Unborn Babies Protect Themselves If Left Alone

When someone receives a donated organ they must take powerful drugs to prevent rejection. That's because the body's immune system identifies the implanted organ as "not me." It then assumes that the invader is dangerous and must be destroyed. That brings us to a puzzling mystery that scientists have been trying to solve:

Why doesn't a mother's body recognize her unborn baby as being foreign to her body? After all, carrying genetic information from the mother and father, the unborn baby is genetically unique.

Some scientists theorize that the placenta is a physical barrier between the baby and the mother's immune system. Others believe that the unborn baby somehow hides from the mother's immune system. A third theory is that the mother's immune system is somehow forced to tolerate the unborn child.

New research from scientists at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia, supports this third alternative. Researchers have shown that the placenta produces an enzyme (IDO) that works to suppress immune cells. In effect, the unborn child puts together just the right enzyme to keep mom's immune system from attacking it. Scientists say that this discovery may lead to new drugs to treat autoimmune diseases and organ rejection.

This system or a similar system had to be fully operational in the first creature for successful pregnancies and births. It could not gradually evolve. This fact and the wisdom of this system provides more evidence of an all wise, all-powerful Creator of every form of life and all that exists.

Thank You, Lord, for protecting me in my mother's womb!

References: J.T., “Don't reject me, fetus tells Mom,” Science News, v.154, p.152, September 5, 1998

2009 Nature Girl

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13

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Birch Tree Sugar Prevents Tooth Decay!

We hear many warnings these days that tell us not to eat this food, it' full of cholesterol or that food, it's loaded with fat. It's easy to come to the conclusion that the curse of sin has turned the whole creation against us. But God is a merciful God. He has given us the ability to learn about many of the beneficial foods and medicines that He has created.

One good example of this is Xylitol, also known as birch sugar. Earlier research showed that birch sugar, used more in Europe than America as a sweetener, inhibits growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay.

Researchers in Finland wondered if birch sugar inhibited any other bacteria. They gave one group of pre-school children sucrose-based chewing gum and a similar group birch-sugar gum five times a day. The group that used the birch sugar gum had only about half as many ear infections.

Scientists aren't sure how the birch sugar reduces ear infections. They suspect that it somehow prevents the bacteria that cause the infections from attaching to cells in the mouth and ear. If this is what happens, there is an added bonus. Since the sugar does not attack the bacteria directly, the bacteria would be unlikely to develop any defense against it.

In His mercy, God has given us more than just solutions to our problems in this life. Through His Son, Jesus Christ, He grants us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. And through His Word, He tells us what salvation means.

To find out what birch sugar is, read more.

References: N.S., A sugar averts some ear infections, Science News, v.154, p.287, October 31, 1998

2009 Nature Girl

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Psalm 119:103

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And The Winner Is...The Amazing 'Mosquito Hawk'!

Are you aware there are 18 different dragonflies, just in California alone? Who knows how many there are world wide! And one of them, affectionately nicknamed "Mosquito Hawk" is our subject for today's Christian Nature post.

Flight is a big problem for those who believe that we owe our existence strictly to evolution. Birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, and even some fish fly or at least glide through the air in controlled flight. So many different creatures fly that evolutionists must say that flight evolved several different times. The dragonfly is among the best fliers in the animal kingdom.

The dragonfly can beat its four wings in unison or separately depending on the maneuver it wants to make. Dragonflies can fly at speeds up to 25 miles an hour and even faster. They can hover, take off backward and even make an unbanked turn. (Bet that makes our Navy and Air Force sit up and notice!)

The dragonfly eats small insects, including mosquitoes, earning it the nickname "mosquito hawk."

A dragonfly can see a gnat from three feet away, fly to it, capture it and return to its original position in a just over one second! One third to one half of its body mass is made up of flight muscles. Its two eyes have a total of 60,000 lenses and are situated so that its range of vision is nearly 360 degrees! Can you imagine?

Dragonflies not only appear in the fossil record fully formed, but in much greater variety than today. One fossilized dragonfly was the size of a crow! Even the United States Air Force has studied the dragonfly to learn how it flies.

The dragonfly is no product of natural selection. It is clearly a specially designed creature whose Designer understands flight better than we do. This Designer is our Creator God.

I am amazed by the beauty and wonder of the dragonfly. It shows, once again, the specialized design of our Creator in an awesome way!

References: Richard Conniff, The Lord of Time, Reader's Digest, June 1999, p.142

2009 Nature Girl

[God talking to Job] Does the hawk fly by your wisdom, and spread its wings toward the south? Job 39:26

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Eggs and Children - It's All About the Shaping

The creation is literally filled with millions of what those who believe in evolution call "happy coincidences." But when you encounter millions of instances of what appears to be thoughtful design, the obvious conclusion is that there is a Designer. Take the example of bird eggs. It's all about the shaping.

The shape of the egg makes it strong. This strength comes in handy in a busy nest. Mom and dad are coming and going, and they turn the eggs periodically during incubation. But all eggs are not equally egg shaped, and there is a pattern to their shapes.

Birds like Robins that build a nice, dish shaped nest tend to lay eggs that are more round in shape.

Screech owls, which lay their eggs at the bottom of a hole in a tree, also have round-shaped eggs.

Birds like the Killdeer barely build any kind of nest and lay eggs on the ground where almost round eggs could roll away. For this reason, birds such as a Kildeer lay much more sharply-pointed eggs which are designed to pivot on their small end. (Do you envision a ballet? I do!)

Likewise, eggs that are laid where predators are not likely to see them are usually pale or solid in color, while eggs laid out in the open are camouflaged.

Moreover, baby birds that hatch in protected nests like the Bluebird, tend to be naked, blind and helpless. But the unprotected Killdeer hatchlings are ready to leave the nest within minutes of hatching.

All coincidences? It seems more scientific to say that here we have a few of the many fingerprints of our wise Creator!

This got me to thinking about how our childhoods affect the rest of our lives. Those who have been over-protected, never allowed to venture out into the adventures of nature, tend to be less independent than those who are given a little leeway to discover on their own. When I read autobiographies of famous people, I conclude the most successful people were those who were allowed room for their imaginations to flourish. It always seems to be about the 'shaping' in their youths.

References: Jim Williams, Bird basics: egg size, color and shape, Star Tribune, July 29, 1999, p.8

2009 Nature Girl

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

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Stung But Not Dead! - Violin Spider

Yesterday I was, for the first time, bitten by a brown recluse spider! Immediately I ran to my computer to find out what could happen and what I needed to do. I checked myself for swelling, sweating, chills, headache, body aches, stomach cramps, leg cramps, rapid pulse and exhaustion. And I prayed!

Here's what I learned about these spiders whose bites really, really hurt!

The violin shape on cephalothorax, has resulted in the nicknames of Fiddleback Spider, Brown Fiddler, or Violin Spider.

It has a prominent pedipalpi (the "antennae"-looking shapes on either side of the darker-brown chelicerae)

Three pairs of eyes are arranged symmetrically on the leading edge of the cephalothorax. Most spiders have eight eyes; the browns have only six.

It has a light tan coloration and long, thin legs; at first glance some mistake this spider for a daddy-long-legs while others assume it's a small wolf-type spider.

To identify brown recluse spiders, go to BrownRecluseSpider or BadSpiderBites.


For the symptoms and first aid for spider bites, go to FirstAid.


If your symptoms persist more than 24 hours, call your doctor or go to the emergency room!

OK, I'm calm now. So I'll sign off.

2009 Nature Girl

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The Rocks Bear Witness As They Cry Out

But He answered and said to them, I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:40

We have always been told that it takes millions of years for muddy deposits to turn into rock. Those who believe in creation have always disagreed. It seems pretty clear to us that much of the sedimentary rock we see today was deposited during the Great Flood at the time of Noah, which was not millions of years ago. Creationists generally place the Flood at about 4,600 years ago. Until recently, evolutionist dismissed this date as impossible: sedimentary rocks simply could not form that fast. Well, now it seems that they spoke too soon.

While digging some trenches in a salt marsh, a team of sedimentologists found stony nodules in the mud. Further research on how the nodules formed revealed that a mud deposit can be transformed into a layer of sedimentary rock in as little as six months! They found that two bacteria are responsible for this.

One species gets its energy from the sulphates in sea water. In the process it produces hydrogen sulphide.

The second species of bacteria can do the same thing. But if there is too much hydrogen sulphide, it can also change iron compounds so that they react with hydrogen sulphide and other salts.

The result is stony lumps of iron sulphide and iron carbonate—sedimentary rock that is hardened quickly enough to fossilize any animal before it decays.

Science has now confirmed what creationists who believe the Bible have always suspected. There are natural processes that can form sedimentary rock within the limited timeframe allowed by a literal reading of Scriptural history.

2009 Nature Girl

References: Andy York, Set in Stone, New Scientist, 19 September 1998, p.25

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Is Lack of Nature Putting Your Child At Risk?

People who have lived more than 60 years can see the difference in children. We have more mental health problems among children now than senior citizens did when they were children. Why?

When George was eight he walked everywhere.
It was 1926 and his parents were unable to afford the fare for a tram, let alone the cost of a bike and he regularly walked six miles to his favorite fishing haunt without adult supervision.

Fast forward to 2007 and George's eight-year-old great-grandson Edward enjoys none of that freedom. He is driven the few minutes to school, is taken by car to a safe place to ride his bike and can roam no more than 300 yards from home.

Even if he wanted to play outdoors, none of his friends strays from their home or garden unsupervised.

The contrast between Edward and George's childhoods is highlighted in a report which warns that the mental health of 21st-century children is at risk because they are missing out on the exposure to the natural world enjoyed by past generations.

The report says the change in attitudes is reflected in four generations of George's family in Sheffield.

The oldest member, George, was allowed to roam for six miles from home unaccompanied when he was eight.

His home was tiny and crowded and he spent most of his time outside, playing games and making dens.

George, who went on to become a carpenter, has never lost some of the habits picked up as a child and, aged 88, is still a keen walker.

His son-in-law, Jack, 63, was also given freedom to roam.

He was aged eight in 1950, and was allowed to walk for about one mile on his own to the local woods. Again, he walked to school and never traveled by car.

By 1979, when his daughter Vicky was eight, there were signs that children's independence was being eroded.

"I was able to go out quite freely - I'd ride my bike around the estate, play with friends in the park and walk to the swimming pool and to school," said Vicky, 36.

"There was a lot less traffic then - and families had only one car. People didn't make all these short journeys."

Today, her son Edward spends little time on his own outside his garden in their quiet suburban street. She takes him by car to school to ensure she gets to her part-time job as a medical librarian on time.

While he enjoys piano lessons, cubs, skiing lessons, regular holidays and the trampoline, slide and climbing frame in the garden, his mother is concerned he may be missing out.

She said: "He can go out in the crescent but he doesn't tend to go out because the other children don't. We put a bike in the car and go off to the country where we can all cycle together.

"It's not just about time. Traffic is an important consideration, as is the fear of abduction, but I'm not sure whether that's real or perceived."

She added: "Over four generations our family is poles apart in terms of affluence. But I'm not sure our lives are any richer."

The report's author, Dr William Bird, the health adviser to Natural England and the organizer of a conference on nature and health on Monday, believes children's long-term mental health is at risk.

He has compiled evidence that people are healthier and better adjusted if they get out into the countryside, parks or gardens.

Stress levels fall within minutes of seeing green spaces, he says. Even filling a home with flowers and plants can improve concentration and lower stress.

"If children haven't had contact with nature, they never develop a relationship with natural environment and they are unable to use it to cope with stress," he said.

"Studies have shown that people deprived of contact with nature were at greater risk of depression and anxiety. Children are getting less and less unsupervised time in the natural environment.

"They need time playing in the countryside, in parks and in gardens where they can explore, dig up the ground and build dens."

The report, published by Natural England and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, also found that the behavior and school work of children improve if their playground has grassy areas, ponds and trees.

It also found evidence that hospital patients need fewer painkillers after surgery if they have views of nature from their bed.

Resource: http://www.childrenandnature.org/

2010 Christian Nature Girl

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Nature | Unforgettable Elephant Mother's Anguish

I live in a society where many feel no remorse over 1.5 Million babies being aborted each day, so this video spoke volumes to me. The contrast between this mother elephant, Grace, and what I hear and read about daily was too pronounced to neglect sharing it.

It is thought that elephants are emotional creatures, even crying as they mourn, and Grace shows her grief, as do her adolescent daughters.This handicapped elephant - she has only one tusk - goes to great lengths to try saving her preemie baby, and - well, see for yourself what happens and how she responds.






Oh, Lord, how can we, your crowning achievement, be outdone by an animal over whom we were given dominion? I pray for my nation today, and ask that You forgive us for our self-centeredness.

2009 Christian Nature

As Jeremiah mourned for his nation, I mourn for mine, Lord. Jeremiah 8

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Would You Consider Having a Skunk As a Pet?

Growing up in New Mexico, I would never have thought to ask my parents if I could have a pet skunk! There were plenty of them around; however, they were to be avoided at all costs.

But many people in 20 states have skunks for pets if they have been descented. As I have learned more about skunks I have discovered that skunks make good pets, similar to dogs.

Most people would guess skunks are more like cats, but, no, they are very much like dogs. They eat dog food, can be potty trained like dogs, and can be trained to do 'tricks' much like dogs.

The mother skunk rarely ever leaves her babies, knowing that any male skunk - that's including the father skunk - will kill them. The babies are born with black and white markings on their bare skin, and then the hair grows in according to the skin color.

Most people would not think skunks were 'cute' - all they think of is the potential odor. But in this PBS video, watch as Jerry Dragoo shows off some cute skunk kits. I couldn't help it. I fell in love with the baby skunks as they sucked milk and squishy dog food from Jerry's 'bottle.' I'll bet you will, too!




Now come on, admit it. You felt your heart tug, right? So would you consider having a skunk as a pet?

You can view the entire PBS Episode here.

2009 Nature Girl

Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl . Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. Psalm 148:10,13

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The Unbelievable 'Waggle Dance' of Bees!

It won't be long until Dancing With The Stars starts; however, I guarantee you that you will not see any dance like the Waggle Dance! What? You never heard of this dance? Then you are not a bee-keeper!

The more I learn about nature, and in particular, bees, the more I want to praise The Creator! Let's gather more praise power as we learn about bees!

You know, all it would take for this world to lose its food sources is for bees to disappear. Just imagine: that little bitty insect keeps the wheels rolling as our crops live and prosper! A bee!

When I taught nature through music to elementary school children, the girls always were thrilled to learn how the bee hive revolves around the Queen Bee, a female! What I didn't have the heart to tell them was that the Queen Bee was actually a slave to her duties, laying 2,500 eggs per day, up to 2 Million during her life time!

The worker bees are all females, and out of 30,000 bees, only 100 are drones (males) who must be fed by the females. There's so much more to share, but the most amazing characteristic is the Waggle Dance - a dance which communicates more information than you can imagine. Here, let's watch!





Is that not the most amazing thing you have ever learned about bees? Oh! The Creator sure knew what He was doing when He put His creation together! And who says God doesn't approve of dancing? :-D

2009 Nature Girl

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17

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Why Are There 60 Minutes In an Hour?

Ever wonder why 60 seconds make a minute, or why an hour has 60 minutes? After all, there are no natural reasons for this. A year is a natural time measurement, based on the sun's position in the sky. Well, believe it or not, there may be connection between the length of an hour and the golden statue built by King Nebuchadnezzar that Daniel and his friends refused to worship (found in Daniel 3).

King Nebuchadnezzar's statue was 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide. This is probably because the Babylonians used a counting system built on the number 60 and many of their buildings are measured in units or sub units of 60. By 1300 B.C. the Egyptians had divided the day into 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. Under this system, the 12 daylight hours were longer in the summer than winter daylight hours.

But this system worked reasonably well, since Egyptians kept track of the time with sundials. It is believed that this system, along with the base-60 method of counting was borrowed from the Babylonians. The designation of 12 hours appears to have come from the Babylonians, since 12 is a factor of 60.

The system passed on to the Greeks, who gave it to the Romans. It is thought that by the 13th century A.D., when accurate mechanical clocks were invented, the hour was finally divided into 60 minutes.

That our method of accounting time goes back over 3,000 years illustrates that ancient man was no less advanced than modern man. Over 3,000 years ago, man was smart enough to invent a time accounting system that serves us well today.

2009 Nature Girl

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits… Daniel 3:1a

References: Odyssey, Fall 1998, Inventing Time, How on earth did we get a 60-minute hour? p.6

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The Body Snatchers - Jewel Wasps

Perhaps you've seen the Hollywood version of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or if you're like me, you don't watch scary movies. But you can see the very same movie if you venture out into nature!

The consequences of man's sin have touched every part of the creation. After God made us, He declared His entire creation "very good," which by God's standards is perfect. But human rebellion against God set at work the forces of death throughout the creation.

The gnat-like jewel wasp is a good example of this. Under the microscope the jewel wasp lives up to its name, showing patterns of iridescent colors that change with the light. But that's about all there is about the jewel wasp that reflects its perfect creation.

The female jewel wasp, ready to lay her eggs, seeks out fly pupae, most readily found in the corpses of dead animals. There she injects the fly pupae with venom to kill them and then lays 20 to 40 eggs in each pupa. After one or two days, the eggs hatch and the hatchlings feed.

The male wasps, which have no wings, mate with the females and die where they were born. The females then fly off to repeat the cycle. Interestingly, the female has a special organ which controls whether the egg she lays is fertilized or not fertilized. Unfertilized eggs result in sons, while fertilized eggs result in daughters. This works to balance out the population.

Though the jewel wasp is beautiful and has amazing abilities, it spends its life disposing of corpses.

To view the deathly battle between a large cockroach and small jewel wasp - it's like watching a horror movie! - click here.

You don't need Hollywood to see science fiction or murder mysteries. Just go out into nature and observe what's happening around you!

References: Jack Werren, Genetic Invasion of the Insect Body Snatchers, Natural History, 6/94, p.36

McAllister, B.F., L.W. Beukeboom and J.H. Werren. 2004. Site-specific mapping of the paternal-sex-ratio (PSR) chromosome. Heredity 92 (1): 5-13.

2009 Nature Girl

… but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. Genesis 2:17

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God Cares for Birds, But Do You Know How?

If you've heard the Bible at all, you have heard that God cares for even the sparrows, and 'are you not worth more than a sparrow'? But I'll bet you could never guess what one of the spectacular ways is that He provides for them! Go on! Guess!

Are you proud of your memory? Can you remember episodes from years ago, in great detail? Do you remember how much milk is in your refrigerator? Do you remember which leftovers you have in there, and where you put them? This kind of memory is called episodic memory. It allows you to travel back in time with your mind to remember the details of a past action. Until now, it was thought that only humans had this kind of memory, although some researchers were convinced that monkeys and rats had episodic memory.

Now, to researchers' surprise, several species of birds that store food have convincingly displayed episodic memory and more! The scrub jays' favorite food is waxmoth larvae. Researchers allowed some of the jays to learn that the larvae rot after a few days.

The jays also like peanuts. Researchers gave scrub jays the larvae to hide in sand-filled ice cube trays. After five days the jays were given peanuts to hide. Later, the birds were allowed to collect their buried treasures. The birds who had learned that the larvae rotted after a couple of days didn't even bother to collect them. They looked only for peanuts, and remembered where to look for them!

The jays who didn't know that the larvae rotted, looked for them (larvae) first.

In another research project, Clark's nutcrackers remembered where they had buried food morsels nine months earlier. This is something evolutionary scientists never expected in animals that they are lower forms of life than we are. God has seen to the food needs of these species by not only providing them with food, but also by giving them extraordinary episodic memory like ours.

So, what do you think of a God who would go to such lengths to care for birds in such a spectacular way?

2009 Nature Girl April

References: S. Milius, Birds can remember what, where, and when, Science News, v.154, p.181


Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? Luke 12:24

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You Cannot Trust a Cuckoo Bird!

Have you ever met someone who was so deceitful you were repulsed? No? Well, then you haven't met a cuckoo bird! When I was growing up, we used to call people acting crazy "cuckoo". But what we didn't know was that cuckoos are not crazy, they are profoundly dishonest! Whatever you do, don't trust a cuckoo!

For example, are you aware that the common cuckoo does not feed or raise its own young? About 56 of the Old World species and 3 of the New World species are brood parasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other birds. These species are obligate brood parasites, meaning that they reproduce only in this fashion.

This behavior has led to the entry of the term 'cuckold' into the English language, which describes a man with an unfaithful wife. Well, yeah!

The cuckoo chick encourages the host to keep pace with its high growth rate with its rapid begging call and the chick's open mouth which serves as a sign stimulus.The adoptive parents feed and raise the young cuckoo as their own until the cuckoo gets larger than the foster parents and flies away without so much as a "thank you."

One common adoptive parent for the young cuckoos is the reed warbler, whose behavior pattern is quite different from the cuckoos. [Photo is of Great Reed Warbler] For example, reed warbler parents recognize hungry baby birds by their persistent calling. Oops! Problem here! Cuckoos typically lay but one egg in an adoptive nest. Once this egg hatches, the young cuckoo throws the reed warbler eggs out of the nest! Can you imagine such ingratitude?

So how does one little baby cuckoo manage to convince the parent reed warbler that it is not just one bird, but half a dozen reed warbler babies needing to be fed? Researchers have finally learned the amazing answer to that question. They say that the baby cuckoo deceives its adoptive parents by sounding like as many as eight baby reed warblers. The act is so convincing that it gets all the food it wants.

Who teaches the baby cuckoos this trick? Certainly not the mother cuckoo who, incidentally, misses out on all the fulfillment of family life. The chick has no time to learn this behavior, so it must be an instinct passed on genetically.



Cuckoos are often highly secretive and in many cases best known for their wide repertoire of calls. Calls are usually relatively simple, resembling whistles, flutes, or hiccups. The calls are used in order to demonstrate ownership of a territory and to attract a mate. Within a species the calls are remarkably consistent across the range, even in species with very large ranges. This suggests, along with the fact that many species are not raised by their true parents, that the calls of cuckoos are innate and not learned. Although cuckoos are diurnal, many species call at night.

You know, come to think of it, when I bought my Grandfather Clock, it also had several 'calls'. But I digress. Whatever you do, don't trust a cuckoo! Who wants to be friends with a bird who is profoundly parasitic and deceitful and will kick you out of your own home?

The cuckoo reminds us that deceit robs us (and others) of good experiences in life. That's why it is comforting when our perfect God of truth tells us that He never ever changes!

References: L.H., Cuckoos beg doggedly to trick hosts, Science News, v.155, p.158, March 6, 1999
Wikipedia 2009

2009 Nature Girl

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

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Science and Bible Agree: Don't Be Anxious!

The Bible frequently warns against anxiety. Modern science agrees that anxiety produces all sorts of negative changes in the body. A recent study on rats suggests that the damage done by anxiety begins practically at the onset of anxiety.

According to Science News, scientists used electrodes on some of the rats to simulate what happens in the brain when learning takes place. Then they put all the animals through a learning exercise. The rats were to learn to find and swim to a submerged platform in a water tank. Scientists found that those rats whose learning centers were overstimulated did much more poorly at learning than those who had not been overstimulated.

Learning normally takes place as new experiences strengthen connections between nerve cells. However, scientists concluded that overstimulation prevents those connections from being strengthened. In practical terms, this means that there is a limit to how quickly we can absorb new information. In other words, the student who stays up all night cramming for final exams will end up less able to learn than the non anxious student who sleeps peacefully the night before finals.

So, if you have ever had times when you thought that your brain just couldn't absorb more information, you were probably right. So now we have yet another reason why God, in His Word, urges us not to be anxious, but to cast all our cares on Him. After all, if He sent His only Son to rescue you from sin, death and the devil, will He not also carry you through whatever makes you anxious?

From the heart of Nature April 2009

References: J.T., Rats have too much on their minds, Science News, v.154, p.250, October 17, 1998

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4

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Proof You're Not Accidental Chemistry

Most people know that the most important molecule in our bodies is DNA. But another large molecule called ATP - Adenosine triphosphate (photo on left) - is what keeps you and your DNA alive. ATP is the primary energy system within your body. It generates the electricity in your nerves, making it possible to move your muscles. ATP's operation should remove any doubt that it is a product of a wise and intelligent Creator.

ATP converts the energy in the food you eat to just the right level needed most of the time by your cells. When ATP delivers its energy within your cell, it loses a group of phosphate atoms and becomes ADP.

ADP is immediately recycled back into ATP within your mitochondria to again deliver its energy. On the average, each ATP is recycled like this three times per second. Despite the fact that each of your one hundred trillion cells have one billion ATP molecules, you would die within a few minutes if anything interfered with this recycling. During the course of a day, your body will recycle 400 pounds of ATP! Within your mitochondria are what have been described as molecular "water wheels." When working at its peak, this "water wheel" spins as fast as 200 revolutions per second, generating 600 ATP molecules during that second!

The Psalmist was right when he praised God because he recognized that he was fearfully and wonderfully made.

References: Jerry Bergman, ATP: The Perfect Energy Currency for the Cell, Creation Research Society Quarterly, v.36, p.2, June 1999

From the heart of Nature April 2009

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14

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Nature - Science Proves Creation Through The Golden Ratio

Today is an exciting day for me. I will be providing evidence that God's Creation was neither an accident nor evolution. The proof is the Golden Ratio.

It all started in the 13th century, and the photo of Leonardo da Vinci's 16th century painting, Mona Lisa is just one of the many examples built on the Golden Ratio.

At the beginning of the 13th century, a mathematician by the name of Leonardo Pisano studied a problem that had a revolutionary answer. (This is so interesting!) The problem was given to him by a member of the royal family, and it went something like this:

"A certain man put a pair of rabbits in a place surrounded on all sides by a wall. How many pairs of rabbits can be produced from that pair in a year if it is supposed that every month each pair begets a new pair, which from the second month on becomes productive?"

On paper, Leonardo listed the number of rabbits at the end of each month, and came up with the following numerical sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, and so on. And what is really neat about those numbers is that every number in the sequence was the sum of the two that came before it. One plus one=two, one plus two= three, three plus two =five, and so on.

Well, you're asking, so what? What does that have to do with God? More than you might think. As it turns out, Leonardo stumbled across a very important mathematical principle, known as the Fibonacci sequence, or Fibonacci numbers. And even though it was first used to count rabbits, it just might be one of the out of prints used to create the universe.
Students of this special sequence of numbers have noticed that each number bears a special relationship to the numbers surrounding it. The ratio of any Fibonacci number to the one before it is roughly 1.618034, and the ratio of any Fibonacci number to the one after it is roughly 0.618034. Again, so what? Well, as it turns out, that's a very special ratio.

It is so special, in fact, that it's called the "Golden Ratio," and the ancient Greeks based a lot of their art and architecture on it. The length of the Parthenon, for example, is 1.618034 times as long as the width, and the width is 0.618034 times as long as the length. And they designed a lot of their pottery with the same ratio. Now why did they do that?

They did it because they believed that this special ratio was much more pleasing to the human eye than any other ratio. And surprisingly, the very things we still find artistically pleasing today still exhibit that very same ratio.

The face of the Mona Lisa, for example, is built on the golden ratio. It is 1.618 times as long as it is wide. And it's been noticed by some students of music that the stuff we find really beautiful has the same golden ratio, where the first movement is 1.618 times as long as the second one, for example.

So why is it that we find that number so pleasing to the eye and to the ear? Could it be because that ratio most closely resembles the work of the Master Artist? Do we find it beautiful because it mimics creation?

Just consider how often the golden ratio shows up in nature, and I think you'll see what I mean. It turns out that your forearm is approximately 1.618 times as long as your hand.

And each segment in your finger is roughly 1.618 times as long as the next one. And the faces of people we consider to be beautiful have this number show up all over the place. Their mouths are 1.618 times as wide as their noses, and the distance between their pupils is about 1.618 times as wide as their mouths. This happens so frequently that some plastic surgeons have begun using this number to improve people's appearances.

Could it be that the golden ratio is one of the out of prints God used at creation?

You know, if you create a spiral based on Fibonacci numbers, where every quarter turn is 1.618 times as far from the center as the previous one, you get what is known as a golden spiral.

And oddly enough, most of the spirals found in nature are golden spirals. The shells of the nautilus and the snail, for example, are shaped in a golden spiral. So are hurricanes, ram's horns, the tails of seahorses, the cochlea of the human ear, whirlpools in the ocean, the seed patterns of sunflowers and pinecones, and the tail of a comet as it winds around the sun.

Not only that, but we have also discovered that the number of spirals in a sunflower or on a pine cone are always numbers from the Fibonacci sequence.

And furthermore, you'll notice that you can find spirals running in two directions on a pine cone, but the number of spirals running in each direction is not equal. Instead, you might have eight spirals running in one direction, and 13 running in the other. But the numbers are always neighbors from the Fibonacci sequence.

The list of golden ratios goes on and on and on. If you create ratios between the lengths of years of neighboring planets in our solar system, they are always made up of Fibonacci numbers.

And so are the arrangements of flower petals and the lengths of DNA molecules. In fact, a strand of DNA is a stack of rectangles all made in the same proportions as the Parthenon and other golden rectangles.

The neighboring leaves of some trees are arranged at 137.5 degrees from each other. That angle, amazingly, enables the highest number of leaves to have exposure to sunlight. But, even more amazing, when you draw that angle inside a circle, you get two pieces that are in the golden ratio to each other. The longest arc is, well, you guessed it, 1.618 times as long as the shortest one.

It just can't be a coincidence! From art and music to nature and science, the golden ratio keeps showing up over and over.

I could go on with literally thousands of more examples, but I think I've made the point. As you scratch below the surface of our world, it becomes obvious that somebody made it. We're not an accident. It's almost as if somebody deliberately used that number as a measuring stick for the cosmos.

More and more, science is proving Creation through the Golden Ratio. I find that to be mind-blowing! As I said in Part I and Part 2 of Nature - Look More at Nature, See More of God, to prove it to yourself, just go outside and take a look, because, as Paul says in Romans, chapter one, the more you look at creation, the more you are going to see God. The proof is in the Golden Ratio!

From the heart of Nature April, 2009

Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. Jeremiah 32:17

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Nature - Look More At Creation, See More of God - 2

In Part I, I stated that the more I study the Creation, the more I see of God. Also, I stated that, by and large, the scientific method has done us a world of good. Before we had the scientific method, people used to just make assumptions about why things happen, and sometimes that led to some pretty strange ideas.

Belief in the word of God was ridiculed in academic circles. Darwinists said that the creation story was nonsense. Marxists said that religion was just an oppressive tool used to keep the lower classes in their place. And it seemed as if Christianity was going to die out, because it seemed obvious to almost everyone at the time that the Bible could not be reconciled with science.

But if you think about it, it was kind of a surprising conclusion for the age of science to come to, because the scientific method was originally based on the assumption that there is a measurable design to the universe. The first scientists were simply trying to discover how God had made the world.

Take the great 17th century scientist, Isaac Newton, for example. Speaking about the universe, he once said,

"This most beautiful system could only proceed from the dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being."

He understood that the things he saw through his reflecting telescope were the work of a Supreme intelligence. He knew that the law of gravity was not an accident, but the result of careful planning by the Creator.

"Gravity explains the motions of the planets," he said, "but it cannot explain who set the planets in motion. God governs all things and knows all that is or can be done."

Does that sound like a man whose faith was shaken by scientific discovery? Not at all! It sounds more like a man who could recognize the fingerprints of God in the universe. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans: (Romans 1:20 NKJV)

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse."

There is enough evidence in this world for us to discover the existence of God!

One of my favorite Christian authors, writing at the zenith of scientific unbelief in the 1890s, describes it this way:

"Look at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature. Think of their marvelous adaptation to the needs and happiness, not only of man, but of all living creatures. The sunshine and the rain, that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and plains, all speak to us of the Creator's love. It is God who supplies the daily needs of all His creatures."

Even though this world has been marred by sin, you can still see the fingerprints of God. Everything works in perfect harmony to sustain human life. There is just the right proportion of oxygen and nitrogen in the air.

If we were closer to the sun, we would fry, and if we were further away, we would freeze. The force of gravity is just right to keep us on the surface without crushing us. And water is one of the only things that actually expands when it freezes'so it floats on top of the lake instead of killing everything below the surface.

John O'Keefe, an astronomer at NASA, said this:

"We are, by astronomical standards, a pampered, cosseted, cherished group of creatures. ...If the universe had not been made with the most exacting precision, we could never have come into existence. It is my view that these circumstances indicate the universe was created for man to live in."

When the citizens of the ancient city of Lystra saw Paul heal a crippled man, they mistakenly believed that Paul must have been a god. To prove the point that he wasn't, he pointed the people to the world around them: (Acts 14:15-17 NKJV)

"We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."

Immediately, Paul points to the creation as ample evidence of the existence of God. "Take a good look," he said, "and you'll notice that somebody designed this planet. No thinking person could believe otherwise." There is enough proof to establish the existence of God.

In fact, there is so much evidence, it's almost as if God can't wait to be found. Philip Yancey points out something interesting in his book, Reaching for the Invisible God.

For children, the point of hide-and-go-seek is not so much hiding as it is being found. I have two daughters who love to play hide-and-go-seek, but they're not very good at it. When I close my eyes and start to count, they dash across the house and hide in exactly the same spot they hid in last time. Or sometimes, if I'm getting close, I can hear them giggling. And if I say, "I wonder if Natalie's hiding under the bed?" She'll scream, "No, Daddy, I'm in the closet!"

Why? Because she wants to be found! And I believe the same is true of God. He wants to be found, and He's sprinkled enough evidence around this world to make it really easy. Listen to something I came across in an article first published in the Wall Street Journal in 1997. It was called Science Resurrects God. And this is what it said:

"...in recent decades, physicists have noticed an astonishing thing about the fundamental laws of nature. The 20 or so parameters they contain, numbers governing the strength of gravity, the ratio of the proton's size to the neutron's, and so on, appear to have been fine-tuned so that, against astronomically unfavorable odds, conscious organisms could emerge. Make gravity the slightest bit weaker, and no galaxies suitable for life would have formed; make it the slightest bit stronger and the cosmos would have collapsed upon itself moments after the big bang."

Personally, I believe the Bible's account of a seven-day creation, but consider what the author just said. As we progress in our thirst for knowledge, we are discovering that real science leads straight to God! Many scientists of the 19th century may have smugly denied the existence of God, but today, they are recognizing His fingerprints all over the place. The article continues:

"The universe," as cosmologist Fred Hoyle once remarked, "looks like a "put-up job." Who but a Divine Designer could have twiddled with these 20 different "control knobs" until they were pointing at precisely the right values for the full array of life ultimately to appear."

In the light of mounting evidence, the goddess of reason has been forced to nod her head in the direction of the Creator. Cosmologists today are looking for what some call the "theory of everything," or the "God particle," a theory or formula that will explain the architecture of the universe, because more and more, the numbers are pointing to the existence of God.

Robert Jastrow, director of the Mount Wilson Observatory, put it like this: "For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries."

The universe, it turns out, is not just a big empty space that goes on forever. The numbers prove that it has deliberate design.

It reminds me of the discussion God had with Job when he began to have doubts about the character of God. Instead of directly addressing the problem of pain and suffering, God invites Job to lift the curtain of the universe and consider its architecture: (Job 38:1-3 NKJV)

"Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 'Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me."'

At first, God's words sounds a little harsh, but don't forget that Job has questioned whether or not God really knows what He is doing. God is just making a dramatic point, so He directs Job's attention to the structure of the universe, and invites him to consider how it was made: (Job 38:4-7 NKJV)

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"

Now, you'll notice that God uses the language of architecture when He describes the universe. He speaks of foundations, lines, and measures, and while the language may be for our benefit, it does say something important. It tells us that God didn't throw things together haphazardly.

Ancient mythology has a pantheon of petty gods creating the world over and over, trying to get things right. But the Genesis record says God did it right the first time.

In fact, at the close of creation week, God said, "It is very good," and that tells me that we are not a doodle in the margin of the universe. We are the product of careful thinking, and a divine out of print.

Could it be that we are just starting to discover the out of prints of the universe? Could it be, when we find ourselves drawn irresistibly to something beautiful, it's because we are subconsciously recognizing the fingerprints of God? And what does that mean for you?

It means that you have a purpose. Somehow, somewhere, you fit into God's design. You are not an accident. You are not the product of mere chance over billions of years. Tomorrow I am thrilled to provide evidence that nature - all of nature - was created by God, Himself. It will be mind-blowing, I promise!
And to prove it to yourself, just go outside and take a look, because, as Paul says in Romans, chapter one, the more you look at creation, the more you are going to see God!

From the heart of Nature April, 2009

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Nature - Look More At Creation, See More of God-1

My grandson hears me say 'the hand of God' and He thinks God has fingers. Well, the finger print of God is all over His creation! The more I look at Creation, the more I see God! Every day I see stunning evidence in the cosmos that tells of an unseen hand that put it all in place. I see that a God of love, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, gave me a tremendous gift in the creation of this world.

Have you noticed that when the people at NASA send another probe to the Red Planet, it invariably creates a lot of excitement? People can't wait to see the next set of pictures coming back from the surface of Mars, or to hear news that maybe, just maybe, they've discovered that there used to be life out there.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why it is that we feel such an urge to explore our neighboring planet? Or for that matter, why do we feel so naturally curious about everything? Let's explore the why of it.

If you stop to think about the discipline of science, it's really built on the belief that there is measurable order to the universe. It's built on the assumption that our world is predictable.

When a good scientist becomes curious about something he sees in nature, he develops a hypothesis about what makes it happen. Then he goes into the lab and runs a series of carefully controlled tests to see if his theory is right. If he can reproduce the events he saw in nature, he becomes confident that he has discovered why things happen the way they do.

It's called the scientific method, and by and large, it's done us a world of good. Before we had the scientific method, people used to just make assumptions about why things happen, and sometimes that led to some pretty strange ideas.

For example, Aristotle once made the statement that men and women have a different number of teeth, but before he said that, he never bothered to open anybody's mouth to check. And so for centuries, many people simply assumed that it was true!

It was also believed, at one time, that life could spontaneously erupt from non-living matter. When you left a piece of meat out in the sun too long, after all, it spontaneously gave birth to maggots.

And when the Nile River flooded every year, it made the dust wet, and then the dust spontaneously gave birth to frogs. And if you let grain get old and moldy, that could give birth to mice. So it was obvious to everybody that life could suddenly spring out of non-life.

But then a doctor by the name of Francesco Redi challenged that idea in 1668. He believed that maggots came from the eggs of flies, not from meat, and so he tested his theory under controlled circumstances, and he was right.

But unwilling to give up a cherished idea, scientists debated his findings, until finally, in 1859, almost 200 years later, Louis Pasteur finally proved him right, beyond the shadow of a doubt. And because of that, today we have better methods of preserving food.

So the scientific method has proven to be a useful tool to the human race. Science has led to better methods of farming, advancements in health care, better transportation, better communication, a better understanding of genetics, and millions of other discoveries that give us a better standard of living.

But the scientific method, unfortunately, has also given birth to a bit of old-fashioned human pride. Somewhere along the way, we picked up the idea that because we have been able to address so many problems, we no longer need God. We've convinced ourselves that a little rational thought is all we need.

Now, that was particularly true of the 19th century, when a growing spirit of scientific rationality was leading us out of the superstition of the Dark Ages. However, it also led us down a road of prideful unbelief that eventually caused the German philosopher Nietzsche to declare that God was dead.

Obviously, Nietzsche didn't know the same God I know! Could it be, when we find ourselves drawn irresistibly to something beautiful, it's because we are subconsciously recognizing the fingerprints of God? And what does that mean for you?

It means that you have a purpose. Somehow, somewhere, you fit into God's design. You are not an accident. You are not the product of mere chance over billions of years.

And to prove it to yourself, just go outside and take a look, because, as Paul says in Romans, chapter one, the more you look at creation, the more you are going to see God.

From the heart of Nature April, 2009

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Is Man More Unique Than a Chicken or a Monkey?

Do you think man is more unique than a monkey or a chicken? If so, why? We have all heard that our ability to communicate our thoughts is one of the things that make humans unique. On the evolutionary scale of things, language was considered a sophisticated development. Supposedly, chickens and monkeys didn't have any thoughts worth communicating anyway. Now, this view is being challenged by multiple studies of animal communication.

Most of the studies have looked to see if there is any pattern to various species' distress calls. For example, researchers have found Vervet Monkeys are very specific as they warn each other of danger. When the danger is a large monkey-eating creature like a tiger, the danger call is wrr. At this call, all the monkeys in earshot hurry up their trees. If an eagle threatens them, the alarm call is a grunt, causing the monkeys to dive into the underbrush. If the threat is a snake, the alarm call becomes chuttering sounds. This leads the monkeys to stand up and look around the ground for the threat. Researchers were amazed that specific sounds lead to specific actions, depending on the threat.

Other animals, like Ring-Tailed Lemurs, have been found to have their own pattern of communication. And yes, even the lowly chicken has a different warning call, depending on whether the threat is a raccoon on the ground or a hawk in the air!

So it's not our ability to communicate that makes us unique, but the fact that we were created in God's image as a Triune Being with a spirit. This enables us to be redeemed by Christ's blood. That's what makes man unique.

References: Susan Milus, The Science of EEEEEK!, Science News, September 12, 1998

2009 Nature April

And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1Corinthians 15:49

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Nature of a Sick Dog and a Cold Christian

Today 'Cookie' is a sick dog. How do I know? After all, she can't talk to me in human language, but she certainly acts out how she's feeling. Owning a dog is an exercise in observation and symbolism. Everything she does means something.

Going into the dark hole. For the last two weeks Cookie has been acting contrary to her nature. Usually, she's right by my foot, no matter where I am or what I'm doing. But lately she's been seeking out dark solitude. She hides under the piano bench, or in the dark bedroom closet, or pokes her head into any dark, secluded hole she can find. She wants to be alone!

Excessive barking and grouchiness. Usually, 'Cookie' barks only when we're playing, or when she needs to go out. Of course, she barks when someone knocks on the door. But lately, she's been whining and barking when there seems to be no reason. She's turned into one grouchy girl!

Eating less and less. Usually this girl wants to eat everything! But lately she's not interested in eating that which would give her strength. Tomorrow is Vet Day!

'Cookie' is acting much like out-of-fellowship Christians - those who have turned away from the Presence of God. I call them 'cold Christians.' I've been there before, so I recognize the signs.

Going into the dark hole. Cold Christians pull away from Christian fellowship. They isolate themselves and sink deeper into darkness. They have little or no interest in the things of God. They become self-protective and self-indulgent.

Excessive grouchiness and barking. Their personalities become more negative by the day. They complain and accentuate the negative. Gone is the joy of the Lord, and in its place is one disgruntled human being.

Eating less and less. When they were in fellowship, they loved feeding themselves from God's Word. But now they have lost their desire to eat that which would give them spiritual strength. They become weaker and weaker to temptation.

Lord, I do not want to go back to the 'far country' as the Prodigal Son did. I was miserable there. I'm grateful for the 'Hounds of Heaven' who kept after me until I realized where true joy was - only in You!

(c) 2009 Nature Girl of Christian Nature

“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. (Luke 15)

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The Nature of the Olive Leaf

We all know the benefits of olive oil, but have you ever considered the beneficial nature of the olive leaf?

Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. Genesis 8:11

Many plant species undoubtedly became extinct during the Great Flood at the time of Noah. It has been speculated that many of the plants lost forever during the Flood offered better nutrition or medications than many of the plants we know today. This could be why, after the Flood, God allowed the eating of meat for the first time. Meat could make up for the nutrition no longer available in the now extinct plants.

Today, we are extracting some powerful medicines from plants from all over the world. The olive is one plant that may hint at some of the extraordinary abilities that God may have built into some of the extinct plants. We've all heard about the healthy effects of olive oil. But it turns out that the olive leaf, too, provides some very healthy extracts.

One extract, oleuropein, found in all parts of the olive plant, has been shown to delay the formation of poisons formed by mold growing in nut meal. It can also stop the growth of one type of staphylococcus.

Other studies suggest that this extract may relax the smooth muscles of artery walls, temporarily lowering blood pressure. In addition, it may help the heart function better and inhibit the formation of clogging plaques in the blood stream.

Other extracts from the olive leaf have been shown not only to be antioxidants, but also to slow the production of poisons or even destroy certain bacteria.

Such is the nature of the olive leaf. You see how well God provides for us?

References: Optimal Nutrients, Olive Leaf Extract, Foster, CA

2009 Christian Nature

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The Nature of Life - Evolutionary Quandry

Have you ever thought about the nature of life? How did life get started? We all know that the Bible tells us that life got started when God created it. But we have also learned, perhaps in school, or reading the news, that evolutionists believe that life could have started in the distant past all by itself if the conditions were right.

Perhaps you have read that scientists can form amino acids in the laboratory. Besides the fact that amino acids are a long way from life, the amino acids made in the laboratory are the wrong kind for life. The idea that life can form spontaneously under the right conditions places modern evolutionary scientists in a very precarious position.

One assumption of evolutionary scientists is that the early earth had no oxygen. Oxygen destroys amino acids. Yet geologists tell us that oxidation even in the oldest rocks proves that the Earth has always had an oxygen atmosphere.

Besides, if the earth didn't have an oxygen atmosphere when the first amino acids formed, that means there was no ozone, a form of oxygen, to protect those amino acids. Amino acids are quickly destroyed by ultraviolet light from the sun.

So, you see, with or without oxygen, amino acids can't begin to form. The truth is that the Bible offers the only sensible explanation for the origin of life. As the great scientists, Louis Pastuer said, "Life can only come from life," while the Bible tells us that eternal life can only come from the eternal life-giver Jesus Christ.


First published July 1999 Institute for Creation Research The Myth of Chemical Evolution by David Rosevear
Accessed August 7, 2009 by Christian Nature

The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. Psalm 14:1

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The Nature of Babies and Language

Have you ever asked yourself why human beings are able to talk? Where did our ability to learn language come from?

New research suggests that you might want to be careful about what you say around babies. As every parent knows, young children are sponges that easily absorb knowledge from their surroundings. Now, there is research that indicates that by seven months of age, infants have already absorbed the basic rules of language.

In this study, seven month old infants listened to a sequence of syllables in which the third syllable was the same as the first. One that was used was "ga to ga." After listening to different versions of the same pattern, the infants were given a new sequence in which the last two syllables were the same, such as "wo fe fe." Researchers found that babies looked in the direction producing new sequences much longer, showing curiosity and surprise at them. Further study of the infants' responses showed that they were responding to new sounds and not just changes in the pattern of syllables. This study supports the idea that we are born with brain circuits that are, so to speak, pre-wired to learn and use grammar, say researchers.

The question for those who believe that we are the product of chance evolution is: How did we get pre-wired for learning and using grammar if we are the result of chance forces? The answer is, of course, that when God created us, He not only gave us the gift of language, but He gave us brains that are eager to learn language from infancy. Then he gave us His Word of salvation in Jesus Christ, so that He would not lose us.

Prayer: I thank You for the gift of language, dear Father, and the ability to learn it so that I could learn of my Savior.

First published in Science News, January 16, 1999, v. 155, p. 42
Accessed August 6, 2009 by Christian Nature

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