The trio...

Nothing beats driving into work before sunrise. Admittedly, I miss the occasional winter or early spring sunrise, but the flip side is the beauty of a mesmerizing night sky. It's probably a good thing that my drive takes me through mostly rural country roads for the first half of my commute since I tend to be distracted by the sights around me. My distraction is dangerous only to a foolish road-crossing deer or possibly - me.

This morning's attraction was a trio, high in the southern sky.

The waning gibbous moon. Saturn. Mars.

The stunning trio formed a lopsided Scalene triangle that captured my attention. The captivating part of this trio was the group's placement. The bright moon was positioned between the two planets. Saturn was closest below, to my left but to the moon's right. Mars was a bit further from the moon to its left.

It was a comforting sight. It reminded me of our heavenly trio. Father. Son. Holy Spirit. God. the Father, the central bright light. Jesus, the Son, to his right, reigning on high. And the Holy Spirit, a bit more distant because he is here with us on earth. Living among us. With us.

God's love. Jesus' grace. Holy Spirit's fellowship. A visual reminder in the early morning sky.

Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. I Corinthians 8:6

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.  John 14:26 

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  2 Corinthians 13:14

Prior moon shot from Jamaica

Sunday - Closed...

Jamaica. Our favorite winter vacation spot. I've written several posts about this beautiful island. If you're so inclined, you can read a similar post here or another here and here or here.

We try to visit our happy place once a year and this year we were blessed to find ourselves there again. Our week was absolutely amazing, not to mention relaxing. Jamaica has a way of cleansing our bodies, souls and minds. And each year I find I can learn much about life from our wonderful Jamaican friends.

Our must-stay place is The Hibiscus Lodge, a spectacular small hotel, set on cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The hotel is situated on acres of lush gardens just steps from the hustle and bustle of Ocho Rios. The serene gardens are in sharp contrast to the horn-honking, music-blaring streets of the city. To step outside the gate of the hotel is like stepping into another world.

The streets of Ocho Rios are filled bumper to bumper with cars, buses and route taxis. The sidewalks are crammed with foot traffic. Workers and students make their way to work and school. Vendors and panhandlers beckon for attention. Six days a week, the streets look like this:

 Six days of hustle. Six days of noisy bustle.

But on Sundays, the streets look like this:

Streets are empty. Shops are closed.

In sharp contrast, churches are full. Gospel music permeates the air.

Jamaicans are hard workers. Many work twelve to sixteen hour days, six days a week. Many walk to work. Many find creative ways to travel miles to work. And yet on Sunday, they rest. They worship.

If only Americans could turn back time. Back to a time when Sunday stood apart. As a day to rest. A day to worship. Ah, but we've followed our pocketbooks. We've followed our desires. We need to shop seven days a week. We can't be inconvenienced.

Jamaicans may be poor as measured monetarily, but don't be deceived. Jamaicans are wealthy beyond belief. Their belief makes them rich beyond measure.

Thank you, Jamaica, for the lesson. We would be wise to learn from you.

Ya mon!

“‘There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.  Leviticus 23:3