The Rhetoric of Darwin

HT: EN&V

DVD available at Access Research Network.

Who said it?

"Biological arguments for racism may have been common before 1859, but they increased by orders of magnitude following the acceptance of evolutionary theory."

Come to Jesus

Maybe Skatje's right?

Skatje thinks I'm the one obsessed with Expelled rather than her Dad.

I'm thinkin' she could very well be on to something...






At the moment I'm all decked out in my Expelled hoodie and jammin' like there's no tomorrow to the goofy youtube in my last post. My kids are laughing at me with me, and there's no doubt that they would agree with Skatje that their Mom is going loony over this flick. Boy, if it sucks it'll be a real let down.....ROTFLMAO!

Richard Dawkins - Beware the Believers

I have no idea whether this youtube clip was created by someone who is pro-ID or pro-Darwin, but it's freaking hilarious. The pro-Darwin bloggers seem to like it, but IMHO, it's a slam in their face. Evidently they don't see it that way...enjoy.

Oh, and be sure to not to miss Eugene Scott's belly dancing...

I . could . not . stop . laughing.

Poor PZ....

...he's really hit the point of obsessing about the Expelled flick. His antics are becoming comical beyond belief:

Some of you know that the producers of Expelled had a conference call this afternoon…a carefully controlled, closed environment in which they would spout their nonsense and only take questions by email. I listened to it for a while, and yeah, it was the usual run-around. However, I dialed in a few minutes early, and got to listen to a tiresome five minutes of Leslie and Paul chatting away, during which time they mentioned the secret code (DUNH DUNH DUNNNNH!) for the two way calls. I know. Sloppy, unprofessional, and stupid, but that's the way they work.

So … I redialed. (DUNH DUNH DUNNNNH!)

Then I listened along quietly until I could take no more.

...

So I interrupted. I said, in essence, hang on -- you guys are spinning out a lot of lies here, you should be called on it. I gave a quick gloss on it, and said that, for instance, anti-semitism has a long history in Germany that preceded Darwin, and that they ought to look up the word "pogrom". There was some mad rustling and flustering about on the other side of the phone some complaints, etc., and then one of them asked me to do the honorable thing and hang up…so I said yes, I would do the honorable thing and hang up while they continued the dishonorable thing and continued to lie.

Just as predicted, Darwinists are absolutely frothing at the mouth and apparently very close to losing their minds over this flick. Also as predicted, they are on a witch hunt to find *anything* they possibly can to discredit the flick in some way.

It's *highly* amusing to observe.

It's interesting that they haven't said much about the content of the flick except to assure us that "we ain't Nazis" and it's so very "boooooring"...lol. Obviously, not everyone thinks so. They seem determined to try find something about the production of the film that they may be able to sue over for one reason or the other. I guess if they can't refute the truth being relayed in the movie, they'll try to find a way to take them to court for sharing it.

For those of you new to this debate, PZ is the professor at the university of MN who is highly volatile about ID and blogs continuously about atheism and his hatred for religious thought. Earlier, I posted a youtube clip from his Expelled interview, but I can no longer get access to it.

Hmmmm...very interesting.

UPDATE:
Denyse O'Leary was in the phone conference and writes about PZ's interruption here.

Live blogging of the incident

"Indoctrination"

Exhibit A:



Exhibit B:



Dawkins claims that Christians indoctrinate their children with respect to religious beliefs, and that this is a form of child abuse.

Hmmmm...

He also claims that atheists allow for their children to make their own choices about religion by not 'indoctrinating' them with a certain worldview.

Well, whether he's right or not, there is no doubt whatsoever which child above I'd prefer to call my own.

TGIF...

It's been a long, busy week. I figure I deserve at least a couple of these...my favorite.

Sproul / Stein interview

The Academic Freedom Act

Update from Florida: From what I understand, the Academic Freedom Act has been approved by the senate committee...now it moves on to the rest of the senate.

The bill introduced in Florida’s Senate reads in part:

An act relating to teaching chemical and biological evolution; providing a short title; providing legislative intent; providing public school teachers with a right to present scientific information relevant to the full range of views on biological and chemical origins; prohibiting a teacher from being discriminated against for presenting such information; prohibiting students from being penalized for subscribing to a particular position on evolution; clarifying that the act does not require any change in state curriculum standards or promote any religious position; providing an effective date.

This is great news!! Congratulations Florida! Kudos to Ben Stein and the Discovery Institute Fellows who went to Florida in support of the bill and also provided a free viewing of "Expelled" for the Florida legislators.

Darwin of the Gaps

Jonathan Wells writes another excellent article which not only offers a review of Francis Collins book, The Language of God, but also provides the reader with an accurate definition of ID which refutes the confusion that is stirred up by the media and those in the anti-ID community.

He also explains the irony of the accusation that ID is a "God of the Gaps" theory as Collins seems to advance a "Darwin of the Gaps" approach to science.

I actually mentioned the "Darwin of the Gaps" problem to someone who comments at my blog on occasion. He didn't seem to get it.

Also be sure to listen to this podcast in which Logan Gage interviews Jonathan Wells on these same issues.

I hate to say it....

...BUT I TOLD YOU SO.

The Myers/Dawkins fiasco IS TEH BEST THING THAT *EVAH* COULD HAVE HAPPENED!!!

*BIG HUG AND KISS* to both PZ & Richard. You guys are the best! Who da thought you'd help us fill the theatres!!!

Behold...

EXPELLED controversy top issue in blogosphere

Hundreds Turn Out for Seattle Screening of Ben Stein Film Expelled

It is a stellar day for Intelligent Design...

Earth to sane scientists everywhere

You.must.give.PZ.and.Dawkins.the.boot....seriously.

Dawkins puts his foot in his mouth continuously, and then blames "creationists" for making the same observations that he has in the past...

According The New York Times, arch-Darwinist Richard Dawkins is now asserting that the new film Expelled perpetrates a "major outrage" because the film suggests there is a link between Darwinian ideology and ideas like Nazism.

Say what?

In 2005, Dawkins himself declared that such a link existed, responding to an Austrian interviewer that "a Darwinian State would be a Fascist state," which is why he says he opposes trying to run a society "according to Darwinian laws":

No self respecting person would want to live in a Society that operates according to Darwinian laws. I am a passionate Darwinist, when it involves explaining the development of life. However, I am a passionate anti-Darwinist when it involves the kind of society in which we want to live. A Darwinian State would be a Fascist state.

What is interesting in the above comment is not that Dawkins rejects fascism, but that he apparently believes that Darwinism logically applied to government would lead to fascism. This is a far stronger claim, by the way, than the one made in the preliminary cut of Expelled that I’ve seen.

Good grief...

I'm thinking it's time to cry mutiny and make those two pirates walk the plank.

PZ & Dawkins provide publicity for Expelled

Apparently, Matthew Nisbet and Chris Mooney get it.

PZ and Dawkins have really blown it this time with their little plan to show up at an Expelled screening. PZ has made such a ruckus that he has ultimately provided even more controversy for the film, and that is sure to lure more people into the theatres. Chris and Matthew are keen enough to have thought this through. PZ, on the other hand, is still clueless to how he has played right into the hands of the Expelled production.

PZ tells Matthew:

"Fuck you very much, Matt. You know where you can stick your advice."

Hmmmm....this is all very interesting, but last night I was thinking that at times I wish I had never gotten involved in this debate. I think perhaps that first time I posted at the Kansas Citizens for Science forum may have been a mistake. Before that time, I had *NO* clue how much sheer hatred there was for religious thought...much of which comes from the scientific elite. As I started venturing out and reading additional blogs, forums, science articles, etc., the shock at what I found steadily increased. Many of these people have a deep seeded hatred for religious thought. I hate knowing that.

It has really been an eye opener, and the more I get involved, the more I realize what an awful state that science, religion, and the culture war is in. I try to tell myself that these bloggers and forum members are only a small part of the scientific community as a whole, yet from the things they write, it would seem that they have a lot of pull in getting what they want due to the fact that the majority of scientists are atheist, agnostic and strong naturalists like themselves. Our universities seem to cater to this secular/naturalist/agnostic view as well, so religion is viewed as a detriment within the walls of academia.

I think PZ, Dawkins, Genie, and many others are ultimately going to do severe damage to science by rejecting ID. PZ & Dawkins especially have such a *large* atheist following that they believe they can do no wrong. They seem to feel that everyone supports whatever they do, so they feel this latest little episode will lead the general public to view IDists as liars and frauds.

I think they are missing a very, very important point here...one that is going to really hurt them in the long run. Most of the US is comprised of people who believe that there is an intelligent source ultimately responsible for the creation of the universe. Most people, even though many may not attend church every Sunday, adhere to a particular faith belief. In the bigger picture, PZ's minions are a very small part of the population, and the only reason he and his ilk have been able to reign supreme over how science is going to be taught is because most people in the US really have no clue about the issues in this debate either because they aren't really interested or they have been misinformed by the scientific community and the media in regard to what ID really entails.

When the public eventually becomes more informed in regard to what ID encompasses, I'm afraid that the PZ's of the world are going to be in for a world of hurt. ID is not religion, and people will come to realize that. They are also not going to be impressed with his sheer hatred for religion and his belief that eradicating it from the public square is a commendable goal. Listening to him and Dawkins in that short clip I linked to earlier almost made me physically ill, and believe me, it will have that same affect on most Americans.

Personally, I think PZ and Dawkins are so full of themselves due to their fawning followers, that they actually believe Americans in general won't be that affected by their words in this film. I think they are going to be very surprised. I know many atheists and agnostics personally, and they are *nothing* like PZ Myers and most of the atheists I run across on line who blog about ID/evo. I truly believe that even they would find PZ's words in that clip as repulsive as I do.

My atheist and agnostic friends don't mind religion at all, they just basically aren't interested in bothering with it. I know several who have even gone to church on rare occasion without any ill will, and a friend of mine sends his daughter to a Christian pre-school. They see the need for religion even if they find that they have a difficult time adhering to the faith themselves.

Even though, as I said, there are times when I wish I didn't know what some of these professors, teachers, and scientists think when it comes to their views about ID, religion, and their dogmatic views about science, I'm glad I've stuck it out and learned the things I have. My hope is that Expelled might bring more people to the Internet so that they understand the type of people we're up against.

Nisbet gives some very good advise. Someone really should take PZ's computer away and somehow convince him to shut up. That would be my advice, but knowing PZ, he's going to keep on blabbering until he says or does something *really*, *really* stupid.

I guess I shouldn't complain because it would certainly be of benefit to ID if he keeps talking. But, even though I know in my heart that it is highly improbable, I still wish there were a way that Darwinists and IDists could work together in order to inform our students about every aspect of evolution as well as the controversial issues of the theory. I also believe that ID has a place in the science classroom...it is far and away a more thought provoking theory than the concept of "primordial soup". I wish that Darwinists could come to understand this, and realize that this is not an attempt to teach "religion" in the science classroom.

Okay....I'll stop babbling, but I needed to get some of this off my chest, and I heartily agree with Mooney and Nisbet that PZ & Dawkins are not only giving Expelled a boost at the box office, but they are a huge detriment to science in general.

He is risen. Alleluia.

For this Easter morning, I'll link to Bill Graham's, The Power of the Cross.


Quoting Vox Day:

In one of history's great metaphors, Paul tells us that now we see through a glass darkly. But even through that obscured glass, we see enough of Jesus Christ, the God-Man, that our hearts and minds are stirred to follow Him, each in our own clumsy and faltering way. As He warned it would, the world mocks what it does not understand and kills what it fears and hates. Let it look on in bewilderment, scorn and fear again today, as Christians around the world once more celebrate together the Resurrection of Our Lord and His victory over the grave. For history has shown that there are few words more lasting or powerful than those four simple words of celebration and salvation.

He is risen. Alleluia.

Enjoy the day we celebrate the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and the ultimate reason for the Christian faith.

I'm speechless...boy, that's rare.

EDIT: Clip can be viewed here if the youtube above is not working.

Whoop! There it is....

Bruce Chapman weighs in on the gate crashers.

April 18th just can't come soon enough, and it's my son's birthday as well! Double the fun.

Chapman makes mention that...

Frankly, I wish the producers would have a special pre-release screening for the Darwinists who are interviewed in the film -- and invite some of the rest of us who have seen their depredations up close. We’d be glad to debate right there.

Oh, Dear God, please let this come to fruition, and let there be plenty of press and cameras surrounding the scene. Amen.

Darwinists *sure* to boost "Expelled" ticket sales!

Oh, the poor souls are sooooo worked up about the upcoming flick "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" that the King of Atheists, Richard Dawkins, and his Grand Poo bah, PZ Myers, crashed the private screening last night at the Mall of American in MN along with a little group of family and friends. Both gentlemen are featured in the film, so their curiosity must have gotten the best of them.

Tee hee...the fallout from that little ruse is being read at different sources *all over the Internet*. I really can't think of better publicity for the movie than a bunch of raging atheists crashing an event like this.

Evidently PZ was given the boot before he even got to see the documentary, but his family and his buddy Dawkins, along with some other MN atheists, got in and stirred up a big pot of craziness during the Q&A after the showing. Word has it that Dawkins pretty much made himself look foolish, and from what I hear, the crowd had a good chuckle at his expense. Goodness sakes...maybe the whole undercover operation wasn't such a hot idea after all?

PZ's groupies seem to find it quite humorous that he was "expelled" from the screening, yet Dawkins was allowed in. But, honestly, I can't think of a better way to get publicity and interest in this movie than to allow more Darwinists into these screenings, and it was probably a stroke of genius to give PZ the boot (if that's how it really went down) because it only adds to the drama.

Man, what I would have paid to see the whole saga go down...and, that's not very Christian like at all. But, I guess after you've been sent to PZ Myers "dungeon" and been called every name in the book by his groupies at PZ's blog, Pharyngula, it's a bit difficult not to enjoy a good giggle over the whole episode. Yes, I kept a running tab of the names I was called because it was so horrifically over the top. Bear in mind that all that name calling was piled on me in *one* day.

I find it quite interesting that the group of atheists with Dawkins were so upset at the fact that he was refuted by producer Mark Mathis during the Q&A, yet I'd be willing to bet the farm that Mark never once used the type of language that PZ and his groupies direct at those who question their "science".

Well, we shall see how this latest little saga evolves for the next few days. Should be interesting and quite fruitful for ticket sales!

Oh, and if you're interested in how PZ & Dawkins view those of us who are interested in this film....take a gander at the following quotes.

PZ's opinion:

"It's (EXPELLED) going to appeal strongly to the religious, the paranoid, the conspiracy theorists, and the ignorant -- which means they're going to draw in about 90% of the American market."

Isn't it amazing that the US can even function seeing as 90% of us are teetering right there on the edge of ignorance and insanity....

Not to be out done in the arrogance department, Dawkins seems to be berating the film that will "only persuade those who are "already dishonest, ignorant fools":

At the Austin lecture, RD waxed harshly upon Expelled, saying that if the online trailer were any indication, no one would be persuaded by it who wasn't already a dishonest, ignorant fool. Now that he's actually seen it...wow, I can't wait to hear how he really feels!

LOL....gotta love it.

Dawkins admitted in the film that there could very well be an intelligent source responsible for our existence. That admission seems to, in a sense, make him an advocate for ID, no?

No doubt, the fact that he made that admission in an interview that will have such a huge audience has the poor guy worked up beyond belief.

Owned!!!

Jonathan Wells provides a powerful response to the absolute nonsense that several Darwinists have been blogging about in response to an article he posted at EN&V on 2/29.

I've kept up with the tennis match between the two sides...

IDists: Jonathan Wells, Michael Egnor

Darwinists: Ian Musgrave, PZ Myers and Larry Moran

As I've read the posts written by Musgrave, Myers and Moran, I've been so very puzzled by the fact that the 3 M's seem to have absolutely no idea that the term "Darwinism" has a different meaning than the word "evolution". It's amazing that after so many years in which these gentlemen have been ranting on and on about various issues in this debate, they still seem to have no clue as to what IDists are referring to when they talk about microev., macroev., Darwinism & common descent.

I simply can't figure out whether they are a.) clueless or b.) deceptive beyond belief.

Wells initially referred to an article which considered the following...

Frédéric Dardel and his colleagues crystallized two forms of the antibiotic-modifying enzyme acetyltransferase and showed that it has a flexible active site that can evolve to enable bacteria to break down various antibiotics and render them useless. The research may aid in the design of new antibiotics to deal with this form of resistance, which is becoming a serious medical problem.

Wells went on to proclaim that...

This is very good news! Unfortunately, Darwinists will probably claim — as they have done many times in the past — that their theory was indispensable to the achievement.

Yet Darwinian evolution had nothing to do with it.

What followed was a heated exchange between the 3 M's and Wells/Egnor. Wells has referenced all the links so that you don't miss anything, and he provides an excellent response that explains in detail what is meant by the terms evolution, microevolution, macroevolution, and Darwinism.

This article is *very* pertinent to the immense and continuous communication gap that is found in this debate. Many Darwinists have, unfortunately, blurred the lines between various aspects of evolution in order to claim that the theory is a "fact".

Wells' article is a keeper to be referenced to over and over as it seems this little dilemma over definitions will always remain a source of confusion and at times deliberate deception.

As you're reading the various links in the article, you'll notice the level of professionalism that the IDists hold to. The Darwinists behave like insolent children. The name calling makes them look so ridiculous...not at all the type of behavior one would prefer to see from professors who are teaching our students.

My Son's Favorite Lizard

Remember me sharing that my son took care of his science teacher's Anole lizards for a couple days last month when there was no school due to teacher's conferences?

Today my sister brought me a picture she took of him with the lizard...

Ugh...frustration!

I hate it when someone quotes from Science or some other science publication that I can't access because it costs to flipping much. Grrr....

Is it against the law for someone to send me a copy of the article per email? If it's not....ONE OF YOU SCIENCY TYPES OUT THERE ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DO SO.

I really want to read this article....please? hansjohns1@yahoo.com

Edit: I received a copy of the article...thanks Darwin Dude!

Obama's speech on race

If you missed it, you can view the video here.

Betcha I can land more interns than my husband did...

Just because I'm feeling ornery...

Tee Hee....let the onslaught of Darwin fury begin!

G-rated movies are what the public wants

A new study finds that:

The chances a Hollywood movie will win big at the box office are greatly enhanced by a family-friendly rating and strong moral content, defying the notion the entertainment industry is merely serving up what consumers want when they produce so many R-rated movies full of foul language, sex, drugs and immorality, shows a new study by the Christian Film and Television Commission, publishers of Movieguide.

According to the study, G-rated movies averaged nearly $92.2 million, more than 438 percent better than R-rated movies, making only $17.1 million.

God, Light and Physics

Recently, I mentioned that Dr. Walt Brown was featured on George Noory's Coast to Coast.

I spent a little time surfing through the Coast to Coast archives and came across a very interesting show featuring Lee Baumann M.D.. The program was titled God, Light and Physics:

Author Lee Baumann M.D. described his evolution from an atheist to spiritual perspective, and presented the concept that God could be thought of as light. He cited studies in quantum physics, NDE encounters and religious accounts as all sharing similar descriptions of light.

Light (not just visible light, but electromagnetic radiation) is found throughout the universe, and exists outside our four dimensions (including time), he said. According to quantum physics, light is a type of cosmic consciousness— it is omnipresent, existing everywhere at one time and allows for an instantaneous transfer of information. Further, all matter will eventually decompose into light, he added.

You can listen to this particular show in it's entirety at this link.

One need not adhere to everything Baumann said to learn some interesting facts about light and quantum physics.

In the clip stream on "light particles & consciousness", Dr. Baumann refers to The Double Slit Experiment as well as The Quantum Eraser Experiment. Both are very interesting to think about.

Oddly enough, a couple days ago, Casey Luskin at EN&V linked to a great article about ID in which the author also referenced the Double Slit Experiment and provided a You tube clip explanation of the experiment:



Be sure to listen to Dr. Baumann as the information he provides is really fascinating and far too much for me to cover in a blog entry.

The Galapagos Sting

The Galapagos Sting....
Where LORD Darwin is King,
And His Word is the Law of the Land.
Evolution's Defenders,
The Inherit the Winders,
Have drawn their line
In the sand.

Their theory's quite hollow,
But our children must swallow,
Their soup, cooked up,
Pre-biotic.
While the game to defame,
God's Word is the same...
Their intention?
Uniquely quixotic.

The Gospel? Demoted.
Evo-Priests now have noted,
That miracles simply can't be!
Their minds? Tightly closed.
Revelation? Opposed.
Dogmatists barking up
a dead tree.

This is Science!
This is Reason!
Great Logic's in Season!
Lucky mud...over time...
Man Alive!
A "Creator"?....Oh, please!
Sir, get up from your knees!
In this land where just top dogs survive.

Now the culture's kow-towing,
And the children all bowing,
Before Darwin's Gold Altar of Chance.
"Charlie D" is the Head,
Evolution's the Bread....
And the Wine that we sip?...
Happenstance.

Their Doctrine's most queer....
Their Cosmology? Dear.
To the Naturalist Creed they're devoted.
They're High Priests in the Know,
Who just want to show,
That we're here because
Nothing exploded!

Since that Bang which was BIG,
They continue to dig,
To find fossils and links
That are missing.
Priests of Darwin are sure,
In their Faith quite secure....
God's miraculous Hand?
They're dismissing.

And their Creation Tale?
Well,...It's growing quite stale.
It's a Dogma
That may well be doomed.
It's The Great Contradiction
A Unique Science Fiction...
The Religion of
Nothing went BOOM!


[Written by by Tom Graffagnino]

How Does a Brain Surgeon Become a Darwin Skeptic?

Be sure to hop over to Intelligent Design Podcasts from time to time. You'll find that there is always something interesting being discussed in regard to the evo/ID debate.

If you read Evolution News & Views, you're familiar with Dr. Michael Egnor's posts at the site. Recently, Casey Luskin interviewed Dr. Egnor in two separate podcasts.

The first episode was titled:

How Does a Brain Surgeon Become a Darwin Skeptic?

On this episode of ID The Future Dr. Michael Egnor, professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at State University of New York, Stony Brook, tells his story of how he became a full-blown skeptic of Darwinian evolution. Dr. Egnor explains how he originally had internal doubt about the ability of Darwinism to produce new biological information. These doubts were then brought directly to the surface when he read books by leading ID-theorists like William Dembski and Michael Behe.

The second...

Does Darwinism Have Any Impact on Modern Medical Science?

On this episode of ID the Future, CSC’s Casey Luskin takes a look at the medical field and how it relates to Darwinism. Is Darwinian evolutionary theory a big part of how doctors think and the way they practice medicine? According to Professor of Neurosurgery, Dr. Michael Egnor, the answer is no. The modern practice of medicine does not rely at all on neo-Darwinism. In the past, especially in the early 20th century, explains Egnor, the medical field did get a large dose of Darwinism, most noticeably in the area of eugenics. Egnor goes on to show that there has been, however, no contribution by applying Darwinian evolutionary theory to modern medicine or medical research aside from eugenics.

I'm still trying to figure out how Darwinism's claim of common descent is any more beneficial to science than those who consider commonality among organisms in nature to be due to common design. Of course, I've had plenty of Darwinists try to explain to me (see lengthy comment section) that common decent is a vital component to science, but I'm still very skeptical that science would be any worse off today if Darwin hadn't made the bold claim that all of life evolved from a common blob of matter.

See there?...even "brain surgeons" question the significance of Darwinian evolution.

What a joke...

UNM Awards Genie Scott with Honorary Doctorate of Science.

Yippee!! This for a woman whose mission in life is to stop ID by any means possible. She claims that ID is an attempt to insert religion into science classrooms, yet applauds those teachers who do just that if it will help stifle ID proponents.

Gotta love the blatant hypocrisy this woman displays. In the section of that link titled "Defuse the Religion Issue" Genie has the audacity to applaud teachers who *use* religion to support her views of Darwinism, yet she opposes ID because of her unfounded belief that ID is an attempt to address religious issues in the science classroom. Get this...from the horse's mouth:

After one such initial brainstorming session, one teacher presented students with a short quiz wherein they were asked, "Which statement was made by the Pope?" or "which statement was made by an Episcopal Bishop?" and given an "a, b, c" multiple choice selection. All the statements from theologians, of course, stressed the compatibility of theology with the science of evolution. This generated discussion about what evolution was versus what students thought it was. By making the students aware of the diversity of opinion towards evolution extant in Christian theology, the teacher helped them understand that they didn't have to make a choice between evolution and religious faith.

A teacher in Minnesota told me that he had good luck sending his students out at the beginning of the semester to interview their pastors and priests about evolution. They came back somewhat astonished, "Hey! Evolution is OK!" Even when there was diversity in opinion, with some religious leaders accepting evolution as compatible with their theology and others rejecting it, it was educational for the students to find out for themselves that there was no single Christian perspective on evolution. The survey-of-ministers approach may not work if the community is religiously homogeneous, especially if that homogeneity is conservative Christian, but it is something that some teachers might consider as a way of getting students' fingers out of their ears. (emphasis added)

This is also the woman who made the statement:

I have found that the most effective allies for evolution are people of the faith community. One clergyman with a backward collar is worth two biologists at a school board meeting any day!

That's right folks...*use* clergy and religious beliefs in the science classroom just as long as it doesn't conflict with Genie's own atheist/humanist religious beliefs.

Blah...whatever. I guess she can add this "honor" to some of her other "awards"...the Isaac Asimov Science Award from the American Humanist Association, the First Amendment Award from the Playboy Foundation, and the James Randi Award from the Skeptic Society.

Don't Laugh...!

I've discovered that Disco music helps motivate me to clean my house. That is seriously embarrassing.




I mentioned that I was given a mp3 player for my birthday, and I've been downloading free music from a coupon that was included with the player. Of course, there is no top 40 music offered, and I ran across some Disco music I used to listen to when I was a kid in the 70's. I downloaded a few for old times sake, and now I've found that listening to Disco gets me pumped up to get after the house cleaning.

Good grief...don't tell anybody.

One of those crazy weeks...

I haven't had much time for blogging this week due to the hectic schedule around here. The boys started track and baseball, and Thursday was the end of the quarter at school. The teachers loaded them down with homework the past two weeks.

Next week is spring break so I better come up with some interesting activities and jobs for them to do around here to keep busy or they may end up killing each other for kicks before the week ends.

Oh, here's a story that will give you an idea of the insanity I have to deal with living in a house ridden with high levels of testosterone...

Yesterday, my husband and 2 boys were upstairs messing around in the kitchen and I was downstairs. All of a sudden, I (luckily) glanced out the window into my backyard and noticed a perfectly round circle of fire light up and begin to spread rather quickly. I'm thinking....WTF??! I scream "FIRE" as loud as possible and run outside hoping they heard me (or saw the fire) and were on their way out to extinguish it. Luckily, they heard me right away and met me out back where we all grabbed buckets and started dousing out the fire. It surprised me how fast it spread since it's been so wet around here lately. But, we were able to put it out before it spread too far.

I knew they must have thrown something out the window to start the blaze, and my first thought was that my husband flicked one of his cigarettes out the window without it being completely put out first. But, come to find out, they found a smoke bomb from last year's 4th of July party and decided to toss it out the window. I looked at my kids and started to scold them, but they immediately threw their hands up and said, "It wasn't us".

The alpha male, himself, pulled this little stunt. Grrrr....

Never a dull moment around the FtK household.

Oh...my...goodness...

ALBANY, N.Y. - With pressure mounting on Gov. Eliot Spitzer to resign over a call-girl scandal, investigators said Tuesday he was clearly a repeat customer who spent tens of thousands of dollars — perhaps as much as $80,000 — with the high-priced prostitution service over an extended period of time.

I wonder how a person can live with them self after spending $80,000 getting laid. When you think about the fact that so many people in the world are trying to scrape up enough money just to put food on the table, the fact that this man spent $80,000 on sex is revolting.

Indoctrination via Dawkins

Whoa! I thought the high priest for atheism, Richard Dawkins, considered "indoctrinating" children with religious beliefs to be a form of child abuse.

I fail to see how his lectures for children are any different than a Christian or Muslim teaching their child about origins.

Shoot, I'd never run across that series before. Dawkins blatant hypocrisy on so many different issues is absolutely appalling.

Matthew 18:6 "But whosoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

That Dude is going to fry...srly. I've never said that about anyone before because no one can read another person's heart or know God's plan for them, but Dawkins seems to me to be assured a seat at the right hand of his fellow hater of the Divine...

FOOL

Who would throw away such a promising career for a roll in the hay with outrageously expensive prostitutes? INSANITY BEYOND BELIEF....and, the wife stands by his side as he makes his little speech? Lord, the only way I'd stand next to my husband like that would be if I'd beat him black and blue before hand and he wore a sign around his neck that said, "My wife has a mean right hook".

What a fool...

The Perfect Running Partner...

...my 7th grade son!

I usually take a 3 mile route on a street that, at times, has a bit more traffic than I'm comfortable having my boys running on. So, today my son and I went to a track at one of the schools, and we found out we run at about the same pace. Of course, he can kick my butt big time running sprints, but long distance we're pretty even.

He just started track last week, and wants to get conditioned, so we've decided to run together and challenge each other. We went three miles today and ran a little over a mile of those three on our first day out. We were pretty proud of ourselves!

We push each other to keep the pace because I don't want to be out done by a kid, and he certainly doesn't want the old lady to beat him around the track.

My new running shoes are great, and my brother and sister bought me an mp3 player for my birthday which will make jogging much more pleasurable. I hate walking/jogging without music.

The weather was perfect today, and with the time change, we'll have more time in the evening to run before it gets dark.

Oh, and the endorphin rush was awesome. Whenever I start getting grouchy, my husband always encourages me to go out for a walk. For some reason, I seem to get more of a surge than a lot of people do. Some say the "rush" isn't really a physical phenomena, but rather that people feel good when they've accomplished something.

Whatever....either way, it's a great feeling.

Sunday's Message

Romans 16-20:

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

The Utimate Aphrodisiac

Okay...this is soooooo true:

Joshua Coleman, a San Francisco-area psychologist and author of "The Lazy Husband: How to Get Men to Do More Parenting and Housework," said equitable sharing of housework can lead to a happier marriage and more frequent sex.

"If a guy does housework, it looks to the woman like he really cares about her — he's not treating her like a servant," said Coleman, who is affiliated with the Council on Contemporary Families. "And if a woman feels stressed out because the house is a mess and the guy's sitting on the couch while she's vacuuming, that's not going to put her in the mood."

The article goes on to show that men are starting to share in more of the household chores than in the past. I guess they're becoming tired of listening to their wives complain, so they've bit the bullet and finally allowed themselves to become acquainted with a dish towel and a vacuum.

I've mentioned in the past that Mr. FtK isn't exactly a pro at housework, and it takes a bit of prodding to get him to chip in, but he is certainly an excellent cook. It must be his artistic side that aids in his gift to throw together a tasty meal. Me? I have to whip out the cookbook and stick to a recipe, but he can have a meal at a restaurant and the next week decide to make the same thing himself. He just throws everything together and it turns out great!

Now, when I catch him helping with the household chores without being coaxed to do so, it's true that he's probably going to be a very lucky boy in regard to sexual favors.

I think he's finally catching on to that...

Oh, and here's a picture of my boys when they were quite a bit younger. They were trying to get in touch with their feminine side. My Mom bought them a tea set...check out what they're wearing to their tea party....lol. I think they had just come back from one of their first hunting trips.

The Economy Sucks* (has slowed down big time)

Joy...Mr. FtK decided to close his business due to the slowing economy, but with the rest of the country in the same boat, I hope he'll be able to find another job.

Blah...

*Trying not to be so vulgar, but some words just hit the mark better than others, no?

Dr. Walt Brown, The Grand Canyon, and George Noory's Coast to Coast

One would think that the Grand Canyon, one of earth’s most prominent geological features, studied by geologists for 140 years, would be well understood. Wrong. “The Colorado River’s integration off the Colorado Plateau remains a classic mystery in geology, despite its pivotal role in the cutting of Grand Canyon and the region’s landscape evolution.” That’s how Joel Pederson (Utah State) began the cover article in GSA Today this month,1 a bimonthly journal of the Geological Society of America. The mystery he investigated is how the Colorado River ran over a mountain: the Kaibab uplift. ...

...continue reading at this website.

Further commentary on the article...

Creationist geologists and scientists like Walt Brown and Steve Austin have done extensive work, both hands-on field work and mathematical modeling, showing how the Grand Canyon can be explained by a catastrophic dam-breach event from impounded lakes northeast of the canyon that remained after the Flood. These models explain why the river cut through the Colorado Plateau but left no delta in Nevada (most of the erosional load went all the way to California and the ocean). They explain many details of the canyon’s structure, such as the vast sheet erosion of sediments above the canyon with its remnants at Cedar Mountain and Red Butte (for an excellent short article on this topic, see Bill Hoesch’s March entry in ICR’s ’s Acts and Facts newsletter). Brown first suggested the dam breach theory and has traveled throughout Arizona and Utah, finding firsthand evidence for a vast upstream lake system that could have cut the entire canyon (just like the Scablands flood), in a matter of days. Austin found a 1/40th scale model canyon system that formed at Mt. St. Helens when a mudflow breached a dam. There is both a large-scale, real-time exemplar for the catastrophist model and a good deal of on-site fieldwork throughout the Colorado Plateau to support it. (Incidentally, Austin, PhD in geology from Penn State, discusses the “precocious gully” theory and the other gradualist theories in his richly-informed book, Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe.)

True enough...Dr. Walt Brown has done extensive research on and at the Grand Canyon and has a very comprehensive theory that can be read at his website. The chapter on the Grand Canyon begins here. It seems much more in-depth than the other theories I've read. You might consider reading it in it's entirety...quite interesting really.

Dr. Brown was recently featured on Geory Noory's Coast to Coast. This is a broadcast you should definitely listen to. Darwinists would like to paint creation scientists as complete uneducated morons, but this is entirely untrue. Here are Dr. Brown's credentials, and they're not too shabby...

Walt Brown received a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he was a National Science Foundation Fellow. He has taught college courses in physics, mathematics, and computer science. Brown is a retired full colonel (Air Force), West Point graduate, and former Army ranger and paratrooper. Assignments during his 21 years in the military included: Director of Benet Research, Development, and Engineering Laboratories in Albany, New York; tenured associate professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy; and Chief of Science and Technology Studies at the Air War College. For much of his life, Walt Brown was an evolutionist, but after many years of study, he became convinced of the scientific validity of creation and a global flood. Since retiring from the military in 1980, Dr. Brown has been the Director of the Center for Scientific Creation and has worked full time in research, writing, and speaking on origins.

For those who wish to know more about Walt Brown, a new book (Christian Men of Science: Eleven Men Who Changed the World by George Mulfinger and Julia Mulfinger Orozco) devotes a chapter to Brown. It may be read by clicking here.

Be sure to listen to Noory's program. Dr. Brown was given ample time to cover many topics. I've had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Brown on several occasions. His interest in these issues is contagious...after a few discussions with him, my interest in science soared to a whole new level.

Don't Cuss!

This No Cussing Club kid has been all over the news this week. He has a website dedicated to the cause as well as several Youtube clips.



Honestly, I think this is a great idea. My own family should pay heed to his message. Neither my husband nor I are particularly virtuous when it comes to watching our language...we've been known to let some very colorful words fly in front of and at our kids. Of course, our kids have picked up on some of those words, and with my oldest in junior high this year, his choice of words has gone down hill all the more.

We don't use those type of words at work or school, so you'd think that we should be able to maintain more control over ourselves when we're at home. But, lately it's been a struggle around here to keep a lid on the foul language.

I'll have to show the website to the kids and see if we can all agree to try to clean up our act. The nasty stuff usually comes out when we're frustrated, and when you hear someone else cussing you realize how awful it sounds.

I think the bracelet idea is great...kind of like wearing a string around your finger to help you remember something. Perhaps we'll have to order a few of those...

Ben Stein Smart Bombs Darwinian Bunker

A review of Expelled written by Jack Cashill can be found here.

Wow...these reviews are very promising.

It's the End of the World as we know it...

The Wii quit working last night.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH....!

AND WE'RE NOT SENDING IT IN TO BE REPAIRED!! Our boys are going out of their minds with despair and anxiety, and I DON'T EVEN CARE!!!!

They will, once again, have to join the land of the living, grab their baseball gloves, bats, basketballs and experience a little visit with the sun, nature, fresh air, exercise, and real life.

I now dedicate the following song to my oldest son...



Mean Mom? I. think. not. *evil smile*

No Atheists in Foxholes??

Fallacy...here's one:

Hall alleges he was denied his constitutional right to hold a meeting to discuss atheism while he was deployed in Iraq with his military police unit. He says in the new complaint that his promotion was blocked after the commander of the 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley sent an e-mail post-wide saying Hall had sued.

Obviously it's unfair not to allow a meeting among atheists in the military. As a support group, I see nothing wrong with atheists meeting just as a Christian group might. But, if either group is bashing the beliefs of others during said meetings, then we would have a problem. There is no evidence that this is the case.

The lawsuit alleges that Gates permits a military culture in which officers are encouraged to pressure soldiers to adopt and espouse fundamentalist Christian beliefs, and in which activities by Christian organizations are sanctioned.

That is the wrong approach, IMHO. You can't "pressure" anyone to believe anything. I'm not sure why anyone would attempt to do so.

According to the lawsuit, Hall was counseled by his platoon sergeant after being informed that his promotion was blocked. He says the sergeant explained that Hall would be "unable to put aside his personal convictions and pray with his troops" and would have trouble bonding with them if promoted to a leadership position.

Again, ya can't block a promotion just because someone is an atheist. Now, personally, if I was under the supervision of an atheist during my time in duty, it would be more than a little depressing, but there wouldn't be a thing I could do about it. If I was in combat and daily putting my life on the line, the very last thing I want to deal with is whether it would be politically incorrect to mention my faith or perhaps be ridiculed for doing so.

"It shouldn't matter if one is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or atheist," said Pedro Irigonegaray, an attorney whose firm filed the lawsuit. "In the military, all are equal and to be considered equal."

Yeah, too bad they aren't all considered equal in academia. If this soldier is looking for a more welcoming environment, perhaps he should get out of the military and go back to school...in fact, if he majors in the field of science, he'll be welcomed with open arms!

Good 'ol Pedro...always right in the middle of the battle for atheism, Darwinism, gay rights. I wonder if he'd take a case for someone who had to deal with opposition from Darwinist professors who discriminated against a student who supported Intelligent Design.

Nah, not a chance.

Expelled: Joseph Farah's Review

I simply can't wait to get to a theatre April 18th.

Here's another review of the documentary:

Stein doesn't just ask the obvious questions of the scientists who are dogmatic about evolution. He probes. He digs. He pierces. He penetrates. He is relentless.

The responses are amazing – even if you think you know what to expect.

It turns out some of the most hardened, doctrinaire anti-design zealots in the scientific establishment – people like Richard Dawkins, author of "The God Delusion" and, coincidentally, the de facto leader of the worldwide atheist movement – aren't really opposed to the notion of design at all. They just can't accept God as the designer.

You will hear some of the world's most celebrated evolutionists admit design is possible – just not by the hand of God.

They will attribute the possibility of design to visitors from other planets and even to crystals. The two things they cannot tolerate are consideration of God's role and any of their colleagues deviating from their own ideas about origins.

It's not so much the architects of evolution are opposed to religion. It's that they have formed their own religion – absent the God of Christianity and Judaism.

As Ben Stein explains it: "Big Science in this area of biology has lost its way. Scientists are supposed to be allowed to follow the evidence wherever it may lead, no matter what the implications are. Freedom of inquiry has been greatly compromised, and this is not only anti-American, it's anti-science. It's anti-the whole concept of learning."

You need to be on the lookout for "Expelled." It will get a healthy rollout in theaters beginning April 18. But you don't want to miss it. This is a movie you will want to see more than once. This is a movie for the whole family. This is a movie to tell your friends about.

It won't end the debate about evolution. But it may give us a chance to revive the debate.

Again, DON'T miss this flick. If you're a blogger, get the word out. People need to be aware of what is going on in academia today in regard to the suppression of academic freedom.

Expelled: A Review

An interesting review of Expelled can be found at Brett McCracken's blog.

Ugh...

Hillary..nuf said.

Expelled on Coast to Coast

Film producer of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, Mark Mathis, was recently featured on Coast to Coast with George Noory. You can listen to the program at this link. There's a $6.95 monthly fee to listen to the show, but it's well worth it. I'll be linking to a few other Coast to Coast programs soon.

Go listen to it now!!

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

Be sure to see this one...in theatres April 18.

Here are some fun clips of Ben Stein on Jimmy Kimmel Live and Bill O'Reilly.

Broke the Fast

I made it through a two day fast, but this morning when I woke up I felt a bit light headed, so I ate a banana.

Two days was easy, and if I didn't have to work today, I think I'd make it through 3 days.

So, now I just have to try to stay away from the junk food and work on eating healthier.

REPOST - Os Guinness Lecture

I've been posting on personal matters lately versus the ID/evolution debate because, as I noted in an earlier post, I'm grown tired of debating the same issues over and over. I've been working on a post in regard to an audio I listened to recently featuring Ken Miller, but I just get so irritated with the man that I can't seem to stick with it.

So, I thought instead of addressing Miller's rhetorical nonsense just yet, I'd repost a lecture review I wrote in October of '06. Os Guinness was speaking at KU, and he was very insightful in regard to the culture war our country has found itself in. It's a shame that there isn't a way to bridge the deep chasm that seems to be growing between religion and secularism, but at this point, I don't see that happening...

I just returned from listening to the Os Guinness lecture, and I’m sitting here wondering where to begin. This gentleman gave one of the most insightful lectures I’ve ever had the opportunity to listen to. It was a wake up call of sorts.

In the last 20-30 years the United States has found themselves in an increasingly volatile culture war. We find ourselves in an “age of exploding pluralism” and we need to find a way to agree to disagree peacefully.

Os reminds us that in the age of the internet, when we speak, our voices are heard around the world. The internet has become the “global public square”. How we treat one another regarding issues of faith is vitally important. We need to come together to “find the common vision for the common good”.

He spoke of the two extremes in this culture war. We have fundamentalist Christianity on one end of the spectrum and on the other side we find the extreme secularists. Christian Reconstructionism as well as radical Islamic groups would prefer to show favoritism to a particular religious ideal. But, what they don’t realize is that what they are working toward, which is imposing their beliefs on others, is exactly what they fear from other groups.

He mentioned that our 1st amendment law provides the opportunity for social harmony. It allows for strong religious convictions and strong political stability, unless it is abused. He mentioned that the fundamentalists assert that the framers of the constitution did not separate church from state, and at the other end, the extreme secularists put forth that there should be a strict barrier between church and state.

Os submits that neither view is accurate. He believe that faith and reason are part of the same thing, and should intermingle. Faith is a part of who we are and it affects how we view the world. He believes that we should not keep our faith hidden in the private sector while only allowing a secularist point of view in the public square.

But, he is quick to remind us that when we are talking with people of various faiths, we should be focusing on the matter at hand and the common good. We should not be debating who’s faith beliefs are correct or how they affect the subject at hand. Neither should we be forcing our religious beliefs on others.

He believes that the reason we find ourselves in this increasingly volatile “culture war” in the last 20-30 years is due to the fact that during the 1900’s most people in the United States by and large held loosely to biblical teaching. In 1959, we saw an increase in secularism (approx. 2%), and by 1969 that percentage had increased to approx. 9-11%. We also saw an increase in Buddhist and Muslim religious beliefs. While the churches and faith community used to be extremely important in peoples lives, we now find that Uncle Sam is the powerful consideration in our lives.

He also feels that both extremes in this “culture war” are not communicating properly with one another. Both sides tend to preach to their own choir, and Americans tend to hold a grudge against someone who doesn’t agree with them. The better option would be to robustly debate our differences, but not let that affect our friendships with one another.

Our objective should be to debate our differences in opinion, with respect toward one another, in order to find the common good. He believes the way to achieve the common good for all people is through dialogue and persuasion rather than coercion.

Os suggested an alternative to what he sees happening in American today. He supports a “civil public square” where people are free to enter and engage public life on the basis of their faith but with respect toward those of other faiths and philosophies. But, we should leave the roots of our differences in the private sector which means we shouldn’t debate, for example, Christianity versus atheist ideals, but look at the consequences and implications of our differences and how we should work together for the common good.

Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris were brought up in the Q&A session. Os was asked what he thought about Sam Harris’ opinion that faith should be abandoned for the common good. Os’ reply was that nothing is more irrational than the idea that we are going to see the end of faith. Humans need meaning and a sense of belonging in their lives, and whether that comes from religious or secular faith beliefs, it’s not going to come to an end. Throughout history, religion has always played a vital role in the lives of people everywhere.

In reply to the question he was asked about Dawkins, he suggested that if Dawkins believes that religion is at the root of the problems in this world, he should persuade us that this is true by ~showing us~ that atheism would provide us with a better option. He mentioned that the Katrina flood was a good indication of which groups are working for the good of others. Faith communities were the strongest support for flood victims, and they are still involved in the effort.

Os also reminded us that for those, like Sam Harris, who are constantly pointing a finger at religious groups being the cause of war and violence, we should bear in mind that in the 20th century, secularist regimes were responsible for more blood shed than any other group.

The lecture really made me think and reevaluate how I am approaching this debate. I decided to start a blog because I thought it would help me think through various issues of this ID/evolution debate and some of the aspects of this ensuing culture war.

Now, I’m finding myself wondering if that is the best option (I'm also wondering if my last blog entry could have been less volatile). I've always believed that we need to be involved in respectful dialogue with those who hold opposing views to our own. We won’t learn anything about what the other side is thinking and feeling if we are constantly preaching to the choir. It’s certainly something I’m going to have to consider. I spent a lot of time in a pro-evolution forum recently, and I learned so much about other philosophies and faith beliefs. The one thing I found was that it helped me become much more accepting of those who do not hold the same faith beliefs that I do.

Anyway, Os’ lecture was extremely enlightening and as soon as it is available on the internet, I will post the link. I encourage everyone who is involved in the ID/evo debate or political debates of any kind to listen to this gentleman’s wisdom regarding these matters.

Sunday's Message - A Christian Marriage

Pastor's been doing a 3 week series on marriage. I missed church last week because we were out of town attending a funeral. I'll have to be sure to listen to last week's message on-line.

Today's sermon was, well, very straight forward. He covered enough to probably make everyone in the room uncomfortable at some point (including me).


But, at the same time, I thought it was an awesome message. Our Pastor was blessed with a very good sense of humor, and he applies it well. If you're interested, you can click on the top link in the green box to the right of this website to hear what he had to say on the topic of Christian marriage.

Mr. FtK and I will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary this coming June. I can't believe it's been 15 years already. It seems like just yesterday that I met him...in a bar of all places. I had just pulled myself away from a very trying 2 1/2 year relationship with a guy who I knew, deep down, was a poor choice on my part, but I just couldn't seem to break it off. We were almost married...had even bought the invitations, but luckily we called it off before we made it to the altar. Thanks goodness!!

When I met Mr. FtK, I was at the point many of us go through at one time or the other in our lives. I decided I was through with men...I was ready to just stay single because of the crap I had dealt with in my previous relationship. So, here I was commiserating with a friend of mine and swearing off men for good when I glance toward the end of the bar, and here's this dark, handsome guy staring at me. I mentioned it to my friend, and she just started laughing at me. She reminded me of the vow I had just uttered to stay clear of the opposite sex, and here I was noticing one already. LOL.

So he comes over and asks me to dance, and while we were dancing, I swear I knew at that moment that there was something special about this guy. We talked a bit, and then we separated after I promised him another dance later. But, then he disappeared from the bar! I was disappointed, but thought... whatever.

About a half hour later, a guy I knew asked me to dance, and he had been drinking way too much. I wasn't in the mood to deal with him, so I turned him down. He started getting angry with me, and after a rather ugly exchange, he threw a cup of beer on me!! I couldn't believe it. But then out of no where comes Mr. FtK rushing to defend me. Before anything actually happened, a bouncer jumped over the bar and escorted my drunk acquaintance out of the establishment.

Mr. FtK had left with a friend to go to a bar next door, but was planning on coming back, and he happened to return at the perfect moment. At that point, Mr. FtK and I exchanged phone numbers, and I went home due to the fact that my shirt was drenched with beer.

The rest is history...within about 3 months, Mr. FtK asked me to marry him. I remember praying for years for the perfect guy for me, and God finally plopped him down right in front of me when I quit trying so hard to find him.

I think what has made our marriage work is that our backgrounds are quite similar. That and the fact that we balance each other out. He's very laid back and confident, while I'm rather high strung and think and worry about things too much. He has a calming affect on me, and I throw in that needed dose of reality at times.

Our marriage isn't perfect, but I think it's darn close. We've gone through some pretty crazy stuff together and managed to survive, and this year is going to be another one of those trying years due to the decision to close his business and look for another line of work. I'll be praying that God guides him to a job he enjoys, and that it will also pay the bills.

Speaking of prayer, that is something Pastor mentioned today...husbands and wives praying together. Honestly, my husband and I have never done that. I've always been a very private person in regard to prayer, and I'm uncomfortable praying in public. I don't feel sincere when I'm praying in front of a group, and it makes me nervous to do so. So, I usually steer away from those situations. Hubby surprised me after the sermon...he brought up praying together, and said he'd never thought about that before. I'm kind of surprised he brought it up as he is less religiously motivated than I am in that kind of thing. Who knows...maybe we'll give it a go...

The Fast

I started fasting today, and I'm doing okay so far. It's 2pm, and I'm steadily drinking the gallon of water I'm supposed to drink for the day.

I was a bit tempted to eat when I was making burritos for my kids...they smelled pretty good. The evening hours are going to be difficult to get through. Maybe I'll just go to bed early so I don't think about the nagging hunger.

Speaking of sleep...how do you suppose sleep evolved in the evolutionary scenario? I'll have to do some googling. If any of you have read any interesting articles about evolution and sleep, please share them. Thanks!

UPDATE:

3:45pm - hungry - added lemon to my water...hope that's not cheating.

UPDATE 2:

8am - Sunday morning. I actually made it through day 1. I ended up going to bed at 7:30pm, and was asleep within a half hour or so. Maybe this fast will help me get back on a decent sleeping schedule as well. I'm usually a night owl, and stay up until all hours of the night reading, blogging, thinking, etc..

We'll see how it goes today. I'm not hungry at all this morning, so the increased water intake must have helped in that regard.

UPDATE 3:

11:50 am...Sunday. Still doing fine...not terribly hungry. I'm surprised I don't feel like I'm starving to death. Weird. Drinking lots of water.