the milky way

I took a trip home to Missouri last weekend, and it may be cliche to say this, but it was a breath of fresh air. I hadn't been home (or even out of Nashville) for months. Even though I love the hustle and bustle of the city, I grew up in a much quieter place, and I desperately needed the respite of the country. I needed rolling hills, fields full of round hay bales and coreopsis, and cotton candy sunsets. I needed the brilliant night sky, free of light pollution. And I was not disappointed.




 I have never seen a sky so bright in my life. My dad lives out in the country, so there were no other lights around to dim the sky. I also got lucky that night, because there was a new moon. Obviously, you couldn't quite see this many stars just looking at the sky (these are 30-second exposures), but you really could see the Milky Way with your naked eyes. I did some research later, and was able to identify the constellation Sagittarius, as well as locate the Galactic Center (which is the supermassive black hole at the center of our universe).

After I was satisfied with the pictures I had gotten, I took a minute to just stand outside and look at the sky. And in that moment I truly understood why David said "The heavens declare the glory of God, the sky above proclaims his handiwork." (Psalm 19:1). I felt so small, but so loved by our creative and wonderful Father.

xo,
Katy