God is always on time

Lately I feel like my head is going to explode. As I've previously written, I've been reading (obsessed with) books about God/faith. After finishing Francis S. Collins's "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief" and Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's "20 and Counting" (which I have yet to discuss), I picked up "Belief: Readings on the Reason for Faith." This collection is edited by- who else?- Francis Collins. It is a compilation of writings of many of the world's greatest thinkers- philosophers, preachers, poets, scientists- such as Plato, Blaise Pascal, John Locke, and Madeleine L'Engle. While not an easy read- those ancient philosophers are just so darn wordy!- the passages lay out convincing arguments for belief in God. While I am not on the fence post when answering the eternal question- "Is there a God?- I still find it impossible not to read arguments pertaining to this life-defining inquiry, regardless of the author's stance. (Of course, my soul much prefers when the author's answer to that central question is affirmative, but how will we learn if not from those with contradictory viewpoints? But I digress...)

This is one of those books that makes you say, "I can't believe I've never before read these words." Many of the writings have been around for hundreds- if not thousands- of years. Thus, I thought to myself, "Why have I never come across (the majority of) these works until now?" Such a question reminds me of the saying I've read/heard so many times: "God is always on time." As mere mortals, I'm sure most of us tend toward the knee jerk response of "Really? Because I can think of many instances where He most definitely was not on time (if He showed up at all)." But Madeleine L'Engle gently reminds us of our self-centered nature by poking holes in our common assumption that God uses a Rolex when she says, "Isn't it rather arrogant of us to think that God had to use our ordinary, daily, wristwatch time? Scripture does make it clear that God's time and our time are not the same."

Maybe I wasn't meant to read all those words until they were able to really speak to me. And that's kind of how we come to know- and truly believe in- God, isn't it? Unsurprisingly, Blaise Pascal says it much better than I in his classic "Pascal's Wager."

"That is why those to whom God has given religious faith by moving their hearts are very fortunate, and feel quite legitimately convinced, but to those who do not have it we can only give such faith through reasoning, until God gives it by moving their heart, without which faith is only human and useless for salvation..."

To that, all I can say is... In Jesus' name, Amen.

Proof not in the pudding

Prior to writing my last post, I was on the verge of finishing the book entitled "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief" by Francis S. Collins, wherein the world renowned geneticist takes his readers on a journey through his years of schooling, research, medical practice, and religious views. Fascinating on so many levels, what initially drew me to this book was its potential to reconcile (what I thought were) the mutually exclusive realms of science and theism. (I should probably be more specific here. It's not so much that believers of science and believers of God seem to be at odds; generally the argument has more to do with the differences in belief systems of those who adhere to the notion of evolution and natural selection v. those who align with creationism, or "intelligent design"--which has somehow become entirely synonymous with a belief in God. (I mean, we've all seen the Christian "fish" symbol with either the words "Jesus" or "Darwin" inserted in the middle, as if belief in one entirely discounts a belief in the other.) In any event, Collins lays out the argument that it is entirely possible to believe in the theory of evolution AND have faith that there exists a monotheistic God who is personal and present in our physical world. Collins himself is an evangelical Christian who accepted Jesus Christ as his savior some 30 years ago (after studying nearly every field of science and having proclaimed himself an atheist years earlier).

I won't get into all the specifics because a.) there is so much I want to say about the book that I would be writing all night and b.) I'd rather you just read it yourself b/c there is no way my words will be anywhere near as eloquent as those of Collins. I will, however, share a few quotes that are particularly relevant to a new believer like myself:

Whenever you feel a bit of guilt about experiencing doubt or skepticism regarding the Creator of the universe, remember Collins's words:

"Doubt is an unavoidable part of belief. If the case in favor of belief in God were utterly airtight, then the world would be full of confident practitioners of a single faith. But imagine such a world, where the opportunity to make a free choice about belief was taken away by the certainty of the evidence. How interesting would that be?"

Or when someone challenges your belief because God can't actually be seen, it may help to remember C.S. Lewis, who said,

"If there was a controlling power outside the universe, it could not show itself to us as one of the facts inside the universe- no more than the architect of a house could actually be a wall or staircase or fireplace in that house. The only way in which we would expect it to show itself would be inside ourselves as an influence or a command trying to get us to behave in a certain way. And that is just what we do find inside ourselves. Surely this ought to arouse our suspicions?"

Again, I could not possibly do justice to Collins's work here, but if you've ever had questions about how science and faith can exist harmoniously, look no further than this book. You'll be glad you did.

Next post: Duggar book, which I read in its entirety today. :)

Reading and writing, ad infinitum

I think about writing all day long. I really do. But at the end of the day- after the kids are in bed and the majority of the chores are finished- I am so tired that simply opening my computer seems like an arduous task. However, there is a saying that keeps me from throwing in the towel altogether. What is it again? --Something like, "Never give up on something you can't go a day without thinking about." For me, that's writing. So I must, regardless of my narcoleptic threats.

Anyway, now that the school year is winding down, I have been trying to squeeze in some pleasure reading. The types of books I've read in the past few years generally fall into two categories: politics and religion (quite possibly the two most divisive topics on earth--go figure!) As much as I love a good novel, I feel as though if I am going to spend time reading, I may as well get smarter while doing so. Thus, I generally choose non-fiction.

I stumbled upon my latest read while perusing the Washington Post one morning. There was a link for an interview with Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health and leader of the Human Genome Project. The title of the interview mentioned God...and therefore piqued my interest. (After all, I thought, aren't most scientists atheists?) Immediately after watching the interview, I did what most people do when they want to know more about someone: Wikipedia'd him. (Yes, I turned Wikipedia into a verb. If we can do it with Google, we can do it with Wiki.) I was intrigued by what I read. This man, a geneticist and "one of the most accomplished scientists of our time," is an Evangelical Christian. But he wasn't always. By graduate school he considered himself an atheist, and only began to reconsider his views after witnessing the religious beliefs of dying patients. I also came to find out that he had highlighted his personal spiritual journey and the reconciliation of science and religion in a book entitled "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief." I knew I had to buy it; I have always wondered how it is that the realms of science and religion can peacefully co-exist. (If evolution is true at all, can Genesis 1 & 2 also be true?) While I haven't quite finished the book, I can tell you that Collins answers this and many other questions.

Stay tuned, as my next post will undoubtedly address the most interesting tenets Collins sets forth. For now, however, my eyelids have a mind of their own.........

Slumber number

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least somewhat tired. I know that comes with the territory of being an adult- and, more specifically, a mom- but I feel as though my daily exhaustion level is off the charts. (I can easily fall asleep standing up. Seriously.) Now I might have room to complain if I was truly making the effort to get at least 7 hours of sleep...but I'm not. Not even close.

So, if I realize that I'm not getting enough sleep and I'm sick of being so tired, why don't I go to bed earlier? I suppose I don't like to go to bed because I'm not getting anything done- aside from the REM cycle and all- when I'm asleep. But didn't I just say in my post yesterday that the only worthwhile accomplishments involve taking the time to worship God and treating others with the grace and mercy He has shown us in giving us His son?

Yep, I said that, indeed. Time to start putting this into practice.

Chuck E. Cheese, gratitude, and a growing pile of laundry

What an exciting weekend!

On Saturday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate the 6th birthday of our beautiful firstborn daughter. Like usual, Ali was full of life and excited to socialize and play games. Yesterday, like every other day, she reminded me of how lucky we are to have such a smart, kind, and loving child. In the same breath, however, I must say that I also realized we have a long way to go when it comes to teaching Ali gratitude. Early in the day (and before any presents were opened), I talked to Ali about being thankful for whatever she receives, regardless of whether or not she wanted the gift. So, needless to say, it was especially bothersome when she muttered something about not wanting one of her gifts AND about not having gotten that much. (Really, kid?!) While I DO understand that she's only 6- which necessarily makes her self-centered and at least somewhat greedy- it scares me to think that she has learned her propensity to covet from yours truly. By the simple fact that she had already gotten a "be thankful" preemptory speech that day, I can only conclude that my actions must be speaking more loudly than my words. Thus, not only must I point out my appreciation for any act of generosity, I must convey- through actions, not just words- my gratitude for others' kindness...because clearly I haven't been doing a great job in this department.

Needless to say, I was pretty worn out by Sunday morning. Therefore, I was seriously lacking the motivation to get up and dressed for church at 7:30am. Plus, Megan slept in...and far be it for me to wake a sleeping baby. So when 9:00 rolled around and we were finally all conscious, I had to decide whether or not to attend the later service. My flesh (and the growing pile of laundry) said, "Heck no! (You could get so much housework done.)" but my spirit quietly urged. So we went. And boy was I glad. Orlando delivered a monster of a sermon--you know, the kind that gives you the chills and makes your arm hair stand up? Yeah, that kind. I can't quite put into words how powerful it was, but I encourage you to go to insidesummit.com (University Campus--5/16/10) to listen to the audio. Anyway, after the service, I kept thinking, "Wow, I almost missed that because I wanted to 'get stuff done'." That series of events really reinforced the mentality I've been trying to adopt as of late--that the day can be a total success- regardless of how much I've accomplished- as long as I spend it listening to God and using His activity in me to treat others well. At the end of the day, not much else matters.

It's been a loooooong time, baby

As you might have noticed, my last entry was dated nearly a year ago. I know it's a cliche thing to say, but it really does feel like yesterday.

Anyway, my intentions for this blog have nothing to do with finding the right words or telling stories flawlessly. In fact, quite the opposite. I have decided to use this as a spiritual journal...and to keep myself accountable for finding the divine in the everyday. I honestly don't care if anyone reads it...but if someone decides to do so, I hope my words can be an encouragement to them.

Glory be to God!

Building & Construction

At the beginning of each month, my daughter’s pre-school sends home a “Parent Share” pamphlet outlining the theme of the curriculum for the month. Included in the pamphlet are the titles to the books they will read, lyrics to the songs they sing, fun facts and food ideas, and theme-related activities to engage the kids outside of pre-school. To be perfectly honest, usually I just glance at the pamphlet quickly then toss it in the garbage. However, this month I actually read the entire thing…then realized how parallel the theme is to my own life.

May is “Building & Construction” month. The pamphlet introduction states, “This month we are under construction! We will explore the various types of jobs in the construction field and examine all the different types of tools workers use to complete the magnificent buildings, homes, bridges, and towers they create! As we explore our monthly theme, the children will experience the building process and the different layers it takes to build a structure. Their explorations will encourage them to do some building of their own as they discover the different types of materials used in construction.”

Now it may sound like a stretch, but this process of “building and construction” is exactly what I, as a relatively new Christian, am experiencing in my walk with God. I am discovering that there are many tools that must be utilized and many layers that must be constructed to build a solid Christian foundation. As I’ve learned over the past several months, becoming a Christian requires a great deal of effort on my behalf. Admittedly, I was one of those people who imagined that- after accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior- my paths would instantly become straight…and I would see the world in black and white. As it turns out, Kingdom Living is a little harder than that…but I do look forward to meeting each new day and each challenge with the Lord Almighty as my guide. On this blog, I plan to provide my (hopefully daily!) testimony of God’s perfect work in my imperfect life.

Put on your hard hats, because construction has begun…