Imbalance

This video is the heart of what I tried to express in a previous post.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.  - Jesus  (Matthew 22:36-40)

Matthew 22:37-39. It's the least I can do!

December 11th, Kempsville Rec Center Theater, volunteers to help serve cake and hand out groceries to the Christmas program participants and their families. Bill and I will be inviting our youth to take part in serving that night. If you might be interested in helping on this night (or on future outreaches,) message me! This is with Reaching Our Communities (ROC/Sidewalk Celebration) a local organization that's mission statement is to "empower underprivileged young people through programs and services in such a way that they are motivated to break molds of poverty and to rise to be leaders in their families, neighborhoods, communities and world." http://reachingourcommunities.com/

Political Fashion

Okay, Sarah Palin for Vice Presential pick - but her glasses, in demand as a hot new fashion accessory? Definitely didn't see that one coming!

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/fashion/272941/sarah-palin-s-glasses-are-style-hit.html

What's Wrong With This Picture? Just Do the Right Thing!

Late last week at work, I realized that we go through a LOT of paper and found out that since we were a small company, no one had yet thought about implementing a recycling plan, or at least moved on it.  So I decided to begin a recycling station by my desk.  In four days, we accumulated about 30 lbs. of recyclables.  I called the nearest recycling center (located a few buildings away from us, on the same street) asking if I could just haul the small hill over myself...

"Hmm... oh, well, I'm so sorry, but we can only accept it if you have an account with us."

"Well, I just want to drop off a small stack of recyclable items, and since we're right down the road, I'll just bring it over there myself."  

"Riiight.  Well, unfortunately, I don't see your company's name in the system, so we won't be able to accept your items."

"..."

"Oh, okay, you all don't actually do any recycling on the site, you all just do the pick up?"

"Oh, no no, we actually do recycling here onsite."

"..."

"Ok.  I just want to do the right thing and drop these off somewhere for recycling before my boss decides to put it in the garbage."

"Awwwwe, right, I understand, but unfortunately unless we establish an account with you, we won't be able to take it."

"Hm.  Okay, thanks."

So I brought it all home so that I can recycle in my own bin.  

Pain Throws Your Heart to the Ground, Love Turns the Whole Thing Around.

My heart is heavy right now.  I don't ever remember feeling this heavy about ... the state of humanity.  I broke down at work earlier today, thankfully I was only one of two people in the office, so it was easy for me to hide my face.  

WHO are we to demand first in line service by "don't you know who I am" tones because some blades of grass in my lawn are losing life and turning brown?  As long as my interests are served in the time that I feel they should be served, then you won't meet my nasty side.  "This IS an EMERGENCY.  My GRASS is DYING."  Emergency?!?  There are people starving and dying all over the world; children are being exploited, aborted and abused.  THIS, my friend, is THE emergency.  

WHO do we think we are?  That we can let a woman collapse in an emergency room, right before our eyes, and leave her there to convulse and struggling to hold on to her life - with no one holding on to her?  We sit and pretend that nothing is happening just to try and "mind our own business" until it is too late.  So, we accomplished our minding of our own business after her last heart beat.  

OUR time is too precious to have to THINK ahead to the consequences of leaving our babies in vehicles that become like high heat ovens - which we would never dare to think of sitting in ourselves for more than 20 seconds.

WHO are we, church, to place limits on God and completely abandon the thought that any revival could be legitimate because of the outrageous ways in which people were healed?  Absolutely, we can't always quickly believe what is presented to us (as we learn that we must test the spirits in 1 John 4:1-7.)  But please, we need to find the truth of it by the very Truth of Scripture and by the Spirit which guides us into truth.  All throughout scripture, God healed.  Jesus had a healing ministry!  The apostles were used in healing.  Their handkerchiefs, aprons and shadows were used.  I'm reminded of John 9, when Jesus spit in the dirt, made mud for the blind man's eyes unto healing.  Jesus not only physically healed, but he rebuked and set people free from demons.  Even then, the scripture mentions that not every sign was even recorded in the book!  

Acts 19 talks about the many signs and wonders which the apostles performed and that many many more men and women were added to their number.  We need to see the PURPOSE of TRUE healing and signs and wonders of God - supernatural - to testify to the Word, to point to the Father, for salvation (John 14:11-14, 20:30-31, Hebrews 2:2-4.)  In John 14, Jesus says we will be doing these wonders that He did, and even greater than these - can we even imagine?  Verse 13, Jesus says, And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  That's the end of it.  It is all for the Glory of the Father.  If your true hearts desire is that many would see and fear and put their trust in God, then why are so many, even especially in the church so easily put off by the possibility of signs and wonders happening today??  

It has become more and more painful for me to think about our society, our generation... the importance that our culture is placing on SELF.  Our own happiness and gain is the most important thing, and to the world, this is truth and this is good.  Obey your thirst. How selfish.  I am so selfish.  I am so scared of becoming like the Pharisee.  A haughty, outward appearance of justice and keeping the law.  But forgetting the Father's heart... to seek and to save the Lost.  To set the captives free.  To share food with the hungry, to provide shelter for the poor.  To clothe the naked, to stop oppression and break every yoke.  Not to condemn healing because it is done at an off time, in a weird manner.  Forget the fact that this healing opened his eyes and revealed the Truth of  a loving and compassionate Lord, Friend, Brother, Savior  and transformed his life forever.  We pray for revival and immediately, without going back to the Word, chalk it up to a circus, or a cult when uncomfortable, not so natural things are happening.  So then what?  What would you consider a revival in our land?

Lord Help us.  Bring your Truth.  What can I do?  Lead us by the Spirit of Truth.  Open our eyes.  Break our hearts.  Bring us to pray.  Travailing in prayer.  Above all else, may you be glorified.  Jesus, let your name be lifted up.  Use us to change lives Lord.  Not for anything else but to point to You.  You are the Truth the Life.  I so need you Lord.  Break my selfishness.  Fill me with compassion.  Increase my faith.  My hope is in You!

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord

O Lord, hear my voice.

Let your ears be attentive

to my cry for mercy.

If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins,

O Lord, who could stand?

But with you there is forgiveness;

therefore you are feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord

more than watchmen wait for the morning,

more than watchmen wait for the morning.

O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,

for with the Lord is unfailing love

and with him is full redemption.

He himself will redeem Israel

from all their sins.

Dreams in Technicolor.

A long time dream of mine has been to finally be able to acquire a Macbook Pro. I never thought I would ever need to append to this dream ... until I found this: www.colorwarepc.com.

Basically, you can send in any of your favorite tech gadgets, from ipods and Blackberrys to your Nintendo Wii to have them color customized (for a 'small' fee, small meaning $450.) When you go to the website, use the search at the top to play with your gadget and the 30+ colors in their design studio. It is AMAZING. Pricey, but AMAZING. And fun to dream with.  If I wanted to, I could send in my iMac!  Not sure if I want to change it's current, oh so gorgeous aluminum face, though.

I would like one, please? Amen.

Benjamin Franklin and My Response

A comment on my previous blog, re: Chuck Colson's article bringing the truth to the myths (some outright lies) about Ben Stein's upcoming movie, "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed".

You Said (in italics):


Arianne,

Don't believe everything Chuck Colson says

The Claim
“Intelligent design was being suppressed in a systematic and ruthless fashion” (Ben Stein, Expelled).

The Facts
Intelligent design has not produced any research to suppress. When prominent ID proponent Michael Behe was asked about his research, and why “you don’t do those tests?” he responded, “I myself would prefer to spend time in what I would consider to be more fruitful endeavors.” If even proponents of ID do not think it is a fruitful enterprise, why should the scientific community take any interest in it?

I saw the trial transcript where he is quoted to say he would prefer to spend his time in what he would consider more fruitful endeavors. You have to take into consideration what he said prior to that answer that he would think that someone who thought an idea was incorrect (ie. ID) would be motivated to try and falsify the idea... and then the rest of his answer, that, "hypothesis of design is tested in a way that is different from a Darwinian hypotheses. The test has to be specific to the hypothesis itself, and as I have argued, an inductive hypothesis is argued or is supported by induction, by example after example of things we see that fit this induction."


You Said:

Intelligent design is scientifically unproductive, and this perhaps explains why scientists like Guillermo Gonzalez and Michael Behe publish far fewer papers after they become attracted to intelligent design. Ultimately, intelligent design’s lack of success in science departments is the fault of the flawed and unscientific nature of intelligent design itself, not the result of bias in the scientific community.

First here are a couple of quotes by Darwin, himself.

1. "If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed which could not possibly have been formed by numerous successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down." - Origin of Species

2. "The case at present (problems presented by the fossil record) must remain inexplicable; and may be truly urged as a valid argument against the views here entertained." - The Origin of Species

And here are two other interesting quotes, the first by Dawkins and the second by Francis Crick:

"Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose."

"Biologists must constantly keep in mind that what they see was not designed, but rather evolved."

I don't think the issue here is that ID is "scientifically unproductive", it seems rather, that the work in trying to prove it false is actually what comes up short. Darwin discusses his thoughts on the function of the human eye and of the structure of the peacock's feathers in his correspondence with Asa Gray 1960. I wonder, what if Darwin were still around today? He was imaginative and brilliant in his theories, but what would his final say be after "new" evidence for design, i.e. irreducible complexity? And if most of what would prove evolution is simply time to find the evidence for it... more than 120 years after Darwin, shouldn't we have more fossil evidence for all that is required for speciation? Do we now have more or less support for his evolutionary theories?

I don't think that saying that Behe and Guillermo not producing any more papers after being attracted to design is evidence for ID's "lack of success". Is it possible that the scrutiny and negative criticism (and not to mention the seeming consequences) from evolutionists has slowed down their further research or writings? And which ID proponent ever said that design was "unscientific"? Irreducible complexity, unscientific? I think that is super contrary!


You said:

The issue is not the suppression of ID, but the lack of warrant for its scientific claims. And ultimately, ID has an uphill struggle to demonstrate that it is, indeed, science.

I think that even within scientific circles, if we are honest, it is evolution that is lacking in it's scientific claims, and also is the one which should be having the uphill struggle to demonstrate its truth as science. "Punctuated Equilibrium" was offered by evolutionist Gould as somewhat of a band-aid for the lack of evidence in the fossil record. And of course well known icons of evolution which are introduced to kids in public schools as more truth than theory (I was one of those kids...) are all innacurate or outdated. The theory of "directed panspermia" was offered by Crick because of the evidence exposing spontaneous generation as implausible.


You Said:

The fundamental problem with intelligent design as science is that intelligent design claims cannot be tested. Scientific testing requires that there be some set of phenomena which are incompatible with your idea. No observation could possibly be incompatible with a claim that an “intelligent agent” (whom everyone recognizes as God) acted to, say, introduce information into a system. Untestable claims are not scientific claims. Regardless of their attractiveness as religious ideas (although many people of faith strongly reject intelligent design) intelligent design has not passed muster as science.


Physicist David Bohm referred to science as "the pursuit of truth, no matter where it leads."

"Science is the search for truth - it is not a game in which one tries to beat his opponent, to do harm to others. We need to have the spirit of science in international affairs, to make the conduct of international affairs the effort to find the right solution, the just solution of international problems, not the effort by each nation to get the better of other nations, to do harm to them when it is possible." -Linus Pauling, winner of two Nobel prizes.

"Science and lies cannot co-exist. You don't have a scientific lie, and you cannot lie scientifically. Science is basically the search of truth." Bruce Alberts, current President of the U. S. National Academy of Sciences.

If we were true and honestly wanting the good of the study of science for all man kind, then we would not be closed-minded to the possibility that intelligent design is real. Why fight so hard to keep that possibility locked out, and if the truth, shunned as evil and as a lie (refer to earlier quotes by Crick and Dawkins.) If the idea is mainly that evolutionists desire a life apart from a creator, and thus a lifestyle apart from any absolute truths, then let them be truthful and honest in saying so, rather than misleading children and this world by a crumbling theory, which I would venture to say that Darwin would have probably admitted himself.