Complementary Thoughts

The Faith Orchestra

2011-12-14T15:54:00.003-07:00

A friend shared a thought on Facebook:

In the time it takes to read this sentence dozens of children have died from starvation. Does Tebow or anyone else really believe that God picks sides in a football game?

My question back, do you really think Tebow is asking God for a win? And yet the above question merits something deeper…the explanation of an orchestra.

A musical orchestra is made up of many different instruments. Each of those instruments provides a unique sound that in the end make up a musical feast for the ears and heart. The music has a deeper impact than just the sounds that it makes. Melodies and symphonies stir the heart and soul.

It’s no different with people. Each of us is made to be a different instrument. Some of us are gifted with mechanical means, some of us with philosophical mentalities, and others with physical abilities. Yet each of us plays a part within society. And that part makes a difference.

Consider for a moment the impact that an athlete has on that sport. If they are a positive influence, they impact other teammates, coaches and fans. They inspire others to try their best and the team benefits through this positive influence. They pay it forward with their attitude.

Not long ago I heard a teen grumble that a fellow soccer teammate was complaining about other guys on his team. The complainer didn’t like the way others were playing, they were making mistakes, or they just weren’t thinking. As he began to voice this whining behavior out loud, the other teammates were distracted and brought down by such thoughts. Dissension and arguments permeated the team. The negative impact this one person had on his team is quite obvious. Perhaps his “instrument” was off key?

It’s no different with Denver Broncos’ quarterback, Tim Tebow. This young man’s positive attitude and his believe in hope is permeating the rest of his teammates. The team believes they can win. Now their hope has impacted others. In fact, it is having an effect on fans and people around the country.

Whatever your opinion, it is the reality of our society that sports celebrities have an impact and make news.

With that impact, however comes responsibility. I believe that Tebow is striving to take that responsibility seriously. He is taking the time to recognize his abilities don’t come from himself, but from his Maker.

Those that would say he is asking God for a “win” for the team would be naïve. I believe he is simply trying to give gratitude for his abilities to the One who gave him those abilities. He is also striving to show others that he is serving God with the “instrument” that God gave him.

What impact does that have on others? What about those starving children that are dying? Somewhere out there, there is a soul who has been gifted with the intellectual capacity to understand how to solve the starvation that exists in the world. If that person is inspired to hope they can make a difference, then they will strive to do so. If by watching a sports professional strive to make a difference they are inspired to make a difference with their “instrument,” then Tebow has had an effect on the starving children.

However, there are other avenues he is impacting as well. A plethora of Christian foundations currently exist to feed the poor and hungry, many of them here in our country as well as abroad. These groups build structures to house the poor, and water systems to provide clean water for communities. They provide food when possible and work tirelessly to improve living conditions so that children do not have to starve to death.

If those charities are brought to light because a Christian bows down and shows gratitude to His God, then he is affecting starving children. If by making others aware of his beliefs, he in fact brings attention to the Christian charities that help starving children then I postulate he is doing more to feed the starving children than the average person who complains about the poor but does nothing to help.

This realization brings another truth to life. Whether we want to believe it or not, we are examples to others. How we behave is seen by our children, our friends and even that stranger in the checkout line at the store. If we treat others with contempt, we are encouraging others to do the same. If we treat others with love, then we are encouraging that behavior as well. We supply hope AND we are simply paying it forward.

We are all part of a bigger orchestra. Our “instruments” provide melodies, harmonies, and rhythm in the symphony of life. We inspire others with our actions. Tim Tebow’s job right now is to play football to the best of his abilities. If by his actions he brings to light the possibility that there is Hope and that Hope can be attained by others, then he is playing his part in this symphony we call life.

How boring would it be to listen to an orchestra of guitars playing the same notes to the same songs with no harmony or extra melodies to enhance the experience?

Ugh! I choose to believe that without all the different people in our world that provide all the different aspects of life, I would be bored to death. Literally. So I listen to the orchestra of life with love and hope and I try and keep my “instrument” in tune to play along.

Why Go To Church?

2011-11-26T12:57:00.004-07:00

I thank my friend, Lois, for making me stop and think about this question.

In order to answer this question with the blog’s intent of including science with faith, I will delve into the sociological/scientific realm first, then my own inclinations.

Human beings are social creatures just as many animals are social creatures. The idea of a herd or tribe resonates deeply within us—to our DNA. When we come together as a group, we are protected as individuals within that group. The group benefits from the individual and the individual benefits from the group.

That same idea resonates with the idea of attending church.

Many people often say they can meet God in the mountains when they hike, so why do they need to go to a building to pray? There is no doubt that individual prayer and meditation are a part of developing a relationship with God. (The key is that you WANT a relationship with God and that’s a whole ‘nother topic) However, as social beings, we cannot completely fulfill that desire without community.

Take for example that friend you call when you are feeling down. You are looking for validation, for healing, and for connection.

Everyone desires to be healed in spirit.

That is the first level of community. But once we reach that healing--as social beings--we continue to grow. We begin to understand gratitude; gratitude for that friend who helped us, for the environment around us, for things outside of us.

This is where church is beneficial as well. Church offers an opportunity to go beyond ourselves, and offer that gratefulness with the voices of others.

In my past posts, I investigated the concept of conversing with nature, in particular water. Remember the rice experiment? What happened to the rice that was left alone? It deteriorated more than the rice that was told derided things. That same concept applies to human beings as well.

The above example makes the social implications of attending church are even more convincing. Look at the Occupy movement. Would they be as strong if they went individually or do they hold more power when their voices come together as one body with one purpose? (What difference is there in coming together to believe in Christ versus coming together to believe in a political issue?) This is the next level of community.

These arguments are based on the study of social theory. That gives you a peek into the science end of attending church.

But as social beings, there is so much more to us, isn’t there? So here are my reasons for attending church, what I get out of it, and why it is important to me.

1. I desire spiritual healing. I recognize that I cannot do this alone and that I need God.

2. I never tire of hearing how much God loves me through His Word.

3. I desire to show my gratitude for all the blessings I’ve received; from that Starbucks I sip, to my warm shoes, I am grateful for the material items God has given me. (Yes, I may have earned them by monetary resources, but without my brain to provide the opportunity to have the job to earn them, I’d be without!)

4. I love to join my voice with others in proclaiming that gratitude. (For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matt 18:20 KJV)

5. I desire to be a part of something that is completely outside of me. Who doesn’t tire of always thinking of themselves? There is something innately inside of us that wants to do something for someone else and be a part of something bigger than them as individuals.

6. I desire to be in relationship with God and know that I am NOT at church to be entertained. If I need to be entertained than I should go to a movie!

7. I enjoy the personal challenging ideas that come from attending church.

8. I desire to give myself over to God and trust that He knows what’s better for me than I know myself.

9. I desire to give back to God out of the love I have received from Him. This requires sacrifice.

Sacrifice is defined as a surrender of something of value as a means of gaining something more desirable. This is how I define sacrifice with respect to attending church:

Many of my friends are so excited this time of year awaiting the arrival of their children home for the holidays. They long for their presence. It is no different with our God. He is our Father, He created us, and He desires to be with us. It is a sacrifice to pick myself up physically and go to church. It requires effort. But I do it just as I go home for Christmas—out of respect. Just as mother rejoices with the return of her children, so does the Lord rejoice when I return home to Him.

There is no doubt that we are taught that “God is everywhere,” but how often do we REALLY meet Him in that everywhere? Instead we are distracted by our everyday lives, the duties within those lives and the constant interruptions of media, computers, music and television. Church offers an opportunity to purposely remove ourselves from those distractions and give our attention to the Father that desires us. Again, it requires sacrifice.

The following quote has been attributed to everyone from Mark Twain to Woody Allen, that doesn't detract from its meaning.

“Half of life is just showing up.”

Why not apply that to church as well?

Image In Equals Image Out

2011-10-05T20:43:00.006-06:00

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

Are you ever happy with what you observe?

What do you suppose people did before mirrors? Movies, stories, mythology and fables all use the reflective qualities of water to allow their characters to peer into themselves. To dig deep. Water is once again symbolic.

For scientists, the reflectivity of any material is dependent on that matter’s characteristics. Accordingly, the more reflective the material is the clearer the image. It follows that water is a very reflective substance. With such substances, scientists say, “The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.”

In other words, when the image (light waves reflected off the image) hits water, it bounces back at the same angle.

The image in equals the image out.

I can’t help but wonder if this is another way humans are considered reflections of God. The angle of incident—that is, the angle at which we take on the loving attributes of God—equals the angle of reflection—that is, the angle at which we give those moments to others. Is it possible when the angle of incident is equal to the angle of reflection we are most like Him?

As humans we are invited to be God’s reflection. With the right Light, we can reflect the same angle and create an image that mirrors His.

What happens when water is disturbed by the elements? When there are ripples in the water, the reflected image on the water becomes distorted.

It’s no different with humans. The ripples of life create distortions which produce a disfigured image of God.

Most of those times the ripples start as errant drops of rain occasionally plummeting into the water . But something insidious happens when we put ourselves first. It starts out small, of course. Perhaps we decide to skip the “thank you,” or we pass a stranger without making eye contact. Then it breeds our diluted selves believing we deserve something we’re not getting, or we deem we are better than others. It’s then that the rain begins to pour down on the still pools of the water we call ourselves.

What does rain do to the reflection of something on the surface of water? It completely destroys it. Sometimes that’s what we need. Sometimes we get so into ourselves that we forget there is an outside world and that we belong in it.

Recently it rained on my lake. I didn’t even know it at first.

I didn’t stop going to church or praying, but I stopped giving myself fully to God. Instead, I filled my time with self-indulgent moments of validation, oblivious that I was pursuing my own will instead of the Father’s. Gently the wind of the Holy Spirit set out tiny ripples on what I thought was my perfect reflection, trying to show me that I was getting away from my ability to reflect God’s love. I ignored these insignificant wrinkles convincing myself we are all human. So the Father sent a stronger wind giving way to larger waves disrupting my image even more. I ignored these winds too.

It wasn’t until my actions turned into a downpour on my lake that I perceived my reflection for what it was. Total chaos.

When I sin, when I purposely walk away from God and not to Him, there is no other way to get me back, no way to reach me. God must send the rain.

When we choose to act out of love, those ripples are stilled, but when we choose to act out of hate, those ripples become waves which warp our ability to be reflections of God.

The symbolism that the Creator gives us in water is rich and full of meaning. It's where science meets faith. It's where the tangible meets the unexplainable. And it's where we get to decide which has more meaning.

Havruta

2011-09-04T22:01:00.003-06:00

I said goodbye to a friend today. My Havruta.

Dr. Elefant was an amazing man who lived an amazing life and loved people with an amazing love. He had a thirst for learning that no one could equal. He attacked life with compassion, with a vigor and veracity rarely seen in this world. And he inspired me.

Several years ago, I began to delve into the world of Hebrew. I discovered how rich the Hebrew language was and wanted to know more. In my search, I was introduced to Dr. William Elefant. At that time he was just turning 80, but he was willing to spend time with me talking about the Hebrew language, its history and his own Jewish history.

The more questions I asked, the more I found myself embracing my own Jewish roots within my Christian faith.

When I started discussing my ideas with Dr. Elefant on the topic of DNA and how it related to Hebrew, he was not afraid to dive right in with me. He was not put off by my far reaching ideas, in fact, he embraced them with me. There are very few people in this world that we connect so closely to that we are willing to share some of the crazy “what if’s” with, but Dr. Elefant never made me feel as though I was on another planet or out of my league. He encouraged me to search for truth, something he spent his entire life doing.

He taught Hebrew in Israel as well as here in Denver. His unique technique he named, the I-We method, allowed him to teach his students with speed and clarity. He was ever searching for ways to connect the numbers 1-9 with the Old Testament verses. He instinctively knew that the Bible went much deeper than just the words on the page. He felt there were layers upon layers of meaning and that there were secrets that we had not even found yet. Each letter and how it was formed had meaning and he taught me respect for the Jewish letters and numbers. He was a philosopher and a mathematician. And he knew how to laugh.

Still to this day, the blog I wrote on the Hebrew interpretation of zeal has continued to be my most read post.

He patiently listened to my ideas of dimensions and how they fit into the ideas of the Jewish tree of life and the physics theory of everything. Sometimes I feel a twinge of jealousy to think he now knows the truth and perhaps the silliness of my ideas. He’s in heaven and I know it. He followed every Jewish law and followed it to the iota. I know that God has rewarded him with the knowledge and love that he sought as he was the good and faithful servant.

I’ve had so many mixed feelings today. Sadness at the loss of Dr. Elefant, and then joy at knowing that all his questions, all his searching ended yesterday as he took his last breath here and took his first look at eternity.

I am forever grateful for Dr. Elefant’s example to me on how to live life to the fullest. Zeal, compassion, veracity, love, patience and perseverance were his traits and he knew exactly how to use them.

Sometimes we feel we don’t touch others lives or that our lives are meaningless. Dr. Elefant would disagree. No matter how small we feel, God loves us.

He would say the Elohim made each of us with a tender kiss and waits patiently for us to return to Him. Today heaven rejoices that a man of wisdom, integrity and a never ending thirst for truth joins those holy souls. And I am sure he’s already bent the Father’s ear nonstop.

When I was looking up the word havruta to make sure I spelled it correctly, I found an interesting interpretation that Dr. Elefant had not shared with me before:

Chavruta or chavrusa (, from Aramaic for fellowship) is a traditional Rabbinic approach to learning in which pairs study a shared text in discussion and debate. It is a primary learning method used yeshivot, where participants will often acquire regular study partners of similar ability. The traditional phrase is to learn "in chavrusa", that is, in partnership: the word has come by metonymy to refer to the study partner as an individual, though it would more logically describe the pair.

He was like a Rabbi to me, but to consider me “of similar ability” is inconceivable. But I’m sure he’s shaking his head laughing at me that I finally took the time to find the true meaning of havruta. I bet he’s saying, “Loretta, Loretta, you should have studied harder!”

You will be missed. My Havruta, my friend.

You Are What You Eat

2011-08-01T10:09:00.003-06:00

I’m always amazed at the richness of words. The right choice of words implies new meaning and can stop us in our tracks because they touch our hearts so deeply. This weekend I heard several phrases from a priest named Godfrey Kalule (from Kampala, Uganda) that did just that and I wanted to share them with you. They were based on an interpretation of Matt 14:13-20 – the feeding of the five thousand.

1. God loves us for who we are.

Jesus welcomed the crowds that came to see him. He did not send anyone away. He knew their hearts, he could read each one. He loved them, he knew they were “hungry.”

How many of us actually believe that God loves us for who we are? Or do we think that God will love us for what we become? Do we constantly strive to be better people because we think God will love us more? Do we fail to let God in because we question whether He could love us when we’re such a mess?

The truth is that God loves us in spite of our mess and even because of our mess. He knows us and wants so much for us. It is us to accept ourselves and move towards Him. Move towards grace.

The bigger truth is God meets us where we are. He doesn’t wait for us to come to Him. He sits where we sit and simply waits for us to say, “I’m here.” The next time we feel lost, maybe the best answer is to simply stop and say, “I’m here, I’m listening.”

2. God will not send us away empty. (if we come to Him)

Jesus knew the five thousand were hungry and he refused to send them away empty.

He told the people to sit down and he fed them. Matt 20 says, “they all ate and were satisfied…”

Matthew doesn’t say the people ate until they had enough or until the food was gone, he says, “satisfied.” Their hunger subsided. They were satiated. Jesus did not send them away empty.

Matt 20 also says that the fragments filled twelve wicker baskets. This implies that Jesus has more than enough for you and me and everyone who comes to him.

Do we think our problems are so big that God cannot handle them or that He is too busy with others? We need to remember that everyone that came to see Jesus that day was filled. Not only did Jesus feed their physical being, he fed their spiritual side.

God has enough for all of us and then some. All we have to do is ask.

3. You are what you eat.

We’ve heard this statement many times, but do we understand it?

We all have a physical being and a spiritual being. Our physical being is always impacted by what we eat. If we eat vitamin rich food, our bodies flourish. If we eat constant junk food, then our bodies reflect that food as well.

Junk in, junk out.

So it is with our spiritual being as well. If we feed our spiritual beings with junk food, then we will produce junk. If we feed our souls with God’s Word, then we will process it effectively and flourish.

If we eat too much, our bodies get bigger than necessary which has implications on our physical well being. We develop aches and pains, our knees, hips, backs and ankles hurt. Are we eating because we are hungry or because we are trying to fill a need of a different kind? That leads me to my final question.

4. Where do you go to eat?

If we are in a hurry, we hit a fast food joint and gobble down food that we know we are going to regret later. But if we take our time, prepare a meal that reflects the nutrients our body needs, then not only does it taste better, but it provides energy for our bodies.

But where do we go when we need spiritual food? Do we look to God’s word or go to His church?

Junk in, junk out.

Do we go to places that we know we shouldn’t be? Do we engage in behaviors that we think will fill us up, but only leave us feeling empty?

Many times, we go to the fast food of life. We call or visit a friend that we can complain to and listen to their advice. We want the short cut, we don’t have time.

But when we go to church, we are taking the time to meet God where He is. How much more will we receive if we take them time to feed our spiritual lives correctly? When we receive Communion we follow what Jesus asked us to do, “Do this in memory of me.” Jesus promised us living water and he would never promise something he did not intend to deliver.

Reading Scripture has the similar effect of preparing a real meal. We can always read something that reminds us of God’s presence and assures of us of His love. We often find direction in the simple words or actions of Jesus’ life as well as those who followed him. The Old Testament provides a trusty verification that there is more and that our job is to not only trust in God, but meet him in covenant. Many of the psalms reflect on just that.

The simple truth is that God loves us beyond our understanding. He sent His only son, Jesus to share with us the true meaning of life and begin a new covenant. His death was the ultimate sacrifice that opened the gates of Heaven and allows us to obtain something we couldn’t on our own, eternal life.

The only question is: Are you ready to be fed?

Compliments of God

2011-07-22T00:33:00.006-06:00

The Oakes family took a needed vacation this last week. We visited four national parks, took many great pictures and made some good memories.

Along the way I found I was taking more and more pictures of nature than I have in the past.

A couple months ago, I attended a birthday party where we created our own masterpieces using acrylics on canvas. I loved to paint when I was young, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get my visual creative juices flowing again. I enjoyed mixing the colors and putting together different shapes and shades. But it felt a bit contrived and I was disappointed with my “creation.”

But when I was taking pictures of the wonders of Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon, Zion and the Grand Canyon, I found myself looking at textures and colors. I found myself asking what it took to create those textures and colors.

The bright oranges of all the national parks we visited are unusual but there was more. I wanted to share with you some of those other textures and why they mean so much.

These twisted trees didn’t happen overnight. They grew from small saplings and encountered years of wind, rain and drought to twist into such shapes. While it might take me a few hours to paint such a tree, it took nature years to produce this masterpiece.

But there’s more. Look at the colors and lines in these pictures of rocks. Some might say that reading the science behind them tends to dull the senses and destroy the delight that they produce just by looking at them. But science reveals something more subtle, something more genuine. Science reveals that it took centuries upon centuries to create these parks.

First the stone had to be built which in the case of the Grand Canyon, consists of many layers of sandstone, limestone and shale. The continental drift due to the shifting of the moving plates of the earth coupled with active volcanoes took care of that. Then water from the Colorado River dug deep into the rock, wearing it down slowly. After the water receded, the other weather elements like ice, and wind worked their magic by chipping away at the stone.

The results are breathtaking, which is why so many people go to explore these parks. I found myself wondering if all the visitors to the parks understood what they were viewing, what they were experiencing. “The awesomeness of nature,” was one response I heard.

But I suspect, maybe unknowingly, the connection goes much deeper. I believe there is a distinct quality that allows human beings to appreciate of be in awe of nature. I think innately we allow ourselves to connect with the Artist. We say we are “connecting with nature,”, but what we are really doing is connecting with God.

There is an undeniable eternal connection we feel when we see such natural beauty. It is distinct and takes our breath away. It is our connection to the eternal, and that is not something we are able to shy away from. It’s something we are drawn to without explanation.

I hope you enjoy these textures that God has provided for us. Visit your local nature and connect with the Artist.

When Enough Time Has Passed...

2011-07-11T22:44:00.006-06:00

I just came back from a once in a lifetime trip to Alaska – a great adventure and a great escape. I witnessed such incredible beauty and unimaginable wilderness and I breathed it in deep. I was also reminded of what wilderness really is.

We get so stuck in our daily grind that we can barely see out our windows. Work demands our attention, our family deserves our consideration. We get caught up in the whirlwind of life and we don’t hear God calling us.

This trip allowed me to do several things, but the most important was I remembered that God meets us where we are. The magnificence of creation is a powerful and engaging reminder that there is something beyond us. I am grateful for that gift.

At the church I visited on my trip, the pastor spoke of the parable of the seeds falling on good soil.(Mt 13:1-23 or 13:1-9) He talked about the soil being rich. If you garden, you know the importance of good soil. Once tilled, the nutrients added provide a fertile home for the seeds planted.

The pastor caught my attention as he said, “When the soil is ready…when enough time has passed…”

Those words caught me by surprise. So many times as Christians we are called to evangelize to others, but rarely do we consider what words we use or the timing of those words. Yet, in most cases, we push forward, sometimes not considering how we may be affecting the hearts of those we are trying to educate.

Yet if we read Jesus’ words, he tells us when we should speak. “Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it…”

Our job is not always simple and yet it is critical. We need to determine if we are sowing God’s word onto a path, rocky ground, or thorns. We need to be patient and wait until the soil is ready. As with anything important, the more we push, the less response we invite.

In other words our job is two-fold. We are to sing from the rooftops of the infinite and all forgiving love of God, but we are also to pray for wisdom. We are asked to discern when the soil is ready so we may be successful with our planting. If we plant before the soil is tilled, the seeds may not take. The environment is not ready. Rich soil comes about in time.

Don’t be fooled! Sometimes the soil is ready when it is flooded with pain, or drought stricken with the loss of love. Those times of the heart may seem inappropriate to plant in, but it is most often when we are at our lowest that God has so richly prepared our soil.

Wilderness provides an opportunity to meet head on with creation. We enter with reckless abandon and look for adventure. When we find ourselves in the wilderness our defenses no longer hold and we are able to take in what we were so determined not to hear.

It is in those moments that we often find peace as well. Our hearts open, a soul settling calm washes over us. This is where human meets Divine.

So gently and quietly plant the seed and step back. It is often in the moment that we least expect we are doing any good that the seed takes root. Our job is to plant, let the farmer water and nourish. Let God wash over the soul and do the work. Drop the seed, gently pat the soil down and step back.

In quiet surrender remember that He meets us where we are.

It's About Love

2011-05-25T11:24:00.002-06:00

I have read that there are tragedies surrounding Harold Camping’s Rapture prediction, people that killed themselves or tried to before May 21st. That makes me very sad.

Before May 21st, I saw frustrated Christians trying (sometimes with humor) to belittle Harold Camping. That makes me sad too.

Those of you who know me, know that I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit Evangelical Harold Camping’s website and see where he got all of his “material.” I am always curious to see what makes people believe in predictions of the end of the world and why so many people take them seriously.

I did find that Mr. Camping was bold enough to formulate a comeback to Jesus’ direct words, “of that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matt. 24:36). But I find his logic skills somewhat lacking since he uses Noah, Nineveh, and Sodom as examples. In MY Bible, Noah was told by God to build the ark, Jonah was told by God to preach repentance, and Abraham bartered with God to save Sodom. These were direct revelations from God. Is Camping claiming direct revelation? His website doesn’t say, however, since Jesus is the Son of God and enjoyed direct revelations from his Father (“This is my son with whom I am well pleased” at both his baptism and Transfiguration), and Jesus said neither he nor the angels knew, then why should I believe a human being? For goodness sake! Jesus even told us not to believe those that would foretell the end.

Is Mr. Camping claiming he is higher than the angels or Jesus? Whether he enjoyed this as direct revelation or he is so desperate for attention that he believes he’s beyond such encounters, it is quite a bold statement of ego. I would tend to believe the man might have a bit of an ego problem, especially since he was asked if he should apologize and couldn't even get that right.

In my Bible Study, the moderator talked about the Beatitudes in a very unique way. He said that the first Beatitude required us to learn humility and that every other Beatitude was built on this first one. In other words, the Beatitudes could not be accomplished completely without addressing humility. This brings me back to ego. I question Mr. Camping’s humility factor considering he claims to be know more than the Son of God.

On a different note, I know that Mr. Camping is a father of seven. As a parent there is a fine art of a loving discipline that is only accomplished through much discernment. We are reminded of this with both Jonah’s story in Nineveh, and Abraham’s bartering with God to save Sodom. God told Jonah to tell the people of Nineveh to repent and they did, so God spared them. Abraham kept entreating the great I AM to save Sodom if a certain number of good people to be found. Does Camping consider God his Father or does he understand the love that a father has toward his children? I believe the man is disconnected from Christianity in this way.

There is a theme and I believe that is why we will NEVER know God’s plan (precisely because it is God’s plan). God’s infinite love and mercy is unfathomable. He will continue to forgive us and give us more time as long as there are people on this earth forwarding his mission of love and salvation and those who continue to pray with fervor.

Mr. Camping’s notion that the Holy Spirit abandoned the church during the years of 1988 to 1994 is simply another slap across the face of God and in fact calls Jesus a liar. Jesus clearly said he would be with us always and that the Father would send the Holy Spirit (John 14:15). ALWAYS means ALWAYS. Jesus never minced words. He was direct.

I can’t imagine the pain the Holy Spirit must feel to think that one of God’s children would say He abandoned us.

It is my opinion that the Lord is a loving parent who is desperately trying to ask us to come back to Him and He will give us as many chances as possible. It is also my opinion that any person who uses numbers to determine the end of the world, or the Rapture or anything else is limiting a limitless Father. I realize that Camping is a former engineer and therefore thinks of his God from his own experience, but numbers are finite and I don't believe God uses the finite to determine His love for us. If He did, He would not have sent His Son.

Our job as true Christians is not to listen to human predictions nor condemn Mr. Camping. Instead we must gently remind him and his followers that TRUE relationship with Jesus is pure love and in that love we can trust that God will take care of us.

God said He would. Both Father and Son repeatedly offered the following, "Do not be afraid." Why? Because above all else, God is love.

There is no need to panic or foretell anything. It simply doesn’t matter. It's about Love.

The Dash In Between

2011-05-04T09:54:00.002-06:00

I recently attended a funeral for man of 55 years old. He was taking a shower one morning and just dropped right there. Heart stopped. It was his time. The eulogist talked about the man’s life and how each of us will end up with a dash between the years we visited the earth.

It occurred to me that it doesn’t matter how long we live, that dash is the same size, same length, and same font of boldness. Whether we live on the earth for 5 years or 105 years, the dash is the same.

What the dash doesn’t describe is the life that is lived in between. We all have the same ability to make a difference, but it is in the daily choices we make that determine the life in between.

Mother Teresa lived to be 87, while Adolf Hitler lived to be 56. Each had an impact on the world. One worked for peace while the other worked to destroy. One lived for God, the other for power. Both had an impact on many nations and many lives. Can you tell that from the dash? What do you think God sees in that dash?

I had a brother that lived three days. There is still a dash that delineates the time he spent here before he moved on to heaven. He made an impact on hearts as well, a quiet silent impact, but one just the same.

There are times that many of us believe that our lives are so insignificant that we do not make a difference on this earth. We believe the ugly lie that says unless we become a Mother Teresa or an Adolf Hitler, we have no impact on history or anyone else. That is the ultimate lie that the Deceiver wants you to believe. That makes his job easier. He can chip away at our self worth so much easier if we think we are insignificant.

He wants us to believe that no amount of selflessness will make a difference and that our existence is irrelevant.

But if we choose Truth, then we choose victory. It may be the silent victory of a suburban mother who chooses to nurture her children and grow them into loving, caring, believers of God who will save their souls. It may be the public victory of writing a best seller that touches the lives of unknown souls that leads them to God. For many of us, it will be somewhere in between. But I challenge you to consider that the quiet, subtle role of Elizabeth raising John the Baptist was just as important as the role of Mahatma Gandhi.

God creates each of us with purpose. God creates each of us with free will. God creates each of us with love. We are not insignificant to Him. Every soul matters.

And it is everything in between that tiny dash that makes us who we are. All the love we give freely or all the hate we spin daily affects those around us. But it is our choice.

In the end, all the world will see is the dash between the short years we are here on the earth. But in the end, God does not see that speck of dash; He sees a soul so precious to Him that He gave his only Son. So how will you spend your dash?

Give Me a Drink

2011-04-10T21:42:00.003-06:00

If you’ve followed me for very long, you know my fascination with water. The story of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus (John 4:5-42) came up a couple weeks ago and I, of course, remained focused on the words, “living water.”

I spent time reading different commentaries on this Gospel moment. I found a source that included something Pope Benedict the XVI said in 2008:

…recalling the great teaching of Saint Augustine, with regard to Christ's request to the woman, “give me something to drink”, [St. Augustine] said: “Yes, God thirsts for our faith and our love. As a good and merciful father, he wants our total, possible good, and this good is he himself.”

It seems odd that God would want our love, doesn’t it? He doesn’t need it, but He desires that each and every one of us—individually—be with Him forever. How often do we stop to think about that incredible gift and that our fate is completely in our hands?

I went on to read the symbolism of the Samaritan woman:

“The Samaritan woman, on the other hand, represents the existential dissatisfaction of one who does not find what he seeks. She had "five husbands" and now she lives with another man; her going to and from the well to draw water expresses a repetitive and resigned life. However, everything changes for her that day, thanks to the conversation with the Lord Jesus……” (Benedict XVI, Angelus 24 February 2008).

Sometimes we get frustrated making the same mistakes over and over. How often do we feel like the Samaritan woman?

The gospel writer John states that the woman goes at noon, during the hottest part of the day. Most times during this era, water was drawn in the cool of the morning but this Samaritan does not. I have heard it explained that because she felt different or ostracized (due to her living conditions) she avoided going with the rest of the women to draw water. How often do we go out of our way to avoid doing something uncomfortable thinking it will save us from feeling excluded?

But here, the symbolism is clear. Though we may try to elude that uneasy situation, God meets us there. It is up to us to recognize and accept His presence and engage Him in conversation.

I found a site where the author presents the importance of living water in a unique way:

“On our path of conversion, what a great grace it is to find the Lord Jesus waiting patiently for us beside our senseless wells. When, like the Samaritan woman, we are tired of the things of this world, of almost empty wells, then the Divine Master is especially close to us. He asks us to give him something to drink, he asks us to trust Him to satiate our heart and if we trust in Him we discover the joy of finding the true well, the source of crystal clear water.”

The Creator of all asks us to trust Him to satiate our heart. Does it really take that much effort to trust Him? Maybe we need to ask ourselves why and what is keeping us from taking that plunge.

The following is an excerpt from a poem entitled "I Thirst" by Mother Teresa of Calcutta:

"Whenever you do open the door of your heart, whenever you come close enough, you will hear Me say to you again and again, not in mere human words but in spirit: “No matter what you have done, I love you for your own sake. Come to Me with your misery and your sins, with your troubles and needs, and with all your longing to be loved. I stand at the door of your heart and knock ... Open to-Me, for I THIRST FOR YOU…”

Does it get any better than that?

Soul Vacation

2011-02-17T11:08:00.005-07:00

I recently fell in love with a song that I’d heard before. This time I listened to with completely different ears and heart.

Drops of Jupiter by Train talks about someone who has been on a soul vacation and found herself. The imagery is what got me this time, not the philosophy.

“Did the wind sweep you off your feet?”

Ahhh. Doesn’t that sound fun? That little tummy flip and giggle that goes along with being swept off your feet by a rollercoaster or a plane ride, so cool. So what if this wind swept you off into the universe? Would you do it?

“Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day…”

Hmmm. Doesn’t that sound fun? Imagine for a moment if you were able to ride a wave that chases the sunrise around the world. No worries about time, just enjoying the never ending colors that accompany the ever changing cloud formations.

“Did you fall for a shooting star…”

Can you imagine the sun’s rays bouncing off the millions of tiny frozen crystals from Haley’s comet and you getting to touch them as they float by? Talk about the colors of the rainbow!

“Did you sail across the sun?”

Oh baby! Imagine the most beautiful ship with billowing white sails trailing past the sun and you totally immune to the heat and radiation. Just a visitor on your way to see the Milky Way. No need for provisions, sleep, or any other human necessity. Nothing to keep you from investigating the universe and beyond!

And I won’t stop there. I want to,

“trace my way through the constellation…”

and investigate all though glorious mysteries the universe is waiting to unveil to me.

Though I love this song, there's one part that gets me every time. The lyrics, "that heaven is overrated," just don't jive with me. Yeah, I know they're talking about something completely different, but still...

I've just given you my bucket list…my Heaven’s bucket list. So don’t tell me Heaven is overrated, I don’t believe it.

I won’t be encumbered by this 3D body, no packing coats, long underwear or bringing my handy dandy bottle of water. Just take myself. That’s my kind of soul vacation.

Come with me, nothing better than vacation with friends.

My Two Dollar Set of Pearls

2011-01-26T13:36:00.005-07:00

Have you ever grasped something so dear to you that you did not want to give it up? Maybe it wasn't material, maybe it was someone or some feeling, some hope, some joy. I recently heard about a little girl who was in this predicament.

Jenny recently purchased her greatest treasure, a set of pearls for only two dollars. She saved and saved until the treasure could be hers. Once in her hands, she never let go of them. She wore them around her neck constantly—except for when she bathed. Her mother told her they would make her skin turn green if they got wet, so she gave them up only then.

Jenny’s father had a tradition of reading to Jenny before bedtime and telling her he loved her. On one occasion Jenny’s father asked, “Do you love me?”

Jenny’s sincere reply, “Of course I do, Daddy.”

“Can I have your pearls?”

Jenny’s face showed her distress as she offered another solution. “Oh no, Daddy. These are my most favorite thing. But you can have my second favorite thing, my stuffed animal.”

Her dad lovingly declined and assured her of his love.

A few weeks later, Jenny’s dad asked the same question, to which Jenny’s reply was, “Oh, Daddy, these are my most favorite possession. But you can have my favorite doll I got for Christmas.”

Again her father declined and assured her of his love.

A few days later, Jenny approached her dad. Sad, but sure, she handed her dad her favorite possession, her pearls. With a big smile, Jenny’s dad pulled out a blue velvet box and handed it to her. Inside was something that Jenny couldn’t believe. It was a set of genuine pearls to replace her fake two dollar string. Then her father explained, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you. I’ve been waiting for you.”

This story touched me in a way I didn’t know I needed. My most favorite possession isn’t a set of pearls. But it is something I couldn’t explain until I heard this story. My most valued possession is inside me. It includes my hopes, my dreams, and my emotional needs as a woman, mother and wife. And deep down inside I’ve had to come to the realization that it also includes my pride.

In my reckless unwillingness to give these things to God, to my Daddy, I have neglected to consider what exactly I might acquire if I do in fact offer Him what I value most. That realization has been more eye-opening than anything else I’ve ever encountered. And I pray that you will not be as stingy as I have been.

Here is Jenny’s story, perhaps told much better than I ever could.

The Wood Yielded to Him

2010-12-22T18:21:00.003-07:00

Trees have played an important role in our history, but have we considered the impact that the tree has made throughout Christianity?

A tree was the instrument of the first sin, man’s fall, original sin.

Genesis 3:3: It is only the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, “You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.”

The Old Testament refers to trees at other times as well, including the fig tree symbolizing prosperity and health, olive trees were also thought to be a sign of richness. The mention of trees spills over to the New Testament as well.

Luke 2:7: “She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

The first place Jesus was placed was in a manger, a wooden structure.

Matt 13:54-54: He came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue. They were astonished and said, “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son?”

Jesus spent his growing up years learning the trade of carpentry. He would learn to carve, yield, and bend wood to his will. He learned how the different types of wood and their attributes such as knots, moisture, and growth tendencies. The wood yielded to Jesus, he mastered it.

He mastered it.

Acts 5:30: The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a tree.

I’ve always wondered why crucifixion was the form of death that Jesus had to endure. Was it because it was the most humiliating form of death at that time or was there something else?

I don’t think anything is left to chance when God is involved. It was the tree that was the first instrument of sin, the death of mankind in original sin. It was a tree that became the final instrument of death and the first symbol of life since we are all redeemed through the cross.

But I don’t think it ends there. Since nature was involved with our first sin, God made sure the tree became the symbol of redemption as well. God renewed everything, including nature. He is the Master of all.

One of the things I contemplate on the most when thinking about the cross, is the position of Jesus’ arms. They were stretched out as wide as they could go. It reminds me of when a child stretches his arms out and says, “I love you this much.” I believe that’s exactly what Jesus was saying when he accepted the cross.

What I love even more is when I see a manger scene with baby Jesus holding his arms out. The infant welcomes us in the same manner. His birth as a human showed his willingness to redeem us and his forthcoming love as our Teacher, Counselor and Redeemer. He loved us that much.

When It Cuts to the Core

2010-11-23T13:44:00.007-07:00

Ever had one of those revelations that unexpectedly cuts to the core of who you are? You just want to crawl into the fetal position and leave the world behind. Sometimes you crawl in so deep that you don’t even trust God with your brokenness, your misery.

As I drive around town I notice the winter nakedness of the trees. Once lush with flowing green leaves, the branches are bare. All the growth that offered shade, is now revealed for what it is…twisted snarled branches exposed for all to see.

How do branches get that way? Cold snaps of weather, wind and lack of water can all damage a tree.

It’s no different with life. The cold snaps when we feel alone bend us in ways which we don’t understand. The bitter winds rush through us as harsh words seethe through us, freezing the core of our being to the bone. But the lack of water, the lack of nourishment is what damages most. Trees need water, we need love.

A few weeks back I shared my thoughts on the seasons of our lives and compared them to the seasons of nature, Weather of the Heart and Life Imitates Art.

Seeing the bare branches reminded me of the winter of our lives. What we think is so cleverly hidden beneath the lush leaves of our summer lives, at some point is revealed and lies naked for all to see. No matter how much we pack away the hurts of our hearts, eventually the truth comes out.

In order to avoid ending up a dry withered stump, we must face our knotted, distorted wounds and work through them. Sometimes it’s best to prune the dead branches of our past out.

Gardeners shape their trees for best growth and aesthetic viewing. The dead branches sit all winter while the tree sleeps. In the spring, the careful gardener cuts back a 1/3 of the new growth.

It’s no different with us. At times we must sit and stare at ourselves to determine the dead parts and how we can trim ourselves for the best growth possible. We must sit in our misery and be patient while God works on us. Then in the spring, we prune back the dead branches and cut back a third of whatever growth we’ve done over the winter recognizing that not everything we take in is useful.

Pruning is necessary and John 15:2 describes it aptly: “He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.”

So while the revelations we realize during the winters of our lives might be difficult and painful, they are necessary for our growth. I rest peaceful—even if I am twisted and knotted—in the knowledge that this life prepares me for the next.

The pictures of the trees in this post are pictures of some of the same trees from my post Life Imitates Art without their leaves. Life is interesting, isn’t it?

Love With a Twist

2010-11-05T17:47:00.003-06:00

I spent a couple days this week talking to preschoolers about the love of Jesus. And of course I read my books to them. It was a great experience and I it reminded me of a post I did a long time ago, but with a twist.

Thought I’d share it with you this week.

One of the things I talk about with the kids is how much Jesus loves them. In my book, Peek-a-boo Jesus!, there is a page towards the end that asks, “Where are Jesus’ arms?” The answer is of course, “Holding you tight.” That’s how I really feel. Our Christ holds us tight; he walks with us and waits patiently while we work through our failings.

In this particular preschool, there was a crucifix in the room. A crucifix is different than a cross in that the image of the crucified Jesus hangs on the cross. I asked the kids the same question as the book, “Where are Jesus’ arms?” They all agreed Jesus arms were stretched out.

We talked about how sometimes we reach our arms out wide and say, “I love you this much!” to our parents and they do the same. I then asked if it was possible Jesus doing the same thing. Perhaps the reason why Jesus’ arms were stretched out wide is that Jesus was showing us just how much he loves us. I asked the kids to close their eyes and imagine Jesus repeating just that, “I love you this much.”

What I saw next put tears in my eyes. One little boy went right over to a little girl who was sitting by herself (I had been told was very shy). He got on his knees and simply said to her, “Kiara, I love you this much!” and stretched his arms out as far as they would go. I almost cried. He got it. This little guy transferred the love in his heart to action and that shy little girl responded by hugging him back. It was a sweet moment I won’t soon forget.

It’s a simple concept—a savior taking on the sin of the world, our sin, and making it his own. It’s the ultimate love. A man, yet the Son of God, stretched his arms out, allowed the executioners to stretch them until they were dislocated. This Prince of Peace said, “I love you this much.”

How often do we stop and consider this? For me, I know it’s not enough.

We are reaching that time of year again when we celebrate the birth of one who would love us more completely than any ever could. I hope you will go back and read my posting from 2008, called “I Love You This Much,” and I hope it reminds you of the love that only God can give.

True Colors

2010-10-23T10:29:00.003-06:00

Thursday was the perfect autumn day here in Colorado. Light white cotton candy clouds melted into the blue sky and a plethora of colors quivered on the trees. At one point, I was driving along a parkway lined with trees while a slight breeze made its way through my open windows. Leaves scattered down around my car and to the ground only to be whipped up again by other cars. The cascading colors of falling leaves was truly elegant. It was a God given moment.

It reminded me of my fourth grader recently telling me about chlorophyll and its purpose. “Chlorophyll is the green stuff inside the leaf,” she said.

I found a more scientific answer at Wikipedia, “Chlorophyll plays a crucial role in producing food for the plant by synthesizing simple sugars from Sunlight + Carbon Dioxide + Water in the process of photosynthesis. The by-product of photosynthesis is Oxygen.”

The shorter autumn days and the cooler temperatures tell the trees that it’s time to sleep for the winter. They begin shutting down their photosynthesis factories—the chlorophyll in the leaves. That green matter dissipates leaving the pigments that were present all along in the leaves, the gold and oranges. The gorgeous red pigments we see are usually present in trees that store a good deal of glucose, like Maple trees. The cooler temperature of the nights combined with the glucose left in the leaves causes the red pigment to come bursting forth.

I am reminded of our human condition. Most times we keep ourselves at a steady even keel. Our emotions are in check and we have our chlorophyll walls securely in place. But when life’s weather changes and we are thrown into the cooler times, our walls, much like the chlorophyll dissipate. Our defenses down, the pigments that are left are our own true selves. We each respond differently to the oncoming changes of our lives. Some of us turn yellow, showing our bright sunny selves, not afraid to be brash and take on the obstacles before us. Some of us have lots of sugar stored up from the good times of summer. We use this sugar to make ourselves burst forth, smiling through the rough times. But sometimes we become the dry, cracked brown color and we allow the tough times of life to wither us to our emotional and spiritual death.

Autumn is a good time for me to remember this life lesson. It is up to me to use the good times of my life, when I am full of green chlorophyll, to fill me up with the sugars of life. So when the cooler times come and turn into the cold of winter I have stored sugar to reveal the vibrant soul of who I am.

A Great Chasm

2010-10-11T13:24:00.002-06:00

“Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.” Luke 16:26, NAB

I love this verse from Luke 16 because it so clearly reveals the concept of that we live in a multi-dimensional world and that there is an existence beyond what we can see.

In previous posts, I’ve talked about multiple dimensions and that we as humans are stuck in the third dimension. As I’ve shared in the past, I believe we are really four dimensional, with our souls and consciences longing for what’s beyond, but our bodies stuck in this third dimension.

Luke 16:19-31 tells the story of Lazarus (the only parable Jesus told that included the actual name of a character), a poor beggar who died and went to Heaven, and his rich counterpart who ended up in Hell.

What is interesting is that Jesus uses this parable to describe Heaven and Hell. Jesus always used real aspects of nature to tell his stories including a mustard seed, vineyards, and the comparison of rock and sand. He is painting a picture for us not unlike his other parables. So it’s extremely plausible that this story reveals the concepts of the afterlife.

What I find most interesting is that Jesus clearly states that though the two places are separated from each other, they can still be seen by each. Those in Hell can still see Heaven and vice versa. They are separated by a great chasm.

There is something more profound in this parable as well. Jesus clearly explains to us that we have the choice between Heaven and Hell. We have free will and that even in the latest hour of our lives, we can choose God.

I have a friend, Jean, who was recently telling me of the loss of her mother. Though it’s been a year, she still feels the pain and emptiness of that loss. However, she knows that because of the choices and faith her mother maintained that she now enjoys a life free of pain and suffering. Isn’t that what we all want for our loved ones…and for ourselves? She described how she feels as the following, “Great sorrow can exist with great joy.” She misses her mother greatly, but would not want her to come back to this life.

I think we all experience great sorrow and great joy, but our ability to experience both simultaneously is a God thing. It’s something that we can experience in our three dimensional bodies, but can pierce the chasm of this dimension and reach toward Heaven. The most amazing thing is when we reach out God also breaks through and returns those emotions with peace. As my friend also said, “When sorrow and joy are harmonious—that can only be God.” What a profound statement.

People often talk about a “final test” at the end of our lives. I recently heard a homily where the pastor gave a simple standard for that final test.

1. How did you love?
2. How did you serve others?
3. How much did you rely on God?

To me, these simple questions sum it up well.

Choice comes into play every day and I believe that through our choices we pay it forward in this dimension and the others.

Next time I’ll examine those three questions with respect to how we impact the dimensions around us. Once we scrutinized that concept, we’ll wrap it up neatly with the idea that these three questions also impact the earth we inhabit and hopefully come full circle from where we started.

In the meantime, if you like, read my earlier posts on dimensions as a primer for next week’s discussion. Feel free to pummel me with questions to keep me on track!

Emotions and the Wisdom of God

2010-09-27T14:11:00.002-06:00

The majesty of the mountains and the beauty of the oceans are obvious. God’s creation is breathtaking. The gentle rains that bring peace and the torrential storms that drive fear through our very being create emotions that reach our very core.

So is there purpose in emotion? I believe there is a theme in the Bible with respect to emotion.

The Old Testament starts off showing a God banishing Adam and Eve for eating fruit from the one tree they were forbidden to eat. Throughout the Old Testament, shades of a vengeful, wrath-filled God—a punishing God—permeate the text. Only in Psalms and Song of Songs do we get an inkling of a God that shows mercy and love.
Why the change? I believe it has to do with human’s “evolution” of understanding God.

In the Old Testament, especially in the beginning of Genesis, humanity is regarded as young children, seeing only the need for discipline, as with Adam and Eve. Slowly, the human mind opened. Abraham was the first to call God, “Father,” and the Creator recognized this and made a covenant with humanity.

As the authors produced Psalms and Song of Songs, humankind grew into the age of reason. With that reason, came the realization that our God could be in relationship with us and we longed for that connection.

But we were missing something. Because of our selfishness, we couldn’t see past our teenage needs. Not until the Father sent his Son, not until we saw the Incarnation, did we see true Love. We needed to hear the words of hope and salvation, and like all teens, we then understood life had meaning. Jesus brought definition to what was deep in our hearts that we could not express.

As with the crossing of the threshold from youth to adulthood, humanity couldn’t take the next step until we experienced true sacrifice. Jesus proclaimed this sacrifice by stretching out his arms on the cross encompassing the whole world, and that action thrust us into maturity.

It’s not that God changed from a fearful God to a loving God, it’s that we grew up.
With adulthood comes responsibility. Whether we choose to fall into his crucified arms or we choose to turn away, it’s up to us. When we feel broken and damaged, it is up to us to recognize the ultimate Love and accept it.

I believe that there’s a reason that Revelations is the last book of the Bible. It takes to completion the concept of God’s saving plan for us by revealing that there is something else, something besides this life. God revealed his entire plan, His entire set of emotions, His love for us from infancy to adulthood. Now it’s up to us.

He calls us in the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians with the definition of love and He proved that love at Calvary. He is a loving parent waiting for us to fall into His arms with everything we have, all the love and all the hurts, because truly He is the only one that can love us completely.

Emotions matter and only Love can save us.

Weather of the Heart

2010-09-16T11:45:00.003-06:00

I have this application on my computer that constantly brings up a popup window urging me to upgrade a certain type of software. It’s there every time I bring up my computer. Sometimes it drives me nuts!

I believe it’s just a microcosm of what happens in real life. Things constantly bombard us, tugging at our minds, pulling at our hearts.

And we let it happen. We try to ignore the life “popups”, the ones that say something isn’t right. The ones that say complacency is fine, life is good, don’t change or that change will be too hard.

Then one day it hits us. Everything is not fine. We moan and groan that it’s too late to change, it’s going be hard, and it’s going to ruin everything in our lives. We writhe in agony at the thought we need to move, we need to change.

Autumn used to be my favorite season. I love the colors, and the cooler weather and the anticipation of the upcoming holidays. As I’ve gotten older though, autumn has also reminded me that winter is coming. Those cold, dark days when driving is a hassle, when the sunlight dwindles in the southern sky, and the snowflakes seem endless.

God is good at giving us reminders about the seasons of our heart through nature. He knows there are going to be hot summers of fun in our lives that spill over into beautiful autumns of contentment that eventually diminish into cruel winters.

Fortunately he gave us the best season of all, spring.

I know that when the relentless winter wind whips against me, draining me of my strength, there is still hope. Spring will come. It might take longer than I wish, but the bitter winds will not prevail. Snow banks will recede, tiny flowers will sprout their determined heads and birds will return in song.

It’s no different with life. The inhospitable winters of our hearts will not prevail if we do not let them. Opening our souls can dissolve anger and resentment like a melting snow bank. Tiny flowers of hope from loved ones push through the frozen ground. Encouraging words from friends sing out to us. Eventually we find that we don’t need the layers of protection that surround our hearts like the parkas of winter. We shed the tears and shed the pain, washing away the winter and helping the flowers of our lives grow.

But we have to take that first step. We have to let go and let God. And sometimes that step is scary. But He does know what is right for us.

It is only when we don’t listen to the nagging popups that we get stuck. It’s when we don’t heed the warning in our hearts and souls that we will sit in the everlasting frozen winter. Complacency says enjoy the fire and ignore the weather. But eventually you can’t.

So listen to those life popups. They’re trying to tell you something. Maybe it’s time for a change.

-And maybe I need different software that better fits my needs. ;)

Life Imitates Art

2010-08-27T14:07:00.018-06:00

God creates art through nature. We as humans try to recreate that art with drawings, paintings, sculptures, and buildings. But no matter what colors we brush across our canvas, we are simply imitating God’s creation in nature.

I believe there’s a lesson for us in nature.

Trees are just one example. These magnificent giants have a rich history embedded with human tradition. The Bible talks of the mustard seed that blossoms into a tree, Jesus mentions Nathaniel being born under a fig tree, and then there is the troubling tree which Jonas sat under which withered away.

Loreena McKennitt has written many songs with the symbolism of trees including All Soul’s Night and Ancient Pines. Tolkien included talking, feeling trees in his Lord of the Ring’s classics.

I’m beginning to see how life is reflected in trees.

Saplings reflect man’s desire to start new. There’s so much promise in a new tree. There’s hope. It’s almost as if the tree is saying, “I’m just starting, but someday I will be great. I will stand tall.”

As trees grow their tender bark turns rough and cracks to deal with the harsh realities of nature. The growing tree says, “I’ve grown accustomed to these conditions and I’ve acclimated.”

Then there are the mature trees of many shapes and varieties and they all have stories to tell.

There’s the tree who’s grown in age and wisdom. Their branches reach tall and they have sturdy trunks. “I’ve lived well,” they say.

Then there are the trees that show emotion. Looking at how their branches reach out, they embrace the trees next to them, dancing in the breezes of the day. It’s almost as if they are saying, “Ah, I have loved well!”

But not all trees are so lucky. There are some that wither and die from disease just as humans. There are some that do not receive the nutrients that help them grow. Though they fight to survive, their trunks, branches and leaves reveal their battered existence.

Then there are my heroes. These trees grow tall and strong and they experience life in all its glory and in all its pain. They feel the joy and warmth of the sun, and the harshness of the bitter winters. But they survive and they live well. These trees have made adjustments.

I hope to be counted someday among these giants. I hope that I can say, “Life showed me what it had, and I made adjustments.”

(Note: this unusual tree is the same tree as shown in the top picture, it's just a different angle. No different for people...some adjustments you can't see unless you see the person from a different angle!)

The Life of the Seed

2010-08-20T10:31:00.003-06:00

My latest harvest has been plums, juicy, sweet plums! The flesh of the fruit peels right off, leaving only the small pit which inside contains an even smaller seed.

I start out slow and taper off.

I’ve been listening to a song in church for quite a while and though I understood the words and their meaning, it didn’t hit me until yesterday how intertwined we are with nature.

The lyrics to the song I am thinking of goes as follows:

“Unless a grain of wheat shall fall upon the ground and die, it remains but a single grain with no life.” (Bernadette Farrell) It’s a paraphrase of John 12:24.

Until now, I’ve considered that I must die to self in order to live. That’s how I’ve viewed those words.

Now I realize that it’s saying much more. Now I get it!

God has provided each of us with a seed of Him. Unless we nourish that seed by dying to self, we can’t be fruitful to others. We are like a gong in the night if we only seek life only for ourselves. But if we give our lives for others, that one grain grows and produces an entire head of wheat!

I’ve always enjoyed service to others in whatever fashion it comes. And I know that sowing those seeds of joy help others understand the greatness of our Lord. But it never occurred to me that I have no life unless I engage in service, that I cannot be truly Christian until I spread the love of God to others and they in turn love Him. As a single grain, I can bear great fruit because in turn they bear great fruit and it continues to multiply.

Fruit trees are an even greater example. One little seed gives birth to a seedling, then sapling, then tree. If nurtured, that tree will produce for years! It doesn’t have to be the “one and done” concept. If we nurture our lives with the Truth of the Lord, we can produce for many years!

So don’t hide in your pit! Open up, let the seed be revealed and plant it in rich soil. Water with prayer and let it grow!

This picture is from a two-in-one plum tree I have in my yard. Yes! It’s grafted so there are two types of plums on one tree. It’s sweet!

The Missing Words of Life

2010-08-14T10:43:00.003-06:00

It's highly unusual that I post twice in one week, but I had something to share and needed your help.

The other day, I witnessed a mother screeching through a soccer field parking lot, not following the rules, but barreling through the parking spaces in an effort to get her daughter to the field on time. I could hear her screaming at her daughter and simply not paying attention to anything else around her. How did I see it? She almost rammed into the side of my van as she passed as well as almost hit a teenage girl making her way from the parking lot to the fields.

I dropped off my daughter (close to the fields) and then decided to proceed to see if I could find the “scary mom.” As I drove through the parking lot, I considered how I would address the woman once I caught up with her.

As God would have it, she had parked and scurried out of her car. I watched as she crossed the bridge out of sight.

The question still haunts me, how would I have addressed the situation? This is how I imagined the conversation might go:

Me: Did you know that you almost hit a young girl back there?
SM (Scary Mom): No. (OR) I didn’t come close to her.
Me: Why were you unable to follow the arrows and make your way through the parking lot like the rest of traffic?
SM: We were late and there weren’t that many cars. What is your problem?
Me: You!

I’m sure it would have spiraled from there.

Today, my husband and daughter were talking about the concept of self-esteem and how the world has twisted the idea of self-esteem. Society tells us (at least in this privileged American value system) that we are special. Psychologists have noted the increased rate of suicide and problems like anorexia, bulimia, self mutilation and drugs. They see there is a problem (as do all of us), and envision the solution as low self-esteem.

So while the world tells us that we deserve all we can get and that we are special, it has left out the most important factor of all. Why we are special.

We are special because we are created in the image of God and because He has created us to be special. Just as there are those who believe that we need to rid our monetary notes and coins of “In God We Trust,” as a separation of church and state, our societal system wants to rid our conscience by leaving God out of our self-esteem.

We water plants to nurture them to grow. But if we don’t feed them with nutrients from rich soil or fertilizer, we run the risk of not seeing a fruitful harvest.

It is no different with human beings. If we don’t feed the soul with Truth, we will not be fruitful either. We need to amend the self-esteem phrase to say, “You are special and important to God. You are made in His image.” Without the addition of God, the phrase, “You are special” rings hollow.

Why is this important? When we consider that Someone Eternal loves us, then we begin to foster the idea that others are special as well. We look outside ourselves and realize that everyone is made in God’s image and that nature itself comes from a loving Creator. We begin to treat others with respect. Of course the next step is that we consider nature as a gift from God as well. We can then make the transformation from those who care about the environment to stewards of the earth. The world then becomes an avalanche of respect instead of a cesspool of hate and disdain.

So what would I say to that mother after reflecting on this?

Me: “Did you know that you are as special to the world as the young girl you almost ran over?”

How can I improve on that statement? I would love to hear your respectful answers.

The Art of the Green Bean

2010-08-09T16:50:00.002-06:00

Today I picked seven gallon bags of green beans from our garden. I love the fresh summer produce!

Since we didn’t get our garden in until later this summer, we’re just receiving the first fruits. These are the best. The plants are still young and the beans are tender.

As the summer progresses however, the beans change too. They are still tasty but you have to pick them before they grow too large; otherwise they’re a little tough. Also, as the plant starts to mature, the bean size and shape change. Instead of the smooth long thin bean, most of the beans have a variety of shapes. Some bulge at the end and remain skinny at the stem, while others are formed well except for a scrawny part in the middle.

I’ve always wondered why this is and what I can do to prevent it. Then it hit me today. Once again nature mirrors our human condition.

When we are young, we are strong and lean and nothing can stop us. As we age, we tend to bulge in the middle or sag in other places. When we are young, we are idealistic about ourselves and others. Age however, changes us too. We become pessimistic, we doubt our fellow man and we typically become jaded by life experiences.

I can’t help but wonder if my bean plants are a gift from God to remind me to remain tender and strong. I can’t help but think they are a gentle reminder of what happens to us when we take life too seriously or engage in experiences that are not good for us.

So the next time you eat a green bean, know that not only has God provided you with a nutritional supplement for your body, but a spiritual reminder that life should not always be too serious and we cannot allow ourselves to become jaded by everyday events.

Grasping at Straws

2010-07-28T11:29:00.003-06:00

There are some scientists who will do anything they can to make sure they don’t have to acknowledge that there might be a higher power at work in the universe or on our own planet. One of my favorites is that aliens came to populate the Earth.

I recently found a new “explanation” of our human history and it reminded me that scientists are constantly contradicting themselves.

This latest “theory” on how our human ancestors came to be includes the idea that:
“Shortly after Homo sapiens first evolved, the harsh climate conditions nearly extinguished our species," said Professor Curtis Marean, of the Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University. "Recent finds suggest the small population that gave rise to all humans alive today survived by exploiting a unique combination of resources along the southern coast of Africa."

Now that geneticists have physical evidence showing that our human ancestry is really quite limited (that we all came from one man around 60,000 years ago—see The Journey of Man), the science world has been turned upside down with regard to evolution. What to do?

Evidently the best solution is to make all the less evolved homo-sapiens conveniently disappear through the ice age and keep only a handful alive in a cave in Africa. Never mind the scores of evidence from climatology, anthropology, genetics and many other scientific disciplines who have evidence to the contrary, these scientists now say, “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”

No thank you! I am of the opinion that there are many scientific disciplines for a reason and that when you only use one, you get bad data and faulty ideas. It’s only when all the evidence is put together that you can make an informed decision and it’s only those scientists who are willing to venture beyond the comfort of their subject that we will find answers to questions that concern our history as human beings.

It is necessary to put all the disciplines together to solve the human ancestry puzzle. Just like a mystery, you need all the clues to solve question at hand. When will we get it together?

Therefore, I am paying attention to the Man behind the curtain, because He is in control. And regardless to our human deficiencies of understanding science, He is the One who created science and continues to leave us clues to why we are here and why He loves us so much.

Lost in Translation

2010-07-13T21:38:00.002-06:00

The story of the Good Samaritan came to life for me this weekend. In a book called, “Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration,” a different perspective was introduced.

First, the author explained that Jesus chose a priest and a Levite for very specific reasons; they were experts on topics of salvation and Jewish law. Because they had access to all the scrolls, they were more intimate with the reasons for the law than the rest of the Jewish population. They understood the concept of “neighbor.”

The author then explains that the priest and Levite weren’t “cold-hearted” people, they were afraid to become victims too. The road was dangerous and they would be worried about their safety. Their downfall wasn’t prejudice, non-caring or not knowing who their neighbor included, it was just they couldn’t see past themselves.

The next point the author impressed on me was to say that we’ve mistranslated the original language of the story for the introduction of the Samaritan upon seeing the beaten man. “The Gospel uses the word that in Hebrew had originally referred to the mother’s womb and maternal care.” In other words, the original meaning went beyond the normal caring and into a personal caring, like the concern a mother has for her child. The Samaritan could see himself in the battered victim.

We know the mistranslated word as compassion. For us it means that we are moved with pity to help another. However, in the story’s original wording, the idea Jesus was impressing on his listeners was that the Samaritan’s heart was “wrenched open…heedless of any question or danger.” He couldn’t resist helping the assaulted man.

So where is the science in all this? Why am I bringing it up in this blog? Junk DNA.

I recently had a discussion with a friend over the term, “Junk DNA.” Scientists use this term to describe those letters in our DNA strings that they believe are not being used. They are “left-overs” from our evolution. Scientists reason that since they don’t know what these sequences are for, they must not be used anymore. They are simply pieces of information lost in translation. I disagree.

Language, the way we move our tongue, the sounds we etch from our soul come about because of our created need to communicate. From the time we are infants, our brain translates the audible sounds of others into something we can understand. For more on this, read this article: http://www.firstscience.com/home/articles/humans/science-of-language_19050.html

This ability to use language is in our DNA. Scientists won’t necessarily argue that. What they do not understand is that our emotional, mental and spiritual well being is in our DNA too! There is no junk DNA. It’s all there for a purpose.

I believe our ability to be compassionate comes from the delicate DNA that our Creator has gently placed within each of our cells.

When we don’t communicate well, or have issues communicating, we are a lot like the Samaritan bible story. Something gets lost in the translation. Whether it is our wording for what we want to say, like the English version of compassion, or our inability to see ourselves in our neighbors, we’ve lost the idea of what Jesus is trying to teach us.

The action of compassion—whether through words or actions—defines who we are and what we are to become. Our job is to make sure that we don’t end up lost in the translation.

The Life of a Tree

2010-06-23T06:57:00.002-06:00

Sitting under an old maple tree, I’m enjoying the relief that the shade brings to the heat of summer. As I lean up against the trunk, I investigate the jagged, splintered, uneven crags of the bark. The brown and gray covering of the tree protects it much like skin protects humans.

Peeled bark reveals the inner workings of the tree. Moisture sipped from the roots, moves up the trunk, to the branches and then the leaves. Some trees grow tall and spread their branches out horizontally, while others shoot their fingers straight up towards the sun. Branches vary too. Some are smooth and reach upward, while others twist and tangle endlessly from the trunk. And once you follow the branches to their spindly fingering ends, you encounter endless varieties of leaves that blossom out providing shape and shade. Each tree is unique.

Trees are a lot like people. Each human is unique and each one needs to be cared for. Some people are short and stocky, while others are long and spindly. Life causes our branches to either reach out to others, or triggers us to keep them close to us.

The weather of life affects us just like it affects trees. We start out as small seedlings with smooth bark. As we grow, heat, cold, wind and rain shape who we become. If we live in moderate climates where life is good, our branches reach up and out and the leaves of our lives blossom. If we dwell in harsh climates, our bark, branches and leaves become tangled and splintered.

But no matter what climate we reside in, our bark changes as we grow older. We start out as smooth skinned babies and as we grow our skin cracks with age. Just like trees, exposure to life causes us to change. At times someone peels away our bark and causes us to be wounded, whether by words or actions. Sometimes we wound others causing their bark to scar.

But through the careful application of salve and bandages, our bark can heal and we can recover. If our wounds are left exposed, something about us withers. Either a branch dies, or our leaves wither, leaving us crippled emotionally or spiritually.

We as well as trees thrive on nourishment. That nourishment can take many forms. But for us, there is nothing better than kind words from others that help us grow. We can receive those kind words in many forms. Friends, family and even strangers can aid us in our development. And there is a secret place that provides words of encouragement. The Bible. Nothing takes the place of the supernatural nourishment of reading, reflecting and praying on the words we’ve received from the Word of God.

So if you’re feeling splintered, parched, and wilted from the heat of life, know there is healing. Sink your roots into the pages of the Bible and drink up the words of everlasting life. Dig deep into the comforting words of our God and find the healing your heart desires. Then turn your leaves toward the Son and soak up the healing love he has to offer.

On Being Dirt

2010-06-02T05:39:00.003-06:00

Clay is dirt…minerals and dirt.

According to Genesis Chapter 1, we are dirt too.

So, you could say, we have a great deal in common with pottery. We’re both dirt.
Being dirt makes us special. Dirt, when used as clay is special. It is used to fashion pottery and art. The Bible talks about it distinctly in Isaiah 64:8, “we are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your hand.”

There are days when being the clay is easy. I sit back and observe life around me and allow God to show me His love in nature and in others. There are days when it’s not so easy too. There are times when every movement, every moment is a struggle. The difficult situations, tired relationships, and the general day to day activities wear me out.

I think there must be times that it’s difficult for the Creator to mold me too. Times when my brain just won’t wrap around the concept of suffering or injustice, those must be challenging moments when the clay that is me, just won’t bend.

What do potters do when the clay is tough to work with? They add water. (Anyone who reads my blog with some regularity knows how much I talk about water!) It sustains life, it heals life and it is used so many places in the Bible that we understand it to be a powerful symbol used by our God.

The very molecular makeup of water reflects the Trinity—there are two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom in one molecule of water. Water binds with every element that allows binding and it fastens itself in all directions—much like our God.

I can tell when I’ve not had enough water to drink during the day. I get cranky or move slow, sometimes I get a headache. We all wilt without water. I can also tell when I’ve not had enough God during the day too.

Adding water to clay to make it more malleable makes sense on a science level. But it also makes sense on a theological level. Whenever we allow God to permeate our being, we allow the Potter to add water and make us more flexible. We learn to bend, twist, shape and move. Whether it’s through reading the Word of God in the Bible, taking in nature, dealing with rude people in traffic or experiencing the pain of suffering, those occurrences are opportunities to be molded the way the Potter wants. Sometimes the tough work of being molded yields the best results.

My job is to stop resisting the rough parts of life, so the Potter can do His work.

The Frequency of Love

2010-05-21T15:39:00.002-06:00

Waves are a recurring theme in science. Our five senses are a perfect example.

Sound comes in waves. From our vibrating vocal chords to the vibrations of a violin string, our ears turn those incoming waves into messages that when read by the brain, help us communicate.

Light also travels in waves, which aid our eyes in determining what we are seeing. Again those waves are received by our eyes and messages are interpreted by the brain.

Life reflects science. We have good times and we have bad times, and although we might not notice, they happen with frequency as well. There are some times when we think, “If one more bad thing happens today, I’m going to lose my mind!” And when good things happen, the catch phrase is, “Just relax and ride the wave.”

Nature works much the same way. From the varying frequencies of sunlight, to the ebb and flow of the gentle water caressing the beach sand, creation happens in waves.

I would venture to say that one of the reasons humans connect with nature is because we “understand” the waves. When the trees are caught up in the breezes of the wind, so are we. When the lapping waves kiss the shore, we too are engrossed by the gentle sounds. Some say they feel God in these moments.

Maybe that’s the way He designed it. Our lives ebb and flow along with nature. And when we stop, really stop and commune with nature, we are consoled deep within our being. The gentle breeze becomes the momentary kiss and the immersion of ourselves in water becomes the all encompassing embrace we so desire. These are the moments when God says, “I love you,” and “though you suffer now, it will not always be this way.”

So the God who created the universe with a Big Bang, can also communicate in the quiet recesses of the heart using waves. I take solace in the knowledge that the most powerful God of love speaks to me in the most fragile quiet moment of nature, reminding me of the ebbs and flows of life.

I'm Amazed

2010-03-11T10:33:00.003-07:00

Prayer does not always come easy to me. Many times, I pray and try to trust, but in the meantime, while God is “thinking” about my prayer, I act. I try to fix things. I try to figure out HOW to fix things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

I’ve bought into the adage, “God helps those who help themselves.” However, lately I’ve run into problems that are so big that not only have I been forced to pray with constant vigor, I’ve had to trust that He knows better than me.

What I haven’t done until recently was stop asking God what His plan is, and wait in hope. While that sounds obvious, simply saying, “Jesus, I trust in You!” is much easier than letting those words permeate into my very being.

Lately, I’ve had no choice. And I now thank God for that. He’s shown me I don’t need to know the plan, but that I MUST trust in Him. Over time, I have concluded that I don’t even want to KNOW the plan; I trust whatever He wills for me and my family.
Something happened today that solidified that response. Actually three things happened. They were long awaited answers. They were tearful confirmations that it will be okay.

When these things happened, I immediately shared them to the same God with which I’ve shed so many tears. I didn’t call anyone or shout it from the mountaintops. Instead, I sat in silence and shared them with God. Only God.

Then I remembered something I recently read about Jesus. It was written by someone whose love and trust for God goes beyond my imagination. They said, “We are never alone because Jesus never leaves us. To leave us would be acting against His very nature and such a thing is impossible.”

We’ve talked so many times on this blog about human nature and sometimes, divine nature. But typically, we’ve discussed them as two separate identities, science and faith. Even in all my research for my book on how God is in our DNA—how close He is to us in every since cell we have—I’ve never considered the impact of what it means for God’s nature to be so intertwined with ours that He simply can never leave us. This certainly bears more investigation!

In a book near and dear to my heart, Behold, I Stand at the Door and Knock, the author says that the only thing that is ours is our misery and that is the only thing God wants from us.

Once again, I am amazed. I’m amazed that a God who made everything would want my misery—and then when I give it to Him—He turns it into joy.

Today I giggled in the fact that I don’t know God’s plan for me. I smiled at the fact that God’s nature is embedded in me, and then I chucked at the fact that it took me so long to get here.

Prayer and Physics

2010-02-04T16:30:00.003-07:00

I know I promised we’d talk more about Roe v. Wade and the science of abortion, but I’m going to first talk about physics and prayer. I’ll talk more about Roe v. Wade next week.

I recently found out about something called, “Healing the Family Tree.” It’s an interesting philosophical concept that allows people to consider praying for healing in their family and healing for the generations before them. Different huh?

Well, before you go ballistic, think about this. What would you do if you could go back in the past and explain to someone from your family tree how the hurts they caused others still hurts the family today? Would you go back?

Well, you can’t. Physics doesn’t allow it.

But…what if you could send grace to the past? What if you prayed for healing for those who were hurt and asked that they not pass it onto the future generations? Would you do it?

Sound impossible. Well, for humans it is. But, not for God. You see, we’re restricted to space and time. That’s the reality of the third dimension. But time is a creature created by God and therefore not something that restricts God. So consider that such a concept is possible. Prayer isn’t restricted to physics!

Doesn’t that open up tons of possibilities? Healing from abortion, healing from incest, healing from child abuse, healing from family hurts.

So now, imagine with me, what if you sent enough grace to the past that is healed the future. You may alter your own future. Now that’s worth dreaming about, don’t you think?

Read more about this concept here:
http://www.familytreehealing.com/about.html#about

Life and Roe v. Wade

2010-01-24T10:46:00.002-07:00

The Supreme Court decision made 37 years ago this week, changed the way that Americans viewed the sanctity of life. Though maybe not at first, but thirty years later, we see the toll that this decision has taken on issues from abortion to euthanasia.

Science has been misused and abused in the name of life issues and I will cover that topic in detail for the next several postings.

However, today, I'm including a paragraph from Benedict XVI, the current Catholic pope. Though I have many thoughts on the life issue, I wanted to include these ideological thoughts as a primer before I start into the science because without philosophy, science is crippled.

"Openness to life is at the center of true development. When a society moves towards the denial or suppression of life, it ends up no longer finding the necessary motivation and energy to strive for man's true good. If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of a new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away. The acceptance of life strengthens moral fiber and makes people capable of mutual help. By cultivating openness to life, wealthy peoples can better understand the needs of poor ones, they can avoid employing huge economic and intellectual resources to satisfy the selfish desires of their own citizens, and instead, they can promote virtuous action within the perspective of production that is morally sound and marked by solidarity, respecting the fundamental right to life of every people and every individual."
(from Caritas in Veritate 28. www.vatican.va)

The pope talks about wealthy people understanding the plight of poor people and that an openness to life nurtures such an attitude. To underscore this philosophy, I offer the following link to a news story about a Denver nurse who helped in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

Her story shows that even among the awful conditions and status of life lost in Haiti, the birth of one little child impacted her whole life. We can never underestimate the importance of human life no matter what the circumstance.

Life and Symbols

2009-12-17T14:21:00.003-07:00

The last couple postings have considered the power of words and the nature of water. What if we consider the nature of water with respect to the nature of Jesus?

Here’s just a few thoughts that come to mind as we await the birth of our Lord Jesus:

The Infant Jesus formed quietly in his mother’s womb, in water. (Luke 1:31)

The Missionary Jesus was baptized by John, in the Jordan River, in water. (Mark 1:9)

The Miracle worker Jesus provided more wine at a wedding in Cana, from water. (John 2:7)

The Healer Jesus cured the blind man by telling him to wash in the Pool of Siloam, with water. (John 9:7)

The Powerful Creator Jesus calmed the torrents of the sea, the water. (Matt 8:26)

The Counselor Jesus commanded his apostle Peter to have enough faith to walk, on water. (Matt. 14:29)

The human Jesus wept in the Garden of Gethsemane, shedding tears of water. (Matt. 26:36)

The soldier pierced the Redeemer Jesus who hung on the cross. From his side came blood, and water. (John 19:34)

There are many ways in which an author knits a story together: allegory, simile, description and symbol. Woven throughout the life of Jesus is the symbolism of water and I believe the Creator, the Ultimate Author interlaced water as a symbol for us. What do you think?

May you have a joyful and peaceful and Merry Christmas.

Language and Chance

2009-11-26T16:39:00.004-07:00

Thoughts have been brewing in my mind over the last couple weeks. I have a love for the topic of water, even more than I knew. When a couple of readers voiced questions concerning the true “science” of my topic last time, I wanted to address those concerns.

The main complaint was the concern that Dr. Emoto’s work with language and water crystals might not be a true science. So today, I’m going to give a couple reasons why I believe that water and communication are a real part of science.

First, God created language. Not only did He use language in creation (Genesis 1:3) when He said, “Let there be light”, but He gave language to mankind to communicate with each other. Jewish tradition (Baal Shem Tov) holds that “Let there be a firmament,” was God’s utterance that allowed the universe to come into existence. God used language in creation.

Second, we know that sounds are vibrations on different wavelengths. We know that sound is carried through water (just think of the “pings” that submarines send from ship to ship) as well as air. Different wavelengths of sound are part of speech as different inflections give off different waves.

So combining wavelengths and language not only make sense but show that science is involved with language.

Here’s where I think it gets more interesting.

Our bodies contain on an average 60 percent water. Water covers approximately 70 percent of this earth.

So if we consider Dr. Emoto’s work on speaking words to water and the corresponding crystals they create, have we considered that the things we say to others have a repercussion as well?

Does the water in our body vibrate the same way as the water then photographed as crystals? Why wouldn't it? If we admit this, then is there a possibility that there may be repercussions of what we say (and do) that affect the world?

With respect to our bodies, we know that domestic violence both physical and emotional has increased. Are the ugly words we use with others and our anger affecting our health? Are our cells being generated with malignancies because they are crippled by the devastating words we use? Is this why there is an increase in cancer?

I did just a little research on El Nino to see when it started, what its indications were, and how long people have been recording the effects. A quick glance indicated corresponding time periods between the happenings of the world and the happenings of El Nino.

I believe these are all things to contemplate during this time of year when we consider the coming Christmas season.

Did you know that El Nino was named after the Christ Child? El Nino typically begins around Christmas time and thus the people named it after Jesus.

I don’t believe in accidents. I don’t believe that the same creative God that formed water molecules or our human bodies left things like sound waves or language to chance. I believe that He created a universe in which we are all connected. We are in symbiotic relationship with each other and with nature. And I believe the Master still creates. What a blessing that we can be part of that creative process. With the simple action of saying "I love you," we create. What a gift. What a life! What a blessing.

The Power of Words

2009-11-05T12:14:00.003-07:00

We’ve talked about pain and suffering and found that it is part of our human condition. But how do we ease suffering in the world?

The power of words can be a sword for truth or for hate. And the power of words can either heal or injure.

Doubt it? Dr. Masaru Emoto is a scientist in Japan whose work has been to photograph different types of water in their crystalline form…with a twist. Not only has he taken water from different sources, but he has spoken words to the water as well. Yes, I said he’s talking to water. Odd? I thought so too until I read his New York Times bestselling book, “The Hidden Messages in Water.”

The pictures are amazing and the idea is revolutionary with regards to how we view nature’s most precious resource. The above link will show you some of the pictures including some of the words Dr. Emoto has spoken to water before he’s crystallized and photographed it. Quite breathtaking.

As you scroll down you see pictures of different crystals and how they react to different spoken words. The words “I love you” or “thank you” create beautiful crystal shapes, while the words, “You stupid fool” or “I hate you”, create malformed crystals. Don’t believe it? Try the experiment for yourself.

So the words we speak can transform—and if you read about Dr. Emoto’s work you see that because humans are made up of water, those words affect our very being. Three pictures caught my eye especially on that webpage. The words, “thank you,” “love and appreciation,” and “You make me sick…” Also further down I was intrigued by the idea that praying changed water too.

Recall a time when something to awful was spoken to you that rocked the very core of your being. Now remember a time when you heard the melodic words, “I love you.” I don’t know about you, but even now those experiences are still with me.

The simplest words of love and prayer have powerful effects. Our words contain consequences for suffering. How many times have we prayed for someone and stopped to wonder if our prayers, our words had any effect on the situation? Here we see it! We see that God has put into our very environment the simplest way to see the effects of prayer. If He created water to have this result, how much more is He listening to our very inner most thoughts and prayers?

Knowing this trait of water, understanding that our words mean something, does this affect what we say to each other? How will you greet your loved ones now that you know your words mean everything?

Poor Design Part 2

2009-10-28T11:16:00.005-06:00

This is an intense posting, so be prepared! I've broken all the rules, including the length of this posting. But the topic is important, in fact it's critical in understanding our human nature and where we exist as part of Creation. So good luck and hope you enjoy!

Two weeks ago we talked about science versus medicine and the human condition. I also said I would talk about why pain exists.

Have you ever had a chronic condition or a long term cold that was miserable? How did you feel after the cold or condition ceased? Relieved, peaceful, grateful? Maybe all those things. Pain reminds us of what we have when we enjoy good health. It also reminds us that our time on this earth is temporary.

Paul says this very well in Romans when he says, “Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” (Rom 8:18) While Paul was talking about the persecution of Christians, he was also considering the temporary state of our being.

To be human for me means that for a short while, we live on this earth and we live in relationship with others and with God. Our bodies are a temporary state, designed to carry us through this short-term three-dimensional experience. The pain we endure comes from living in this state and no one escapes unscathed. But, it is temporary and pain does provide purpose. The death of this body is inevitable, no one has ever avoided it. The endurance of the spirit is eternal and not limited to this body.

Though intellectually we may understand what this means, it is still hard to endure and hard to incorporate. We all experience self-preservation. Plus, Jesus healed many people, he did not tell them to suffer. It is in our very nature to want to heal those who are suffering and it is directed so by Christ during his humanly mission He said, “For I was hungry and you gave me food…ill and you cared for me…Amen I say to you, what you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matt 35-40)

Recently Pope Benedict XVI wrote an encyclical entitled “In Charity” in which he describes the many ways in which we should live. He talks in detail about being stewards of this earth and each other on topics that include fair trade, helping the poor, using the stock market responsibly, and taking care of the earth. He also talks in detail about the role of technology with regard to human dignity, in particular how we use medical technology to better society. He says, “In this type of culture, the conscience is simply invited to take note of technological possibilities. Yet we must not underestimate the disturbing scenarios that threaten our future, or the powerful new instruments that the “culture of death” has at its disposal. To the tragic and widespread scourge of abortion we may well have to add in the future — indeed it is already surreptiously present — the systematic eugenic programming of births. At the other end of the spectrum, a pro-euthanasia mindset is making inroads as an equally damaging assertion of control over life that under certain circumstances is deemed no longer worth living. Underlying these scenarios are cultural viewpoints that deny human dignity.” (Chapter 6, #75)

This means that technology should be used to help suffering, not to eliminate the sufferers. For example, technology allows us to know before the birth of a child whether or not that little person has debilitating birth defects. However, most times, if birth defects are discovered, the life of that baby is eliminated, snuffed out. Very few times is technology used to help repair the birth defect. Instead of eliminating the suffering, we’ve chosen to eliminate the sufferer. There are many more examples like the case of Terri Schiavo, aiding those to kill themselves, etc.

Do we see that in these cases, technology has not helped at all? In fact, it has hurt us. No longer do we show mercy and engage in helping the sufferers, instead we see our job as showing mercy by “putting them out of their misery.” But are we putting them out of their misery or ours? Is this simply a case of convenience for the rest of us, instead of an opportunity to reach out in mercy. Have we forgotten the beatitudes set forth by Christ? As said in the previous posting, we have eliminated hope.

Our attitude toward medicine is a sterile reverence towards science. We try to solve many of today’s sociological problems by applying science, by employing what we’ve learned through science. However, what if instead we took what we’ve learned through science and applied it with what we know about God and creation? What if we looked at solving the world’s problems with both science and love? Have we bothered to look at the problems from our Creator’s point of view? Should we?

Lots of questions, but necessary to contemplate if we are truly interested in improving this world we temporarily call home.

Next week, we’ll bring it full circle as we talk about mending the suffering in and of this world. See you then.

Poor Design Part 1

2009-10-11T07:49:00.004-06:00

I saw an orthopedic doctor last week to help me address the nagging problem I probably received from all my years of volleyball and softball. As the doc was explaining the issue, he showed me how the different muscles and tendons moved. Twice he said, “We’re poorly designed.”

The first time I heard this I ignored it as a slip of the tongue. When he said it again it hit me right between the eyes. Do all doctors think we’re “poorly designed?” The fact that we get diseases or broken bones or encounter arthritis or a multitude of infirmities, does that make us weak?

To me, the fact that we can move at all, shows tremendous thought in our design. The idea that I can think about moving my fingers across my keyboard to write this blog means that I am more than just a poorly designed creature. I am human.

What is a human? We could go on and on about the myriad of definitions of what it means to be human, but what would we accomplish? We know we have a form, we are body, mind and spirit, we have a conscience, etc.

What if we asked a different question? What if we asked, “What does it mean to be human?” Now that question could take some time to answer. What do you think?

Has the human condition benefited from science and medicine? Undoubtedly, yes! For a long time we’ve realized that the practice of medicine is not enough. If we are body, mind and spirit, then we need to address our spirit in order to keep us whole.

Science has regrettably left out half of the story, which in turn leaves the facts of the human condition sterile and cold. The fact is there is no redemption in medicine.

Dr. John Bruchalski agrees. “What happens in medicine is that science and technology bring progress; they don't bring redemption. The only person who brings redemption is Christ. So if you can't tie the two together, you're lost.”

Without redemption there is fear. Again, this doctor reminds us the truth. “What happens is, science and medicine have literally confined faith into the realm of private experience. And by making it private, it deprives the world of hope. The answer to fear is ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’”

Visit next week when we look at why pain exists and we address our “poor design.” In the meantime, share what you think it means to be human. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Energy From Within

2009-09-29T11:51:00.006-06:00

We look up at the stars at night in wonder. They are so far away, but they have so much light to share. We’re so enamored by stars; we call those human beings who are famous or popular, “stars.” We say things like, “You are the light of my world,” “he is a rising star in the sports world,” and “I want to be a superstar.” So what is it about stars that we want to be them?

Some would say it’s just a metaphor for shining bright, but I think it’s something more.

I looked up some famous pictures of celestial bodies (stars) and read about them. I read about what makes a star bright. While looking at some NASA photos, I came across the following definition:

Fusion: A process where nuclei collide so fast they stick together and emit a great deal of energy. In the center of most stars, hydrogen fuses together to form helium. Fusion is so powerful it supports the star's enormous mass from collapsing in on itself, and heats the star so high it glows as the bright object we see today. http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/glossary.html

Do we know why stars were created that way? What is the thing, that fusion, which keeps them from collapsing?

Looking deeper into the definition of fusion, the online Merriam Webster dictionary gives these responses:
2: a union by or as if by melting: as a: a merging of diverse, distinct, or separate elements into a unified whole 3: the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous quantities of energy when certain light elements unite

Hmmm. Can we apply this same fusion to human beings…“a merging of diverse, distinct or separate elements into a unified whole?” We each have diverse feelings, separate elements of our being that we build on. Many times, we want to be happy but are sad, we want to help others but are afraid, we want to be better people, but have forgotten how.

What happens when we ask God with our whole heart for help with these diverse elements?

He NEVER lets us down. He gives us the strength to find solutions to our nagging issues, and ultimately gives us peace to handle whatever situation we need to mend.

You know that feeling you get when you are so happy—that warmth, contentment, and love that builds inside? When we feel this way, we feel as though we can take on the world! That positive energy keeps our enormous mass from collapsing in on itself. That is the fusion of God with our souls. That is the “union by or as if by melting,” that is our heart in union with God.

The same energy that the stars in the heavens contain is the energy that we contain when we unify ourselves to our God. We can do that in our daily tasks, or in some big problem we feel overwhelmed with, or in some special thing we’d like to accomplish.

Feel like a star today—because you are. Shine bright today because you can. Live life to the fullest because, “with God all things are possible.” (Matt 19:26)

Splendor of Creation

2009-09-16T12:58:00.002-06:00

I took the summer off my blog and spent it with my kids doing all the fun summer things. As a family, we took made the annual weeklong trek up to Rocky Mountain National Park to hike, relax, and enjoy the fun things about the town of Estes Park. It’s become almost a ritual for us. Every time we go, I renew my love for those beautiful mountains and all of God’s amazing creation. (Today there’s even a picture of RMNP for you!)

Today I talked to a relatively new friend who lives back east. He saluted the Cape Cod area and New England in general. He boasted that New England was the best place in the world to live. He even (I’m still shocked) boasted that it was better than Colorado!

Imagine my shock! Well, we went at it for a while, but neither party won the other over.

However, it did get me thinking. Isn’t it amazing all the different places, climates, mountain ranges, deserts, oceans, and islands God created just on Earth alone? There is literally something for everyone. It’s as if God sat back and said, “I’m going to create these amazing creatures called humans. I’m going to tell them to be fruitful and fill the earth. Subdue it, and be stewards of it. So I better make it an amazing place that they can live in and thrive.”

A few blogs ago, we learned that the Hebrew translation for the first six words of the Bible is, “In the beginning of God’s creating…” We reasoned that the active word, “creating” meant that creation never really ends.

We see that today in the thousands of new species of plants and animals that pop up around the world each year. Australia alone found 1300 new species of both varieties just in the last decade. One of the most popular has been the flesh-eating pitcher plant that can “consume small rats, mice, lizards and even birds.”

Wow!

God’s creating process doesn’t end there. Each day approximately 216,000 new human beings are born. Each of those precious little ones carry their own unique DNA rich with traits such as eye color, personality characteristics and qualities that no one else has.

We live on a planet lush with constant new creation. Something for everyone! I know I couldn’t be that creative, could you?

Sometimes we are so stuck in our everyday routine that we forget to appreciate the constant creation around us.

God doesn’t. I think that’s why he waits until we’re quiet to talk with us. He calls us to Him in the beauty of the flower, the stroke of the breeze, and the song of the bird. He kisses us goodnight in the splendor of the sunset and beckons us to arise with each brilliant sunrise.

Still doubt the love of God? Revisit my blog from November 21st of last year and remind yourself of how much God really loves you.

In the meantime, while my hat is off to my friend back east, I will sit on my Colorado porch and enjoy the creation the Lord has given me. Thanks, Gerry, for your wise counsel, you helped a great deal. And don’t worry, I’m sure Cape Cod is just as spectacular as the Rocky Mountains—maybe…

Defining Our Carbon Footprint

2009-06-05T09:59:00.002-06:00

I did it. I took the plunge. I went to the Nature Conservancy website and took the test. Just what is my carbon footprint? How am I affecting the planet?

I cheated. I took the test twice and used first me as an individual and then me in a family of eight. Neither one are true.

Nevertheless, I wanted to see what effect one person has versus a larger family with regard to carbon dioxide emissions. Current articles argue that large families are an “eco-crime” and that we need to be “phasing out the human race.” Really?

This is what I found out.

As an individual driving 10,000 miles a year in my small gas-efficient car (work and back), no air travel, eating meat at meals in a house that is energy efficient and recycling everything I can, I will create 41 tons of carbon dioxide per year—which is above the national average. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it?

Changing my profile to be part of a family of eight, I drive a large boat (less than 20 miles to the gallon) a mere 20,000 miles a year, with no air travel, eating meat at meals in a house that is energy efficient and recycling everything possible, my family will create 120 tons of carbon dioxide per year—which is below the national average. Perplexing. (A family of eight creates less carbon dioxide than three individuals. Hmmm.)

As an individual I’ll use more carbon dioxide than if I were in a family of eight according to this calculator test. I’m missing something.

Planet conservationists are too.

These environmentalists see me and you as mere numbers and calculate us by our carbon dioxide emissions. They don’t account for the following: We are created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:28) and that according to the Creator, we are so important that He sent his Son to die for us, to save us from our sins. Why would a God want us to eliminate ourselves from His plan?

In fact, what we’ve eliminated is trust in God and an ideal of stewardship. We have forgotten that God created the Earth and that HE has a plan for everything in it. We have forgotten that God left us as stewards of this Earth and that it is our task to take care of it, not by the way of removing ourselves from it, but by being responsible citizens of it.

A godless society has reduced us to carbon dioxide output. Do we really think that God sees us that way? Should we see ourselves and others that way?

A while back I read an article where a British woman chose to sterilize herself to reduce her carbon footprint. Do we really think that a God that created us in His image, wants us to think so little of ourselves? Does this woman think so little of herself, that she’d like to just disappear?

What happened to the God who said, “Look at the heavens and count the stars. If you are able to count them, so shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:5)

Did God not mean what He said? Did he abandon us?

No, we’ve left Him.

It’s time to come back.

We are not defined by our carbon footprint. We are defined by our actions, our beliefs and whose Footprints we follow.

Maybe The Neanderthals Aren’t Dead After All

2009-05-27T11:05:00.003-06:00

Last time we talked about Dr. Spencer Wells and his genetics work. He spent over ten years gathering human DNA samples from all over the world to show that the first man came from Africa about 60,000 years ago. He uses a marker in the Y chromosome that remains unchanged from father to son to help him determine human ancestry.
However, what we didn’t talk about was something that Dr. Wells found that is more applicable to who we are today. The genetic makeup of human beings from around the world is more alike than we think. Though humans have over three billion base pairs in 23 chromosomes, “…we're all incredibly similar. 99.9% identical at the genetic level.”

So, though we have green eyes or brown eyes, we come from Europe or South America, we are all related—99.9% related. That’s an extremely high percentage, isn’t it?

Does it make you pause and consider the implications for humanity? Does it encourage your mind to reflect on a God that designed us?

Christians, Jews and Muslims know there was a first father and mother, but science has muddied the waters and encouraged us to believe that the Bible is just a series of stories—stories about belief, not of reality. Jesus came along and reiterated what his Father had accomplished with the creation of man by telling us, “Love thy neighbor…” and “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers…”

The movement to keep science and faith separate is divisive as well as counterproductive. It is only when we take ALL evidence and put it together that we get the full picture. Science uses nature to deduce how the world works. That is only half the story. The Bible persuades us to remember that there is more than HOW there is a WHY. It beckons us to make sense of our purpose.

The cooperation of these two disciplines (yes, theology/faith is a discipline) will allow both sides to see the world differently. Science allows faith to see the miracle that the Earth is in a special place and the delicate balance that it maintains to support life. Faith allows science to question the meaning of why the Earth is here. You cannot fulfill your destiny as a human being without answering BOTH questions.

What would happen if we looked at science from a faith perspective? What if we looked at how molecules work and said, “Hmm, the way these molecules work reflects the love of God.” Perhaps we could find a cure for cancer if we looked at the problem from the eyes of our Creator. We could ask what is missing, versus how do we kill this. It’s all in the perspective.

Going back to Dr. Wells’ research, we see that in his discoveries of the origin of man he has discovered something that Christians already know. A reporter made the following comment to Dr. Wells, “You are very critical of racism.”

To that, Dr. Wells simply responded, “Yes. We are all much closely related than we ever expected. Racism is not only socially divisive, but also scientifically incorrect. We are all descendants of people who lived in Africa recently. We are all Africans under the skin."

Though Dr. Wells may believe he is keeping science separate from faith, he has just made Jesus’ case for why we are called to love our neighbor. I wonder if he recognizes that. I wonder if we recognize that.

Typically, we use the term Neanderthal to describe someone who does not see others as equals or when they refuse to use logic and forward thinking. While the DNA of the Neanderthal may be extinct, unfortunately they still exist.

The Neanderthals Are Dead

2009-05-01T21:46:00.004-06:00

The Neanderthal is dead. Yes, contrary to popular belief, these species are dead and they’re not coming back. How do we know? I’ll get to that in a minute, but first let me tell you how scientists came to this conclusion.

You may have first heard of Dr. Spencer Wells when he used DNA samples to show that the first man came from Africa about 60,000 years ago. He used a marker in the Y chromosome that remains unchanged from father to son. For more information, follow the link to the rediff.com website, or the Princeton interview of Dr. Well’s book, The Journey of Man.

In a scientific movement started by Dr. Spencer Wells, National Geographic has taken on this new line of thinking with the name: The Genographic Project. This project has taken scientific data from many different disciplines including archeology, anthropology, climatology, and genetics to name a few.

The goal of the Genographic Project is to take data from these and other disciplines and put it together to form a bigger picture of the human journey on Earth. For example, the migration of humans from Africa took place somewhere around 50 to 60 thousand years ago. Dr. Wells’ researchers looked at how the continents were connected during this time period, then used this data in conjunction with the many DNA samples they have taken all over the world and matched everything together. What I like about this type of research is that Dr. Wells doesn’t work in a black box. He takes data from all different disciplines to come up with his theories. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? The different disciplines shouldn’t be independent of each other. In fact, they are interdependent of each other, which allows a thorough scientist to come to more complete conclusions about the history of mankind.

When the skeletons of Neanderthals were found, it was assumed that because of their skeletal similarities, they were our ancestors. However, recent Mitochondrial DNA has shown that they are “a distinct species and therefore an evolutionary dead end.” Neanderthals are not our ancestors, never have been.

In other words, scientists were wrong. Would the correct version of our hominoid history have happened if we had kept scientific disciplines separate, if we just looked at skeletons and make predictions within that small discipline? Probably not. We would most likely continue to grasp at theoretical straws and make wild guesses in a closed environment.

What’s most fascinating to me is that answers to human history exist in our DNA. Our Creator put these markers there for us to find, which reminds me that God always has a plan. He understands our need to know where we came from and where we are going.

But do we remember where we came from? Do we remember God? What would happen if we took all this scientific data and tried to match it with Biblical data? Though Dr. Wells states that Biblical people began much earlier, I wonder what would happen if we took Dr. Gerald Schroeder’s Hebrew understanding of the Bible and matched it with the Genographic Project. Hmmm…could be interesting!

Ice Age or Global Heat Wave?

2009-04-19T16:17:00.003-06:00

Happy Earth Day! Fox News and several other news agencies are reporting that Antarctic ice is actually growing, not shrinking. You would think this would be big news, right?

Well, there seems to be some discussion on this topic (see the linked blog for a good conversation between several individuals). Indications show that west side of the ice is melting while the east side is expanding. Scientists are in a funk.

I highly recommend you read the above blog and feel out what the people are saying. In the end, one person suggests that the reason that Antarctic ice is melting due to an underwater volcano that is heating it up. I guess that would be contrary to evidence that it’s global warming. The pro-global warming scientist who maintains the blog doesn’t respond to this suggestion and in the end, she admits that, “there is no clear temperature trend.” No temperature trend means that any evidence of global warming doesn’t come from the Antarctic.

Some scientists believe we’re going into another ice age and others warn us about global warming. My take? No scientist is considering that the earth is a living thing too. It is a changing and independent creature. All living things change; they do not remain static.

President Obama’s science adviser, John Holdren is so worried about global warming that he and others are considering “dire” options to combat global warming. They say geo-engineering techniques that include reflecting the sun’s rays by shooting artificial volcano particles up into the atmosphere would help stem the soaring greenhouse gases. However, other geo-techs remind us that volcanoes carry their own atmospheric issues.

What can we take away from all this discussion? We have a lot of chicken little’s and no trust in God. Are we so careless to think that God won’t take care of us? Do we think that God looks at us as just little ants and He cares so little about His creation that he’ll just sit and watch us flail? This is just another indication that our society has forgotten God…not the other way around.

What should we be asking? (1) Are we looking at the global warming/cooling problem from God's perspective or is it all about us? (2) Are we looking at the earth as a living creation or something we need to control?

The conclusion: either we trust God or we don't.

Come by next week when I discuss carbon footprints and leveling. Curious? Tell me what you think that topic will be about.

Happy Blessing of the Sun Day!

2009-04-08T15:44:00.002-06:00

Today has happened less than a dozen times in the history of man.

Today the sun appears in the sky in the same place as it did on the fourth day of creation according to Jewish tradition. Therefore, the Jewish community celebrates this day as the Blessing of the Sun. The Blessing of the Sun comes once every twenty-eight years. Therefore, this is an awesome day.

Today also begins the Jewish holiday of Passover. The Jewish community remembers the day that the Lord saved His people from Pharaoh and the Angel of Death. The Angel of Death passed over the land of Egypt where the Jewish people were enslaved, and saved the first born of all who had the blood of an unblemished lamb above their doorpost.

Christians recognize the sacrifice of the blood of an unblemished lamb as the Savior, Christ personified. Thus, tomorrow begins the most important four days of the Christian calendar; Holy Thursday, which commemorates the Lord’s Last Supper and the introduction of the Eucharist, and Good Friday, which ushers in the day that Jesus died on the cross. Easter Sunday fulfills the promise of Christ in His Resurrection, signifying that he opened the gates of Heaven that had been closed since Adam’s taste of the apple. To Christians, sacrifice and salvation cannot be separated. For Christians, this coming Sunday marks the Blessing of the Son.

So why has this day happened less than a dozen times? Only once in a thousand years does the Blessing of the Sun come on the same day as Passover. Today I celebrate the friendship between my lovely Jewish friend and myself.

Happy Passover, Dr. E. Thank you for your friendship and guidance. I thank the Lord above for you!

God and the Stars

2009-03-27T11:42:00.004-06:00

Have you ever wondered why we’re so enamored with the stars? Is it their light? Is it their distance? Their awesome size? What draws our gaze to them? Maybe it’s something supernatural…

What makes up a star? “…stars are big exploding balls of gas, mostly hydrogen and helium..." according to the Northwestern University website.

The periodic table shows us that a hydrogen atom has an atomic number of one and a helium atom has an atomic number of two. Added together bring the value to three—the number of persons in the Trinity.

Right now, we’re just scratching the surface. Let’s look deeper into these elements and atoms in general and see if there are any other mysteries to be found. “Atoms make up all the matter around us including ourselves… (atoms contain) three smaller particles…called subatomic particles.” (from the Green-Planet-Solar-Energy website) These subatomic particles include neutrons, protons and electrons, another Trinitarian symbol using three.

Neutrons are the largest and have no charge, while the protons are smaller with a positive charge. Electrons are the smallest and maintain a negative charge. “The protons and neutrons are clumped together in the middle of an atom and the electrons orbit around the outside.” (from the GPSE site) If you follow the link, you can see how the electrons orbit the neutrons and protons. The shape is a never-ending circle, symbolic of God as He was, He is, and will ever be.

The hydrogen atom itself mirrors our relationship with God in a number of ways. First, this element with the atomic number of one reflects our one God. Secondly, hydrogen also enjoys the unique position that it is the most abundant element in the universe and is present in water and in all organic compounds, reflecting that our God is present in His creation. What a wonderful thought for us!

How hot are the stars?

“Scientists think that the core of our Sun (relatively cool by scientific standards) is a 15 million degree Celsius plasma, a soup of electrons and protons that are stripped from hydrogen atoms. This ‘soup,’ called plasma, makes up 90 percent of the Sun. Every second, thousands of protons in the Sun's core collide with other protons to produce helium nuclei in a nuclear fusion reaction that releases energy. Just outside the core, energy moves outward by a process called radiation.” (Northwestern U.)

Symbolically our God is on fire for us. He sends us heat everyday that kisses our skin and all of earth’s creation, reminding us of His undying love.

Are we drawn by the Trinitarian nature in creation? Is that why we look up to the stars?

What a gift nature is for us! And in understanding more about creation, we learn more about our God. And when we learn more about our God, we begin to grasp His love and His great plans for us. Enjoy the wonder, feel the Love.

Natural Selection to Extinction

2009-03-17T20:22:00.003-06:00

“We are not long for this world. “ While this idiom is usually refers to a single person’s life, today I am speaking of our human species—and the culprit is not what you may think.

The topic of natural selection is usually reserved for classrooms and scientific debate between philosophers and scientists. However, I believe it’s time for us to recognize that among the concepts of nature that God created, natural selection is the one humanity is most abusing right now.

The concept of natural selection is part of the theory of evolution and is worth your time to investigate at biology-online.org. “The key thing to remember about evolution is that it favours more preferable genes in the gene pool, and over time, these preferable characteristics become more exclusive in the gene pool.”

If you follow the link and read more about the concept, you will come across the concept of non-random mating. I am putting in the following quote from that piece for you to read carefully.

“…non-random mating is also known as selective breeding, where the breakthroughs of Mendelian genetics have allowed us to predetermine what genes are present in offspring. As advantageous genes are desired by the breeder, some of the less 'popular' genes are lost due to this random mating, therefore decreasing genetic diversity.

It is important for a species to have a large gene pool, because in the event of danger, some alleles will allow the species to survive and reproduce to produce a larger and more variant gene pool. For example, an extremely contagious disease may threaten 99% of a species, though the remaining 1% may possess an allele that provides them with resistance to the disease. If this allele was not present in the population, then chances are the entire population would be wiped out.”

Today we see the effects of Mendelian genetics with regard to purebred dogs. Many of those dogs have different diseases because of in breeding. For example, Shelties typically have weak backs; other breeds have a predisposition to cancers or digestive problems.

If we look at the second paragraph, the author points out that “it is important for a species to have a large gene pool…for example, an extremely contagious disease may threaten 99% of a species, though the remaining 1% may possess an allele that provides them with resistance to the disease.”

Each year there are 1.2 million abortions just in the U.S. alone.

With 303,824,640 people in the U.S., that means that a little less than %1 of the population has been killed by abortion. While that number seems small, if we look at the concept of natural selection, what if that %1 is the percent that saves the human race?

Because these people are missing, their immune systems are missing in our gene pool. Their genes that contain the “allele” that allows the “species to survive and reproduce to produce a larger and more variant gene pool” are missing.

God put natural selection into place for our own survival, but through abortion, we have interfered with God’s plan for humanity. Have we humans put our own species at risk? Possible.

Do I think that pro-abortion advocates will listen to this scientific evidence? Probably not. If we review pro-abortion Camille Paglia’s statement from a few postings ago, we see that it is sheer selfishness that drives abortion, not science, not ethics and certainly not religion.

“Hence I have always frankly admitted that abortion is murder, the extermination of the powerless by the powerful. Liberals for the most part have shrunk from facing the ethical consequences of their embrace of abortion, which results in the annihilation of concrete individuals and not just clumps of insensate tissue.”

There are times when you can’t convince people of the truth, because they are not looking for it. It is in those times that you use the most powerful weapon you have…prayer.

Diseases of different kinds are on the rise here in the U.S. Everything from chronic breathing problems to digestive problems are becoming an everyday occurrence. We often ask why diseases are on the rise, but have we considered the idea that we’ve done it to ourselves?

There are consequences for every action, good and bad. Just something to think about.

Designer Children and Science

2009-03-09T21:26:00.005-06:00

So did you see last week’s news about the new posh L.A. fertility clinic? You can now determine such traits as eye color and hair color for your new little family addition. What could possibly be wrong with this?

I can think of a number of things, but the simplest is that this procedure builds off in-vitro fertilization in which multiple embryos are created just to get one to survive when implanted in the mother.

With this new procedure, once again we are toying with things we don’t fully understand and human life is disregarded. This process used by scientists also creates multiple embryos and screens them, changing individual genes (gene splicing) around until they get just the right blend. What happens to the other embryos that don’t make the grade? These children are discarded.

Besides the obvious life issues, there is one concern getting lost in our quest for control. Though we’ve “mapped” the human genome, we still do not know many things about how characteristics work across separate chromosomes. For example, if you change eye color (these genes actually exist across three different chromosomes), what effect will this change have on the rest of the chromosomes? We do not have a good grasp on how genes interact with each other. How do we know that changing that one “C” to a “G” won’t change this child’s brain chemistry down the road?

We don’t know. But scientists are willing to take these risks…with someone else’s kids. Why are we allowing them to get away with this? Why do we sit back and allow these types of procedures to happen?

We claim it's science so it’s okay. We claim it's science and since we don’t understand, we shouldn’t get involved. But it’s not okay, and if we don’t stand up and say something, who will? Is there a big ethics committee somewhere who will put the kibosh on this? If you are waiting for Congress, then you’re looking in the wrong place.

We must learn not to shy away from science topics. It is our responsibility to be informed and to act on our knowledge. That is what it means to be a good steward of this earth, of God’s creation. He gave us the awesome responsibility to “fill the earth and subdue it,” (Gen 1:28) but that didn’t include the right to abuse creation.

That is what we are doing. We are abusing our privileges as stewards of this earth. We worry about global warming and greenhouse gases, but those issues won’t mean a thing if we are not here because we’ve mucked around with our genes and killed off humanity. (Think I've gone too far? With these gene changes, what will happen when this child grows up and tries to have children?)

There is another scientific issue we haven’t even touched here. Natural selection. Have we thought about the effects gene tampering on this scientific phenomenon?

Come back next week to discuss natural selection with regard to gene splicing and a completely different topic that has influenced humanity's future.

Start at the Beginning

2009-03-02T14:15:00.009-07:00

Yes, it has been almost a month since my last posting. I’ve had so many thoughts going through my mind but I haven’t been able to put them into words. I decided that the only way I could put my thoughts down was to go back to the beginning…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John1:1)

God gave us language to communicate with each other and it is a pity that we’ve come so far with language, but have forgotten what it is about. In order to go back to the beginning, I needed to include language in my discussion.

The Old Testament was first written in Hebrew and true Hebrew is never taken lightly. According to author Rabbi Michael L. Munk, the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are everything. They keep the universe together. In his book, The Wisdom of the Hebrew Alphabet, Munk says, “ The twenty-two sacred letters are profound, primal spiritual forces. They are, in effect, the raw material of Creation.” (pg. 19)

Why is this important? If we are to have an honest discussion about science and faith, we must be true to the letters and the words that make up our thoughts.

There is currently no greater science discussion than that of the creation of the universe and of our world. Scientists postulate ideas like Big Bang and Evolution, while theologians consider the meaning of the creation story. As my pastor said yesterday, religion addresses why, while science addresses how. That implies that we are talking to each other on separate planes and will never meet.

Nowhere have I seen this more clearly demonstrated than a website that I ran across lately. AnswersInGenesis.org (AiG)is a website dedicated to debunking all science that does not lead to the Creationism theory. At first glance, I was interested to see what it said about the story of creation and the age of the earth. Although I know that radioactive dating has its issues, I don’t think it can be completely eliminated as author Mike Riddle suggests. Any and all theories are based on criteria and assumptions of our current knowledge. Yet, that is where we seem to get stuck in the primordial goo that is our human brain. For more on what this website says, follow the link.

As I was reading this webpage, I thought of another author that I so enjoy, Dr. Gerald Schroeder. His works include The Science of God and The Hidden Face of God. This physicist has many other titles, but the one I’ve continually come back to is the former, The Science of God. I love chapter 4, “The Six Days of Genesis.” It uses physics to show how the Creation Story fits with science’s version of the age of the earth.

I investigated further. I thought that maybe this website didn't know about Dr. Schroeder. Right?

A simple search actually gave me the answer to the contrary. So I read that article as well. Then I read another piece that asked the editors of the AiG website why they were so hostile to the ideas of Dr. Schroeder. Their only defense was to point to the physicist’s “gross misuse of Hebrew.”

So I sat back and asked myself the following question. Which version of the Bible is this Christian website using?

In order to find this answer I had to go back ALL the way to the beginning…

In the beginning of God’s creating (Gen1:1)...

“Wait!”, you say. That’s not what my version says. If not, then you are not using the authentic translation of the original Hebrew. And if you’re not using the original Hebrew, then THAT’S the “gross misuse of Hebrew!”

Why? Because there are entire volumes of philosophy written about the importance of those first words.

I could relay volumes to you, but that’s not what this blog is about. Instead, I’m going to give you a couple tidbits in which you can begin your own research.
BeReSHiYT BaRA ELoHiYM are the three words of Genesis in Hebrew. (I've taken these from my Jewish friend's Hebrew Bible, and it's English translation, Art Scroll TaNaCH - (Torah , Prophets, Writings - Mesorah Publications Ind. 1996)) I’ve capitalized the consonants and left the vowels lowercase. In Hebrew, each letter contains its own meaning, rich in symbolism and philosophy. Original Hebrew did not contain vowels and I wanted to show that to you. This will eliminate any discussion of the different Jewish philosophies as well (for those of you who do know Hebrew), since vowels can change the meaning of words.

BeReSHiYT—In the beginning of

B'RO—God’s creating

The first letter is B or Beit in Hebrew. It’s form is shown in the picture below. You can see open side on the left of the letter. According to Hebrew philosophy, this means to start with the declaration that God is the Creator, and humans cannot fully understand anything or everything before this. It is closed to us as humans.

In the end, what this says to me is that we can fight and argue about Creationism and Evolution, but we will never fully understand the process of Creation. The only thing that we can do is open ourselves to meaningful dialogue between science and faith and be eager to find what Truth remains in both. And most definitely we must start at the beginning.

Love and Gratitude

2009-02-09T14:02:00.004-07:00

It seems that our world today exists in a state of disharmony. Neighborhoods can’t get along, communities bully each other and governments oppress their people. Violence surrounds us in many aspects of our lives and even invades our homes when we turn on the television.

Violence comes in many forms too. There is loud destructive music, sirens that herald someone in peril, horns that sound as warnings to others, words spoken in anger and hate, and weapons that “bang” warning of death.

So how do we eliminate the disharmony of a violence that surrounds us? Is there hope for harmony on this planet we call home?

Dr. Masaru Emoto believes there is. He says the way to a harmony that swells and conquers the world is represented by the simple words, “Love and Gratitude”.

Dr. Emoto has spent his career testing water and photographing water crystals. He has come to believe that water holds the key to understanding and healing the Earth. He speaks a bit about God, but a great deal about the intricacies of exposing water to words and vibrations.

He uses a special microscope to photograph water crystals exposed to a variety of stimuli. For example, his biggest and most important realization came when he took photographs of water that had been exposed to the words, “Love” and “Gratitude” before it was frozen. The crystals were intricate and beautiful.

He then exposed water to the words, “Hate” and “Kill”. The resulting frozen water revealed no crystals at all. In fact, they were devoid of any shape. Their forms were chaotic at best.

Of course, Dr. Emoto expanded his research to include speaking in pleasant tones versus angry and ugly tones, exposure to classical music and violent heavy metal music, and many other stimuli. He used different types of water. Water from polluted lakes to pristine rivers, all gave different results. If you are interested in seeing some of these pictures, go to WellnessGood.com.

Dr. Emoto summarized his thoughts on the power of words in his book, The Hidden Messages in Water. He said, “The vibration of good words has a positive effect on our world, whereas the vibration from negative words has the power to destroy.” (pg xxv)

I think we can see this in many ways around us. Whether it is how we speak to our children, or make a passing remark to a stranger, words and tones make all the difference in the world. For Christians, we already know this in our hearts.
For Jews and Christians, water is symbolic in many ways. In the Old Testament, water is at the very heart of creation on the second day, Noah and his family experienced the flooding of the Earth and Moses parted the Red Sea. In the New Testament, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, his first miracle was to turn water into wine, he walked on water towards the apostles, and the soldier who pierced his side found blood and water. There is an identity that we must consider in a more serious way than Dr. Emoto presents.

We must internalize the teachings of our religion with the findings of science to produce an attitude that we know must exist for this world to continue. Together, science and faith sound the trumpet of truth that we cannot deny, love and gratitude must be our state of being.

Dr. Emoto expresses this thought in his book when he says, “Water has taught me the delicacy of the human soul, and the impact that “love and gratitude” can have on the world.” (pg xxvi)

In our hearts, we know this to be true. As humans, we have the responsibility to carry this burden as part of our stewardship of the earth. Dr. Emoto agrees as he points out that humans are the only creatures who have the extreme variations in tones and voices. “Humans are the only creatures that have the capacity to resonate with all other creatures and objects found in nature. We can speak with all that exists in the universe. We can give out energy and also receive energy in return. However, this ability is a two edged sword. When people act out only on their own greed, they emit an energy that serves to destroy the harmony within nature.” (pg 51)
In the book of Genesis, God spoke to Adam and Eve and said, “Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth.” (Gen 1:28)

What an awesome responsibility God gave us! To give dominion doesn’t mean to destroy it, but to nurture it.

What we say and do has an effect on everything around us. It is no longer acceptable to say that we live in a bubble. We do not. What we say affects those around us, which in turn relates to what they say to others. Our actions in either denying or nurturing life will directly affect the state of the earth and those who inhabit it. Actions are never just done to one person; they spread out to others.
Living in a pool of fear and greed leads to stagnation and death. Living in an ocean of love and gratitude escorts us to unlimited life. Which would you prefer?

(The crystal image is from the same link as above, it is water from Sanbu-ichi Yusui Spring.)

Hope versus Fear

2009-01-24T22:13:00.006-07:00

I’ve had a hard time this week dealing with our new president’s first actions in office. With the stroke of his pen, President Obama ushered in the use of federal funds for abortions in other countries. So now our tax money, like it or not, goes toward women across the world killing the life that is within them.

For a long time I grappled with what science and faith topic I could elaborate on that might explain why abortion really is murder. In my previous blogs, I’ve talked about the fact that a person has all the DNA they’ll need to become a unique individual from the time of conception. This is a scientific fact. It has absolutely nothing to do with religion. I even used the Scientific Method to discuss whether the preborn child is human. See: http://lorettaoakes.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html

In today’s society, there is no excuse for ignorance on this subject. The plethora of information on the formation of the fetus from conception to birth is all over the internet, churches, and science books. So what’s the real problem?

Fear.

The Webster Dictionary describes fear as:
To feel a painful apprehension of; to be afraid of; to consider or expect with emotion of alarm or solicitude.
http://www.webster-dictionary.net/definition/fear

So why do I say the real problem with abortion is fear?

The hard-core feminists who push abortion as a right are truly fearful. They fear that if the abortion debate is removed, they will have no platform on which to exist. There will be no reason for feminists to exist if the topic of abortion is obsolete. It isn’t that they don’t understand that the fetus growing inside a mother’s womb isn’t human. They do! It’s that if they admit that abortion is wrong, no other feminist arguments exist. They are afraid that their reason to exist will cease to exist.

Let’s look at something feminist Camille Paglia recently stated in Salon.

“But the pro-life position, whether or not it is based on religious orthodoxy, is more ethically highly evolved than my own tenet of unconstrained access to abortion on demand. My argument (as in my first book, "Sexual Personae,") has always been that nature has a master plan pushing every species toward procreation and that it is our right and even obligation as rational human beings to defy nature's fascism. Nature herself is a mass murderer, making casual, cruel experiments and condemning 10,000 to die so that one more fit will live and thrive.

Hence I have always frankly admitted that abortion is murder, the extermination of the powerless by the powerful. Liberals for the most part have shrunk from facing the ethical consequences of their embrace of abortion, which results in the annihilation of concrete individuals and not just clumps of insensate tissue. The state in my view has no authority whatever to intervene in the biological processes of any woman's body, which nature has implanted there before birth and hence before that woman's entrance into society and citizenship.”

http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/09/10/palin/index3.html

Here is a grown educated feminist actually stating that abortion is murder.
So what are we supposed to take away from this? Two things: People know abortion is wrong, and people believe they are in control.

Even though people know abortion is wrong, they are fearful of losing what they perceive to be a freedom: the freedom to do what they want with their bodies. Ms. Paglia loses rational thought when she says that a baby is the mother’s biological process. The developing child has its own biological processes. Even from conception, that child sends its own personal messages to the mother’s body in the form of lymphocytes and later stem cells. Literally the two are mingled. For more info see:
http://lorettaoakes.blogspot.com/2008/04/inheriting-traits-from-our-children.html

If two humans are mingled together, where does one leave off and the other begin? An abortionist may scrape the developing child from a mother’s womb, but does he go in remove all the stem cells that baby has given her mother? No, and what Ms. Paglia has failed to comprehend is how that mother has and will continue to grieve that loss emotionally, spiritually and physically. That child is forever a part of her—literally! No amount of scraping will take that away.

The feminist argument is based on a false hope: the hope that a woman maintains her own life—that she’s in control. No one is control of his or her life, we all live on borrowed time.

Fear drives control. Yet control is a façade. It doesn’t matter if you are an atheist as Ms. Paglia, or a devout Christian, we all have to admit that sooner or later we are not in control—even of our own lives. Yet that is what drives feminism. Control. Therefore, to admit a lack of control would mean they would have to change their mantra. It would leave them with nothing left to grasp, but the unimaginable. God.

Letting go is feminism’s Achilles heel.

That’s what makes this last week so sad. Signing the agreement to allow money to flow to other countries for abortion only fuels the façade of control. While President Barack Obama’s campaign ran on tag line, “Hope”, really all he fueled this week was the continuation of fear. And when we live in fear, we have lost hope.

(Thank you to my dear friend, Jane, who guided my thoughts for this post.)

Below is a link to an interesting way to talk to people about abortion. I hope you will follow up on it.

http://listen.family.org/miscdaily/A000001766.cfm

Blessings in Review

2009-01-12T14:35:00.002-07:00

We’ve made it through the holidays! I hope your Christmas season was truly blessed with quiet moments of divine reflection and a hope for the future.

It has been a rollercoaster for me. Emotions from the extreme joy with our kids during Christmas, to the emotion of sheer sadness at learning that one of my dear friends is battling a type of bone marrow cancer, have taken me to both extremes. Some days it’s left me speechless, some days I’ve cried. During the holidays, another dear friend’s husband was in a motorcycle accident. He is still struggling to recover.

All of these things really played havoc on my mind as I tried to focus on the season. Then a mixed blessing happened. A friend of mine dealing with dystonia (an early form of Parkinson’s) asked me why it had to happen to her. She is Jewish in her traditional thinking , but she is not a practicing Jew. Therefore she has a different concept of salvation.

I sat down with her and we talked for a long time. I don’t know that I was able to help her much, except to listen and share my faith with her, but she helped me a great deal. I realized what a great blessing my Christian heritage provides. It gives me hope, day after day. I know that this life is not the end of everything. I know that God has created me in His image and that I will have eternal life. I know that God’s own Son, came down from heaven, lived a human life and opened the gates of heaven all to enter. I realized just how vast my God is.

After considering this, I heard a song that mentioned the following (if anyone knows the author, please help me out): “my God is not the sun or the moon, but the One who created them; my God is not the earth and what it provides, but the One who created it.” I’ve paraphrased here, but the theme is what is important.

Each day heralds a unique sunrise and sunset. Everyday provides me with a new opportunity to do better than the day before. I can assess my actions, make improvements and do things better. Each day is a blessing rich with time with my kids, my husband and my family.

I may be rushing around like a chicken with my head cut off being taxi-mom or whatever, but I’m rushing around with my kids, having pleasant conversations and sharing each other’s company. I’m having just a few quiet moments with my husband, laughing and talking about the day’s events.

I’m praying very hard for my friends and their trials, and I hope you will too. But in the end, I hope you will see what a gift time is for us all. One of my favorite quotes comes from Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, when Gandalf says to Frodo, “That is not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

I hope you will share some time with me this year as I explore new and interesting topics of creation and how the Lord is ever present in our lives. I look forward to a new year full of surprises, good and bad, and I look forward to having fun on this rollercoaster of life. Thanks for spending a few moments with me.

2008-12-22T11:05:00.005-07:00

Originally, I was going to blog on the historical significance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and it’s meaning not just for Catholics, but all Christians, all people of the Americas. But life caught up with me.

I had also promised that I would talk about the significance of the star that shown over Bethlehem, but again everyday life interrupted that thought as well.

As I reflected further on the topic of my blog, I realized what interested me most was something that encompassed both celestial stars and miraculous appearances. From here on earth, in our little corner of the universe, what strikes me is that we are important enough to warrant the ability to see stars from other galaxies as well as receive visits from heavenly guests.

For the most part, viewing stars and heavenly figures requires the human sense of sight.

We create powerful telescopes to view fiery balls in far away universes and run thousands of tests to find out more about our own sun. Scientists spend entire lifetimes dedicated to determining the future of our galaxies.

What about heavenly figures? Can we determine when they will appear? The wise men knew to follow the star, but they could not predict where it would appear or exactly where the new king would be born.

It seems that our sight is limited. Are we bound to the sense of sight or do we possess more?

We hold in the depths of our hearts a treasure that goes far beyond the physical. Truly, our spiritual soul makes us tick. While we are driven to understand the cosmic aspects of our universe, that knowledge won’t make or break us. However, failing to understand the inner workings of our souls will.

When Jesus came to earth, what did he teach? Did he spend his time discussing celestial stars and how they work? No, he was occupied with teaching us how to save our souls. He spoke truths about humanity that we still grapple with today. Time after time, he tried to explain that God’s love was more important than any physical aspect we could see, touch, feel, smell or taste with our senses.

Yet today, what makes the news… scientific findings or how many souls have been saved?

We’re still focused on the physical aspects of this universe and not the spiritual. Just last week, we heard from scientists that the earth’s magnetosphere works completely differently than they first postulated. “Scientists have found two large leaks in Earth's magnetosphere, the region around our planet that shields us from severe solar storms.” http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,468268,00.html

Does this surprise anyone? Even when we think we know something, we don’t! In our continuous quest to be “like God”, “Masters of our own Universe”, we fail. But we keep trying.

Why don’t we put as much time into the quest of salvation as we do the quest for knowledge? We haven’t changed much from Adam and Eve, have we?

OH!!! But that is the Good News! We have. We have received salvation from a babe born in Bethlehem so long ago. This second Adam came to give us what we desire; he quenched the thirst of spiritual dehydration. And it is a condition that all humanity suffers, no matter what mouths profess.

It comes down to this: the ability to believe.

What will you believe? Will you believe in scientists whose findings constantly change or will you believe in the spiritual force that drives every human being? Will you be viewing life from a telescope? Or will you be viewing life from the depths of your soul?

Merry Christmas!

(The picture above is a NASA photo of solar flare taken by the TRACE space probe in 2005. But I prefer to think of it as my soul on fire for the Lord!)

The Burden of Divine DNA

2008-12-07T21:14:00.002-07:00

"…The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)

We read this story every Christmas. In our faith, we know that Jesus came down from heaven and became human for our sake. So who were Jesus' parents?

Our Christian faith tells us that Jesus had a human mother, a virgin named Mary. Luke tells us this in his story of when the angel, Gabriel visited Mary. In Hebrew tradition, when the Old Testament uses this terminology, the author refers to a man and woman coming together to produce a child.

Here we see that Luke says that Jesus' father is indeed our "Most High". In essence, this means that the two parents of Jesus were Mary, his human mother, and God, His Heavenly Father.

The implications of this for DNA are very interesting. As humans, in our human nature, we know there are imperfections with regard to our DNA. But with the "DNA of God", there would be no imperfections, if indeed there were such a thing. In studying biochemistry, we learn that a child’s DNA comes from both the mother and the father. Did Jesus have Mary’s DNA only, or was half his set divine DNA?

Once we ask this question, many more come to mind. If Jesus did indeed have a divine DNA piece, is this DNA in fact what allowed him to see things from his Father’s point of view? Is this why he was able to readily perform miracles and read people’s souls? Do we consider the distress Jesus’ soul felt constantly saying no to sin in his humanness?

Can you imagine the torment you would have knowing that you are contained in a human body and feel all the pain, the mental and physical suffering, yet you do not take yourself down from the cross? You allow the human side of you to face the anguish of knowing that your body will die and it doesn’t have to. That is truly what it means to do the will of the Father…to deny yourself and instead life yourself up as a sacrifice for the salvation of human souls. It was a decision Jesus made.

Jesus Christ took on the form of a human being. He constrained himself to the human form and all its limitations. He knew before he said “yes” to the Father, what his humanness would entail and yet Jesus still took on the weight of our sins.

I discovered the following link while I was researching something else. It is an interested treatise on Mary’s role in Jesus’ life. I hope you’ll find it compelling as well.

http://www.pjpiisoe.org/pamphlets/176US.pdf

Next week, I’ll touch on the subject of the star above Bethlehem and the meaning of the angels singing at the birth of the Savior.

I Love You This Much!

2008-11-21T14:07:00.005-07:00

Dear Child of Mine:

Do you know how much I love you?

Do you know how the light refracts off a simple red rose and into your retina to give you that vibrant color you see? Do you know how many neurons fire when you smell and taste your favorite food?

I love you that much.

Do you know that 7.5x10(24) molecules are in that glass of water you drink? Water nourishes your body, it hydrates your cells, but I can hydrate your soul. I can hold all those molecules, but I want to hold you.

I love you that much.

Do you know that Mount Everest is 29028 feet high and the oceanic Mariana Trench is 36090 feet deep?

That means just on earth the difference between the highest peak and the deepest oceanic trench is 12.33 miles. Can your arms stretch out that far? Mine can.

I love you that much.

Do you know how far light travels from the sun to kiss your skin here on earth? Do you look up at night and wonder how far away that twinkling star is?

I love you that much.

I love you so much that I sent my son to stretch out his arms high on the cross, just for you. The soldiers pulled so hard they dislocated those arms, and Jesus endured that just for you.

I am God of the universe. My love stretches to infinity. My arms stretch to infinity. So what do you think will happen if you allow me to love you? My arms will encompass you as nothing else can. You will feel the warmth of the sun, the hydration of your soul, the vibrant colors of all creation, the love that stretches its arms to infinity.

That’s how much I love you.

When Does Life Stop?

2008-11-13T10:32:00.002-07:00

At last!!! We reach the final step in our “Scientific Method”…the conclusion. There are plenty of you who thought last week’s “experiment” was a little different, but I hope it made a point.

So what is our conclusion? In our first couple of steps, we asked the question: “Given the scientific data of what it means to be human, does the pre-born child qualify as a human being?”

If we look at our observation, hypothesis, experiment, etc., we see that a new human being begins when the egg and sperm meet. We find our pre-born child is human because its unique blueprint, its DNA, is intact at the moment of conception. We also find that it is a distinct life form, not the mother’s body, but it’s own.

A new acquaintance of mine, Dr. Kevin Langford, the Director of the Pre-Health Professional Program at SFASU, agrees with me. However, his statement goes even further and is much more provocative. In a recent email, he said,

God initiated life at the “Creation” and life has continued unabated ever since that moment. My work with cells has also shown me that cells (the basic unit of life by scientific definition) are in fact, “ALIVE”. That would most certainly include a sperm and an egg. If either of those cells is rendered non-viable, there will be no fertilization, and no offspring. So, the argument of when life begins isn’t one in which I even consider. By the time there is a fertilized egg inside of a mother’s uterus, the discussion of when life “begins” is rather a moot point. Personally, I feel a better more thought provoking question would be, “when did it stop?”

Very powerful!

So why does abortion exist?

The entire pro-choice movement is predicated on the following statement, “A woman has a right to do with her own body as she sees fit.”

Thomas Jefferson penned in the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/

If we use this statement in conjunction with the United States Constitution then a woman does have the right to do as she sees fit to her body.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.preamble.html

However, we must note something very important. If a woman is pregnant, then the life within her body is a separate person. “All men are created equal…” The rub is that she shouldn’t have the right to end that life just because it exists inside her body. The argument that a woman has a right to do what she wants with her body becomes illogical and moot if another person is harmed in the process of a woman considering only her body.

The heart of the matter is something that we’ve grown to accept in this country and in modern society in general. We are horribly inconvenienced by others. We are even inconvenienced by ourselves.

I recently saw an ad for a woman’s contraceptive whose whole ad campaign was: pre-menstrual symptoms can “impact your life.” Duh! (Very unprofessional, but nevertheless it fit here.)

We want convenience at any cost. We have become a society that sees our own personal needs as the most important aspect of our existence. Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and others recognize the fact that sacrifice (for others) becomes a benefit for society as a whole. Although these religions state this ideology, members of those faiths are many times oblivious to what their traditions teach.

From time to time, I’ve mentioned Amendment 48 here in Colorado. Many people have asked why Amendment 48 in Colorado failed and why similar amendments around the country failed.

Socialism, communism, and fascism have won. We no longer know or understand what our Christian, Jewish, or Hindu roots teach. We have lost respect for the individual completely. We have become so numbed down that we don’t even know what we should believe.

With this numbing down, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out why we can differentiate a woman’s body from a child’s body. It’s no doubt that we call it a “woman’s right”. It’s no doubt that we can’t seem to agree on when human life begins. If it’s all about us, then how can we possibly see what’s outside of us?

The funny thing is science knows when life begins. If it didn’t, it would be interested in embryonic stem cells or in-vitro fertilization. Science knows when life begins. Deep down we do too. It’s just become inconvenient for us to be stewards of life. So when Dr. Langford says, “the thought provoking question is when did it (life) stop?” I think we’ll find that the only place life stops is in our minds when we refuse to see past ourselves.

"The Experiment"

2008-11-02T15:05:00.004-07:00

For the last several weeks, we’ve been using the Scientific Method to talk about the pre-born child. I’ve received a couple of emails on this topic. One thanked me for covering such a topic and the other asked why bother. “Why is such a topic important?”

I’ll address that question at the end of this posting, but I’d like to continue my original theme first. This week’s posting deals with the fourth aspect of the Scientific Method called the Experiment. It tests the hypothesis. In our case, we are testing the following TOPIC (or question): "Given the scientific data of what it means to be human, does the pre-born child qualify as a human being?"

According to the scientific method website
http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/scientific_method.html , the experiment “is the most important part of the scientific method. It’s the logical process that lets scientists learn about the world.”

(I don’t know about you, but I don’t think you are required to have a degree in science to learn about the world.)

We know that DNA exists for each individual from the moment the first cell is created from the sperm and the egg. For nine months, that individual grows and matures inside the mother’s womb without the world “looking in.”

So what’s our experiment? So many experiments out there touch on human life. Which one do we choose?

I’ve actually chosen something completely different. Why rehash all the old arguments?

Therefore, my experiment is an exercise for our imagination and logic skills.

Let’s say that the human race is visited by an alien race whose technology includes reducing all human life to its basic individual signature. In one instant, we are all turned to dust, but our DNA still exists in that dust. Going along their merry destructive way, that alien race continues through the galaxy.

Later, another more peaceful alien group, determined to undo the damage caused by the first alien race, visits earth. They have a method they use to “reconstitute” the DNA back into a living being. Based on individual DNA they go about undoing the destruction, giving humans back their bodies.

Question: If the alien’s method relies on DNA, will they be unable to reconstitute the pre-born child?

Since that child had its own DNA, it is reconstituted as its own life form. Why not? Everything that defined that person existed from time the first cell came into being.

As human beings, we are very short sided. We claim that because the pre-born child isn’t “fully formed”, it is not human, but that is incorrect by all scientific standards. Its DNA identifies it as human, not the maturity of its lungs, heart, brain or any other organ.

Our society has taken the “don’t see, don’t believe” stance. In other words, because we don’t “see” the life outside the mother’s womb, we as a society think we have domination over it.
Not only is this a fallacy, but it reeks of an elitist attitude that is selfish beyond the core. We did not choose our own life; it was a gift. We have no right to “choose” life for another—that is also a gift.

So back to the email I received that asked the question on why I would view the pre-born life a discussion worth “the time of day.” The very basic value of life is under discussion right now.

Amendment 48 makes that clear. Do we have a right to take another’s life simply because they cannot voice their opinion? No. As soon as that line is blurred, we will move on to the next line. Can an infant defend itself outside the womb? No. Then it has no right to life. Can an elderly person defend himself? No, then he is not needed. Can physically or mentally challenged people defend themselves? No, then they need to make room for those who can.

The list will never stop, the lines blurred forever.

We have a “no tolerance” bullying policy in our schools, so why can’t we have a “no bullying” policy on those who cannot defend themselves in life?

The Steps to Life

2008-10-22T13:49:00.009-06:00

As I mentioned last week, this week’s blog is going to focus on the next aspect of the Scientific Method, hypothesis. The third step is prediction. Because hypothesis and prediction go hand in hand, I’m including prediction in this post as well.

But first, let’s remind ourselves what the word science means. The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge. (http://sciencemadesimple.com/science-definition.html)

Do we have an understanding of what “knowledge” means?

a(1): the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2): acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique b (1): the fact or condition of being aware of something (2): the range of one's information or understanding c: the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning ; d: the fact or condition of having information or of being learned (a person of unusual knowledge) ( http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knowledge )

Why do I go to such lengths to define the terminology that we are using? Sometimes we take for granted words that we use every day without considering the impact those words have or really mean. The words from the definition that stick out in my mind are: familiarity, understanding, being aware of something, and circumstance or condition of apprehending truth. Remember these, they will come in handy later.

Okay, so now we’re ready to tackle the second step of the Scientific Method. Our first resource, “Science Made Simple,” says the following about hypothesis. This word basically means "a possible solution to a problem, based on knowledge and research." The hypothesis is a simple statement that defines what you think the outcome of your experiment will be. (http://sciencemadesimple.com/scientific_method.html#HYPOTHESIS)

In other words, the hypothesis is a single question complemented by a simple answer that proposes a solution to your original question or consideration. Our experiment will be based on whatever we define our hypothesis to be.

With our topic in mind, my hypothesis will be:

TOPIC (or question): “Given the scientific data of what it means to be human, does the pre-born child qualify as a human being?”
OBSERVATION: I believe that the pre-born child does qualify as a human being because:
(1) From the moment of conception, every piece of information that a person needs to be human is contained in the dividing cells of that embryo (zygote).
(2) Through informal, exploratory observations, the growth of the human embryo always results in a human being.

The third step in the Scientific Method, prediction, is the part of the method that allows you to “get specific -- how will you demonstrate that you hypothesis is true?” (http://sciencemadesimple.com/scientific_method.html#PREDICTION)

Let’s use these definitions to work our way through the second and third steps of the Scientific Method for the pre-born child.

Through the diligent research of Crick and Watson, we know that every living thing has DNA and that DNA is unique to each particular life form (We know that the DNA of a fruit fly is separate and unique to the DNA of a human. While chimpanzees, orangutans, and gorillas most closely “relate” to human through DNA (chromosomal mapping is similar in specific areas, but humans have 23 chromosomes), human DNA is still unique.

What is even more mind-boggling is the fact that each human’s DNA is unique to them. So for example, even though both Tom and Judy have human DNA, their particular genes are unique to them. Each and every person contains their own genes within their 23 pairs of chromosomes that make up their DNA. We know from familiarity that is true. We observe other humans on a daily basis. We see that even though siblings are related, they are still their own unique individuals. This leads me to the understanding that every human is unique and should be given respect that human life demands.

Our next step is to tackle the informal observations part of the hypothesis. This is rather easy. For example, the growth of the human embryo always results in a human being. We are aware that when a human female is pregnant, she will always give birth to either a male or female human being. Our being aware of something is that we (from the time that we are small) are not worried that our mother is having a puppy or a kitten, but a human being. This is also the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth.

Now that I have the observations set, it is relatively simple to come up with the following prediction.

Using DNA as evidence, the pre-born child is a human being.

Pretty fun, huh?

Next week, we get into some interesting thoughts with the next step of the Scientific Method, the experiment. Until then, consider how you might approach such an experiment.

Thanks for tuning in!