Wednesday, January 30, 2008

The Most Selfless Form of Recycling


It's ECO Wednesday some I am sticking with the theme - but in a different context - recycling yourself. If you don't get any further in this post (because it most likely will be long!) just take this - BECOME AN ORGAN DONOR!

I have an incredibly amazing friend....who today is #3 on the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) list for a double lung transplant. After I dropped the kids off at school I got a call - at 1:30am she had received "the call" - potential lungs.

So what happens next? The doctors take off, up to 1,500 miles away, to find out if the lungs are a match. If they are, then "the call call" comes. The lungs will be transported here for my friend and the process of the transplant will begin.

I was on my way to Target when I got the call and I continued on my way. But I got there and wandered aimlessly - for 2 1/2 hours with a continuum of thoughts and emotions. And then the next call came - the lungs were rejected. That set off a whole new continuum.

I cannot truly fathom what my friend feels right now....although I do know that at the heart of it all she has peace....peace because she has given this process to Him. She knows she is in His hands.....and there's no better place to be.

So I am sharing my feelings.....my thoughts. My way of working through. My ultimate thoughts are always with my friend and her family but there is so much more.

The doctors - they get a call....they hop a plane to wherever....they evaluate the organs....if they are compatible they hop back on the plane and prepare for an incredible surgery that will take quite some time. These are dedicated doctors....dedicated to the people who's lives they are helping to improve and save. They need to be covered in prayer....for supernatural energy....unmatched skill....thier own health so that when the time is right they are ready to go....and for their total discernment about the organ in question....and today that was the case....this wasn't the one and they knew it.

The donor - My prayer for them is that they know Jesus Christ and will be waking up in Paradise. And I am so grateful for them....that they realized there was a time when they would no longer need their bodies and they are willing to share and 'recycle' as it would be.....I have realized that....my driver's license says so....my family is well aware of my wishes.

The donor's family - In their hour of loss I would prayer that they have a ray of comfort...a comfort that the one they loved is helping a one I love. I'm also grateful to them....that they honored the wishes of their loved one.

So I have 2 challenges for you today - really I am heavily urging you to take these on....if you are not already...seriously consider organ donation...research it....read about....I will pray for you, that you would be comforatable and sure in putting that red sticker on your driver's license. Secondly, pray....pray for everyone touched and used in this process....

If you are interested in more facts about organ donation
UNOS you can find it at UNOS.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

ECO Wednesday - Plastic Planet

So with my sabbatical from blogging I haven't done anymore ECO Wednesdays so since it's Wednesday - let's go ECO!

Today it's all about the plastic bags. Did you know the average family brings home 1,000 bags every year. Most of those bags end up in land fills. That really adds up - 100 billion plastic bags are sent to landfill in the US each year.

In landfills, it can take up to 1000 years for a bag to decompose. Plastics don't biodegrade, they photo-degrade, breaking down into tiny toxic pieces that contaminate soil and water or harm wildlife.

Many stores, like Trader Joes, are selling reusable bags as a bandaid to this problem. Great idea! How can we get more people on board? The bags I have from Trader Joes are always in my trunk so that when I go grocery shopping I have them with me. But it would be great to have a bag I could keep in my purse for all of those other little trips. I have found some online and ordered some of the Chico bags today. I'll let you know how they are when I get them.

Baggu Bags
Chico Bags

The other pain is the plastic baggies for lunches! Greg and Kade both take sandwiches everyday. I found a reusable sandwich wrapper to try out for them. I've got one coming. As long as the boys don't lose it, not only we'll we be saving landfill space - we'll be saving money on those darn bags!

Wrap-n-Mat

So here's your challenge for the next week - should you chose to accept it - get some reusable bags and use them. Try to cut down on the plastic bags from the grocery store!

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

God vs. Science

This is a great story Glenn sent me - the moral of the story - in the end God always wins!!

GOD vs. SCIENCE
A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students,
"Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist
professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new
students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"
"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"
"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"
"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"
"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment.
"Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can
cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"
"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could.
Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does
he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to
Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a
glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"
The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"
The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in
this world?"
"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything,
then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle
that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred?
Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question.
"Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks
away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me,"
he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to
identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"
"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have
you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that
matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
"Yet you still believe in him?"
"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol,
science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."
"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has
with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His
own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies.. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"
"Yes, son, there's cold too."
"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room
suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have
lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white
heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We
can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any
further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be
able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits
energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.
Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is
only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.
Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the
opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding
like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't
darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of
something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing
light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called
darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness
darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a
good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start
with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you
explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You
argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God.
You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can
measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully
understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be
ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death
is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a
monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes,
of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where
the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot
even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching
your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has
subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me
give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has
ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the
professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to
have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable,
demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due
respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face
unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll
have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,"
the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it
everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in
the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These
manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does
not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like
darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of
God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man
does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes
when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Egads!

Well it's been over 2 months! No way I can catch everything up. Here's a few pics of the end of the Bergman year.