We have a brand new star in our family. And the light from this star has just started to shine brightly.

Have you ever looked up at the sky at night? 

If you live in the city you might not think to do it because the city lights wash out the stars in the sky. But if you go to the country, far enough away from the glow of the city lights, the sky lights up with stars in an incredible way. 

One time a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to see the sky through his telescope. I jumped at the chance and one night drove out of town to his place. 

I didn’t know what to expect, but what I discovered was not some little telescope set up on a tripod that you could get for cheap at Costco.

When I saw it, I gasped. It was huge. My friend said it belonged to a group and was the largest telescope in the region. In order to look through the eye piece, you had to climb about an eight-foot ladder.

We looked at many different star clusters and constellations. Near the end of our time, he pointed the telescope at the moon. It was particularly full that night. 

The moon was so close, I could see the craters on its surface. It was so bright that it hurt my eyes; I had to keep looking away.

And the moon is not even a star; it just reflects light. Can you imagine how bright stars would be if they were closer? … Our sun is a star and you can’t look directly at it without hurting your eyes.

Well, the star in our family is not that kind of a star, though she is shining quite brightly for a person. 

Our daughter was just featured in a commercial for GoDaddy websites (you can watch it here).  

It’s not because I’m a proud father that I’m calling her a star. That’s what the GoDaddy people called her in their press release to the major networks in Canada that picked up their campaign. 

Karlie isn’t an actor and she didn’t even pursue this commercial. GoDaddy asked her to submit an entry to a competition they were running. 

People on the set were surprised to find out that she wasn’t an actor, but rather a real business owner. 

They say that everyone gets their fifteen minutes of fame. In Karlie’s case, it’s fifteen seconds of a commercial. 

However, if the campaign goes as long as they say, and with her picture on a billboard in downtown Toronto, maybe it will all add up to her fifteen minutes of stardom.

All I know is, as a proud father, I’m basking in the light of the new shining star in our family. 

Here’s the thing: The Bible talks about us as being shining stars. In Philippians, Paul says we shine like stars by reflecting the glory of Christ in our lives to other people. In that sense we are more like the moon. But the fact that Christ lives in each believer makes us more like stars. So if you belong to Christ, shine. Especially at this time, shine bright as stars to the family, friends and acquaintances around you. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Who could you shine the light of Christ to this week? Leave your comments and questions below.

Subscribe to this blog and receive posts like this one delivered to your email inbox twice weekly.