STAR WARS: Legacy of the Force

Although most of my reading is of the non-fiction variety, I do enjoy fiction.  Usually, though, that fiction is not in the form of great novels that are masterpieces of literature.  I enjoy those, and in fact my favorite books are by Austen, Dostoyevsky, Shakespeare, and Hugo.  No, I find most of my fiction to be escapism. 

There.  I admitted it.  So what?  I find escapism to be a cheap way to have an adventure.  I enjoy Crichton, Clancy, and flying around the galaxy far, far away in Star Wars. 

Here's a video of the authors of the latest story arch:

Exploring Photos

Not only do I like to take pictures, but I love to look at great ones.  Here are some photos that I found on Flickr that I like.  Most of these have larger views if you click on the photo. 

Perthshire Evening

That Was Close

Like a Monday

Road to Nowhere

Waiting to Go...

Holiday Break... Will You Join Me?

Lagoon

Six Rainbows

While this isn't an astronomy picture, this truly is amazing.  Six (6) rainbows in one image.  Ok, so three of them are reflections in the water, but then, according to the description on APOD, all but the primary rainbow (the brightest one) are really reflections.

Pavarotti

As many of you most likely know, Luciano Pavarotti (from Three Tenors fame) has died at the age of 71.  His (I guess) web site has an interesting quote up right now:

I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent and this is what I have devoted my life to.

He may not have been the best tenor ever, but he is surely among the most popular.  I love classical music, but when I was young I maintained that I did not like opera and especially not this guy -- he reminded me of Stromboli from Disney's Pinocchio.  I didn't speak Italian and I didn't like sopranos (chiefly because the piercing voice was unbearable). 

However, as I grew older, I found myself liking a few pieces and found that they were Pavarotti.  I might be less cultured and more willing to accept the mass-marketed appeal of Pavarotti and not be discriminating enough for the refined artists.  But one thing is undeniable, the music that he did sounds beautifully.  Here are my two favorite songs he did.  Perhaps not the best of recordings, but the songs nonetheless.

Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma

Ave Maria

What is most unfortunate is that apparently his life was devoted to music and not to the Lord.  A search for "Pavarotti's religion," "Pavarotti's religious," and "Pavarotti's beliefs" all turn up no results.  Searching his personal life reveals this:

Off-stage, Pavarotti's personal life was often as colourful as his performances. He was, as U2 rocker Bono said, "a great volcano of a man who had a love of life in all its complexity". -Mirror.co.uk

That makes me sad, quite unlike his music.  With that in mind, here's an encore of perhaps his most famous song, Nessum Dorma.

A Twist on the Prodigal Son

Surely at some point we all feel like the elder brother.  I am referring to the parable of the Lost (prodigal, if you prefer) Son in Luke 15.  The story is a familiar one, as it shows the love and care God has for each of us.  We all have sinned and therefore were like the younger son.  Yet, at the same time, because of that sin, we can also identify with the one who didn't leave.  Jedi Guini mentions a not-so-unique feeling in her latest blog.  She points out the feelings that can at times plague the single person, who striving to be like Christ, still finds themselves single.  At those times it can appear like the good gift of a spouse is being "wasted" on the wrong people.  Sometimes it feels like everyone else is being blessed but me.  Why is it that it seems like the love of God is so far away?

That's because the older one was still distant from the Father.  Sure, he may not have been far, but he refused to go inside, which meant he was away from the father.  Many have pointed out that this is the Pharisee in the story (the whole thing was predicated on Pharisees pointing out that Jesus ate with "sinners") because he did not like the father celebrating the other son's return; I do not disagree.  But I find that their major sin is refusing to come inside.  The feelings of frustration and jealousy are natural, but a separation from God-- what is wrong is to refuse to be reunited. 

The Elder brother may have felt offended, but chose to not rejoice in his brother's return.  This, then, looks like the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21 where the one son did not do as the Father wanted.  Does the Elder brother have a solid case?  No.  The fattened calf was not all that the Father had, but that is the tantrum that the Elder son threw.

So where does that leave me?  Well, I know that "a prudent wife is from the LORD" but just because I am not married yet does not mean that God ran out of good gifts to give.  That might seem like the case when I don't even have any prospects, but it is not.  I choose not to remain jealous; I choose not to remain outside the party.  I choose to go in, celebrate and be glad.  Why? Because I have a Father who loves me.  When I leave town, He looks anxiously for my return; when I do not feel like coming in, He comes to plead with me.  Nothing that I have earned, done, or said, but because of who He is.