The Goseck Circle, Sundials and Time

In 2002 Peter Biehl and Francois Bertenes excavated a circular enclosure outside of Goseck, Germany. Now believed to have been there for seven thousand years, it was revealed in a 1991 aerial photograph of a wheat field in that east German location. When Biehl and Bertenes combined GPS data with the archaeological evidence from the site, they discovered that the two southern gates of the henge marked the summer and winter solstice, thus possibly making it the world's oldest solar observatory. 

I'm not sure how accurate the dating may be of the Goseck Circle, but one thing is clear. As long as mankind has lived on earth, he has been fascinated with time. Ancient calendars - using lunar and solar measurements - have been discovered around the world.

Sundials, indicating the time of day by the position of the sun, must be aligned with the axis of the earth's rotation to tell the correct time. There are several types of sundials, but in the horizontal sundial, the style (that part which casts a shadow) must point toward true celestial north.

Our lives revolve around time. Each year is marked by birthdays. Children divide their years into school time and vacation time. Working adults mark their calendars for retirement. Productivity is measured by how much we can squeeze into each hour of the day. Periods of refreshment come when we have a minute to ourselves. On and on it goes. Every minute counts.

As a Christian, I know that God has given us the gift of time and expects us to use it for His glory. Our true north is His purpose and will for our lives. The psalmist declared, Yours is the day, Yours also is the night; You have prepared the light and the sun. You have established all the boundaries of the earth; You have made summer and winter (Psalm 74:16-71).

Stewardship of our time is as important - or even more important - than what we do with the monetary resources He gives us. Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning and purpose of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time, despite all the difficulties of these days (Ephesians 5:15-16 Phillips Translation of the New Testament).

The Life Span of a Tree

I love trees. One of my criteria for a good place to live is that there are trees - in the surroundings and around the house. Trees add such a wonderful dimension to enjoyment for me.

I am often amazed at the difference between standing in the sun and slipping under the shade of a tree on a hot day. The welcome temperature change is immediate. Sitting under a tree while sipping a cool glass of sweet tea - well, what could be better than that?

Another reason I love trees is that they provide a habitat for my favorite animal - birds.Without trees, my feathered friends would not have a place to call home. My enjoyment of sitting under a tree or near them is magnified because of the chatter of the birds to each other and their songs - pure bliss.

Unfortunately, lately, I have been noticing the death of trees - in my yard, my neighborhood and throughout the landscape of the larger area where I reside in Texas.  There have been many causes for these, but I am always sad to see the death of a beautiful tree.

Some trees have a predictable and fairly short life span. For years, when I sit on my back porch, I have enjoyed sitting in front of a beautiful red bud tree. That once healthy productive tree is on a terrible downward spiral. It is dying. I'm really not sure there is anything we could have done to save it. Red bud trees rarely live past forty years. Our home is over one hundred years old, so this tree could have been here for a long time.

Recently one of my neighbors lost a huge oak tree in their front yard. A strong wind blew it down, revealing a trunk that must have been diseased for quite some time as it was completely hollow. That tree might have lasted for many more years had it not been for the decay that had been hidden from view. After thunderstorms in our area, I notice more trees that have toppled, sometimes resulting in damage to property around it.

God made all these trees and He knows the life span of each one of them. There is one tree that He created that will never die. For those who know Christ as Savior, we will all get to enjoy this tree and all it has to offer. I am looking forward to seeing this tree. It will be one of the great gifts of eternity.

Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat and live forever" - therefore, the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden...To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God (Genesis 3:22, 23;  Revelation 2:7).

The Cure for Worry

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength - carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” ― Corrie ten Boom


How right Corrie is. Anyone who knows her life story can respect her advice. If anyone had reason to worry about tomorrow, it was Corrie.


Approximately thirty people were arrested in the ten Boom home by the Gestapo in 1944. Although Corrie's family were sheltering six Jews and resistance workers in their home, their presence remained undiscovered while the ten Boom family and others were taken to a penitentiary. Subsequently, all but three of them were released. Corrie, her father and her older sister Betsie remained in prison. Her father died there only ten days after their arrest. Corrie and Betsie were later transferred to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp in Germany where they encountered unimaginable persecution. 


Betsie, who died in the camp, always encouraged Corrie to see God's hand in their circumstances, no matter how hard those circumstances were. Betsie's calm assurance of God's love and presence in their lives, as well as Corrie's strength and courage, got them through some horrific experiences in the camp.


After the war, Corrie's telling of their story through books and speaking engagements made their experience well known. Her infectious joy as she spoke to large groups - many of them young people - about God's love and forgiveness led many to became Christians.


Corrie was a very courageous woman. She was not willing to relinquish any of the strength God gave her to worry. In every picture I have seen of Corrie, she has a huge smile on her face.


In the Old Testament, Nehemiah took on a seemingly impossible job with incredible opposition. He refused to be anxious about the trials. He stayed true to his task and declared that his strength for doing so came from the joy of the Lord. Just like Nehemiah, Corrie's trust in God and her joy in serving Him gave her the strength she needed for each day.


As someone who has struggled with worry, I have learned a lot from people like Nehemiah, Corrie ten Boom and others. Worry is a true handicap. It can lead to depression. Many times the things you worry about never happen, but your anxious feelings can stifle your productivity. 


Resisting worry is hard, but necessary. The only real cure is to replace worry with the joy of the Lord. When you substitute His strength and His joy for your imaginations, He is able to do what He desires to do through you. 


Corrie says that worry carries tomorrow's load with today's strength. It is interesting to me that when Jesus invites us to come to Him with our burdens, He doesn't offer to take the load off of our shoulders, but instead invites us to take His yoke upon us. It is sharing His yoke that teaches us humility and gives us rest for our souls. It is His joy that makes our joy full. He has overcome anything that we could possibly worry about. The joy of knowing Him is the cure for worry.


"So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34 Amplified). Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1:2-3 NIV).

The Old Made New

I have recently finished a book which I thoroughly enjoyed. Roots of Home: Our Journey to a New Old House by Russell Versaci traces Old World roots of housing in America. The author covers architectural design from our Spanish, French, English and Continental heritages. It was very enlightening to discover how Americans have kept some of the old traditional designs while sometimes incorporating modern conveniences. Many times, owners have attempted to preserve the good features of the home while attempting to improve on them.

Most of the homes featured in this book were very simple designs. The builders were inspired by what they had left behind in the old country, but were practical enough to use what was available locally. If they lived in an area that had lots of rock, they used rock. If trees were abundant, the homes were made of wood. Much of the insulation of the first days of our country was mud mixed with straw.

The houses built in America's beginnings were not only built out of necessity, but some became enduring classics. The author reviews the houses that were first built in this country as well as some new old houses that are being designed by modern traditional architects. He says, "Along the way, we will discover what gives a house good bones. We will uncover footprints of the past that provide blueprints for new old houses that are pleasing to the eye and satisfying to the soul - classic American houses that look and feel like home."

It occurs to me that God deals with us in a similar fashion. He made us the way we are. We have good bones, but sin corrupts our dwelling. When a person trusts in Christ as Savior and Lord, he does not lose his personality or the talents he was born with. He gains much more - something new. The new old house of a believer allows God's Spirit to work in Him and through Him to become what is pleasing to God and satisfying to the believer. Through Jesus, God restores what was good about His creation in the beginning and makes it new - a new old house.

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven...therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:1-2, 17).

Little Children Love Jesus

This year I was the missionary speaker at Vacation Bible School at my home church. What a delight it was to watch the children listen with rapt attention as I talked about serving Jesus around the world.

The first thing I told them was, “Jesus loves you and He has a plan for your life. Do you know that Jesus loves you?” Practically every head nodded yes. I believe they do know that Jesus loves them and in return, they love Him back.

Jesus, of course, understands this about little ones. In His time on earth, His delight was in the children who came readily to Him. The picture that comes to our minds when we think of Jesus and children is one of peaceful abandon. The children ran to Him, sat in His lap, listened to Him speak and soaked it all in. They had nothing better to do than enjoy time with the One who loves them the most. There is no other situation in the life of Jesus where the circumstance is more joyful. Unlike the adults who questioned Him, doubted Him, tested Him, persecuted Him and eventually killed Him, in their sweet innocence, the little children felt His love, accepted it and returned it.

Unless they are mistreated or neglected, children naturally trust those in charge. The adults in their lives make them feel safe and secure. It is later in life that people discover that not everyone is trustworthy. Unfortunately, they are taught not to trust some people by their actions. Jesus, however, is totally trustworthy. He will never disappoint you, nor fail you. His love is everlasting and pure.

If we could only stay like little children in our love for Jesus, we would avoid becoming calloused, doubtful and fearful. Resting in His love, trusting His guidance and staying close to Him, just like the little children, makes all the difference in our perspective on life. What joy being in His presence brings.  Little children love Jesus. So should we.

Then they brought little children to HIm, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will be no means enter it" (Mark 10:13-15).

Stamps in My Passport

My passport fills up pretty fast. In fact, I ran out of room in the last one I had. Obtaining extra pages that would last until my passport expired entailed a trip to the American Embassy in Germany.

The stamps in my passport are reminders of where my husband and I have been to serve as missionaries throughout the globe. I am not aware of any stamp in my passports in the last ten years that had to do with vacation. The passport gives me entry into the country, it is usually stamped by the officials and then we are off to complete the assignment God has given us in that country.

Since we are missionaries, our stay in each country gives us a fairly good view of what is going on. We seldom stay in a hotel. We stay where the people live, so we see all sorts of behavior, hear all kinds of sounds and learn to get around the way the locals do. We eat the same food they eat, ride the public transportation just like they do, spend the local currency. In many of the transactions we make, we must show our passport.

For various reasons, the officials may not stamp my passport upon entry and exit. Even when it is not stamped, though, it is absolutely essential that I have it with me at all times. Sometimes a religious visa is just as important. It must be protected as well.

Security in international travel has become a very high priority. Passports are issued for the protection of the individual as well as the security of the country to which they are traveling. I am sometimes questioned about the other stamps in my passport. The officials want to know why I travel so often.

While traveling, I carry my passport with me at all times. I know that if something were to happen to me, that is the document that would link me to my family and my country. Without it, police or emergency personnel would have a difficult time providing aid for me or getting me home if I were to die abroad.

My passport has my picture, my name and my signature in it; however, I cannot issue a passport for myself. The U.S. Department of State does that. They issue all American passports and without their approval, my passport would not be valid. It would be a fake.

Occasionally, entering another country can be a little nerve-racking. I know of missionary friends who have been denied entry on a technicality even when they have their passports and visas. I am always more comfortable with the countries that allow both my husband and me to enter together. He then shows them both passports and we are good to go.

I treasure my passport and protect it because of what it represents: the ability to do what I need to do and then get back home again. I love our mission work and long to see my international brothers and sisters, but I am always ready to go home.

My deepest longing is not for my earthly home, but my heavenly one. There is a sense in which I feel like a foreigner on earth, for I know that my true home is in Heaven with Jesus. When my work on earth is done, I get to go home. In a way, because Jesus is my Savior, He has already put His stamp on my passport.

I don't have to be concerned about losing any documentation to enter the gates of heaven. I can't lose what I don't need. I cannot enter Heaven on my own. Jesus has already gone ahead of me and secured a place for me there. He is with me now, He has my entry day planned and He will walk me through. I will not go through the gates of heaven alone. Just as my husband can walk me through the entry ports of a country, Jesus, the Bridegroom, will be there for His bride.

"I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, you may be also..." (John 14:2-3). For our citizenship is in heaven, for which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).

Tired from the Journey

It's a little after 6 AM on a Saturday morning. My husband and I just returned from a mission trip arriving at our home a little less than five hours ago - 1 AM. My mind is filled with the people and events from the trip, but I still admit to being a little tired from the journey.

No matter where we go, it seems our journeys are long and hard. There is often a "hurry up and wait" factor involved. We seldom have a direct flight to our destination. Travel often entails a mad run through the airport to make a connecting flight. Sometimes even getting to the airport seems a little uncertain. We are often in a place where we don't speak the language and others have to make arrangements for us.

Traveling often takes up a great deal of time when we go to conduct international conferences. Just as on this trip, there are many journeys within our journey. Every day, we traveled from one city to another, sometimes several hours apart. I wondered aloud to a ministry partner as to why traveling is so tiring. We are often sitting in a car or a horse drawn carriage or in some countries a train. Why is sitting so tiring?

When I reflect on the fact that I get weary from travel, the circumstances in which our friends we left behind live make me realize that I have it very easy. I am able to make advance arrangements and plan for the trip. Often they don't know how they are going to get somewhere until the last minute. They may have to catch a ride. If one is not available, they may have to ride a bus - a very crowded old bus with no air conditioning, no shock absorbers and not enough seats for every passenger.

Life is very hard for my friends. Transportation, as well as everything else, is very difficult. Some of them walk for miles or ride bicycles for many miles in order to get to the conferences we teach. In every case, I know that they must be weary from their journeys, but they never complain. They smile and say that's just the way it is.

Often we need translators. This time we had a young man who traveled with us. One day I asked him if he had rested well the night before and he said he was rested even though he had only slept two hours. He said the Lord was able to make two hours seem like the eight he really needed. He insisted he had more than enough energy to do the work required for the day.

Jesus could certainly identify with the challenges of travel. When He lived among us, with few exceptions, He walked everywhere. He must have felt the stones on the path through His sandals. He must have had to stop many times and shake out the dust and small rocks. He felt the heat of the day as He traveled. He got tired.

Like my friends, although Jesus got weary from travel, He did not complain. He moved on. He had a job to do.

One particular time, Jesus got weary from His journey and sat down at a well to rest while His disciples went into town to find food. His tiredness led to a divine appointment arranged by His Father. While He was resting, He revealed Himself to a woman at that well - possibly the first woman who met Him face to face and heard Him declare that He was the Messiah.

When His disciples returned with food, they found Him refreshed - not by physical food or by water to drink (although His physical thirst started the conversation with the woman). The woman was more important to Him than His exhaustion or His thirst. The encounter that began because Jesus was so tired He needed to stop and rest led to her salvation and many others in her town.

He had to travel through Samaria...Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well...A woman of Samaria came to draw water...Then the woman left her water jar, went into town and told the men, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?


In the meantime, the disciples kept urging Him to eat. But He said, "I have food to eat that you don't know about...My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work" (John 4 HCSB).