by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner Cheers to all of you corrie-fisted, sinister-handed southpaws! Today is “International Lefthanders Day,” meant as a day for those whose left hand is their strong one. A day to remember the struggles they face in a world designed for righthanded people. A day to celebrate their uniqueness and triumph in learning to cope and adjust to the challenges many of us overlook.
A day also perfect for remembering how ingenious our Designer was when He created each of our hands! What makes the human hand a work of wonder? The human hand has a unique arrangement of bones, tendons, muscles, and nerves which allows it to move fast enough to type over sixty words per minute, and to grasp with both force and delicacy. If you visit the hand Fun Fact page on my website, you’ll find all sorts of great online resources to learn more about the intricate design, but my favorite tidbits about the hand come from one of my favorite paperback books, called Inspired by Evidence: Only One Reality. Written by Julie Von Velt and Bruce Malone of Search for the Truth, this book is designed as a year-long daily devotional to equip people with knowledge about the truth of God’s design in multiple aspects, including anatomy, Christian truths, microbiology, physics, and more. The June 27th devotion focuses on the human hand, telling that it “is one of the most wonderful and precise mechanical devices in all of creation.” Among other examples of its amazing design, each hand
Most of all, I love this quote they include from “real scientist” Sir Isaac Newton: “In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.” Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/humanBody/hand.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner Today, the last Friday of October, happens to be “National Frankenstein Day.” The day is to recognize Mary Shelley and her novel in which scientist Victor Frankenstein created a monster. And while you can celebrate the day by reading the book, drawing your own picture, conducting an experiment with electricity, or baking cookies or other treats in the shape of a monster, I’ve chosen to celebrate by introducing you to my Fun Fact about the “hopeful monster” theory:
What is the “hopeful monster” theory? The “hopeful monster” theory is an evolutionary theory which states that occasionally an animal births a totally new creature. You may recall that last week I told you an observed truth of genetics: apes make apes, people make people, and finches make finches. But what if that wasn’t always true? What if your beautiful little collie had a litter of pups, and one of them—instead of a collie—was randomly a banacrowtula? Or how about an eleraffepple? You probably hope that doesn’t happen because it might give you quite a startle! Some evolutionists, however, hope such an occurrence does happen. For a long time, evolutionary scientists have been looking for answers to try to explain away the need for a Creator God to have made all the animal kinds we see today. That there is no observable evidence for Darwinian evolution doesn’t stop them from hoping there could be. Part of the problem (for evolutionists) is that as they examine the fossil record, animals appear suddenly, all at once. There is no sign of animals transitioning from one kind to another. When apes appear in the fossil record, they are apes. When finches appear in the fossil record, they are finches. And so on, and so forth. Rather than acknowledging Darwinian evolution might be false, and especially rather than acknowledging there might be a Creator God to Whom we are accountable, one of the ideas these scientists have come up with is that occasionally one animal birthed a totally new creature. Otto Schindewolf, a German paleontologist, was credited with this idea in the 1930s. Basically, he suggested that instead of slow progressions of evolutionary development, transformations happened in large single leaps between species. UC Berkeley geneticist Richard Goldschmidt took hold of Schindwolf’s theory, calling the new animals “embryological monsters,” and thus named the idea the “hopeful monster theory.” Despite the fact that there has been no evidence to support this idea, and that the theory should have died with its originator, shortly after Schindewolf’s death in the early 1970s, two other scientists—Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge—revived the idea and repackaged the theory. They called it “punctuated equilibrium.” And although there still remains no evidence for it, because it answers Darwinian evolution’s problem of missing transitional fossils, it has been widely accepted and is often taught as fact in public schools and secular museums. You may recall that Romans 1:20 tells us that everyone—in their heart of hearts—knows there is a God. But verse 21 goes on to say, “Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (NKJV). These scientists keep hoping to find evidence to dismiss what they know: there is a God Who created them and will hold them accountable. Let me reassure you: You have no reason at all to believe your little doggie is going to give birth to a new creature any more than you have reason to believe that Frankenstein’s or anyone else’s monster is under your bed. However, if you have placed your faith in the living God of the Bible, you can rest your head each night knowing your hope is in the Creator of the universe, Who will someday redeem you to Himself. Your eternal future is secure with Him. If you have not placed your faith in Him, National Frankenstein Day is just as good a day as any other to visit this website and learn how to start your life with the Author of hope. Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/theories/hopefulMonster.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner Yesterday (October 22) was “Galapagos Day.” The Galapagos Conservation Trust uses this day each year to raise awareness about the marine species that live at the archipelago and the threats they face. The Galapagos Islands, about 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, are well known because that is where Charles Darwin realized and began to develop his “theory” of evolution, while observing finches.
During his five weeks on the island, Darwin noticed that the finches had variations in their beaks, tails, body types, and feathers. In particular, he observed that the variations in the finches’ beaks gave some of the birds specific abilities others didn’t have, which would allow them to adapt better and survive longer than other variations. From these observations, Darwin went on to extrapolate that the same principles could be applied to other animal kinds evolving into whole new animal kinds. This is known as “Darwinian Evolution.” We will discuss Darwin and his idea of evolution more in upcoming weeks. But this week let’s focus on this particularly important question: Did the finches Darwin observed on the Galapagos prove evolution? In reality, the Galapagos finches have shown their God-given abilities to adapt and survive tough times, while keeping within their created kind. This year I’ve had the privilege of joining with my friends from the Creation Fellowship Santee in virtual weekly fellowships. We’ve had a number of great speakers—authors, Creation scientists, Christian apologists, pastors, and more—come share with us from week to week. One of our first speakers was Bill Morgan, who leads his own Creation fellowship in Garden Grove, CA, and also does an extensive amount of street witnessing. One of the things he taught us that evening was how to give an answer for our belief in God the Designer. When questioned about evolution, he encouraged us to respond with, “Apes make apes, people make people, and crows make crows.” This isn’t religious; this is genetics. Genetics is the field of science that focuses on organisms’ genes, which are made up of DNA or RNA. Good scientific theories are those that are testable, repeatable, and observable. The truth of it is that the only thing Charles Darwin observed on the Galapagos Islands were finches making finches. Did their beaks vary? Yes, but they were still finches. In the first chapter of Genesis, we see the phrase “after his/their kind” used ten times. It is important to understand what “kind” is. In terms of biological classifications, “kind” is the equivalent of either genus or family, not species. Since that time, the only conclusive scientific observations that have ever been made have been that animals reproduce after their kind. Apes do not become people any more than they become crows. Dogs do not become cats. Whales do not become dogs. However, we do see extensive variations within kinds. Variations are the result of certain genes—sometimes favorable and sometimes hazardous—being passed on from generation to generation within a kind. For example, most scientists—evolutionists and creationists alike—believe that all the dog species we see today shared a common ancestor that was much like a wolf. However, over time, sometimes as the result of intentional breeding and sometimes as the result of adaption, some genes have been handed down from generation to generation that have changed the way dogs look, and have offered a variety of different species, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. It is important to understand that in every generation of dogs, dogs still make dogs. And even more importantly, never is any new information added to their DNA, or genetic code. I’m going to leave this talk right there because in just a few weeks, we’ll pick up where we left off when we talk more about Darwin’s idea of evolution. For now, whenever you see a bird flying by you, just remember that it is one of its kind. Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/theories/galapagos.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner Yesterday (October 8) was “World Sight Day,” a day set aside all over the world to promote eye health and to raise awareness for the struggles brought on by blindness and other visual impairments. It seems clear, then, that I should focus this week’s blog post on my Fun Fact about the human eye:
What makes the human eye unique? The human eye is situated backwards so we don’t always have to look through a pool of blood. I know there are a few ways I could go here, and you would probably see any of them coming: I could devote the next few paragraphs to the high importance of seeing the world clearly through the lens of the Bible. I could write to you about the ironies of 20/20 being hindsight, yet the year 2020 has taught us invaluable lessons on foresight. Or I could clarify the importance of a backward eye and highlight some of the other fascinating design features of our eyes. My choice: number three! Why, exactly, are our eyes backwards? Technically, it isn’t the eyes themselves that are backwards, but the wiring. When you look at your eyes in a mirror, you see the beautiful “storefronts” that God has created, with the lenses, pupils, irises, and corneas. But behind those, there are photoreceptors that face the retinas, which are thin layers of tissue that line the backs of the eyes. When light hits the retinas, it activates photocells. These highly active photocells require nutrients found in the blood, so pools of blood are stored between the lenses and the photoreceptors, with the photoreceptors facing the back wall of the eyes. If the photoreceptors faced forward, or if the pools of blood were between the photoreceptors and retinas, our vision would always be tainted by those pools of blood. But did you also know?
Matthew 6:22 (ESV) “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light... Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/humanBody/eye.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner With the U.S. Presidential election quickly drawing to a murky close, now is a time we see a lot of headlines with numbers followed by a percent sign (%). So I thought this would be a good week to share a different percent with you.
What percentage of oxygen is necessary for human life? Earth’s atmosphere must always contain 21% oxygen to maintain life. While it might seem that some candidates use up a larger percentage of “hot air” than most people, the truth is that our unique planet was very carefully, intentionally, and thoughtfully designed with just the right balance of gases in our atmosphere. This may lead you to ask some other questions:
All these beautiful planets, yet not one of them has the right percentage of oxygen to sustain human (or animal) life. Earth is the only one. This is another great example of (1) why it is unlikely we would ever find human life on another planet and (2) God’s hand in the unique and irreducible complexity of not just our bodies but the environment for which we are suited. In a world with a 100% chance of sin, conflict, or strife, I hope this reminder of your unique living space has brought at least 10% of the blessings to get you through your day. Fortunately, our Creator is a good and loving God whose mercies are 100% new every morning. You can count on them, along with your 21% of oxygen. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Psalm 150:6 (ESV) Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/astronomy/oxygen.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner Wait. I haven’t written this article yet. Wait. Don’t read it yet. … Okay, now you can! Are you a procrastinator? I know I tend to be. And sometimes I feel like I have good reasons or excuses to be, but then I’m reminded that being a procrastinator is nothing unique. Whether for good reasons or not, it is the way of many. In fact, I have three proverbs on a sticky note on my computer:
Well, if you can relate to any of these statements—or if you feel convicted by any of them—this Sunday’s “weird holiday” will be an assurance to you that you are not alone! It’s called “Fight Procrastination Day,” and I thought it would be a good opportunity to introduce you to my Fun Fact about the specialness of the human brain. What is special about the human brain? Consisting of billions of neurons that connect with each other via trillions of synapses, just one human brain is far more complex and designed much better than all the computers in the world combined. Boy, that’s a lot of syllables! Let’s break down that first half. Neurons are the cells in your brain that control the flow of information you take in from the world around you and the flow of information that you send out to your muscles and more for how to respond. You have billions (nine zeroes) of them! Synapses are like the wires that connect the neurons with each other and with other types of cells. You have trillions (twelve zeroes) of them! Now then, if I took you to a computer store and we browsed the latest and greatest models of PCs and Macs, you’d be pretty impressed with some of the marvelous features: the high-speed processors, the large-capacity hard drives, the super-quality video cards, and the impressive built-in memories. Especially if we did a little historical comparison to computers of the past such as the Eniac, a Tandy, or a Commodore 64. What if I stood there in that store and tried to convince you that those original machines not only came to exist as a random chance accident of a combination of chemical elements, but that every computer from that time until now slowly evolved on its own into a newer and better machine? Pretty silly, huh? We know that behind all the computers—from the very first to the ones we have today—there were engineers and other smarty-pants people who were designing them. In fact, many of them were implementing something called “biomimicry,” which is a way that humans model patterns in nature when designing materials and structures. Many of the world’s computers have been modeled after the brain, which even to this day is still more complex and designed much better than all the computers in the world combined. How silly would it be for someone to try to convince us that that computer—the true “supercomputer”—had no Designer? Well, I don’t buy that, and hopefully you can use your brain to realize your brain isn’t the result of random chance combinations and millions of years of evolution. But what else are you going to use your brain for today? More intentionally, how are you going to use your mind today? Do you realize there is a difference between the two? Your brain is a part of your physical body, but your mind is a part of your soul and spirit. Did you know you can use your mind to control and repair your brain? Some time you might like to do a little research into the study of neuroplasticity. I’ve only read a little about it myself and am even less of an expert about the topic than I am about any topic, so I’ll just encourage you to do your own research. But here’s something I do know: God gave us instructions all throughout His Word for how to use our minds! For example, when we consider the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, how many of them directly instruct us how to behave with our minds? The first is “You shall have no other gods before Me” (v. 3 NKJV). Considering something to be a “god” comes from the mind. When we worship, we worship with our minds. Commandment number four says to “remember the Sabbath day” (v. 8). And Commandment number ten tells us, “You shall not covet . . .” (v. 17). Coveting is an action of the mind, isn’t it? In the New Testament we see countless exhortations about what to do with our minds as well. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 not to “be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NKJV). Again, he says in Ephesians to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (4:23 NKJV). James warns us not to be “double-minded” (James 1:7-8). And Peter tells us to be “sober-minded” in 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV). There are many, many more examples, but this brings us to the most important one for this week: In 1 Corinthians 10:5, Paul exhorts us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (NKJV). Every thought. Not the thoughts you’ll have in an hour or in a day. But every thought. That means the thoughts you are having right now. Don’t let them wander. Don’t let them stray. Don’t let them go to waste. Use them! Take them captive and focus them on obeying Christ. Be productive. God designed us each with a supercomputer built right into our bodies which enables our minds to obey Him, serve Him, and glorify Him. So, what are you waiting for? Go get to it—don’t delay! Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/humanBody/brain.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner July 26 is “National All or Nothing Day,” and while the origin of the “holiday” is unclear, the philosophy is “seize the day!” Be all in or be all out. What dream, goal, project, or bucket-list item have you been putting off? This Sunday is the day to commit, make a plan, tell your friends, post it to social media, and get it done!
My goal is to remind my friends, family, and as many others as I can that this world and everything in it is owned by its Creator. (Psalm 24:1) But the phrase “all or nothing” reminds me of my favorite Fun Fact: What is irreducible complexity? Sometimes referred to as “all or nothing,” irreducible complexity is a system of interdependent parts: parts that rely upon each other in order to make the whole function. In this case, “all or nothing” is about the design of systems that require certain parts that depend on each other in order to function. And, when one or more of those parts are missing, the system cannot operate. One great example I like goes back to a sermon I heard as a young adult, when my pastor mentioned that an airplane is made up of so many parts—wings, stabilizers, rudders, flaps, engines, etc.—none of which can fly on their own, but when put together, the whole system can transport almost anything you can think of. God, the creative Engineer, built complex systems too: He designed us, the animals, and most of nature around us, both visible and invisible! We’ve already discussed some examples of irreducible complexity, such as the giraffe and the bombardier beetle. Both are animals that defy evolution because their complex designs could not have gradually evolved to what they are. In the giraffe, if his heart didn’t beat as powerfully as it does, and if the spongy tissue at the base of his brain was missing, and if the valves didn’t have a pressure-check system, then the supposed ancestor of the giraffe we see today would not have survived long enough to produce offspring to evolve. All those features had to be in place at once. All or nothing. Similarly, the bombardier beetle, with his gas chambers and his high-pressure nozzle sprayer, could not have evolved one part at a time. From the beginning, the complex system had to be designed just that way. In future weeks, we’ll discuss other amazing examples of irreducible complexity, such as the chuckwalla lizard, the woodpecker, and the human eyes, ears, heart, and brain. But this week, let’s talk more specifically about irreducible complexity in the cells of living beings. Did you know that the average human body is made up of at least 30-40 trillion cells?! And that within each cell are compartments called “organelles.” These compartments are not only carefully organized, but they are interconnected and networked to move calcium, lipids, proteins, sugars, and more to keep you alive! Scientists are discovering that these organelles cannot function independently. Right from the start they had to be designed to work together. Someone had to design them that way! There are many more examples of irreducible complexity even outside my Fun Facts. I would encourage you to visit the page on my website for this Fun Fact, and explore the links I have gathered that will take you to articles, videos, and audio clips about the complexity found in human tears, the knee joint, hemoglobin, blood clotting, the electrical design of the nervous system, weedy plants, fungi, and even the long-time debate of the chicken vs. the egg. In my mind, irreducible complexity is just about the strongest evidence for a Creator. Just like engineers have to design an airplane with all its required parts in order for it to be able to fly, the Engineer had to design our cells, our bodies, and countless systems in animals and nature all over the earth in order for them to function properly. That’s why this is my favorite Fun Fact! And that’s why I wanted to seize the opportunity to tell you about it! Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/humanBody/complexity.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation. by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner This past Monday, June 22, was the 25th annual “World Wide VW Beetle Day,” also known as “Drive Your Beetle to Work Day.” Did you know that the Volkswagen Beetle had a designer? In fact, its designer had a pretty familiar name: Ferdinand Porsche. At the request of Adolf Hitler, Porsche’s directive was to design a car that common people could afford and own: the people’s car (or folks’ wagon).
The Volkswagen Beetle has arguably become one of the most recognized vehicles in all of history. Its first model, the Type 1 made in the 1930s, was meant to be an affordable, mass-produced passenger car for people to drive on Germany’s new roads. The Beetle was originally designed with 25 hp, for a top speed around 62 mph. Over time, engineers upgraded the engine, moved the location of the engine, and added new design features. Off and on, the VW Beetle was produced for a span of some eighty years, with the final Beetle coming off the factory line in July of 2019. Still, the affinity for the little car carries on. So much so, that on Monday, in the midst of a global pandemic, people around the world who share a common passion and love for the iconic car posted pictures of their own all over social media, and made a point to (safely) drive their little cars, feeling a connection to a worldwide network of like-minded friends. As Christians, we have a worldwide network of like-minded friends, too! And celebrating the design of little things like the bombardier beetle should be able to connect us in the midst of a global pandemic as well. How does the bombardier beetle defy evolution? The beetle has a chemical mixture that creates small explosions to defend itself. “Bombardier” beetles get their names from the aqueous “bombs” they eject at their predators. They are a member of the family Carabidae, and of the genus Brachinus, which contains 304 species, just in the United States alone. Bombardier beetles are sometimes referred to as dragon-like creatures because of the boiling hot, caustic liquid they fire out at enemies such as birds, frogs, mice, rats, snakes, spiders, toads, and other insects. The exothermic chemical reaction that happens in this amazing little insect is actually a very sophisticated defense system. The beetle stores two liquids—hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide—in a larger chamber in its abdomen. When the beetle senses danger, it transfers those liquids to a smaller chamber to mix with the enzyme catalase. The liquids rapidly heat, and the oxygen steam released helps create an explosion. The bombardier has a special swivel nozzle in its backside which it uses to release this boiling hot liquid through a twin set of “spray nozzles” located at the tip of the beetle’s abdomen. The beetle never misses and delivers its bombs—often accompanied by an audible popping sound—with pinpoint accuracy and great force, leaving a foul, yellowish residue on its targets, and sometimes even causing seizures in its would-be predators. This rapid defense system gives the beetle enough time to get away. But isn’t it amazing that it doesn’t get burned in the process? By pulsing the jet 500 times per second, the beetle keeps its rear end cool enough to not get cooked in the process. Why? Because all the parts work together in beautiful harmony. In fact, it would be dangerous or useless to the beetle if any of these parts of the process came together slowly through chance, time, and natural processes. The system had to work right from the start the first time, or the beetle would not have survived. And, as a pretty good rule of thumb, dead animals cannot evolve. Creation scientists point to the bombardier beetle as an icon for design because, like the VW Beetle, its original design had to be all-functioning from the beginning. And not only they, but also combustion engineers study the bombardier beetle to learn how to build more efficient combustion engines. Just like the Volkswagen Beetle had a well-known designer named Ferdinand Porsche, the bombardier beetle had a well-known Designer named God. Both beetles were built by design. Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/animals/bombardier.html to read, watch, and listen to supporting research and commentary from scientists, doctors, theologians, and more! This blog is from a special series of “Creation Fun Facts” by Terri Kammerzell, starting from June 10, 2020. Read the introduction at TruthOfGenesis.com/blogs/building-a-biblical-defense-of-creation. by Terri Kammerzell Truth of Genesis Ministry Partner With Father’s Day coming this Sunday and graduates being honored this month, how about adding one more reason to celebrate: the giraffe! This Sunday happens to be World Giraffe Day. It’s actually an annual event every June 21, chosen specifically to draw attention to the longest-necked animal (currently living) in the world on the longest day (depending on your hemisphere) of the year.
by Terri KammerzellTruth of Genesis Ministry Partner
In 2009, God started me on two new paths in my life: homeschooling my fifth-grade son and working for a large retailer. In regard to the first, right from the start I made the choice to not only forego public charter funding, but to pay tuition and out-of-pocket expenses for curriculum so that we could be part of a Christian homeschool advisory program. To me, it was a no-brainer. I didn’t want to just add a Bible class to teach my son about the Lord. I knew, having been a Christian since I was four years old, that God is not only our Savior but also the author of logic and the source of all reason. To truly give my son a Christian education, I wanted him to study curricula that pointed to God’s role in every aspect of learning: the providential guidance of the forming of the United States, the literary devices woven through the Bible, the fact that math is the way God thinks about numbers, and—especially—the science that supports the truths found in the Bible. I grew up in a church that taught biblical Creation. On multiple occasions I attended conferences with Ken Ham, Dr. Gish, and Dr. Morris. I learned about Creation. I took notes about the importance of Genesis. And I submitted those notes to my Christian schoolteachers for extra credit. I knew Whom I had believed: I believed in the Creator of the World. He was my Savior, and someday I would spend eternity with Him. Throughout my adult life, trials and temptations have come and gone, and I’ve had periods of time when my relationship with the Lord and my commitment to Him have struggled, but I’ve never wavered from my faith in His saving grace. When I worked for the large retailer, my coworkers knew I was a Christian. My coworkers knew I homeschooled my son. My coworkers knew my faith was strong. But the only questions I ever fielded about any of those was why I would homeschool, and boy, was I armed with answers to those questions! Over the five years working there, I watched the company and my store slide down a scale of trading traditional biblical values for socially acceptable, but very immoral, ideals. I knew it was not just my company, but the country and the world in general. The longer I kept working there, the more I felt my convictions contradicting with those of the company for which I was driving profitable sales. And the longer I had to reconcile this internal conflict, the more unsettled I was, and the less satisfaction I received from any “job well done” remarks I heard from my bosses. Finally, in 2014, I felt the Lord calling me away from there, to focus on homeschooling my own son more hands-on, and to ministering to other homeschool families through tutoring and teaching co-op classes. In my last days at the retail store while training my female replacement, I had a rude awakening. She was very outspoken about her disbelief in God and her acceptance of the company’s unbiblical ideals. One day she challenged my faith. She started asking me questions about why I could believe in the Genesis story as truth, when so much “evidence” that contradicted it existed. She had studied her public-school textbooks. She had learned evolution from her public-school textbooks. She believed her public-school textbooks. And me? A Christian for some three decades? I had no logical answer to give her. And I had attended Creation conferences. I had learned from Ken Ham, Dr. Gish, and Dr. Morris. But I was totally unarmed in this battle. Because even though I studied, learned, and believed, I never took it to the next level. I never comprehended 1 Peter 3:15—to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks [me] a reason for the hope that is in [me], with meekness and fear” (NKJV). And there lay the challenge. What good were my convictions if I couldn’t defend my belief? How was I bringing glory to God or advancing His kingdom if I couldn’t even answer her questions to defend the Word of God and the science that supports it? Thus, I’ve made it my mission these past six years to study Creation apologetics. And not only to study, but to teach. It’s my desire to make sure my son and the other homeschool students I am entrusted with learn answers to the questions they will encounter like I did. If you’ve spent some time studying Creation apologetics, you will understand this next truth. There is a lot to learn, and no way to remember it all! And so, in 2015 I came up with an idea to help my students remember at least some of the key points of design and biblical Creation: 49 Fundamental Facts. Or, for short- “Fun Facts!” I created seven facts for seven categories. They are simple question-answer building blocks that lay a foundation for being able to give a defense for design. Those Fun Facts are now displayed on my website, YouFormedMe.com, and presented with clickable links to resources that expound on the truths. Over the next year, it will be my privilege to share them with you, one per week, and to give you a little insight about how we can know they are true. |
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