Lights of the World Week 10: Everlasting Storm

Photo by Fenando Flores at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Catatumbo_Lightning_-_Rayo_del_Catatumbo_(25217861751).jpg

The Fall 2017 Lights of the World Fitness Challenge encourages participants to be physically active an average of at least 20 minutes/day.

Week 10, starting October 29 and ending November 4, features the Everlasting Storm near the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. This impressive sky filled light show occurs an average of 297 nights/year, sometimes lasting 10 hours/day with up to 280 strikes/hour, winning a world Guinness record for the area with the most lightening. The storms are most frequent from April to November, often peaking in September. Here's a slide show of mesmerizing photographs highlighting this storm of storms.

Because of its stunning visibility that occurs in the same area, this everlasting storm is sometimes called the Lighthouse of Maracaibo or "river of fire in the sky." The phenomenon occurs when heat and moisture from the Maracaibo Lake and surrounding swampy plains meet cooler air masses from the horseshoe-shaped Andes Mountains at this location. One group studying this Everlasting Storm used tethered balloons in order to predict storm activity months in advance. In 2010, the storm stopped from January to March, but true to its name, the storm resumed after a drought in the region ceased.

When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightenings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind ouf of his treasures. Jeremiah 10:13

Lights of the World Week 8 Totals

Week 8 of the Woodleaf United Methodist Church Lights of the World fitness challenge ran from October 15 through October 21, 2017. Thirty-two participants turned in totals for week 8.

Here are Week 8 totals:

To learn more about this or other fitness challenges offered through our health ministry program, click on the site map for links to all articles on our Healthy Woodleaf blog.

Lights of the World Week 9: Waitomo Glowworm Caves

Photo by Marcrosenrosen at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nz_glowworm.jpeg

The Fall 2017 Lights of the World Fitness Challenge encourages participants to be physically active an average of at least 20 minutes/day.

Week 9, starting October 22 and ending October 28, features Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand. When touring caves and caverns, one might expect to see formations such as stalactites and stalagmites and animals such as cave ants and crickets. Tourists might be impressed to find longfin eels in one of the underground lakes in this New Zealand cave.

But most visitors of Waitomo Caves are particularly interested in the boat ride on the underground Waitomo River, where glowworms illuminate the cave ceiling above them. You might be surprised to learn that glowworms are not actually worms. They are the larvae of a gnat and these particular glowworms have luminescent tails - the adults look at bit like mosquitoes! These glowworms are luminescent due to a chemical reaction and they become brighter or less bright by controlling the amount of oxygen that reaches their light organ. Their glowing bodies help them attract food and ward off predators.

Click here to see additional pictures of the Waitomo Glowworm Caves.

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Revelation 21:23

Lights of the World Week 7 Totals

Week 7 of the Woodleaf United Methodist Church Lights of the World fitness challenge ran from October 8 through October 14, 2017. Thirty-one participants turned in totals for week 7.

Here are Week 7 totals:

To learn more about this or other fitness challenges offered through our health ministry program, click on the site map for links to all articles on our Healthy Woodleaf blog.

Lights of the World Week 8: Horsetail Fall

Photo by Ambitious Wench at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2007-02-16_-_Horsetail_Fall_(Yosemite).jpg

The Fall 2017 Lights of the World Fitness Challenge encourages participants to be physically active an average of at least 20 minutes/day.

Week 8, starting October 15 and ending October 21, features Horsetail Fall in California's Yosemite National Park. This waterfall flows in winter and early spring. In February at sunset if conditions are just right, the waterfall appears to look like fire cascading down the rocks. This unusual light phenomenon called a firefall is best seen from the el Capitan picnic area in Yosemite National Park.

Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 
Ecclesiastes 2:13

For more information about this waterfall and to see photos of the waterfall when it is "on fire," click here.

Lights of the World Week 6 Totals

Week 6 of the Woodleaf United Methodist Church Lights of the World fitness challenge ran from October 1 through October 7, 2017. Thirty-two participants turned in totals for week 6.

Here are Week 6 totals:

Lights of the World Week 6 Totals

To learn more about this or other fitness challenges offered through our health ministry program, click on the site map for links to all articles on our Healthy Woodleaf blog.

Lights of the World Week 7: Maco Station Light

Photo by Cassiopeia sweet at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OER_3021_Signboard_Headlight.jpg

The Fall 2017 Lights of the World Fitness Challenge encourages participant to be physically active an average of at least 20 minutes/day.

Week 7, starting October 8 and ending October 14, features North Carolina's legendary Maco Station Light seen at Rattlesnake Grade or Farmer's Turnout in northeastern Brunswick County. In 1873, a light resembling a lantern was first reported to appear near the railroad tracks at night. Was this the ghost of Joe Baldwin, who stood frantically waving a lantern to warn an oncoming train while on a detached car rolling down the tracks only to be beheaded in the collision?

Perhaps the light resulted from nearby swamp gases, but why would it be swinging side to side and traveling down the center of the track? Headlights from vehicles on a nearby road might have been a good theory, but some say the lights were reported decades before automobiles would have been on the scene.

Some say Grover Cleveland came through the area on a train and asked why the signalman used two lights instead of one and was told it was to distinguish between the real signal and the ghost of Joe Baldwin. The Maco Station elicited a bit of interest from a variety of sources, including Life Magazine, the Smithsonian Institute, and even a machine gun detachment from Fort Bragg.

We'll probably never know the absolute truth about the Maco Station light mystery. The railroad filled in the swamp under the trestle in 1935. The track and trestle associated with the legend were removed in 1977.

If interested in hearing one account of the Maco Station light, click here to listen to Jackie Torrence, a famous storyteller from Spencer, North Carolina, weave the tale as only a seasoned storyteller could.

And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. "Joshua 10:13

Lights of the World Week 5 Totals

Week 5 of the Woodleaf United Methodist Church Lights of the World fitness challenge ran from September 24 through September 30, 2017. Thirty-four participants turned in totals for week 5. Great job to all those who are making exercise a healthy lifestyle habit!

Here are Week 5 totals:

To learn more about this or other fitness challenges offered through our health ministry program, click on the site map for links to all articles on our Healthy Woodleaf blog.