Moon and Stars Hung In Place

Here's one more science blog and then I'll be on another topic. The guest I've written about in previous blogs talked about the recent discovery of "dark matter". He said that it seems to be a framework that the entire universe is built on. In other words, it's as if the stars, planets, galaxies, etc., are all hung on this dark matter. It reminds me of David's writing in Psalm 8, When I consider your heavens,the work of your fingers,the moon and the stars,which you have set in place, (from New International Version). I have this picture in my mind of God putting together His creation like a puzzle, hanging each piece on a framework that is invisible to the observer. The illustration to the right is from a PowerPoint slide that our guest showed during his presentation. It is an artist's rendering of what dark matter might look like if we could see it. Fascinating stuff... One more thing, could the Big Bang theory of the beginning of the universe be the way that God chose to start the process. Did He speak the universe(s) into existence? When He spoke, was matter created from one spot and then begin to explode into what we now know is an expanding universe that perhaps started from one cataclysmic event? Again, our guest didn't know the answers to any of these questions, but as a scientist, he could easily see the work of an Intelligent Designer. David ends Psalm 8 with LORD, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth! (and throughout the entire universe - my words)

How Much Do We Really Know?

In my last post I talked about a guest we had recently been at our church. During his presentation, he made two very interesting observations about man and knowledge. First, in the late 1800s, scientists, philosophers and others had determined that the progression of mankind through the ages had produced a nearly perfect scenario for the future. In other words, science and philosophy were producing the desired effect of a civilization progressing to its highest forms. Evolution at it's best... and then came the 20th century, the bloodiest and most violent century ever. Oops, maybe we didn't have it all together.

Second, our guest mentioned that in the late 1990s, scientists were ready to write what he called the TOE (the Theory of Everything). Science felt like it had solved nearly all the mysteries of the universe and the intricacies of the smallest particles and it was ready to document it all. Done, finished, we know it all! And then came the discovery of Dark Energy and Dark Matter. Suddenly we didn't know it all. Another interesting discovery is that the galaxies are being "pulled by something" outside of the visible universe and that there is a huge mysterious hole in the universe billions of light years across. No one can explain any of this. As our guest summed it all up, he used the pie chart at the top of this blog. He said now, it appears like all we really know is the 4% represented by the orange sliver, and that percentage might be shrinking. Again, throughout his presentation, even though a lot of it went right over my head, I was convinced over and over again that it is impossible to ponder these things and not be convinced that God, the Creator, is the source of all.

Science and Intelligent Design

On Saturday evening we had a guest speaker at our church. He is an engineer at Fermilab, near Chicago. Fermilab's official name is the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. It is the home of the Tevatron, four miles in circumference and originally named the Energy Doubler when it began operation in 1983. It is the world's highest-energy particle accelerator. Some of the questions that are hopefully going to be answered in the near future by research at the lab include:

What is the universe made of?
How does the universe work?
Why do particles have mass?
Does neutrino mass come from a different source?
What is the true nature of quarks and leptons? Why are there three generations of elementary particles?
What are the truly fundamental forces?
How do we incorporate quantum gravity into particle physics?
What are the differences between matter and antimatter?
What are the dark particles that bind the universe together?
What is the dark energy that drives the universe apart?
Are there hidden dimensions beyond the ones we know?
Are we part of a multidimensional megaverse?

Our guest spoke on many of these topics and I must admit that many of his explanations zoomed right over my head. However, in the midst of his presentation, he mentioned more than once that as scientists discover how little we really know about the world we live in, it is undeniable that the creative source has to be from an intelligent designer. From the farthest reaches of the universe to the smallest particle that can be identified, the design, function and form is too complex to even consider that the development was evolutionary in nature. Even though I didn't understand a lot of what I was hearing, what I did hear was that some of the smartest people on earth know that our Intelligent Designer created it all.

Safely and Humbly

I've seen a television commercial several times during the NCAA basketball tournament. A young girl, 8 or 9, is asking her dad if she can use the family car to go the the movies. The next shot goes to the dad as he asks her who is going. She tells tells him several girl's names and a boy's name. When he repeats the boy's name, the shot goes back to the young girl and now she is a teenager, with a "yes Daddy it's a boy" smile on her face". When the dad gives his permission the last shot is her thanking him and bounding down the steps of their house to the car.

About 18 months ago I replaced my old, tired van with one of those wonderful "finds". I found a 1994 Lexus ES300 in nearly pristine shape, with only 71,500 miles on it for a very reasonable price. After fixing a couple of things, this car is in nearly perfect shape for a 15 year old car. It looks nearly new and drives wonderfully well. Nicole turned 17 in January and I really relate with the commercial I described above. For some reason, Nicole always wants to drive my car instead of her mother's van. We have a little "father-daughter" routine we go through. She asks permission to use my car. After we discuss the details, I ask her "how are you going to drive"? She tells me "safely... and humbly". In my dry humor sort-of-way I've talked with her about not being "uppity" while driving this car. "It's a blessing we need to be thankful for". One of our driving rules is that we ask Nicole to call us when she gets to where she is driving. If I answer, I usually ask her, "Nicole, how did you drive"? When she tells me "safely and humbly" I can imagine the same kind of cute smile that the girl in the commercial has as she bounces down the steps to the family car. What Nicole doesn't know is that every time we have this little fun interaction, it is a prayer point for me. "Oh Lord, keep Nicole safe, and humble, right in the center of Your will."

Spring Is A Wonderful Season

I love spring. We have a lot of different trees, shrubs and flowers in our yard and I enjoy watching the "green" begin to appear. This year we have had some warm days on the weekends and I have been able to spend more time getting my yard ready than normal. Two weekends ago I filled 17 large yard bags with leaves, clippings from pruning trees and shrubs and dried vegetation from last year. In several cases, as I lifted up the dried and dead left over vegetation from last year, under the pile was a blaze of green. Last year's plants had dropped seeds or bulbs had come alive and now I could see this year's beauty beginning to grow. Yesterday I noticed that our big shade tree had the first little bursts of green that signaled new leaves. And this morning our Bradford Pear tree in the front yard had burst into white blossoms overnight. Before long our dogwoods will bloom, the daffodils and tulips will be in full bloom and spring will be here in all her glory. Yesterday I cleaned up Kathy's fountain, filled it full of clean water and started the pump. Within an hour or so, several birds had found the fresh water and were taking baths.

I am so glad that we celebrate Easter in the spring, the season of new life and hope. In the midst of the uncertainty of the current events that surround us, spring reminds me that God brings renewing life and hope. He is so faithful...

We Are So Blessed

In these times of such uncertainty and fear, we can easily retreat into the idea that "bad things are going to happen to me." You can almost envision the worst case scenario, even though our experience tells us that most of worries never come to pass. When you step back, and look at how blessed we are to have been born in the United States, you gain a whole new perspective. The great danger is that we will fall into the trap that the whole world is like the street we live on. Of course, it is not. How do you see the world? Six billion people are on the planet. If we reduce that population to 100 people, proportionately:
• 57 of those people come from Asia
• 21 from Europe
• 14 from North and South America
• 8 from Africa
• 49 would be women
• 51 would be men
• 68 would still not be able to read and write
• 6 of those people would own 50% of the world’s wealth and all of those would be U.S. citizens
• 1 of those people would have just been born
• 1 of those people is about to die
• Only 1 of those people have been to college

When I look at this list, and reflect on my own life, I have got to thank God for His tremendous blessings to me. And, it compels me, even in these uncertain times, to find ways to give back.

Are You Still Praying For the President?

In an Inauguration Day blog, I wrote that I would be praying for our new President, even though I could not agree with all of his views and beliefs. A lot has happened since Inauguration Day. (boy, is that an understatement) I realize now, more than ever, that I do not have very much in common with our new President. In fact, just when I think things are going to stabilize a bit, something else pops up that tells me just how much I wish this President wasn't the President. However, none of what has occurred releases me from the obligation to pray for President Obama. In fact, it should cause me to pray all the more for him and his advisers. I truly believe that there isn't a single politician, from either party, that knows what to do in these trying times. Without concentrated prayer, our leaders will not turn to God. They will rely on their own flawed wisdom and continue to make big mistakes.

I am reminded about the account in 1st Samuel where the nation of Israel cried out for a king. Even though God knew this is not what they needed, he granted their request because of their consistent asking for a king. Towards the end of Saul's reign, the people wished they had never asked for a king. They probably got what they deserved, but it sure wasn't what they expected. In spite of the situation, the people were still admonished to obey, serve and pray for the king. As a Christian, I'm in a tough spot. I don't agree with a lot that the government is doing right now. I don't agree with many of the leadership appointments and I don't like what we're hearing about plans that are coming in the future. But God has asked me to pray for my leaders, and I will continue to do that. This morning I was reading my "through-the-Bible-in-a-year" reading and Hebrews 1:14 in The Message says, "Isn't it obvious that all angels are sent to help out with those lined up to receive salvation?" What if we prayed earnestly that our leaders would be "lined up to receive salvation". I'm praying that our leaders will come in contact with people who can influence them towards God, towards righteousness and salvation. You can choose to be afraid, to complain, bad mouth, etc., or you can be part of a spiritual move in prayer. After Saul, came David...

Birthday Musings

Today is the day. 60 years old. Boy, does time fly. Fortunately, I think the saying is correct, "you're only as old as you let yourself think you are." I really believe some great days are ahead. I suppose that when you boil it all down, the biggest blessing of reflecting on a major birthday is all the relationships you have, and cherish. I am married to a wonderful lady and we're more in love now then we ever have been before. I was with 5 of my 6 children for my birthday celebration and I am so blessed to be related to each one of them. Each one of our children brings special joy and great experiences. I am blessed with some wonderful friends, and Facebook, amazingly, brought a ton of birthday greetings starting on Friday from relationships from my entire adult life.

So today, I feel blessed. Blessed by so many people who took a little time to wish me well. And thank you as well for the boxes of bran cereal, over-the-hill stuff, black balloons, all the funny cards, etc. Yes, I really am so old that I can remember when the Dead Sea was just sick. :) Thank you everyone.