Pale Blue Dot

Thirty years ago, on Valentines day (1990), Voyager 1 took the remarkable image of the earth from 6.4 Billion kilometers away - look at where the arrow is pointing in the picture. It was called the 'Pale Blue Dot' by scientist Carl Sagan and it remains a humbling reminder of how small, yet precious the earth is.

As far as we know the earth is the only planet that can support human life. We may try and send people to live on Mars and the Moon, but that is still a long way in the future. We should recgonise the gift we have been given and remember how amazing our God is.

So for this Valentines day let us focus on the remarkable LOVE we have been given by God and that our planet was considered so special that God sent his Son to reveal his glory to us.

John 1:9 - "The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world."

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Once in 73 years

How would you feel if your partner, loved ones and friends only told you that they LOVED you once every 73 years? We would feel disappointed and starved of love. We would be left wondering if our loved ones actually 'loved us' at all. In actual fact we would only end up hearing those words 'I Love You' once or twice (maximum) in our entire lives. That would be sad!

So, why am I saying this?
Well, Ash Wednesday falls on St. Valentines day this year, for the first time in 73 years. Both days are significant for different reasons, but the deeper connection is that they both point to acts of LOVE as their foundations. Ash Wednesday begins the journey of LENT, which reminds us that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to live and die for us.

God's love is not a 'once every 73 years' event, but a daily offer of grace, mercy and love.

1 John 4:16 - "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love."

Prayer: Thank you God that you remind us of your love on a daily basis. Every sunrise is a reminder of your great sacrifice of love. Amen.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Strange Sight

I saw a strange sight this morning. It caught me a little off guard, but it certainly made me think. As I drove down the street I noticed a man digging around in the garbage, which is not really out of the ordinary, but then I saw him stand up and answer his Cellphone. I was a little taken aback and thought - "this guy is digging in the trash for food, but he has a cellphone!" Wow.

Then, it struck me - why shouldn't he have a phone?! It is obviously important for him to have contact with his family/friends, and a phone is not a luxury item anymore. For some people it is a necessity.

I was then also left thinking about God's Love (on this Valentines Day) - God's love is for all people. No matter whether you are rich or poor, God pours out his love on us. We just need to be willing to receive it.

Psalm 86:5 - You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Are you and I willing to accept the LOVE that God offers us?

Living in Grace
D3LM3