I remember the first time I ever saw the moon through a "telescope." I mean that word very loosely. I think it was the third or fourth grade when my school was selling candles as a fundraiser. I remember that prize booklet they gave us showing what we could win, and the first thing that jumped off the page to me was a little red telescope.
I needed it.
So, I started selling candles with the goal of earning that telescope. Being the old man that I am today, I don't know if this is true or not, but I think my twin brother and I combined forces and candle sales in order to have enough money earned to get it (Dan? Mom? Am I way off here?). When it finally came in, I fully expected to be able to see long last planets and to be the first to see comets that no one else on earth could because, after all, I had a telescope and they didn't. That night we went outside knowing we'd be able to see men walking around Mars and find out that the moon really was made of swiss cheese. This thing was probably only 6 inches long, but to me, it was like the Hubble was perched in my front yard.
Of course, there was nothing that could be seen with such a cheap thing like this, but I do remember seeing the moon that night and loving the site of it. I have always been fascinated by astronomy, and this was my first foray into that world, albeit very little and red. I still have a telescope today (nerd, I know), and I still enjoy looking at the moon and everything God has created in this seemingly foreign world I'll only know through glass lenses and plastic tubes.
The theme verse of this blog is Pslams 19:1, and so I'll end today by quoting part of this chapter. This is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible because it tells why mankind has always been so fascinated by this world which points to the glory of God.
Psalm 19:1-4
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
declaring the glory
Stamped: Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Wonderful post...you always point us to God, and I love that.
not only amazingly beautiful, but inspiring as well, dave! thanks! i, too, love the night skies and can stand gazing upward in awe for very long periods of time! i couldn't believe when i was actually able to get some cool moon detail shots this year! it was exhilarating!! (and to think God knows every single one of those millions of stars! awesome!)
I am no help to you about the memory. I do remember the telescope - if you can call it that. So tell us about the great picture on the post.
I love these verses you picked!
I had a cheap telescope when I was a kid, too. I think we spent more time spying on our neighbors with it then anything else. Ooh, probably shouldn't admit that. I was seven and didn't know any better. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!