{"id":6112,"date":"2015-05-19T06:49:17","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T06:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/?p=6112"},"modified":"2016-01-07T14:29:55","modified_gmt":"2016-01-07T14:29:55","slug":"star-spotting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/star-spotting\/","title":{"rendered":"Star Spotting"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/stargazing.jpg?w=565\" style=\"border:none\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Recently I have been watching a TV show about stargazing, I loved it. I rushed out to the garage and found my scratched, bits missing Christmas gift from years past telescope and went to work setting it up again. Sitting in the cold garden at 10pm it all came back to me, focusing in on the moon and it\u2019s markings, awesome!<\/p>\n<p>Space is utterly amazing, it\u2019s vastness, and it\u2019s un-chartered depths, wow! As a human race we can understand solar wind and electrons, we have sent voyager 1 to the deepest space we have never reached before, wow. We have people living in the International space station constantly orbiting us, visible from earth. The sun! Now that\u2019s incredible!<\/p>\n<p>I remember something really simple in my own life, the day I looked up. Sounds stupid I know, but I was about 13 and as a boy I can remember walking with my head down, looking at the floor. I lived in Harlow, so this was sometimes a safe method to travel, but on one occasion near the sweet shop I lifted my head, don\u2019t know why, but I lifted it up and from that day that\u2019s where it has been. It was a significant moment.<\/p>\n<p>So what, you might be thinking? Well for me this is important, I spend so much time looking down around me, this problem, that problem, this criticism, or that wrong choice, and I forget to look up.<\/p>\n<p>Psalm 19:1-6 says;<br \/>\n1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.<br \/>\n2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.<br \/>\n3 There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.<br \/>\n4 Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,<br \/>\n5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course.<br \/>\n6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.<\/p>\n<p>Choosing to look up to God is incredible. If we believe what the Bible says, Jesus has restored our relationship with God when he died and was raised to new life. Because of this, in any and every situation of life we can stop and look up.<\/p>\n<p>This looking up is a simple, daily recognition for me of my love and dependence in what Jesus has done and is to me.<\/p>\n<p>Now this looking up works in the \u2018wow\u2019 moments in life and the \u2018why\u2019 moments too.<\/p>\n<p>When the good moments turn into the trials and mountains to climb, looking up is the way, to look up and remember you&#8217;re not alone, you\u2019re not forgotten, you&#8217;re loved and a plan is at work.<\/p>\n<p>One that may lead you through the darkest valleys or the sweetest roads, but fixing you eyes upwards on Jesus the Christ is essential!<\/p>\n<p>Image credit: Photo by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/usdagov\/10875132104\/\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"linkwithin_hook\" id=\"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/star-spotting\/\"><\/div><script>\n<!-- \/\/LinkWithinCodeStart\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 897245;\nvar linkwithin_div_class = \"linkwithin_hook\";\n\/\/LinkWithinCodeEnd -->\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/widget.js\"><\/script>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/\"><img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.linkwithin.com\/pixel.png?w=750\" alt=\"Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...\" style=\"border: 0\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Recently I have been watching a TV show about stargazing, I loved it. I rushed out to the garage and found my scratched, bits missing Christmas gift from years past telescope and went to work setting it up again. Sitting in the cold garden at 10pm it all came back to me, focusing in on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<script>\n<!-- \/\/LinkWithinCodeStart\nvar linkwithin_site_id = 897245;\nvar linkwithin_div_class = \"linkwithin_hook\";\n\/\/LinkWithinCodeEnd -->\n<\/script>\n<script src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/widget.js\"><\/script>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/\"><img src=\"http:\/\/www.linkwithin.com\/pixel.png\" alt=\"Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...\" style=\"border: 0\" \/><\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1065,1063,1064],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/stargazing.jpg?fit=565%2C353&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7PoLK-1AA","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7663,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/friends-of-cvm\/never-underestimate-the-power-of-prayer\/","url_meta":{"origin":6112,"position":0},"title":"Never underestimate the power of prayer!","date":"13 July 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Well, what an incredible journey that Pam (my wife) and I have been on. To be told only 3 months ago that I should basically prepare for my own funeral as I was given a 9-month shortened life expectancy was a shock. With the diagnosis of oesophageal cancer, the best\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Friends of CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/prayer-power.png?fit=565%2C350&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8080,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/master-of-the-universe-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":6112,"position":1},"title":"Master of the Universe: Part 2","date":"10 July 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"TWO: Master of the natural universe I remember watching the news in 2004 after a 9.1 magnitude earthquake rocked the earth resulting in a massive tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in fourteen different countries. The videos that gradually emerged of this tsunami were utterly horrifying, the speed and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/master-of-universe-2.jpg?fit=600%2C315&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8312,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/50plus\/what-was-that-password\/","url_meta":{"origin":6112,"position":2},"title":"What was that password?","date":"30 January 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This is aimed mainly at the age group 50 plus. (It\u2019s okay if your younger you can still join in). Before you go any further however you might want to grab a pencil and paper.\u00a0 Think back to when you were a youngster (harder for some I know). What was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;50 Plus&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/yura-fresh-1143650-unsplash.jpg?fit=1000%2C579&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4088,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/50plus\/memory-and-obedience\/","url_meta":{"origin":6112,"position":3},"title":"Memory and Obedience","date":"25 April 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"As a member of CVM 50 Plus Group, comfortably advanced within the age range, I find it increasingly difficult in remembering where I have left my glasses. My memory must have been pretty good in the past as I managed to pass a few exams. But now I\u2019m more reminded\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;50 Plus&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/CVM-50plus-blog-640x360.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7798,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/top-10-action-moments-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":6112,"position":4},"title":"Top 10 Action Moments in the Bible (Pt 3\/10)","date":"26 December 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"No .08 The Nativity So, we are well and truly on the run up to Christmas now, maybe you have got your tree all sorted or perhaps you just don\u2019t do the decorations routine. Maybe, when you started this series of blogs, the last thing you expected to see was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/action-bible.jpg?fit=565%2C350&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9952,"url":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/thoughts-from-the-cvm-team\/christmas-2022\/","url_meta":{"origin":6112,"position":5},"title":"Christmas","date":"25 December 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"You are not alone\u00a0 Humanity has searched to answer the question, is there life out there somewhere?\u00a0\u00a0 This question throws us into the very depths of space and its mind-bending size and reach, and year after year the answer is, no. We are alone and we still haven\u2019t found evidence\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Team CVM&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/christmas-22-blog.png?fit=610%2C291&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6112"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6112"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6112\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6770,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6112\/revisions\/6770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cvm.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}