Does Natural Selection Support Evolution or Creation Theory?

Natural selection is the process by which individual organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

So a lot of people think that natural selection and evolution are the same thing.   David Rives explains in this video using bacteria as an example.  Another example of natural selection, I reference Lysol's claim on their disinfectant product as "kills 99.9% of germs".  So that 0.01% survives?  Yes, and reproduces.  That bacteria has been "naturally selected" to withstand that disinfectant in the future!  

Evolution on the other hand believes that an organism can change from one species into another over a long period of time.  To do this a lot of new genetic information needs to be created.  The study of DNA has observed that DNA information is actually being lost, not gained over time this negates the idea that new genetic information is being created, thus creating new species.

At the beginning of this video the presenter begins with conjecture about the different traits that are shared between species.  Comparing traits of different species as links to a common ancestor.  This is only speculation, not observed scientific evidence.  At 2:07 the presenter compares human and chimpanzee chromosomes.  Humans had a common ancestor with 48 and humans lost 2 and then goes on to identify gene sequences that are the same as other animals.  So having similar sequences of DNA proof that we are all tied to a common ancestor or that a creator used similar "code" in different species to create similar characteristics?  

So does natural selection support evolution or creation?  You make the call.  

Creationism vs. Evolution

Biblical Creation verses Evolution?  I challenge you to gather and study the evidence that is available and make your own conclusion.  Here is why I ask this question, it is not to prove Creationism or Evolution wrong, but rather to challenge you to understand why you believe what you believe.  

Being a Christian I need to understand what and why I believe what I believe.  We don't need to have blind faith any more.  As an Evolutionist I do not need to have blind faith to believe what public schools have been teaching any more.  Neither theory has been proven.  You need to dig deep and discover the truth for yourself.  

Over the past few months I have been studying science and observeable clues to both theories.  I've been looking for evidence that proves that the Bible is right or wrong.  We need to challenge our thinking on any subject and this challenge will strengthen your belief in Creation or Evolution, but you must first dig deep and challenge the fundamental explanation that the Bible presents and the presumptions that Evolutionary theory is based on.  If you search deep enough the truth will be revealed.

I started on this journey with the question about the Grand Canyon.  How did a narrow river carve out the steep walls over millions of years or did they get formed in a very short period of time as creationist present?  The evidence of the steep walls point to a very rapid erosion with lots of moving material to create it.  So is it possible that a large amount of water flowing very fast possibly created the canyon walls?  https://someinterestingfacts.net/how-was-antelope-canyon-formed/ How is this possible and were did that water come from?  Evidently the start of the Colorado river is actually at a lower elevation than the top of the Grand Canyon so how did the water get to the point of cutting through that part of the landscape?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR4YTY8HQPs  The river can't flow up hill so how did it carve out a canyon?  One theory is that a large amount of water was released in a short period of time and carved out the canyon.  Where did this large amount of water come from?  Possibly a lake?  So maybe the Grand Canyon was created in a short period of time?  This raises the question can other geographically formations be created quickly?  In the 1980's Mt Saint Helen's erupted and caused great geographical changes to the landscape.  One of those changes was a 100 ft deep canyon created in a matter of hours.  Ok so it is possible to have rapid landscape changes in a short period of time.  https://littlegrandcanyon.blogspot.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEj4IX3YjNc

Coal was the next big question.  If coal is millions of years old how can Creationist believe that the earth is only 6-8 thousand years old?  Trying to resolve this led to discovering research that was done  to create coal in a short period of time in a lab environment.  They were able to produce a coal like substance simulating natural coal in a short period of time.  Not millions of years, so lets assume without further investigation (you can investigate these claims started with the source below) that coal can be produced in a short period of time.  How did it get buried in thousands of feet of earth under multiple layers of sediment?  Does this point to a flood and technic activity?
http://creationwiki.org/Coal_formation

Lets talk about rock.  How do we know the age of rock?  The United States Geological Survey holds the stance that, “the actual length of geologic time represented by any given layer is usually unknown or, at best, a matter of opinion.”  This article also captures and asks the question of the circular logic of the rock age verses Darwins's chart.  
http://www.readysetquestion.com/how-is-age-of-rock-determined/  So Creationists have challenged the logic of how plants and animal fossils are aged.  This is a big hole that I have not seen a good rebuttal for yet.  

This brings us back to the flood.  Could a world wide flood create so much havoc that plant and animal matter was buried thousands of feet in the ground?  Well the Bible claims that the whole earth was covered with water.  Really over the mountains too?  So this event is recorded in myths, written records, and other text.  So lets assume that this flood did occur.  Can a flood explain some of these challenges that are being raised by evolutionary theories?  It seams that yes, in a short period of time geographical transformation can take place, as observed in the canyon of Mt St. Helen's.  So how can a world wide flood bury and create several layers that are thousands of feet deep sediment in the time frame of one year as mentioned in the Bible?  So a study was conducted by John Baumgardner, Ph.D. Los Alamos National Laboratory, retired.  His research was focused on what a world wide Tsunami would do.  He was surprised to discover that through his simulations waves created from that type of tsunami could easily cover the earth and the tallest mountains.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ls51VtSQBs&list=WL&index=72&t=615s

Ok so back to the theory that dinosaurs are millions of years old.  This led to discovering that actual dinosaur tissue and blood cells have been uncovered.  It has been determined that animal flesh can not survive for millions of years.  So this seems to point toward a young age for the dinosaurs?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-K7_H27Wq4&t=1s

How could there have been billions of people prior to the flood?  Here is a short video on how that can happen (there are others, but this should do).  This can easily have been accomplished in the time frame prior to the flood and after the flood.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL6ih6QkaBo

Lets flip this over to the evolution side for a moment.  Evolution is a theory that believes through random chance organisms have formed over millions/billions of years.  So scientists have calculated that if you took the chance of 2 molecules coming together in the vastness of the ocean and having them combine into something is greater that all a the atoms in the universe.  Ok, so the chances of molecules be formed is so improbable than its hard to believe that this same process can create, cells, animals, etc. chances of happening is pretty much zero.   
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1_KEVaCyaA

So DNA evidence points to an increase in mutated genes over time.  Our DNA cannot survive for millions of years.  Dive into DNA and the resent discovers with DNA.  DNA is information.  According the science, information can only come from an intelligent source.  It has to be created?
DNA points to a single origin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5bPbwkjKMM

Animals that have multiple element functions, where one part is depend on other part in order to have purpose.  Evolution can not explain this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKM9yoQ3Wug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QVcViDEmGg

Historical timeframe for DNA mutations.  "In school and in the movies, we are taught that mutants are “cool” and that mutations can be a very good thing.  But that simply is not solid science."
http://thetruthwins.com/archives/the-human-race-is-dying-dna-degeneration-would-eventually-lead-to-the-total-extinction-of-humanity

Races, chromosomes and DNA by Geneticist and scientist Dr. Robert Carter addresses these.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAEBOl3ZE0Y&t=1095s

Closeness of the moon.  If the moon is moving further away, billions of years ago it would have been touching the earth?
https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/98811/true-or-false-the-moon-was-touching-the-earth-1-2-billion-years-ago

There are still some things that are questionable on both sides of the coin but the evidence seems to point in one direction.  With recent discoveries in science including studies in genetics, geology, archeology, paleontology, to cosmology is science actually proving evolution wrong?  

Since evolution is a theory and creation is a theory, why are both not considered?  We need to be concerned that evolution is being taught as scientific fact, when in actuality, from my research, it is further from the truth than Creationism.

Weigh in on your evidence and challenge the theories and sources presented.  I look forward to learning more about how we can all understand our world better!

Can Church Be More Relevant?

How can the church be more relevant in today's America?

The church as it has been know for in the past has been replaced by so many other organizations and government entities.  This has caused the church to become a place of last resort or irrelevant all together in or day to day lives.  What can be done to bring the church back into focus in our regular everyday lives?  It use to be the church was the center of activity in a community from special events, gatherings, and weekly activities, the church was the place to be. This slowly became replaced with movie theaters, restaurants, event halls, schools, and other social facilities.

The church needs to become a part of the community again.  It needs to acknowledge the need to be where the people are instead of trying to create a desire in people to come to it.  It would be so much easier to engage in fellowship and be apart of a regular community of that community offered opportunities to engage in social activities.

Can we create an environment that creates this type of a space?  It needs to provide a place that entails engagement for the family, individuals, male, and female.  This center should offer benefits to interact, worship, and engage all.  A community center that provides a one stop facility for children activities from playing, to learning, to entertainment, shopping, and food.  Can the church create such an environment that can compete with the established organizations?  We need God to be a priority in our lives and by bring these activities under the umbrella of the church such an environment can be created.

The facility needs to take into consideration and overcome competition from surrounding opportunities.  This includes: schools, community centers, malls, etc.  (Could a mall be converted into one of these places?)  It also needs to over come the evolution of shopping to a virtual activity, how important is shopping?  This will require creating a space that takes into account many different element of our society and be able to adjust as those elements continue to shift.

The facility needs to take into account engaging the full spectrum of society.  Creating a makerspace is a start.  This also needs to be combined with sports facilities, activity rooms, food vendors, and assembly of large community gathers, and governmental activities.  Can this be accomplished?

This complex needs to have a financial enticement for vendors as well as consumers. This may be the most challenging part of this endeavor.  The financial discounts that a church facility could offer food vendors and activity outlets could create a finial benefit to those operators, but the church could be considered a for profit entity and forfeit tax except status unless they are not receiving revenue from those providers?

If possible, ideally, the Church would provide the facility with specific minimum requirements to bring biblical principles into their business operations and their interface with their customers.  In exchange they would receive free rent allowing them to have reduced pricing creating a competitive advantage over other facilities.  This type of arrangement also needs to be treated with transparentency to avoid the perception that the church is profiting from such an arrangement.

Sunday activities could be focused around worship, but also worship could be taking place throughout the week.  Bible study or worship time scheduled around children activities, tutoring, after school activities, sports practices, etc.  They need to offer convenience.

Can they supplement schools? Replace schools? Replace other secular facilities?

The investment for the church would be great, but the cost of not doing this will cause the church to slip into further decline.  This investment will require obtaining large amounts of space and creative solutions to optimize the impact for Christ, and maximize utilizing the resources of such a facility through transformable spaces, scheduling, and creating a paradigm shift in our thinking about such a space.

These spaces need to promote family, gathering, activities.  Can it combine activities?

Can it create sports teams that compete with other schools or secular teams vs. supplimenting schools or replacing schools.

Promotion of the individual to connect and have a relationship with God as the main objective.

Kingdom Disciples

Teachings from Tony Evens to make Kingdom Disciples.  Oh how the world has turned from Christ.  We are babies that speak without authority. Hebrews 5:12

We need to act out Jesus' great commission not to just go, but to also baptize and teach and do it with the authority of God. Matthew 28:19-20

We need to know the scriptures.  These are powerful tools that no one can challenge.  If you do not know them, then you cannot us them, yet this is what God has given us.  2 Timothy 3:16

Be a bold represetitive for Jesus. 

Expectations, Be Humble

God has a plan.  He is great!  Have you ever had an experience where your expectations are different than the reasons for why you are in that situation?  It was made perfectly clear recently that my reasoning for being hired was a lot different than what I had thought.

In my career I've developed a level of knowledge and experience to create some of the most beautiful and expense aircraft interiors in the world.  I've travelled the world and had the chance to meet interesting and powerful individuals.  I have developed some of the must innovative and interesting solutions to creating these interiors.  I had gained great experience in the process of launching my own company.   I put in my time and have reached a point in my career where I was ready to take on a leadership role of that opportunity was out there.

Through the process of building my own company I came across an opportunity to join a new company that wanted to do things differently!  I thought with my expertise and knowledge I could bring a lot of value to the table, being in the financial situation I was in, I could not pass it up.  Besides this was an opportunity to create a design studio from the ground up and get paid doing it!

I start in, even before my official start date of outlining how this now facility could streamline the design process thus saving time and money in the upfront process, which was the vision of the company as I understood it.  I was ready to work within the management team and outline the integration of the design with engineering and production.  Being strong with developing processes I was energized!  God had called me to this opportunity and I was ready to embrace it with all of my being.  God gives us our gifts and talents for opportunities like this!

After being in this role for several weeks it was becoming clear that some of the ideas and objectives I had envisioned for playing a lead role in creating the best interiors in the world was dimming.

I was starting to realize that my desires were different than the companies.   The time finely arrived to provide some direction to the path I was headed down.  A meeting was scheduled to discuss certain aspects of my work assignments.  (As a side note, even though the results from this meeting did not , as I felt came out in my career favor, it was freeing to know that the responsibility for the design would not be on my shoulders, God has bigger plans.)  It was made perfectly clear that design would not be managed by "us" internally but by an outside design firm, we would be operating in a support and coordination role.  I would be using my 20+ years of knowledge and experience to promote someone else's work above my own.

This shows that God has more important plans for my life then becoming the best designer.  He is showing me that I need to put him first in my life and my accomplishments second (John 3:30).  This is a good test of over coming worldly desires to be number one and promoting someone else.

God, keep me focused on you so my heart grows closer to you.  Teach me through this experience to be humble and that you are first, not me.

Candle in the Darkness

We can no longer be lukewarm for good.  As evil gets greater it is harder to blend in with the status quo as a Christian.  We need to become bold in our faith in order to stay close to God. 

I like how Johnathan Cahns compares our relationship with God as a candle.  A candle in the light of day has little impact, but a candle at night can be seen from far away.  As this world becomes darker our candle will have a greater effect.

Punishment

As Chistians we all get it, but I wanted to share with you what God let me experience last night the reason we need to have punishment in this world. 

So I live in a small townhome apartment complex.  There are multiple buildings spreadout over the campus.  It is a Saturday night so my neighbors take advantage of the weekend to play loud music from not their apartment but from their cars.  Which are parked outside my window.  I tolerant the noise and at midnight I determine there is no plan for turning it down.  I plan to confront them from my balcony but after recogizing the state of Drunkardness I determine it is not safe and call the police. 

One I gave my number and address to the operator she immediately know what I was calling about, I assumed others had made calls as well.  An offerier did roll by at 12:21 and provided a warning.  The music stopped for a few minutes but the drinking and yelling carried on.  I was surprised that even with the police stopping over that they where brazen enough to not do anything. 

At 1:15 another call was placed and at 1:40 the police came a second time.  They we're again asked to turnoff the music.  This time the music stopped but the drinking and disruptive banter contiuned on into the wee hours of the morning. 

This is a great example of God's warnings to us.  As we challenge his authority there comes a point where the warnings have little effect on us .  In order to get our attention we need to be affected to the point that effects us in some way.  Sometimes this leads to punishment.  We have been so defiant that God has no other choice. 

Recipes for Minimalist Living

So part of the challenge is living on $5 per day.  The best way to accomplish this is by eating all the food and not throwing any of it in the garbage.  I also like to have a variety of food.  Preprocessed and ready to eat foods are typically more expense, have more preseratives, and are smaller portions so I stay away from these.  I like to create dishes with a handful of ingredients, make enough of certain ingredient to have some leftover to make it into something else.  This also allows you to potentially only have the stove on for making one batch of something, saving energy, for example cooking noodles that can be used in multiple dishes over an extended period of time.

Here are some meals that I have enjoyed over the past 6 weeks following this minimalist life style.

Salad

• Iceberg Lettuce
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Red or White Onions
• Carrots
• Hard boiled egg
• Deli meat ham or Turkey
• Shredded Cheese
• Ranch Dressing

Breaded Chicken Tenders

• Chicken Tenders
• Italian Breadcrumbs
• Garlic Salt
• Egg
• Olive Oil

Breaded Chicken Sandwich

• Onion Bagel
• Fried Chicken Tenders
• Red Onion
• Tomato
• Spinach
• Provolone Cheese
• Mayonnaise
• Horseradish Brown Mustard

Spaghetti Ala vodka

• Spaghetti noodles
• Tomato Sauce
• Heavy Cream
• leftover Meat
• Parmesan Cheese

Tuna Noddle, Egg Salad

• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Celery
• Carrots
• Celery Salt
• Tuna
• Elbow Pasta
• Salad Dressing

Pasta Cheese Bake

• Elbow Pasta
• Shredded Cheese
• Garlic Salt
• Italian Bread Crumbs
• Heavy Cream

Bagel Sandwich

• Onion Bagel
• Deli Ham or Turkey sliced
• Red or White Onion
• Tomato
• Spinach
• Provolone Cheese
• Seasoning Salt
• Mayonnaise
• Horseradish Brown Mustard

Green Bean Casserole

• Can green beans
• Mushroom soup
• French's Fried onions

Vegetable Stir-fry

• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Butter
• White Onions
• Crushed Garlic
• Vermouth 
• Soy Sauce

Fried Rice

• White Rice
• Chicken Bouillon 
• Egg
• Peas
• Carrots
• Seasoning Sauce
• Sesame Oil
• Sesame Seeds

Sausage

• Sausage
• Buns
• Ketchup
• Horseradish Brown Mustard
• Sweet Relish

Tacos

• Taco Seasoning
• Ground Beef
• Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Shredded Cheese
• Fresh Cilantro 
• White Onion
• Soft Flour Shells

Hamburger

• Bun
• Ground Beef
• Onion
• Italian Breadcrumbs
• Egg
• Ketchup
• Red Onion
• Tomato
• Spinach
• Garlic Salt
• Horseradish Brown Mustard
• Sweet Relish

Chicken Delight

• Rice
• Canned Chicken
• Sour Cream
• Cream of Chicken Soup
• Italian Breadcrumbs
• Ritz Crackers

Breakfast Cereal

• Generic Rice Chex 
• Unsweet Almond Milk
• Honey

Seasonal Fruit

• Bananas
• Pineapple
• Apples

Other

• Granola Bars
• Tortilla Chips
• Vanilla Sandwich Cookies
• Banana Bread

I have been able to stay at $35/week for groceries.  

Living a Minimialistic Christian Lifestyle

It was suggested that I write about what I am doing.  So here I am.  First let me tell you about what I am doing and then I can explain how I got here and provide some background and history on my situation.

I will begin by explaining what I am doing.  I am living a life separated from my family.  This life includes going to work each day and coming back to a 600 square foot apartment (twice and big as I need) in the evenings.  I think I found the least expense apartment in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  I am also trying to save money by conserving water, electricity, gas, etc.  The cost for my apartment is $800 per month.  My food budget is $5 per day.  I'm also trying to keep my utility expenses below $150, fuel for my car at one tank per month, no Internet, and no cable in the apartment.  Taking all this in mind, I would like to keep my expenses less than $1200/month.

I got put into a situation about 2 months ago when my design business was not generating the level of revenue it needed to sustain me and my family.  My father-in-law and I have been trying to get the momentum of the company up to a point where I could leave my full-time position and just do my own thing full-time.  We got into a situation that required that I make that jump, maybe prematurely, but it was a step of faith and integrity. This situation propelled me into a position of sales and every other position that is not filled by anyone.  With the help of our business coach we were on the road to making it work.

I gave my wife and I a 3 month runway to get our feet up off the ground.  As we started to look at the numbers it looked like it was possible to make a go of the opportunity. At the 3 month point all was go and we were on our way!  Then as quickly as everything looked promising we started to lose one bid after another, and our potential client list dwindled away.  Spending our saving and taking on debit to pay the bills was not the part of the journey we had set out on 6 months earlier.  It was time to find a steady income stream.

As an industrial designer with serious experience and expertise in VIP aircraft interiors it is difficult to find a comparable job, pay wise, in a design firm or architectural firm.  This put me in the position of looking for positions outside of the local area.  This was a reluctant decision, but keeping the kids in the same school district was nonnegotiable, so if I did find anything outside the local area it would mean I would be doing it on my own.  It was either this or find a less paying job in Florida, sell the house and move back, with a lessor house.

When God blessed us with this opportunity we did not look at it as a blessing, it was just the opposite.  After flying down for an interview for the position,I thought what in the world.  This place is 6 hours from home by car, it get hot and humid, and how can I be away from the family in such a place?  God works in amazing ways.

First of all, me and my wife would never have made this decision if we hadn't been over our head in debit and if we had any other opportunity on the table we would have taken it.  Which we did, at a facility 20 minutes from my home.  I received a call the day I was to go to Lake Charles for an interview.  This call was made by their HR person to set up an interview with the day after I returned from my interview here!  Perfect I could play one off the other and pick the local opportunity.  Well the call to confirm the interview time came and went.  After several calls with messages and the hope of getting a face to face was dimming.  An offer came in from the place in Louisiana and it was time to make the decision.

I signed the paper work and it was official, I was heading to Lake Charles.  I decided from the beginning to live as minimalistically as possible to reduce the impact on the family budget and also to be able to send as much money as possible to pay off debit.

Something else God was working on was getting rid of my busyness.  More about this later, but I had to resign from being major pro-temp of our local town and from a local charity that raises funds for education, and from leading the robotics club at my boy's intermediate school.  He wiped my plate clean in a matter of a week...

After searching over the Internet and calls to some local accommodations, I settled on the lowest cost apartment in a deceit neighborhood and got all the paperwork taken care of before leaving. 

We had a couple of weeks to get things in order before departing and off I went, with Amy tailing behind in the van and with the kids to help me move into our second home (only 1 hour from the beach, Amy had always wanted to get back near the water, so here it was!).  After getting moved in I got to spend a couple of days with the family before they headed back home.

I had a choose I could look at this as a curse or a blessing.  After a few days I decided that God had a reason for me being here and I was going to put it in his hands.  The first weekend here I attended a church across the street from the apartment complex.  I found out they had a men's bible study every Sunday night at 5 and attended.  I ran into the guy that showed me the contemporary service, the first guy I met Barry, and a doctor, Mr Dick Landry.  They welcoming me with such love that I felt this is where God wanted me to be.

God has provided many instantly of his presence and has been guiding me to a better understanding of him along the way.  The bible study had been about becoming Kingdom Disciples and what it means to follow in Jesus' foot steps as a disciple.  Its all about putting Jesus first.  This had been my mantra.  The Holy Spirit has created a desire to put him first every morning.  Every morning I have been dedicated to the study and wanting to learn more.

A trip home last week allowed me to spend over 10 hours listening to Billy Gram's book about the Holy Spirit.  These are opportunities I would not have in my busy life of just a month ago.

So I am taking this opportunity to live a closer life to Jesus.  Jesus did not have possessions and he lived a very minimal life style with less worldly things.  To be a disciple we also must learn to live without worldly possessions.  Even though I must fulfill the dues of my employer I can still live as minimally as possible and avoid the trappings of the popular view of needing possessions.  Even doing what I am attempting is extravagant compared to most of the world.  We can thrive without consumption to the level of today's modern America.  This need for consumption leads us way from our focus on Jesus.

So here is how I am doing so far:

• Rent: $800
• Electric: $33.28 (includes $12.50 connection fee)
• Other utilities: $68.49 (includes $20 new account fee)
• Food: $50, $35, $65, $15, $10, (home), $13, $2.80
• Fuel: $30 March, $30 (trip home), $30 home, $30 April
• Move in: Ross $40, bed $220, Goodwill: $60, Wayfair $6
• Clothing: Ross $100, $22 shirt alteration
• Church tithe: $60
• Birthday: Movies $10 3/29, gifts from family visit
• Gifts: Gift cards: $50 Wayfair 

Living expenses wise it looks like we are within budget.  Living a scarafical life (american style) allows me to put a bigger focus on Jesus and understanding him better. 

Being Unique through Christ

Put Jesus first.  Discipleship is the imitation of the teacher not just in his teaching but also in living.  Live like the master. Romans 8:29

Christ allows us to be who we are, liberates us from this world, but at the same time conforms us to be more like him. 

Interesting how conforming to Christ is actually freeing and liberating us from this world.  God creating us uniquely.  2 Corinthians 5:17. We are called to be unique through Christ.