I am an astronomy buff (sorta) and this video took my breath away. Seeing the way the stars seem to dance effortlessly across the sky speaks wonders of God's creation. May this bring as much joy to you as it did me. VIEW IN FULL SCREEN!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
God vs. Science
This is possibly the best dialogue I've ever heard on this topic! I'm giving this to every college student I know to keep handy if ever a similar situation arises...
"Let me explain the problem science has with religion."
The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'
'Yes sir,' the student says.
'So you believe in God?'
'Absolutely '
'Is God good?'
'Sure! God's good.'
'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'
'Yes'
'Are you good or evil?'
'The Bible says I'm evil.'
The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible! He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you.. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'
'Yes sir, I would.'
'So you're good...!'
'I wouldn't say that.'
'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'
The student remains silent.. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'
'Er..yes,' the student says.
'Is Satan good?'
The student doesn't hesitate on this one.. 'No.'
'Then where does Satan come from?'
The student falters. 'From God'
'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'
'Yes'
'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'
Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'
The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes..'
'So who created them ?'
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'
The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'
'No sir. I've never seen Him.'
'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'
'No, sir, I have not.'
'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'
'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'
'Yet you still believe in him?'
'Yes'
'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist... What do you say to that, son?'
'Nothing,' the student replies... 'I only have my faith.'
'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat? '
' Yes.
'And is there such a thing as cold?'
'Yes, son, there's cold too.'
'No sir, there isn't.'
The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'
'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'
'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'
'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'
The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'
'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.' 'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.' 'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'
'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'
'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'
The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. 'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean.' The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter. 'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so... So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir.' 'So if science says you
have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'
Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'
'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?' Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it Everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world.. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'
To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God.. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'
The professor sat down.
The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.
'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'
'Yes sir,' the student says.
'So you believe in God?'
'Absolutely '
'Is God good?'
'Sure! God's good.'
'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'
'Yes'
'Are you good or evil?'
'The Bible says I'm evil.'
The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible! He considers for a moment. 'Here's one for you.. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?'
'Yes sir, I would.'
'So you're good...!'
'I wouldn't say that.'
'But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'
The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Can you answer that one?'
The student remains silent.. 'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. 'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'
'Er..yes,' the student says.
'Is Satan good?'
The student doesn't hesitate on this one.. 'No.'
'Then where does Satan come from?'
The student falters. 'From God'
'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?'
'Yes, sir.'
'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'
'Yes'
'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil.'
Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'
The student squirms on his feet. 'Yes..'
'So who created them ?'
The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?'
The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'
The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'
'No sir. I've never seen Him.'
'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'
'No, sir, I have not.'
'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?'
'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'
'Yet you still believe in him?'
'Yes'
'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist... What do you say to that, son?'
'Nothing,' the student replies... 'I only have my faith.'
'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'
The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. 'Professor, is there such thing as heat? '
' Yes.
'And is there such a thing as cold?'
'Yes, son, there's cold too.'
'No sir, there isn't.'The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit down to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'
Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.
'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'
'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it isn't darkness?'
'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?'
The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'
'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'
The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can you explain how?'
'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.. 'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought.' 'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.' 'Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?'
'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do.'
'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'
The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?'
have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?'
Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I Guess you'll have to take them on faith.'
'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?' Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it Everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in The multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world.. These manifestations are nothing else but evil.'
To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God.. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light.'
The professor sat down.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Blood on the Nile
Joshua Perahia is a very good friend of my family. He just wrote and produced this song about the war in the Middle East. Joshua is about to come out with a new album and this is the first single.
"Blood on the Nile" is about how after thousands of years, people are still dying in the Middle East. This is a very real and patriotic song! May God Bless America!
Blood on the Nile
We a doing everything we can to make this video go viral! We want the word out! Joshua Perahia is back and kicking! Please ***LINK THIS VIDEO***
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Poem in Your Pocket Day
April 14th is "Poem in Your Pocket Day". I naturally I had a blast. I had a hard time picking out a short poem to share – most of the poems I like are SUPER long! But at last I settled on a poem by my favorite poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson!
"The Oak":
Live thy Life
Young and old,
Like yon oak,
Bright in spring,
Living gold;
Summer-rich
Then; and then
Autumn-changed,
Sober-hued
Gold again.
All his leaves
Fallin at length
Look he stands,
Trunk and bough,
Naked strength.
I love poems. I think most people underestimate writing! Everything is done through texting – e-mail seems to have gone out of style now too! I have a difficult time finding out about events because I don't have a Facebook, and people get really mad when I "don't text back". Gimme a good ol' pencil and I'll be happy!
I've lately take up writing to my... let's say, distant family. I never hear from them, but I still take the time two send an Aunt or two a card, telling them what I'm up to. Sometimes I wonder if it's any use – not that I really mind that they never write back – but deep in the back of my mind I wonder if the letter arrived. But, that's just my paranoia creeping in. Perhaps my persistence is changing the course of history! Or maybe I'm just keeping a lonely person from having to spend another night just gazing at the ceiling. Whatever the case, I know God is using my talents to do his will.
So, what's your favorite poem? Post it (or a link to it) in the comments below, so I can enjoy it too!
Post Script:
Psalms totally count as poems!
"The Oak":
Live thy Life
Young and old,
Like yon oak,
Bright in spring,
Living gold;
Summer-rich
Then; and then
Autumn-changed,
Sober-hued
Gold again.
All his leaves
Fallin at length
Look he stands,
Trunk and bough,
Naked strength.
I love poems. I think most people underestimate writing! Everything is done through texting – e-mail seems to have gone out of style now too! I have a difficult time finding out about events because I don't have a Facebook, and people get really mad when I "don't text back". Gimme a good ol' pencil and I'll be happy!
I've lately take up writing to my... let's say, distant family. I never hear from them, but I still take the time two send an Aunt or two a card, telling them what I'm up to. Sometimes I wonder if it's any use – not that I really mind that they never write back – but deep in the back of my mind I wonder if the letter arrived. But, that's just my paranoia creeping in. Perhaps my persistence is changing the course of history! Or maybe I'm just keeping a lonely person from having to spend another night just gazing at the ceiling. Whatever the case, I know God is using my talents to do his will.
So, what's your favorite poem? Post it (or a link to it) in the comments below, so I can enjoy it too!
Post Script:
Psalms totally count as poems!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Music and Lyrics
For those of you that don't know me, I love music. Well, I had an interesting experience today with music and why listening -- I mean REALLY listening -- to lyrics is extremely IMPORTANT!
I really like the band The Script. I think they have a cool sound and the songs I've heard on the radio seem morally neutral. I decided to buy their CD so that I could enjoy them all the time in my car...
I unwrap the disc an slide it into my CD player and begin bouncing to some fun music when *BAM* the lead singer almost yells an atrocious curse word. I was shocked but continued to listen to the music because I really, REALLY liked it. After playing it a couple times, the swear word started getting to me; so, I decided to re-burn the disc without the curse (I have an editing program). Thinking my problem is now solved I keep having fun with the music.
*Today* I was walking with my Dad and started singing one of the songs from the CD. "So if you see Kay, will you tell her that I love her / And if you see Kay, let her know that I want her back". He looks at me funny and asks, "Who are you singing?" I explain to him about the CD I bought and that this was one of my favorite songs.
"Sing that part again," he asked; which I did. "Are you so naive that you don't even hear what you're saying?" he asked. Evidently I was when to my utter amazement and sheer horror, he told me that "if you see Kay" was a not-so-creative way of spelling out "the F-word".
Talk about a rain on my little party of innocence day. I nearly cried when I found out (not to mention being crushed that the band I liked was being deceptive.) Here I am, thinking I'm singing about a girl named "Kay" when I get hit with a bullet the size of a book of lyrics.
Let this be both a lesson and a warning to music lovers. Be careful what you listen to, and if there is even a hint of "inappropriateness" in an artist, there is probably WAY more (in unexpected places to say the least.)
*Sad Face* :(
I unwrap the disc an slide it into my CD player and begin bouncing to some fun music when *BAM* the lead singer almost yells an atrocious curse word. I was shocked but continued to listen to the music because I really, REALLY liked it. After playing it a couple times, the swear word started getting to me; so, I decided to re-burn the disc without the curse (I have an editing program). Thinking my problem is now solved I keep having fun with the music.
*Today* I was walking with my Dad and started singing one of the songs from the CD. "So if you see Kay, will you tell her that I love her / And if you see Kay, let her know that I want her back". He looks at me funny and asks, "Who are you singing?" I explain to him about the CD I bought and that this was one of my favorite songs.
"Sing that part again," he asked; which I did. "Are you so naive that you don't even hear what you're saying?" he asked. Evidently I was when to my utter amazement and sheer horror, he told me that "if you see Kay" was a not-so-creative way of spelling out "the F-word".
Talk about a rain on my little party of innocence day. I nearly cried when I found out (not to mention being crushed that the band I liked was being deceptive.) Here I am, thinking I'm singing about a girl named "Kay" when I get hit with a bullet the size of a book of lyrics.
Let this be both a lesson and a warning to music lovers. Be careful what you listen to, and if there is even a hint of "inappropriateness" in an artist, there is probably WAY more (in unexpected places to say the least.)
*Sad Face* :(
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A Moment's Notice
If you had only a few minutes to decide what you were going to do with your life, what would your first instinct be? Would you ask God? Would you panic? Would you continue doing what you've always done? Would you pick something radically different?
Sometimes we have only a few seconds to make a decision that could impact someone. God is always there to ask any question at a moment's notice. What's even better is that you can ask Him anything in a fraction of a second! That's the beauty of having a God that can read minds and hearts.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Mermaids
I love art, and today I thought that I would share some of my favorite pieces -- mermaid pieces that is.
This Picture makes me think of a sculpture carefully chiseling our his master piece when before he knows it, the carving begins taking on a life of its own.
This image has always intrigued me by its nearly seamless transition from a lady into water and sky. How the folds of her sleeves morph into clouds astounds me.
This picture makes me think of endless caverns and mysterious places long forgotten in the deep.
I love her tail in this parchment sketch. The touching scene of the human and the mermaid reminds me of The Little Mermaid but something is a little different. Perhaps it is that determined look in here eye.
A lonely mermaid, resting against a purple sky. Perhaps someone will sneak up on her when she is not looking...
Manu by Sarah B. Seiter makes me think of an attendant of the Lady of the Lake, or perhaps a mermaid that has raided a sunken ship or two (by that gold hoop in her "ear").
Monday, January 10, 2011
A Quiet Moment
There comes a time when we all need to sit down an be quiet. Humanity is always wondering where God is, when all we really need to do is close our mouths and listen.
"Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent." Proverbs 17:28
Earth is full of so many people that just endlessly babble! Through Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Even in person, there are those people that could talk to a wall for hours without ever running out of things to say. Why is it so hard for us to be silent?
It is because humans need to feel as though they are something. The louder a noise we make, the more attention we get, and the more of a "someone" we feel. If we really have a grounding in Jesus Christ, that He died for us, has given us new life, identity and purpose, we have no need to draw attention to ourselves to make us "feel like someone". We are SOMEONE in Jesus Christ.
So I encourage you, enjoy the quiet moments. It is in these moments that we hear God the loudest.
Earth is full of so many people that just endlessly babble! Through Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. Even in person, there are those people that could talk to a wall for hours without ever running out of things to say. Why is it so hard for us to be silent?
It is because humans need to feel as though they are something. The louder a noise we make, the more attention we get, and the more of a "someone" we feel. If we really have a grounding in Jesus Christ, that He died for us, has given us new life, identity and purpose, we have no need to draw attention to ourselves to make us "feel like someone". We are SOMEONE in Jesus Christ.
So I encourage you, enjoy the quiet moments. It is in these moments that we hear God the loudest.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Crunch Time
Just a random thought today... School is about to start. Work is going (crazy) ;) The times I teach are going well. I have little time -- almost none. But the things I love... I mean really love to do always seem to make it into the schedule. Drawing. Reading. I really should do more of writing for my faithful readers. But I just thoughthow interesting it was that the things that I really love make it in -- no matter how BUSY I am. Sometimes I skip a meal. Others, I loose a couple hours of sleep. Once in a while I'll even skip a shower (something I do not recommended!) But I always make time to do what I love.
What if we treated God that way? What would our lives look like then? How concerned would we be about the world, the lost, and God's will for us? What would we give up just to make a little more time for Him?
Thoughts are nothing without deeds. What should we do? Make Jesus Christ someone you LOVE. Not just in word, but in deed. Make Jesus Christ your pastime, your hobby, your joy! Make Jesus Christ something you love.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
