All Creation Has A Song
Some creatures are so quiet, they appear to make no sound at all.
"There are at least 200,000 species out there singing in ways that are silent to us, and that's way more songs than if you add up all of the birds and the fish and the whales and the frogs out there," says Rex Cocroft, a biologist at the University of Missouri who is fascinated by creatures that only use vibrations to communicate.
Cocroft recently managed to record the sound of a treehopper. The treehopper shakes their abdomen 100 times a second to produce a low sound that vibrates through the stem of the plant they are standing on. While that sound is audible to other treehoppers, it’s outside the frequency that humans can hear. Cocroft had to use a specialized piece of equipment, a vibrometer, which uses a laser to detect minute vibrations on the surface of an object. Using this, he was able to record the sound and allow us to hear treehoppers in conversation.
We ALL have a song to sing unto the Lord. Some of us shout it from the church platform or choir loft, and some sing quietly in "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" in our hearts. But regardless of tenor or volume, all Creation sings the glory of the Creator. And if we somehow choose to be silent, the Lord Himself declares that “[even] the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:4).
"Everything on earth will worship you; they will sing your praises, shouting your name in glorious songs" (Psalms 66:4, NLT).
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!" (Pslams 95:1-2, ESV).
My Contribution
(Said by Stacey King, after Michael Jordan scored a career-high 69 points and Stacey King scored 1 point against the Cavaliers.)
We can go two ways with this quote. There are times we think way too much of ourselves and we claim more credit than we deserve.
But there are other times when we remember whose team we are on. If I ever played basketball, it would make all the difference being on Michael Jordon's team; if football, Tom Brady's team, if baseball, Ty Cobb's team.
Since we have believed, you and I have been on Jesus' team. As such, we must humbly remember to give Him the credit for any good that takes place in our lives.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).
Lenin Looks Great, But ...
Newser reports:
The Soviet Union founder, who died in 1924, would have turned 145 this week, and his mausoleum closed while the preservation team made improvements to his embalmed body.
Their primary goal is maintaining the body's look and feel rather than its original material, Scientific American notes: "They have to substitute occasional parts of skin and flesh with plastics and other materials, so in terms of the original biological matter, the body is less and less of what it used to be," says an expert.
That sets the work apart from processes like mummification, he notes, "where the focus was on preserving the original matter while the form of the body changes." Now, in addition to the skin replacements, Lenin has false eyelashes, and instead of skin fat, researchers have molded a combination of chemicals to keep his skin looking the same.
The body is re-embalmed using a bath of chemicals in alternate years. Lenin has kept scientists busy: During the period between the 1950s and 1980s, as many as 200 experts had jobs maintaining the body, Scientific American notes.
When you look at the picture of how lifelike Lenin looks, it’s astonishing.
But here’s a thought: It takes 200 experts to keep Lenin looking lifelike, yet it is only a matter of time before they lose that battle. On the other hand, God infuses actual life into not one, but every single one of us without any help at all.
Thanks to science, Vladimir Lenin looks great at 145. But thanks to God, you look better!
“I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40).