Equipment: LXD75 mount with a C8 mounted with a ProDob astro-video output to a high resolution B&W monitor.

Conditions: A few minutes of moon in the midst passing and thickening clouds; 65°F; light breeze

Observing note: There are evenings when I catch a glimpse of a crater but clouds quickly intervene so that I am left with an occasional glance through passing clouds. This was one of those nights, so I enjoyed the whole southwest with my eyes and grabbed a little of the crater when I could, but very little. By the end of the session, clouds had blackened the sky so that not even reflected moon light could be seen. I was left with a partial crater sketch and an early scene as I watched the clouds pass over the moon. Of course the moon was still present and brilliant; I just could not see it.

The Lesson: The moon is as brilliant whether clouds intervene or not. Likewise, the hand of God is present yet often unseen. Darkened souls make perfect filters that keep His reality clouded but it does not remove His hand in the affairs of men. In this darkened state, He still provides opportunity to believe He is the light of men, or I remain convinced that the clouded state of things is really the way it is. He dared give me opportunity to choose, and he did it without forcing his brilliance upon me. It was very much like finishing the sketch in the dark, knowing the moon was there, yet unable to see it. I saw enough to finish the sketch. Likewise,I knew enough in darkness to choose that He was real.

John 1:4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.