Stars and the Universe

There was a fascinating programme on TV a couple of nights ago about stars, the universe and all matter that we find in our world today; scientists speculations about what happened at the very beginning of time, how it all began and continued, to form the world as we know it today. They talked about the 'Big Bang', the huge explosion of the very small but hugely charged only bit of matter that existed (they think). Then from this, they deduced that various elements formed, probably through violent collisions of atoms, first hydrogen, then helium and finally, over a very long period of time, all other substances that make up our world today, including our physical bodies. Even a substance such as zinc is vital to our physical make-up. According to one scientist , our universe is still expanding and at an accelerating pace. The conclusion is that eventually everything will fly apart and be dispersed so widely that it will all go back to 'nothingness'!
There was a bit about the incredible Mr. Hubble and his telescope. What a brilliant mind, able to conceive and build such an amazing instrument. What a team that was then able to get it out into space and working, sending those awesome pictures back to earth. Not only are the images of exploding stars (and so much more) breathtakingly beautiful, they are captured events that happened so long ago, it is difficult for our brains to comprehend. It is a treat to go onto the Hubble site and look at the pictures it has taken and continues taking.

But God wasn't mentioned once.....frequent phrases cropped up which expressed uncertainty about their theories; 'we think that', 'we don't know, but', 'this is probably the result of' etc. It is inconceivable to me that people - and such clever people with magnificent minds (also made by God in my view; if you need convincing, read Dr. Paul Brand's books Fearfully and Wonderfully Made and In His Image) - can think and assume that it all 'just happened' without Divine Intervention. For me, Creation and the Universe and all it consists of, all of its beauty so evident to all, is summed up in the last line of the Lord's Prayer:
'For thine is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, forever and ever, Amen'

I had just written the above in my journal and was then doing my daily quiet time and reading. As if in affirmation of what I'd written, it said in my guide; 'Habakkuk affirms God as the God of the Universe, glorious and splendid.' So it seems that Habakkuk and I agree then!

FRUIT, STAR-FRUIT & STARS

We had been wondering if the plants growing in our lawn that looked like pineapples were in fact these, when suddenly we noticed that one had started to flower and grow its fruit. An exquisite star-burst flower/fruit of many colours, mauves, reds, pinks, blue-greens, has pushed up out of the leaves. A pineapple is growing really fast.

Also in our garden, we have a star-fruit tree. We have never seen one of these before and don't know if they grow anywhere other than in the Seychelles.The tree has dainty little clusters of pink flowers, but the fruits are the real eye-catchers. They are large and look like shiny yellow decorations hanging in the tree. The skins are very waxy, but you can eat the fruit skins and all. They taste and look rather like oranges inside, being similar in texture and having the same kind of pips. When you look at them end on, or sliced through horizontally, you can see where they get their name from.

Two paw-paw (or papaye) trees in the front of our house give us a more or less constant supply of fruit. The birds get plenty too. I always used to cut these lengthways, but recently cut one across its circumference and was intrigued to see how the central hollow where the pips are is star-shaped. It is an almost perfect 5 pointed star. The star-fruit is more like a Christmas star.

The real stars here are exceptionally brilliant, as there is no pollution.