By Joanne Gose of Boise, Idaho USA

May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

I recently read a story about stargazing that reminded me of an experience I had when I was about ten years old. In 1957, I lived in Woodland Hills. At that time, this was the outskirts of the Los Angeles area: no freeway, low population density, and good stargazing.

When we heard that the newly launched Russian Sputnik was to fly over our area one evening, my family and some friends gathered on our front lawn, lay on our backs in the grass, and watched with wonder as this manmade object slowly moved across the night sky.

These simple minutes seemed to change all the possibilities about our dreams of sending humans into space. I remember how upset everyone was that the Russians had beaten us in this initial race to put something into orbit around Earth. We began to dream that there might be something real about silly movies like Forbidden Planet, and maybe we could walk on the moon.

I am an advocate of taking time in our busy lives to gaze at the stars, to find God in God’s creation and seek the possibilities in our lives.

As I considered these thoughts, the scriptures about the Israelites in Babylonian exile came to mind. They were a displaced people required to try to keep their faith in an alien and hostile environment. After about five decades in captivity, they were beginning to see signs that they might be restored to their homeland in Judah. As they begin to hope and believe in a future, they are reminded of the everlasting promise of God to God’s people and the ability to restore their strength.

And maybe that is why as I have been rushed and burdened recently, this scripture has reminded me that we have only to trust in the Lord, to rest in God’s promises; we will be given the strength and the imagination to see the possibilities that are waiting for us. We will be renewed and able to “lift up [our] eyes and fix them on the place beyond the horizon to which we are sent” (Doctrine and Covenants 161:1a). We can seek possibilities and find renewed strength in our communities of joy, hope, love, and peace.

Prayer Phrase

“…he has given us a new birth into a living hope” (1 Peter 1:3).

Spiritual Practice

Weaving a Life

Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a piece of patterned cloth. Examine it carefully. Notice overlapping threads mingling colors that form the design. Write a journal entry or meditate about the threads and patterns of your life. What design do you see? How does the life pattern you are weaving create justice and wholeness in God’s world? What new pattern is God calling you to weave in 2025?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.