This Monday the U.S. will observe its 140th annual Labor Day celebration, a holiday born out of the need to celebrate overworked and underpaid laborers during the Industrial Revolution, when “the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks in order to eke out a basic living.” History.com also explains: “Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages.” Working conditions all across the U.S. were so poor, and tensions among workers rose so high, that eventually labor unions arose, and labor laws were made. Nobody knows for certain who gets the credit of the first Labor Day celebration in 1882, but it wasn’t until 1894 that President Grover Cleveland officially signed the holiday into law.[1]

Here’s a question I’m wondering: Why was it a problem for workers to work seven-day work weeks? Hmmm… Could it be that much earlier in history a pattern was established for people to take one day off each week to rest? Indeed! That brings me to this week’s Fun Fact:

What is one verse that tells us both how long it took God to create everything and what He did right after?
Genesis 2:3 tells us that “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work, which God had created and made” (NKJV).

Those six days were very full days. So full that some people have a really hard time believing God could have done everything listed in Genesis 1 in just six days. They try to impose long ages into the text and try to reinterpret the Hebrew word for day (yom) with a meaning other than a 24-hour day. Scientifically, there is no evidence to support long ages, and when you start with a worldview that God works supernaturally, it is perfectly consistent—even scientifically—that all those miraculous events took place in just about 144 hours! Theologically, there are a lot of problems with trying to reinterpret Genesis 1, with implications that not only undermine but even negate the work of Christ on the cross. We’ll talk about these issues more over the next few weeks when I introduce my Gap Theory and Day-Age Theory Fun Facts.

In the meantime, let’s turn our attention back to Genesis 2:3. By the seventh day, God had already finished His work of Creation. Everything He created was good, and He took a day to rest. We see in other places of the Bible (Exodus 20:8-11; Leviticus 23:3; Hebrews 4:4; etc.) that this seventh day, this day of rest, this Sabbath, was important to God. Today, many Christians observe a weekly day of rest, whether on Saturday or Sunday. This Monday, when you take the day off to reward yourself for your past year of labor, remember to make a little time to appreciate the Creator’s labor during those first six days of history, including the beautiful nature around you. Also make time to thank Him for His omniscience in setting the standard for weekly rest.
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/bibleVerses/genesis23.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.
[1] https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/labor-day-1

This last week was “Vesuvius Day,” marking the 1942nd anniversary of the recorded date of the historical burial of the city of Pompeii. According to History.com, an estimated 13,000 or more people were killed in this catastrophic event, rated 8th in the deadliest volcanic eruptions measured in history. Although it’s hard to know with great certainty, some historians and paleontologists estimate that at the time of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, there were about 195 million people on the earth. While 13,000 is a large number of lives to have lost, that’s just 0.0067 percent of the earth’s population. But it was tragic. And certainly catastrophic. A regional catastrophe.[1]

In comparison, the deadliest recorded volcanic eruption was Indonesia’s Mt. Tambora in 1815. The devastation was so terrible that 1815 became known as “the year without summer,” and it caused a great famine. All told, some people estimate the death toll (from the eruption and its consequences) to be as high as a quarter of a million people. Given the world’s population at the time of that eruption, that meant about 0.024 percent of the earth’s population were victims of that tragic and catastrophic event. It was another regional catastrophe.[2]

But long before either of those catastrophes, there was another event that wiped out almost 100% of the life on earth. Of humans, only eight remained. Of animals, only two of each kind. I am speaking of the global flood of Noah’s day, recorded in Genesis chapters 6-9. Four times in the New Testament, that flood is referred to using the Greek word kataklusmos.[3] This is the origin of our word “cataclysm.” Which brings me to this week’s Fun Fact:

What is the definition of cataclysm?
Cataclysm is a sudden, violent change or disaster.

Although, to be fair, this fact certainly isn’t “fun.” But it is definitely fundamental. Many people (even some professed Christians) argue that the flood of Noah’s day was not a global event and that it did not wipe out almost 100% of the earth’s population. Some say it was a local or regional event. But, from a Scriptural perspective, there are at least two problems with that idea.

First, that idea contradicts the account of Genesis 7:19-23, which describe the flood waters as prevailing “exceedingly on the earth” and the earth as “all the high hills under the whole heaven were covered.” About life on the earth, verse 23 says, “So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. They were destroyed from the earth. Only Noah and those who were with him in the ark remained alive” (NKJV). That doesn’t sound like a regional catastrophe to me. That’s the description of a global cataclysm.

Second, that idea contradicts the covenant God made with Noah in Genesis 9:1-17. He set His rainbow in the cloud and told Noah that every time the rainbow is seen in the clouds, He will remember His covenant: “the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh” (v. 15). If the flood of Noah’s day had been a regional event, then God would have broken His promise over and over again since then because there have been many catastrophic and fatal regional floods since that time.

Additionally, as scientists continue to study both observational (current) science and historical (past) science, they have discovered that the flood of Noah was, indeed, a cataclysmic event. The whole earth was in upheaval. In fact, the engineering department at Liberty University is working on building a simulation model of what may have taken place during the Great Flood. They speculate that “the thousands of miles’ worth of seafloor spreading responsible for today’s igneous ocean crust must also have unfolded during the Flood cataclysm,” and that the “Genesis Flood . . . also included rapid and large-scale plate motions that produced thousands of miles of continental displacement.”[4]

Words have meaning. They are important in communication. And equally important is understanding the differences between them, especially when their origin is in the Bible, and used to communicate something very specific. Our word cataclysm comes from the Greek kataklusmos, which is a word so special it was specifically reserved only for mentioning Noah’s flood. This was no ordinary event. This was no regional catastrophe. It was a global cataclysm.

Most importantly, the flood of Noah was used in the gospel to reveal the omnipotence of God, as well as both His judgment and mercy. God was merciful to spare Noah and his family and to let the inhabitants of earth have a second chance. God continues to demonstrate that same mercy to us each day by forgiving our sins and patiently waiting for us to turn to Him. But a day will come when we will once again see the wrath of God. A day when, as Paul describes, “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). Make sure you’re ready for that judgment day. If you need help, visit this website.
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/theories/cataclysm.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.

[1] https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/vesuvius-erupts
[2] https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/volcanoes/facts/biggest-eruption.html
[3] Matthew 24:38-39; Luke 17:27; 2 Peter 2:5
[4] https://www.liberty.edu/engineering/research/simulating-genesis-flood/

Did you know this Sunday is National Dollar Day? Why? You can learn more at the Library of Congress, but the standard for the U.S. Dollar was set on August 8, 1786. It was declared: “That the money unit of the United States, being by the resolve of Congress of the 6th July, 1785, a dollar, shall contain of fine silver, three hundred and seventy-five grains, and sixty-four hundredths of a grain.” You can also use the #NationalDollarDay hashtag on social media to find trivia about your U.S. dollars, find ways to spend your U.S. dollars, and even find a website to track the traveling history of your U.S. dollars!

But you can also keep reading this post for ideas about what the Lord would have you do with your dollars. And, for that matter, your time and talents. As I’ve been introducing my 49 Fun Facts to you, some have prompted more interesting information to support them, while others have called for more of an application.

In fact, this week I’m only writing for people who believe they were created by the Lord, and that the Bible is true from cover to cover. To people who believe what Genesis 1:28 says, that God gave us dominion over the earth. If that doesn’t describe you, feel free to take a week off. But if it does, let’s keep going:

According to the Psalms, what belongs to the Lord?
“The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” –Psalm 24:1 (NKJV)

If you believe the Bible is true starting with the very first verse, then what about Psalm 24:1? If you believe in a God Who made you for His purpose and made this earth we live on, then do you believe that everything in it belongs to Him and should be used for His glory?

I know this is kind of an uncomfortable question for a lot of us, myself included. But if we believe in a God Who created us and to Whom everyone and everything belongs, what will we do with that? After all, everything means everything. Doesn’t it? Your Energy, your Vision, your Ears, your Riches, Yourself, your Talents, your Health, your Investments, your Nutrition, and your Gross income. EVERYTHING.

A few weeks ago, in my reintroduction blog post, I mentioned the fact that everything God gives us in this life, He makes us the stewards of. Oftentimes, we think of this in terms of finances and wealth, but we are the stewards of more than that. We are the stewards of our children, our relationships, our time, our talents, our health, etc. God, in His benevolent grace and wisdom, has allowed us to have these things to bring glory to Him. Are we doing that? In honor of National Dollar Day, let’s talk more specifically about the finances over which we are each stewards.

I have a good friend who is a financial advisor and believes very strongly in Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI). Similar to its secular counterpart of Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), BRI is a strategy in which an investor only allows his money to be invested in companies which align with his principles. However, SRI is a method that adapts to the whims and tides of culture and moral relativity. With BRI, investors align their investments with the unchanging principles of God’s Word. That means they don’t buy shares in companies that promote or fund the devaluation of human life (abortion, euthanasia, etc.), the dismantling of the biblically established “nuclear” family, etc. BRI is a great strategy for Christians to follow. If you haven’t heard of it or aren’t already set up with a Christian financial advisor who assists you with BRI, you can learn more about the investment approach here. In fact, I recently helped my same financial advisor friend create a board game to teach not just BRI, but Christian financial stewardship. Called “YAH’s Money Counts,” the game teaches families what the Bible says about our resources and how, since they all belong to the Lord (Psalm 24:1), we should use them for His glory. You can learn more about the YMC board game here.

But how about spending? Do your spending habits also reflect the fact that you are a steward of resources that belong to the Lord? When you go shopping, are you giving money to a company that uses their money to openly support and advocate for the socialist goal to dismantle the nuclear family?** Are you getting your caffeine fix at a company that funds the murder of the unborn? Are you paying for streaming services that have no qualms about including programming to indoctrinate children to normalize unbiblical, sinful lifestyles? Are you making your purchases or sending money through a company that is actively working to silence Christians from speaking the truth of His Word?

For some of us, some of these choices are easier to make than others. After all, it’s easy not to visit Disneyland when you can’t afford to. My friend told me this week that he cancelled his PayPal account, but admitted it wasn’t hard to do since he doesn’t use it much. For me, never buying Starbucks is easy since the world and I can’t handle myself on that much caffeine anyway.

But there are some that are more challenging. It was a sacrifice for me to give up Netflix since there are shows exclusive to their network that I really enjoyed watching. As a Star Wars fan, I’ve felt a little left out on the sidelines hearing people talk about the great series streaming on Disney+. And where do we draw the line between being a good steward with our time when it comes to the convenience of Amazon subscriptions?

So here are my challenges to you (and to myself!):

1. Pray for wisdom and discernment when it comes to using your time, talent, and treasure. You are the stewards of these things, and while God is the ultimate owner of them, He has trusted you with them.
2. Use Philippians 4:8 as a guide: “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things” (HCSB). . . . Is that really a movie or show or book which is deserving of the time God has given you? Do you need to see that movie or subscribe to that streaming service, or are there better options?
3. Educate yourself. Make sure you know what the people you’re giving your money to are doing with it. You can start by visiting 2ndVote.com to check company scores which are rated based on six criteria that usually matter to Christians: education, environment, life, basic freedoms, 2nd Amendment, and border security/immigration. If the information you need isn’t there, you can also visit the websites of individual companies; scroll to the bottom and find their corporate info links. Usually, you can find something about the impact they are making in their communities.
4. Make small changes. Maybe this week you make your own Folgers Coffee instead of ordering your drive-through Grande mocha (you’ll probably even save time and money!). Or next week, try Papa John’s pizza instead of Pizza Hut. Or when Christmas approaches, see if some of the gifts on your list could come from Hobby Lobby instead of Target. Plan your next vacation to the Ark Encounter or a local Creation learning center. Eventually, you’ll get into the habit. (Can you imagine the impact Christians could have on this world if they really channeled their collective pocketbook voting power?!)
5. Give yourself grace. Let’s admit it, this is a fallen world, and it’s probably impossible for Christians to never ever spend any dollar in a way that it won’t end up contributing to some anti-biblical cause. And sometimes we do have to weigh our stewardship responsibilities of time vs. money. There isn’t always a perfect option, or the same perfect option for each person. In that case, refer to #1.

​
I hope this has been a helpful eye-opener to get us all thinking about the fact that everything (every dollar, every moment, every thing) belongs to the Lord. Next week, we’ll turn our attention to something a little more fun: what makes the human hand a work of wonder.
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/bibleVerses/psalm241.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.

A little over a year ago, I started writing a blog for the Truth of Genesis website at the request of my friend Dave Powell. I was happy to introduce to the world my evidence-based Creation “Fun Facts:” 49 fundamental facts that demonstrate evidence for the biblical account of Creation as recorded in the straightforward reading of Genesis. In my first post, I explained how I came to understand why we need to be ready to give a biblical defense for Creation.

If you followed along for the next six months, you may know I explained that Darwinian evolution doesn’t even qualify as a scientific “theory” and why the observations he made of the finches in the Galapagos actually just supported the biblical command we see for animals to produce “after their kind.” I introduced you to the truth of irreducible complexity and how we can observe it in the giraffe, the bombardier beetle, the chuckwalla lizard, the woodpecker, and the human brain, heart, and eye. I demonstrated how the observable processes of gene depletion and entropy support Creation and not evolution. Similarly, I showed that the fossil record and laying down of sedimentary rock also go against evolutionary ideas. I debunked the ideas of the “hopeful monster theory”, that the Big Bang could be compatible with the Bible, and I discussed the uniqueness of Earth’s atmosphere opposed to the possibility that intelligent life could exist on other planets. I also talked about the fact that while we’re living in a Romans 1 world, we need to keep up our guard and hold to our faith, remembering that the same God Who could have brought all the animals--even the dinosaurs—onto Noah’s Ark could also keep and protect us from the storms we’re facing now.  Our hope in the Lord’s salvation can be just as strong today as it was for Noah. Finally, I introduced you to “real scientists” Johannes Kepler and Louis Pasteur and also pointed out the dire consequences of the fraudulent work of scientists of the past, such as Ernst Haeckel. But most importantly, I shared how Jesus’ own words in the New Testament confirmed the Creation account as found in Genesis chapters 1 and 2.

And then I took what I thought was going to be a short sabbatical. But just as Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (NKJV), God had other plans for my time. So what I thought would be about a month turned into seven.

During that time I have had some health struggles and was diagnosed with a chronic illness. I had to learn about how to take care of myself, what was necessary to get myself through the flare-up I was having, and now how to do my part to prevent another flare-up. It’s been an educational time for me, but it has also come with some struggles, both physical and emotional, as well as a time of great blessings which reminded me of God’s faithfulness: directly to me and also indirectly using other people in the family of God to help encourage and support when needed.

Briefly, I wanted to share three things I have learned these past seven months:

God is still in control. This past year and a half have been full of such a bizarre turn of events. In some ways, I have felt like God used the pandemic as our own modern-day Tower of Babel. For a time, He redrew the boundaries of countries and made sure we stayed (for the most part) within our lines. But I also have this image in my mind of God gathering us (within each country) all into a giant paper bag, shaking it up real hard, and then pouring us back out. Some people came through it bruised and beaten, some resilient and ready to take on the world. But new lines have been drawn. People have learned which of their beliefs are actually convictions. In the marketplace of commerce and industry, jobs we once esteemed as prestigious have been found to be unessential, while some “grunt” workers have proven to be a much-needed part of society. Families and friends have had to face the realities of different worldviews and reassess their relationships. Some churches have learned the hard truth of the consequences of taking up our crosses and following Jesus. But in the end, no matter what has happened in 2020 and 2021, whether related to the pandemic or not, one thing we can all know to be true: God is still in control. Not one thing that has happened has surprised Him. He is the Creator of us, and He will be the Judge. Neither those truths nor His faithful, consistent nature from the beginning of time to the end, have changed.

Time with the Lord is essential. During these past seven months, my concentration and focus have taken a beating. There have been numerous days when—to my own disappointment and sometimes to the disappointment of others who rely on me—I have been reduced to the very basic of essentials: sleeping, eating, and time with the Lord. Not one of those three things is indispensable. We know that Jesus told us in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (NKJV). Let me tell you, from an emotional and psychological point of view, there were times that, had it not been for my time with the Lord, I wouldn’t have been able to keep going. My hope would have failed, and my faith would have fallen apart. Our emotional and physical health are so intertwined. When one suffers, so does the other. God has the answer. He is the answer.

Even our struggles belong to Him. There were times, early in these seven months, when I didn’t have answers. Even now, there are a few questions I have which will probably never be answered this side of Heaven. During the time that I knew something was wrong but had no idea what it was or what I could do about it, it would have been easy to ask, “Why is this happening to me?” But all I kept thinking about were Paul’s word in 2 Corinthians 1, when he says that God “comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (v.4 NKJV). Taking out the self-pity, I still asked, “Why is this happening to me?” Except my emphasis was, “How can I use this struggle to help other people in the future?” Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein” (NKJV).  Just as God makes us stewards over our finances, possessions, children, etc., He gives us struggles to steward as well.  In His great grace and mercy, He allows us to endure trials and tribulations so that we can become more patient and perseverant (James 1, Romans 5).

Now that I’m ready to get back to it, I’m looking forward to sharing the rest of my 49 Fun Facts with you over the coming months. I hope you’ll stick with me as I continue to keep the Lord and the truth of His Word in focus!
 
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.

This coming Monday (November 9) happens to be “Chaos Never Dies Day.” I know—who thinks of these things, right? But somebody did. And on the website TimeAndDate.com, you can find some ways to “celebrate” and also the thinking behind the annual reminder: “Feel like your life sometimes spirals into a chaotic mess? . . . This made-up holiday encourages people to realize that chaos is part of life and that it will never die.”

Believe it or not, when I made my blog plans for the year, I did not realize how close this “holiday” was to this historic U.S. Presidential election. I also didn’t know that the “fourteen days to flatten the curve” would turn into almost eight months (and counting) of restrictions, regulations, and the chaotic control it has become. I also really didn’t know that my pastor would be in the middle of a sermon series called Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World. Nevertheless, chaos is the theme all over right now.

What I did know is that I wanted to use the opportunity of “Chaos Never Dies Day” to introduce you to my Fun Fact about the Second Law of Thermodynamics:

What does the Second Law of Thermodynamics state?
The Second Law of Thermodynamics, also known as the law of entropy, says that the total entropy of the universe can never decrease. This law confirms the universe had a beginning.

Several months ago, I introduced you to the word “entropy.” Entropy is a measure of disorder. When something is orderly (or “very good”) and it becomes disorderly, the amount of change in order can sometimes be measured by its entropy. In that blog post, I was specifically relating it to “genetic entropy,” also known as “gene depletion,” because we do see this kind of tendency toward disorder when it comes to our DNA, whether from generation to generation or within a person’s life.

But more commonly, we associate entropy with the Second Law of Thermodynamics. In this case, we talk about the amount of usable energy that is available. This is something I teach my chemistry students about, and it helps us understand what chemical reactions could or could not happen, based on the amount of energy they release or absorb from their surroundings. What is interesting is that when you study science and read more about the technicalities of the Second Law of Thermodynamics, there are some specific aspects to it that some scientists disagree on.

For example, some Creation scientists disagree about whether the Second Law was in place before Adam sinned or if it was put into place as part of the Curse. Some scientists are quick to point out that the Second Law is not the same thing as genetic entropy or necessarily the same thing as a general tendency toward disorder—or chaos. Evolutionists have a hard time overcoming the Second Law in their hypotheses about organisms becoming more complex over time, but creationists sometimes put too much emphasis on the Second Law as a definitive answer to disprove evolution. The law itself can be somewhat complicated to understand. Although I have several articles on my website regarding the Second Law of Thermodynamics, the one I would most encourage you to read if you would like to know more specifically about it would be this one by Dr. Jason Lisle.

For my blog post here, I want to draw your attention to the part of my Fun Fact that says, “This law confirms the universe had a beginning.” From the standpoint of the Second Law confirming the beginning of the universe, this truth doesn’t necessarily eliminate many evolutionary theories, as even many of them do acknowledge a beginning. However, one of the interesting points Dr. Lisle offers in his article mentioned above is that since the universe had a beginning, it also had to have a cause.

So, to me, this Fun Fact has two great take-aways:

1. There are actually four Laws of Thermodynamics. These “laws” are among the many rules of math and science that govern our universe. They are unwavering truths that allow scientists to consistently develop theories and make discoveries. If there is a law, there must be a lawgiver. Someone established consistency and order when creating the universe as we know it. Randomness and chance don’t make laws.
2. As Dr. Lisle points out, if the universe had a beginning, then it must have had a cause. Only the biblical worldview gives a clear, consistent, reliable answer for Who that cause was.

Remember, these “Fun Facts” I am introducing you to are actually “Fundamental Facts” that you can easily memorize. They are tidbits to help you answer the call of 1 Peter 3:15, always being ready “to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (NIV). It is great if I can pique your interest and help guide you to study more information and truth about the topics in the facts themselves. My primary goal is to get you thinking and to provide cues to help you remember more solid truths.

But at the end of the day, I always want to emphasize to you the hope that we have in our living God. Even in the midst of uncertainty and ever-growing chaos, we know nothing comes as a surprise to Him, and He has the end all planned out. Do you know this God? If not, today would be a great day to get to know Him!
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/geology/secondLaw.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.

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.

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?

• Our eyes are extensions of our brains, and their job is to send signals to our brains. Our brains store the signals and then piece them together like a puzzle to make sense of them. Even when our eyes are closed, our brains are still active, making pictures from the signals our eyes have previously processed.
• In some ways, our eyes function like camera lenses, but much more efficiently. They autofocus, changing shape as needed; they sharpen images along their edges; they adjust automatically for brightness or darkness; and they are self-cleaning, self-lubricating, and self-repairing.
• An examination of our eyes can signal eye doctors when more serious health risks are present, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and even an impending heart attack.
• Not only were our eyes built “automatically” in the womb, but every animal has something special about the eyes God gave it. For example, owls have more rods and cones to help them see better at night. Flies have compound eyes which help them “sense” things from a wider circumference. And beavers have two sets of eyelids, which we will discuss more in the spring.

Indeed, although the “backward design” of the human eye has often led unbelievers to cite it as an example of “chance” evolution, in reality, the irreducible complexity of our eyes point to a very creative and thoughtful Designer! Take good care of your eyes and remember: your brain stores the images it receives from your eyes. Be sure those images bring glory to God!

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.

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:

1. Is it exactly 21%? No, it’s actually about 20.8%, but generally needs to stay in a range of 19.5-22% in order for humans and animals to have the right intake of oxygen.
2. What makes up the other 79%? About 78% of it is nitrogen, and the other approximately 1% is a combination of other gases such as argon, carbon dioxide, ozone, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides.
3. Do any other planets have 21% oxygen in their atmospheres? No. No other planets in our galaxy or any planets scientists have observed in other nearby galaxies have been found to have the right amount of oxygen to support human life. More specifically, within our own galaxy:
   • Mercury has almost no atmosphere (no gases immediately surrounding the planet).
   • Although similar to Earth in size and composition, Venus has an atmosphere so dense it is more than ninety times the mass of Earth’s atmosphere, and it is composed primarily of carbon dioxide.
   • In some ways, Mars is also like Earth: its rotational period and axial tilt resemble that of Earth. However, its atmosphere is very thin and, like Venus, mostly made up of carbon dioxide.
   • Jupiter itself is made up of gases, so it cannot support human life. Its atmosphere is mostly a combination of hydrogen and helium gases.
   • Like Jupiter, Saturn is also a “gas giant,” and its atmosphere is also comprised of hydrogen, helium, and trace compounds such as ammonia and methane, which give the planet its interesting colors.
   • Like the other gas giants, Uranus has an atmosphere composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, but it gets its blueish color from methane, which it has more of.
   • Finally, Neptune is an “ice giant,” and like Uranus has an atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, and methane.

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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) 
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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.

Today marks the nineteenth anniversary of one of the top-five deadliest events in American History: the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Those of us old enough to remember where we were when we heard the news are probably also able to remember the great American spirit that it fueled and the wave of compassion and concern that swept our nation as a result. I remember, too, the messages pouring in from other nations of the world, offering their deep condolences and heartfelt sympathy. At that time—and for a little while after—the value of a man was understood. The value of a man was cherished. The value of a man was precious.

But why? After all, the prevailing wisdom of textbook science would say that we all originated from stardust and that human beings are the result of millions of years of evolution, the result of random, chance combinations of chemicals, just slightly more evolved than apes and other animals. If that is true, man has no intrinsic value. Man has no soul. But what if the sentiment that followed the tragedy of those terrorist attacks was actually evidence of Romans 1:20, a Fun Fact I introduced to you several weeks ago? In Romans 1:20, Paul tells us that everyone, in their heart of hearts, knows there is a God.

If Romans 1:20 is true, then it would logically flow that we know we also answer to God. And we know we were made by God. In fact, we were made in a very special way and for a very special purpose by God. Check out my Genesis 2:7 Fun Fact:
After God spoke everything else into existence, how does the Bible describe the uniqueness of man?
Genesis 2:7 says that “the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being” (NKJV).

Do you know that scientists estimate there are over one billion stars in our Milky Way Galaxy alone, and that there are over one billion galaxies in the universe, each with its own collection of millions to trillions of stars? No human could ever count them.

All throughout the Word of God we see references to stars and their importance in creation. In Job 38, God paints a picture of the morning stars singing while He was creating. In Genesis 15, God used the stars as a comparison to the number of offspring Abraham would have. Of course, we know from Matthew 2 about the very bright star that marked the place where the baby was born. And the psalmist tells us in several locations that the stars praise the Lord (e.g., Psalm 19:1, Psalm 148:3).

But the best thing we know about the stars is that God has numbered them and knows each of them by name! (Psalm 147:4, Isaiah 40:26) Yet, even then, with all the detail and explanation of the Creation account in Genesis 1, the creation of this myriad of celestial beings is summed up in five words: “He made the stars also” (Genesis 1:16 KJV).
In Psalm 8, when David stood in awe of creation and the work of God’s fingers, he said, “What is man, that You are mindful of him?” (v. 4 ) God spoke the stars into existence, but later formed man, “crowned him with glory and honor” (v. 5), and gave him dominion over all creation (v. 6 NKJV).

We were made for a very special purpose: for the glory of God. (Isaiah 43:7)

This is something, as a young adult, I dismissed for a time in my life. I was taken in by the culture of the day. I was convinced that I was just a cog in a wheel. How could my actions bear any impact on the world? And how could a busy God be noticing whether I followed His Word or not? I forgot the value of a man (or a woman). I forgot my value. And I used that as a license to do what I wanted, to justify sin, and to rationalize my own version of morality.

Here we are in 2020, and we look around and see a mess. We see the world trying to define the value of a man: some too low and some too high. The world is telling people that their happiness in this life is all that matters, and their value does not extend beyond the grave, so live it up! Do what makes you happy! Be true to yourself and be whomever, whatever, whichever you want to be. Oddly enough, in this message, the world is also promoting the value of a man to be equal to or higher than God. You get to determine what makes you happy. You get to determine not just your actions and character, but even your DNA. Choose your own ethnicity. Choose your own gender. Choose your own age. Choose your own value.

But guess what?! God didn’t just create Adam in His own image and then let nature take its course. Down through the ages, every human being that has ever been conceived has been known by God. Has been created by God. Has been loved by God. God made you, He formed you in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), and even before the foundations of the world, He knew you (Ephesians 1:4). All human beings are equally made in the image of God, and, as such, they have dignity and deserve respect. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (NASB).

It is a treacherous time we are living in, but one thing we can still be certain of is what Paul tells us in Philippians 1:6: “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (NASB). In fact, Isaiah compares us to potter’s clay (64:8). With God as our Potter we have two options: we can remember our value to our Maker and submit ourselves to Him, pliable and moldable on the Master’s wheel. Or, we can be unyielding, hardened in heart, deceived by the world into choosing our own destinies but ultimately crumble under the Master’s hand.

If you have forgotten your value to the Lord, today is a good day to remember it. He has not forgotten. Psalm 103:14-18 is a good place to be reminded:
     For He Himself knows our frame;
     He is mindful that we are but dust.
     As for man, his days are like grass;
     As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
     When the wind has passed over it, it is no more.
     And its place acknowledges it no longer.
     But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
     And His righteousness to children’s children,
     To those who keep His covenant
     And remember His precepts to do them (NASB).
 
Don’t just take my word for it! Visit YouFormedMe.com/bibleVerses/genesis27.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.

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:

• Procrastination is the thief of time.
• The road of by-and-by leads to the house of never.
• The way to hell is paved with good intentions.

And I often recall one that a friend of mine told me years ago: “If it wasn’t for the last minute, I’d never get anything done.”

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.