Welcome to Call to Decision 

 American Minute with Bill Federer

 December 27

 An attack of smallpox when he was four-years-old left him with
 crippled hands and poor eyesight.

 Overcoming those handicaps, he studied Copernicus' works and at age
 23 became a professor of astronomy.

 His name was Johannes Kepler, born DECEMBER 27, 1571.

 His laws of planetary motion, known as Kepler's Laws, helped Newton
 formulate the theory of gravity.

 In his work, "The Harmonies of the World," book five, Kepler stated:

 "O, Almighty God, I am thinking Thy thoughts after Thee!...

 The book is written, to be read either now or by posterity, I care
 not which.

 It may be well to wait a century for a reader, as God has waited six
 thousand years for an observer."

 In comparing celestial orbits of the planets with polyphonic
 harmonies in music, Kepler wrote:

 "Holy Father, keep us safe in the concord of our love for one
 another, that we may be one just as Thou art with Thy Son, Our Lord,
 and with the Holy Ghost, and just as through the sweetest bonds of
 harmonies Thou hast made all Thy works one,"

 Kepler continued:

 "and that from the bringing of Thy people into concord, the body of
 Thy Church may be built up in the Earth, as Thou didst erect the
 heavens themselves out of harmonies."