"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad consider: God has made the one as well as the other." Ecclesiastes 7:14
Have you heard the term "Feast or Famine"? Why is it that everything can go your way all at once, or NOTHING can all at the same time? I have had three guys chasing me at once, and then a drout for the last year. I've lived with a lot of money, and also lived paycheck to paycheck putting things back at the grocery store. My calendar has faced several plans forcing erasing and cancelling all on the same day, while also holding useless weekends of laying around being lazy.
The last 2-3 weeks have been extremely busy. I've literally had each day from the time I wake up until bedtime scheduled for the past 3 weeks, and this week will make #4. Maybe that's why I feel up to my neck in stress. Can't wait for the break of spring.
But on top of being busy, I've just had a lot of mini-disasters going on. I won't go into all the details, because on the list includes more than one friend telling me how negative I am...but let's just say...the line at the front of my head has been, "What's next?" Seriously, what ELSE could go wrong this week? So I won't raindown my little black rain cloud upon you...but let me just take a minute to attempt to explain my negativity before I move on.
It's not like I ENJOY being a negative person. And truly, I wouldn't call myself so much negative as I am cynical. And skeptic. I'm very wary of people who never get mad, or sad, or lose their temper. Seems like a fake human to NOT feel those emotions on a regular basis. But at the same time...I could let a lot more in my life go. I could definitely keep my mouth shut more often. And I heard a quote one time about how hate temporarily places you in the ranks with the insane. Sometimes I just have trouble seeing the brightside. Sometimes I'm seeking consolation, wisdom, or validation when I complain. I suppose if I would take a breath, and step back to look at the big picture before opening my mouth...I might not come across so "negative". But if you know me, you know I wear my heart on my sleeve...people rarely have trouble identifying my feelings.
Moving on.
So I had to do a quick research project this week on Isaac Newton so that I would have an example ready for the class. Now just so you know, I only "researched" him for about 30mins so if you have more information...well that's because you, have more information than me. But I thought it interesting that Isaac Newton was so religious. Who knew? In fact, they say he wrote more on Biblical Hermeanutics than he ever did on math and science, yet that is what he's known for. And our modern age loves to keep science and relgion separate. As if it would be impossible for the two to be friends.
I think that idea is a little silly. I showed a video about the Big Bang theory the other day that I had to watch 4 times. I've always thought that the "Big Bang" theory was the devil and completely goes against Biblical teaching. However, do you know what I learned from watching that video four times in a row? The Big Bang theory is basically trying to scientifically say that the universe was formed in an instant. Couldn't God speaking be that very same instant? The video went on to talk about how everything in the universe is set in a specific place with specific speeds and if any of these were to change in the slightest, there would be disaster. Doesnt that sound like God, once again calculating everything so inexplicably specific that only He could be a logical explanation for it all?
"Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done."---Isaac Newton
"Such a wonderful uniformity in the planetary system must be allowed the effect of choice". --Isaac Newton
I'm also still reading this book called, "The Reason for God" by Time Keller. And I just happened to have just finished the science portion...strange?
"Even though the concept of warfare between science and religion still has much popular credence, we should disabuse ourselves the notion that we have to choose between the two, or that if you want to be a Christian you will have to be in conflict with science. A majority of scientists consider themselves deeply or moderately religious."--Tim Keller
"For the record I think God guided some kind of process of natural selection, and yet I reject the concept of evolution as an All-encompassing Theory. One commentator on Genesis captures this balance well:
If "evolution" is...elevated to the status of a world-view of the way things are, then there is direct conflict with Biblical faith. But if "evolution" remains at the level of scientific biological hypothesis, it would seem that there is little reason for conflict between the implications of Christian belief in the Creator and the scientific explorations of the way which--at the level of biology--God has gone about his creating processes.
Couldn't it be that we are just slowly making discoveries about how God made things? While having a discussion about all of this with the 8th graders in my classroom, one of them raised his hand and said it perfectly I think. He said, "Science just explains how God made it."
