I was recently watching a television series and one of the episodes was about the July 20, 1969 moon landing. Millions of people were glued to their television as Neal Armstrong stepped down upon the moon surface and said” That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I remember watching this historic day with my family. What an amazing time in our lives.
This summer I have had the experience of watching the International Space Station (ISS) fly over my home at night. It has been exciting for me to this small look alike star moving across the night sky at 17,500 miles an hour or 5 miles per second. The idea that men are in this tiny moving light is fascinating to me. It was only for 3 minutes, but what a beautiful sight! The ISS will orbit the Earth every 92 minutes, which is 16 times a day. What a scientific engineering accomplishment! There have been 240 space explorers on the ISS from 19 different countries. This includes 145 American astronauts, 45 Russian cosmonauts and other countries. As I think of these explorers, I realize how they must work together to sustain and maintain a living environment. The world needs to take this extended friendship among countries and apply it on how to live and work together in harmony and peace.
Psalm 8:1/3-9 (King James) O lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
When I consider thy heavens, the works of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained;
What is man that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with glory and honor.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field:
The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,
And whatever passeth through the paths of the seas.
O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth.
I enjoy singing this hymn each Autumn.
This Is My Father’s World
This is my Father’s world, And to my list’ning ears,
All nature sings, and round me rings The music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world, I rest me in the thought,
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.
This is my Father’s world, The birds their carols raise;
The morning light, the lily white Declare their Maker’s praise.
This is my Father’s world, He shines in all that’s fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me ev’rywhere.
This is my Father’s world, O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world, The battle is not done;
Jesus who died shall be satisfied, And earth and heaven be one.
Submitted by:
Pam Jackson
Knoxville, TN