a bit of vegetation peeking out between the cracked rock that was the ground. It was a simplistic landscape, with many more coniferous trees lining the small island across the way.
There was a feeling of isolation, knowing you were on an island miles away from Canada or the United States, in the deep, dark waters of Gitche Gumee. But the stillness and the quiet brought serenity, and isolation faded to a tranquil solitude as I silently pondered the greatness of our God and all of his creation. I thought about the the trip of a lifetime becoming a reality and realized with a deep sense of gratitude that I had been able to overcome my health issues -- at least for a week -- as I hiked through the wonders of the island. The distinctiveness of the rocky ground and shoreline made a deep impression on me, and I recall the petrous paths we traveled with fondness. As I sat and reflected on all that had happened and all that was around me, I simply smiled at the joy that day brought.
This post was written as part of NHBPM – 30 health posts in 30 days: http://bit.ly/vU0g9J
The Northern Lights
From my understanding, the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are caused by the collision of charged particles from the earth’s magnetosphere and solar wind with atoms in the high altitudes of the earth’s atmosphere. The earth’s magnetic poles guide these charged particles to the higher (and lower) latitudes, near the poles, where the auroras are normally seen. When an energetic particle collides with an atom, the atom takes some of that energy and stores it, becoming an “excited atom”. The excited atoms become “grounded” or return to their normal state by emitting a photon of light -- which is what we see in an aurora. What’s interesting is that the color of the light emitted depends on the type of atom or molecule it came from. Oxygen will emit green or brownish-red and nitrogen emits blue or red. Combined, they produce a brilliant light show for anyone lucky enough to see it. Green is the most common aurora color, and blue is the least common. At 43 degrees north latitude, I feel lucky to see any color.
Last week, I saw the northern lights for the third time. However, I’m not really sure the first time counted. I was 11 years old, away for my first summer camp experience. In the middle of the night, another girl and I got up to walk to the bathroom from our cabin. On the way back, we noticed some light through the trees, which we assumed was lightning, and hastened back to the cabin not wanting to get rained on. The next day at breakfast, the counselors announced that the northern lights were out the previous night and asked if anybody had seen them. I could’ve kicked myself!
The second time I saw the northern lights, I at least recognized them for what they were. I still describe this scene as the most amazing night sky I have ever seen. We were camping in Manistee and went down to the beach at night (my absolute favorite thing to do). As we crested the top of the sand dune that led back down to the beach along Lake Michigan , I took a survey of the sky before me. To my left, the moon was setting--a large gibbous moon, with a few thin clouds around it illuminated with red. I had never seen such a beautiful moonset. Then I looked up above me just in time to see a large, streaking shooting star (the reason I come to the beach at night). Finally, off to the right, the northern lights were softly glowing in the sky. I didn’t know where to look! But, I knew I had to keep my eye on the aurora, as it surely wouldn’t last too long. It was mostly a greenish light that subtly danced in the sky a short while before fading away. I was thrilled to have seen the northern lights and to have actually watched them this time.
The third time was just last week. I was on my way home, driving in the car, when my dad called. When I answered, he immediately asked me excitedly, “Are you outside right now?!” No, I was in the car driving. “The northern lights are out!!” Sure enough, as I looked up out my windshield, I could make out the haze of red from the northern lights. I immediately called Tom, and was home within a few minutes. From my yard, I could make out a blanket of hazy red that spread fairly high in the sky, as well as streaks of green coming up from the horizon. While I missed the brightest parts of the aurora, I was so excited to see them and to see a color besides green! It is pretty rare to be able to see the northern lights this far south, to see them so high up in the sky, and to see some variance in color here. I was ecstatic. I wish that I could’ve taken a picture or somehow captured it, but soon after I got home, the red dissipated and the green faded shortly thereafter. Nevertheless, some people more talented and prepared than I, did capture some beautiful images of last week’s aurora. Check this out:
The Rise of the Super Moon (and other adventures in astronomy)
I was excited to see all of the hype created by the so-called “super moon” – even if there wasn’t anything drastically different to see. I like it when the general population gets engaged in astronomy, as well as any opportunities to learn new things myself.
This past Friday was one of the best clear night skies we’ve had in a while. Winter tends to be very cloudy in West Michigan (and cold!), so I don’t get to enjoy the starry skies very often this time of year. Because Friday night was not only clear, but also happened to be warm-ish, and a day before the rise of the super moon, I decided it was high time to get my telescope back out! The moon was almost full, and was so bright. It’s so cool to be able to see so many details of the lunar landscape through the telescope.
I didn’t stop there, though. I realized that Saturn was also visible in the night sky, not too far from the moon. Last summer was the first time I’d ever picked out Saturn in the sky or seen it through a telescope. It’s so far away, and it still looks tiny through my telescope, but it’s so amazing to see those rings! There’s no mistaking Saturn for anything else – that’s for sure. What I just learned, however, is that Saturn was on edge for the past two years, so you couldn’t see the broad array of its rings like you normally can. Fortunately, that’s changed this year! I have a feeling I will be coming back to Saturn often this year like I did Jupiter last year. The night sky never ceases to fill me with wonder.
Okay, back to the Super Moon. In case you missed all the hype, the moon was at its closest point to Earth (perigee), and also happened to be a full moon on Saturday. It was the closest full moon we've seen since March of 1993. It rose on Saturday evening, not too long after it turned dark. It was really perfect timing. It was also a pretty clear night, with just a bit of haze. So, I tried to take some pictures with my camera. Here are some of the better ones I ended up with:
I spend so much time looking at planets and stars, and often don’t take time to reflect on the splendor of our own moon. It really can be quite beautiful.
As the weather warms up, I’m hoping to be able to get my telescope out on a regular basis and learn to identify some new things in the night sky. I found a list of things to look out for this month, so I’m hoping to be able to spot some more of those shortly. Primarily, I hope to be able to find Mercury – I’ve not been able to identify Mercury in the sky before. I also learned that spring is a good time to spot galaxies – namely the Coma/Virgo Super Cluster, also known as the “Realm of Galaxies.” After accidentally stumbling upon Andromeda last year, the idea of finding some other galaxies gets me excited! It’s simply amazing and humbling when you realize the enormity of what you are looking at, and to know that God created it all and still cares deeply for each one of us.
“When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?”
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?”
--Psalm 8:3-4
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