Secret Weapon of Dragon Fish

The fish known as the loose jaw or dragon fish has been found to have some remarkable abilities. At most 10 inches long, this deep-sea fish lives at depths between 1,500 and 4,500 feet. At these depths, the only light that gets through the water is a dim blue light. As a result, sighted creatures that live at those depths can see well in dim blue light, but virtually none of them can see light in the red end of the spectrum. None, that is, but the dragon fish, and that's its secret weapon.

The dragon fish is the only known creature to have chlorophyll in its eyes. This compound gives the dragon fish the ability to see red light in the depths. But why would the dragon fish have these abilities if there is no red light to see? He makes his own red light. This bioluminescent red light is invisible to the dragon fish's prey. But the dragon fish can see its red light reflecting off nearby prey, as a sniper who uses an infrared scope to sight his prey in the dark.

The dragon fish offers a powerful set of arguments in favor of a Creator. Its unique ability to see red where there is no red light cannot be explained by natural selection.

Before it supposedly evolved the ability to see red light, how would it know about red light? And why would it have evolved the ability to create a color of light it could not have known about? The dragon fish's sniper-like ability to find its prey with light invisible to its prey bears powerful witness to a wise and powerful Designer.

References: S. Milus, "Red-flashing fish have chlorophyll eyes," Science News, v.153, June 6, 1998, p.359. Creation Moments 2008

2009 Nature Girl

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life… Genesis 1:20a

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Wonderful World of INSECTS

It is an amazing thing to enter the wonderful world of insects. I have even been encouraged at times by learning more about insects. I know, you are probably thinking, 'Encouraged? I hate insects!' Well, there are some I would rather study from afar, but then there are those who delight, too!

When I was a child and we visited my grandmother in Illinois, my favorite activity (besides eating her scrumptious cookies) was catching fireflies. Also, I remember my mother singing 'Glow little glow worm' when she was in her happy mood. But I don't remember questioning why fireflies glowed until I was an adult. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the tail light was put there by The Creator! And there is a reason for it!

And who doesn't delight in butterflies? The metamorphosis is an amazing process and is so similar to the metamorphosis of a born-again Christian. It is a thrilling parallel! No wonder so many Christians relate to the butterfly!

I remember when I discovered the secret about hummingbirds that only God knows. It was thrilling!

And one day, when I was extremely discouraged, I happened to read the passage in The Bible about ants. It lifted me out of my discouragement enough that I was able to do some actual research and learn about the tenacity of ants. They are truly champions!

I have giggled as I learned the 'waggle dance' of bees (it's truly funny!) - been amazed at the spider with the anointed feet, been scared when bitten by a violin (brown recluse) spider and actually lived to write about it, and I have been amazed to learn there are spiders that survive through thievery!

Imagine how surprised I was to learn that bees actually have a language! I mean they communicate with specificity to each other, like telling where the nectar source is and the quality of it! Now that's truly amazing!

I have learned about proper authority in 'marriage' from wasps, and even relived the movie 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' by learning about the Jewel Wasp! Scary! But even more scary for me was learning that there are people in this world who have cockroaches for pets! I'm serious about this!

I have been distressed to learn that conifers (pines, fir, spruce and cedar trees) put out a poison and there is only one insect who is immune to that poison! Kind of takes the joy out of smelling that Christmas Tree smell for me!

What has amazed me most is that in the wonderful world of insects, there are helpers, dancers, crooks, cagey impostors, murderers, and those who actually praise God. It is not that different from the wonderful world of humans!

(c) 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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Wisdom Gained Through TREES

If one has the heart to learn, God can teach His principals through the most elementary elements of His nature. For example, He has taught me deep spiritual truths and wisdom through my love for trees!

When I was going through a lonely and difficult time, He taught me that during the season of bareness, when the leaves fall from the maple, birch, and liquidambar trees, He is feeding my spiritual roots. It's a fact of nature, and it's also a spiritual truth I learned from watching bare trees.

He taught me that a crooked tree was just like a child who has been broken through childhood abuse. But He also showed me His splendor as the skies were lit up by a profusion of gorgeous jacaranda trees. Nothing could be more spectacular!

When I was a child I fell in love with what I called 'bunny trees'. And as a grandmother, I am still awed by the creativity of the soft, furry pussywillow trees.

I learned how important it is to parent my children wisely through a customer's wrong choice of a ficus tree. The poor ficus dropped all its leaves because it was placed in a hostile environment as an adult tree without years to acclimate. Children really do grow in the way they're trained.

And most of all, I learned that, like a grove of trees, Christians can survive only if they demonstrate God's Love to one another, even if it means alternating between being strong and being vulnerable.

It is a wonderful thing to hear the whispers of God through His creation!

(c) 2009 Nature Girl


Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths… beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl…Psalm 148:7, 10

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The Nature of Fungus and Orchids

Orchid seeds typically cannot begin life without a good fungal infection. The tiny, hard seeds cannot begin to sprout until fungal threads grow into the tiny embryo inside.

This prompts sprouting because the fungus converts the nutrients stored in the seed to a form the embryo needs. Without that conversion, the seed will never sprout. The embryo cannot even absorb the water it needs without the help of the fungus.

By the time they have green leaves, most young orchids are able to make their own food and absorb their own water. When the orchid enters a dormant stage at the end of the growing season, its relationship with the fungus of its birth is forever over. But when the new growing season begins, the dormant orchid must again be infected by a fungus until new roots and stems form and grow new green leaves. Some orchids remain completely dependent on the fungus for nutrients, minerals and water.

The orchid's complete dependency on fungus to sprout or, in some cases, to provide all its nutrients and water, makes it a wonder that there are any orchids at all.

If evolution were true, it is highly unlikely that the first orchid would have evolved where exactly the right fungus was present. A much simpler explanation is that the orchid and the fungus that infects it were intelligently designed by God for this special relationship.

References: Peter Bernhardt, Wily violets & underground orchids, p.219, Creation Moments

2009 Nature Girl

Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people. Psalm 96:3

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What Are The Chances You Evolved?

What do you think the chances are that you evolved? Evolutionists explain that life started from non-living matter in some sort of "primeval soup." Over the years, they have presented several scenarios of how this might have happened. They have suggested isolated ponds, pools of water on the sides of volcanoes, and in the oceans. Let's consider the general mathematical principles involved in any of these scenarios.

In science, the person who proposes a theory is supposed to present the evidence for that theory. Yet, for the incredible claim that life sprang into being out of non living materials, no evidence is offered.

Just how incredible are evolution's claims about the origin of life? Given the conditions evolutionists claim existed at the origin of life, the chance of evolving the simple, common, iso 1 cytochrome "c" protein is one chance out of one followed by 75 zeros.

But that's not a living, reproducing thing. Given the same conditions, the chance of getting a DNA molecule with the ability to reproduce is 100 billion, billion to one. The chance of getting a minimal cell works out to one chance out of a 1 followed by 4,478,296 zeros!

Rigorous examination of evolution's claims about the origin of life shows that every evolutionary claim about how life started is just as fanciful. As every believer has testified, God is the source of all life, including yours and mine. It has always been so and will always be so.

References: Joseph Mastropaolo, "Evolution Is Biologically Impossible," Impact #137, November 1999. Creation Moments

2009 Nature Girl

Thou hast granted me life and favor, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. Job 10:12

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The Nature of Loggerhead Magnetic Turtles

When it comes to sailing the seas, the compass is one of man's greatest inventions. That's why researchers were surprised to discover that some bacteria have tiny, built in compasses. But these compasses are simple affairs based on tiny bits of iron within the bacteria.

Now it has been discovered that loggerhead turtles not only have a built in compass, but also use it to pinpoint their location.

Depending on position, the Earth's magnetic field encounters the Earth's surface at differing angles. Using very sophisticated equipment, we can measure these angles and determine longitude and latitude. Young loggerhead turtles must stay within the ocean current system that surrounds the Sargasso Sea in the center of the Atlantic. When they get so far north in this current system that they might leave it, they turn south and return to a more central location within the system. When they get too far south, they turn north.

To see if the turtles could actually sense their location based on magnetic fields, researchers tested loggerheads in tanks surrounded by electric coils. When they simulated magnetic conditions on the northern end of the turtles' boundary, the turtles swam south. When they simulated magnetic conditions at the southern boundary, the turtles swam north.

If the loggerheads' navigation system evolved slowly over millions of years, it would have been of no survival value to the turtles until it was complete. Since the turtles would have a very low survival rate without it, their navigation system bears witness to the all wise, powerful Creator Who made all things.

References: Jonathan Sarfati, "Turtles – reading magnetic maps," Creation 21, March-May 1999, p.30.

2009 Nature Girl

Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
"Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?

Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer me.

"Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand.

Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it? Job 38:1-5

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New Mexico Chaco Canyon - Anasazi

What do we really know about human history? Much of ancient history was recorded by scribes who worked for the king. Their job was not necessarily to record history as it took place, but to make the king look good. Much of the West's history has, for over a century, viewed man as traveling from a primitive state to a much more sophisticated and technological state. But actual history challenges this view.

Take, for example, the Anasazi Indians, whose center of civilization seems to have been in the Chaco Canyon area of New Mexico - my home state! They are thought to have flourished about 1,000 years ago, and they built hundreds of miles of roads leading from all directions to the canyon. The roads are straight and always about 27 feet wide. The so-called North Road runs straight north for over 30 miles.

But even more impressive are the nine Great Houses they built. One was at least five stories tall, covered three acres, and had 650 rooms! These houses were built of millions of cut sandstone blocks. The floors of the Great Houses required the Anasazis to haul 215,000 trees – averaging almost 9 inches in diameter and weighing 600 pounds – 50 miles from the forested mountains! Yet, this sophisticated, hard working civilization has disappeared without a trace.

Our knowledge of man's early history is not as complete as we are often led to believe. I trust the history presented in God's Holy Word, though!

References: "The Chaco Canyon Road System," Archaeoastronomy, 4:50, October/December. 1981.

2009 New Mexico Nature Girl

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

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A One-Cell Computer?

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure?
Isaiah 40:12a

Scientists are recognizing the similarities between the workings of the DNA code and computer science. DNA is, after all, a complex information storage system. But comparing DNA as an information storage system to our largest and fastest computers is like comparing the Space Shuttle with a bow and arrow.

Harvard biologists have been amazed at what they have learned about the DNA workings of a single celled protozoan. Its DNA routinely solves mathematical problems that only a very advanced modern computer can handle.

All of us have seen the complex problem of the traveling salesman. He has seven points of departure and seven destinations. The problem is to work out the most efficient route for him to follow. By comparison, the protozoan under study solves the equivalent problem with up to 50 points of departure and 50 destinations.

This little protozoan has two nuclei, with each nucleus arranging the same DNA differently. The smaller nucleus stores only the DNA needed to live in small units and must be reassembled before they do anything. This means it may discard up to 95 percent of the DNA, similar to compressed computer information. When the protozoan needs to reassemble its DNA, each end of each unit needs to find the proper end of the only other unit it attaches to.

This is not "simple" life. Even scientists now recognize that this one celled creature is a complex computer. And this bears witness to God, Who is the author of life, mathematics and all knowledge.

References: Kathy Sawyer, "Biological Software," Princeton Alumni Weekly, June 10, 1998, p.7.
Creation Moments 2009

2009 Nature Girl

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Global Warming - A Faulty Premise

Global warming is a fact of life. Not a fact in a scientific sense. Far from it. But a fact in that it is an issue—an issue that will shape public policy, international relations, and the economies of the world for decades to come.

An eye-opening documentary called Not Evil, Just Wrong: The True Cost of Global Warming Hysteria is being released this week by the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation - an outfit I endorse.

I dare say the film will be controversial because it tackles head on the sacred cows of the man-made global warming crowd.

The film points out that the British High Court ruled in a lawsuit that Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, “is scientifically flawed and has nine significant exaggerations and factual errors.” Among those exaggerations are the claims that sea levels could rise 20 feet by the end of the century, and that polar bears are disappearing because of global warming (in fact, they are not).

Not Evil, Just Wrong also presents a number of scientists and a founding member of the radical environmental organization Greenpeace, who are unafraid to challenge the chief scientific claims behind global warming.

For example, the arctic ice is not disappearing. In fact, in the last two years, it has expanded. (Bet you haven’t heard that in the media.) Another widely publicized claim is that 1998 and 2006 were the warmest years in the history of the U.S. Again, not true. 1934 was. In fact, as Professor Richard Lindzen of MIT says, “warming has not been increasing and has not even been present for 13 years.”

The film also interviews the scientists who have discredited the famous “hockey stick” graph, which has been used by global warming alarmists. The “hockey stick” graph purports to show that for the last thousand years, global temperatures were flat, and then, in the 20th century, they shot up—like the blade of a hockey stick.

That would be interesting and significant if the data had been analyzed and graphed properly. But, as the film shows, that is not the case.

The film drives home the fact that the earth’s climate has always been in flux. That’s why 1,000 years ago, for example, during the medieval warm period, parts of Greenland were literally that—green! Vikings could settle and herd there successfully. Northern England could grow wine grapes. But there’s a reason why today you can’t find a fine Yorkshire wine. Today’s climate is too cold.

So why should we care about all the global warming hubbub? If the so-called “solutions” to global warming being bandied about by the U.N. and Congress are put into effect, they could severely damage the U.S. economy and absolutely devastate the economies of the world’s poorest nations—potentially endangering the lives and livelihoods of millions. All in response to a faulty premise.

Now that is a truly alarming claim. But I believe the film—half of which is devoted to the human and economic consequences of buying into global warming—makes the case persuasively.




And as for Al Gore, 'Beware of prophets making profits.'

2009 Nature Girl

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Komodo Dragon - The Lizard with the Secrets

The Komodo Dragon - yes, there really is such a creature - is one of God's amazing creations! They prove the vast variety in God's creation! This huge species of lizard happens to be the largest living lizard on earth. And it has some fabulous secrets I will bet you do not know.

Numerous television programs have been made about the Komodo dragon, and the creatures are even going on display at some zoos.

Reaching up to 400 pounds, they can even outrun a man. And they eat anything that they find, dead or alive. Even a simple bite from a dragon will prove fatal within 72 hours unless you get immediate treatment. That's because its saliva contains 52 different deadly strains of bacteria that will produce blood poisoning.

Its jagged, inch-long teeth make a tearing wound that ensures that plenty of poison will be delivered to your system. Even if you were bitten and escape, the Komodo dragon will be able to smell you from two miles away when its poison takes effect. (Amazing!)

These facts may lead some to ask not only why God made such a creature, but why He has preserved them to this day.

Besides demonstrating variety in God's creation, the Komodo dragon may eventually save more lives than it has ever taken. When the dragon eats, its teeth tear its own gums, exposing its blood to those toxic bacteria. But the dragon never gets infected. Scientists have learned why.

They have identified a protein molecule in its bloodstream that kills all those toxic bacteria in its saliva. That protein is now being tested on mice. It could well be that the Komodo dragon has shown us the path to a super antibiotic that could treat the blood poisoning that kills hundreds of thousands of people every year. If so, this creature will again glorify God by giving us an important medical advance.

Isn't it wonderful that God graciously placed secrets in so many creatures that can help us in this life?

References: Brian Eads, Last Stand of the Komodo Dragon, Reader's Digest, August 1999, p.80.

2009 Nature Girl

Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all the depths… beasts and all cattle; creeping things and flying fowl…Psalm 148:7, 10

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How To Infect Bacteria?

You probably have not wondered how you could infect bacteria, right? Well, good thing because you cannot do it! There is only One who can do that!


In Darwin's day, everyone thought that single celled microbes were simply bags filled with some kind of jelly. Today, of course, we know that even a single celled creature is a complex living system that contains miniaturized organs to carry on all the business of life. A new discovery now shows us that some viruses are even more elegantly complex than we thought.

Viruses that infect bacteria, called bacteriophages, inject their DNA into bacterial cells with something that looks like a syringe. Some bacteriophages have been found to have a unique outer shell.

Bacteriophages form their outer shells, called capsids, [click and see picture] by making hundreds of copies of the same protein. This is not a simple process.

A bacteriophage known as HK97 goes through a multi-step process in which it assembles five or six proteins into a ring. These are then interlocked, like chain mail, resulting in an outer shell that, like a gemstone, has 72 faces. This structure results in a strong outer armor. But it requires that the protein be folded and assembled and then changed into this interlocking pattern.

Hard to understand? Here's a very short video that may clarify the process. It is an animation of a T4 Bacteriophage (virus) infecting a bacteria. It recognizes the bacteria, then inserts viral DNA.




As one scientist put it, "People don't know how to make proteins, let alone fold, assemble, and then transform them into something like this."

Contrary to what Darwin's followers still believe, there is no simple form of life. That's because there is a Creator and He created a very complex form of life.

References: "Protein Chain mail offers armor for viruses," Science News, v.154, July 18, 1998, p.38.

2009 Nature Girl



Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Ephesians 6:11

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Will the Mammoth Walk the Earth Again?

Will the giant mammoth walk the earth again? At one time, herds of these giant creatures, which stand 10 to 12 feet tall at the shoulder, covered North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

In late 1999, Russian and American scientists excavated a buried, frozen mammoth in Northern Siberia. Once excavated, the mammoth was airlifted, using Russia's largest helicopter, to Siberian ice caves that were fashioned into a laboratory. There the frozen mammoth was studied to see if either sperm or DNA could be extracted from it.

This is not as fantastic as it sounds. A mammoth calf that was found in 1977 was found to have intact red blood cells.

In 1978, DNA was first extracted from another mammoth. Researchers hope that they can extract intact sperm from the male they are studying and use it to fertilize an elephant's egg. The result would be half mammoth and half elephant.

If scientists can extract intact DNA, another possibility opens up. The DNA can be inserted in an emptied elephant egg and the egg induced to divide. The result of this procedure would be pure mammoth of the Mammuthus species, one of six or seven known species.

Scientists are able to use elephants in this work because there is only a five percent genetic difference between the two creatures.

If mammoths again walk among us, these huge creatures will glorify the God Who originally created them. They will add to the diversity of life we see around us that glorifies God's power and creativity.

An interesting book on this subject is Frozen in Time: The Woolly Mammoth, the Ice Age, and the Bible by Michael J. Oard.

References: Barb Williamson, Agenbroad heads for Siberian woolly mammoth, September 20, 1999.

2009 Nature Girl

I know all the birds of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine. Psalm 50:11

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Earth Warming? Where Are The Thermometers?

As Congress considers outrageously expensive cap-and-trade energy legislation, Stuart Shepard suggests we take a look at the thermometers used to determine the average temperature for the planet. You might be surprised where some of them are located.







To learn more, visit Focus on the Family's environment page. To see more examples of where those thermometers are located, you can also visit Anthony Watts' Web site.

Statements from a few of the more than 700 international scientists dissenting from man-made climate fears:

“I am a skeptic…Global warming has become a new religion.” - Nobel Prize Winner for Physics, Ivar Giaever.

Warming fears are the “worst scientific scandal in the history…When people come to know what the truth is, they will feel deceived by science and scientists.” - UN IPCC Japanese Scientist Dr. Kiminori Itoh, an award-winning PhD environmental physical chemist.

“So far, real measurements give no ground for concern about a catastrophic future warming.” - Scientist Dr. Jarl R. Ahlbeck, a chemical engineer at Abo Akademi University in Finland, author of 200 scientific publications and former Greenpeace member.

“Anyone who claims that the debate is over and the conclusions are firm has a fundamentally unscientific approach to one of the most momentous issues of our time.” - Solar physicist Dr. Pal Brekke, senior advisor to the Norwegian Space Centre in Oslo. Brekke has published more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific articles on the sun and solar interaction with the Earth.

Read the entire 255-page U.S. Senate Minority Report on Global Warming.

2009 Nature Girl

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Panda in Evolutionary Cul-de-Sac?

Five years ago, I told my listeners about the relationship between people and the giant panda. I pointed out an unfortunate truth about this star of zoos and fundraising campaigns: Almost everything it does seems designed to ensure its extinction.

People didn’t like hearing discouraging words about this bamboo-munching icon of the wild then, and they don’t like hearing it now—but at least I’ve got some company.

That company is Chris Packham, a British naturalist and nature-show host. In an interview, Packham said that it was time to “pull the plug” on the panda and “let them go with a degree of dignity.” He said that the panda “of its own accord, has gone down an evolutionary cul-de-sac.”

That “cul-de-sac” includes a diet comprised almost entirely of bamboo, a substance that both lacking in nutrients and difficult for the panda’s carnivorous digestive system to process. It includes difficulty in mating, tiny infants, and mothers whose maternal instincts include rolling over onto their newborns and suffocating them—that is, when they aren’t neglecting them.

This “cul-de-sac” is why Packham thinks that the resources devoted to saving pandas should be re-directed to saving “less glamorous species—bugs, bats, rodents and plants—and to whole habitats.”

It isn’t only pandas that Packham is prepared to “pull the plug” on. He has said much the same thing about tigers, condors, and even whales, which he calls “big blubbery things.” He thinks that conservationists need to be more “pragmatic and less emotional.” As he put it, “I would eat the last panda if I could have all the money we have spent on panda conservation put back on the table.”

Not surprisingly, Packham’s fellow conservations disagree. Mark Wright of the World Wildlife Fund, whose logo features a panda, called Packham’s comments “daft.”

If by daft, Wright means stupid or insane, I disagree. Packham’s comments make perfect sense if you’re coming from both a utilitarian and Darwinian perspective. For the price of postponing what may be the inevitable for 1,500 pandas and a few thousand tigers, we can save far more numerous species and entire habitats.

In any case, why should a dominant species like man care about one that is struggling to survive—especially one it doesn’t require for its own survival? Natural selection is indifferent to the plight of the panda, no matter how cute it is.

Well, we do care because man is not merely another animal and he is capable of more than simple utilitarian calculations. Man, created in the image of God, can transcend self-interest and make sacrifices for the sake of struggling fellow-creatures, whether those creatures walk on two legs or four. His altruism has a divine, not a material, source.

Man can also teach his fellow man that he is a steward, and not merely an exploiter, of the rest of creation. His self-understanding is moral and spiritual, not just biological.

That’s why we won’t “pull the plug” on the panda. The only thing daft about that is forgetting the real reason we won’t pull the plug.

This editorial first appeared on BreakPoint.org by Chuck Colson

"Giant Pandas Should Be Allowed to Die Out" (Chris Packham) referenced

2009 Nature Girl

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Phoenician Coin Surprises Experts

Normally, it would not be unusual to find a stone with engraving on it in South America. But a stone found in 1872 in Brazil is unusual, since Aztec, Mayan and Incan civilizations never lived in that region. Besides, the engraving on the stone was in Phoenician.

Its discoverer, who did not know Phoenician, sent it to authorities who gave it to the head of the national museum. He recognized the ancient language and translated it. It reads, "We are the Sons of Canaan from Sidon, the city of the King. Commerce has cast us on this distant shore, a land of mountains."

Could 7th century B.C. Phoenicians have sailed as far as South America in search of commerce? In the ancient world, Phoenicians were known as the greatest commercial sailors of their day. But there is a modern bias against seeing ancient peoples as being as smart and resourceful as we are today, so the inscription has generally been considered a hoax.

Then, in the 1960s, the original rubbing made of the inscription turned up at a scholarly auction in the United States. A modern expert on ancient languages studied the rubbing and concluded that the inscription must be authentic. It contains quirks of the Phoenician language that were unknown even to scholars in the 19th century.

While we today may know more facts, the ancients were no less intelligent and resourceful than we are today. That's consistent with the Bible's picture of man as God's highest visible creation, rather than evolution's gradually improving creature.

References: Archeology, "Before Columbus or the Vikings," Science, May 1968.

2009 Nature Girl

And king Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom. I Kings 9:26

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The Nature of Racism

I have been thinking of the nature of race and how I was raised. We lived in New Mexico where Mexicans outnumbered 'Anglos' 5-1, so I was always a minority. But we visited the South where racism was dominant. I remember being shocked at how much animosity there was between blacks and whites. I had never known racism my entire 18 years until then. The worst thing one could do was marry someone 'out side of their own race.'

Does God approve of inter-racial marriage? To answer this question, we must look at the nature of race. The Bible teaches that we are all descended from the man Adam. Scripture also states we are all of one blood; Scripture never even uses the idea of race.

The descendants of Ham, who were cursed, were the Canaanites. Yet, when Rahab, a Canaanite, came to faith in the true God, she not only was welcomed to marry a believer, but God included her in the line leading to Christ.

The idea of different races, as distinct from different religions, was not much of an issue until 1859 when Charles Darwin published his famous book, On the Origin of Species.

Darwin was a product of Victorian times and extremely racist in his views, always referring to colored peoples as "savages." Among the book's purported scientific claims for evolution was the claim that there are different races because some groups are more evolved than others.

As this idea became accepted both in and out of the Church, racism became institutionalized. Today we know that typically the genetic differences between you and anyone else is only 0.2 percent.

Scientifically, there is only one human race, as Scripture clearly teaches. The Church can only combat racism by proclaiming the truth that all people on Earth are one flesh, descended from one, real Adam, whose blood we share.

It can also proclaim the Gospel that all believers are spiritual descendants of the Second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who has redeemed us and made us new creatures.

2009 Nature Girl

And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth...Acts 17:26a

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Spiders That Survive Through Thievery

You definitely don't want a spider for a BFF! You just can't trust those spiders! Turn your back and your bed will be stolen! There are thieving spiders in the world, so beware!

Out of more than 30,000 species of spiders, there are three species that make their living through thievery. Several years ago that number was raised from two with the discovery of a tiny, thieving species on the island of Taiwan. The other two species live in South America and are known to steal only silk from the webs of other spiders.

This strange little spider from Taiwan steals much more than just silk and is described as looking like a tiny drop of mercury with legs attached. It preys on the webs of giant wood spiders, whose webs can be more than three feet across.

Many spiders eat their own webs for the purpose of recycling the silk to repair a tattered web. But this newly discovered little thief eats the webs of the giant wood spider.

Researchers say that these little spiders can, on the average, make a wood spider's web 21 percent smaller. They have also been seen stealing small insects from the wood spiders' web as well as wood spider eggs. They are able to do this because they are small and rather sneaky. They do spin their own webs when they are ready to lay eggs, and they also spin their own silk to cover their eggs. Well, at least they do that!

While it is wrong for us to steal, theft is apparently the way God has chosen to feed these spiders in a fallen world. That our world is corrupted by our own sin should remind us that God is our ultimate provider. He has even prepared forgiveness and eternal life for us through the holy life and innocent suffering and death of His own Son, Jesus Christ.


References: S. Milius, New spider: Unusual suspect steals web, Science News, v.154, p.53. More than 30,000 species, "Spiders" Grolier, 1995, Multimedia Encyclopedia.

2009 Nature Girl

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

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The Nature of the Basilisk Lizard aka 'Jesus Christ Lizard'

I have always been convinced that God made many phenomena that mirror facets of Himself. Or maybe of miracles that He performed. This lizard is one of those phenomenon. He walks on water just as Jesus did in Matthew 14:25.

Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.

Really! That's why he's often called the "Jesus Christ Lizard". (I knew there had to be a reason why I've always loved lizards!)



He is a basilisk lizard, and he is yet another tribute to God's unlimited creativity, knowledge and power. Basilisk are found from Mexico to Ecuador and are equally at home in the trees, on the ground and in or on the water.

He is an excellent climber and can outrun any enemy on the ground. Since its back legs are proportionately longer than its front legs, when it needs extra speed, it can run just on its back legs. It runs so fast that it can run across the surface of a body of water that's up to 100 feet wide. That's impressive for a creature that can reach two feet in length!

Skin flaps on both sides of its back toes, as well as scale fringes on the toes, help the basilisk to stay on the surface. Should the basilisk run into danger while crossing the water, it sinks beneath the surface and either swims or runs along the bottom in a different direction. The lizard is able to stay underwater for several hours.

While the basilisk's method of walking on water is different from our Lord's, its abilities come from the same God.

This lizard shows the wisdom and power of God to do things that seem impossible to us, including giving forgiveness of sins and eternal life to us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

2009 Nature Girl

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Do I Trust God To Prune Me, as I Prune My Trees?

I was thinking about pruning this week - both horticultural and spiritual. Do I trust God to prune me as much as I trust myself to prune my trees? That's a heavy question! Let's talk about horticultural pruning, first.

It is important to know what you're doing before you even think of beginning the pruning of a tree. Why is pruning important?

The goal in training young trees is to establish a strong trunk with sturdy, well-spaced, balanced main branches.
For this reason, it is important to start on a tree when it is young! If you have two dominant stems, it is vital to pick one of them to prune. We can't have competing main stems! That's like a person with two personalities!

Next, you should have a vision before you pick up the saw and pruners. What will the function of this tree be in a few years?

Will it be used to be a wind break? Then the branches will need to be low.

Will it be used in an area where people will be walking under it? Then the clearance will need to be about 8 feet tall.

Will it be a 'street tree'? Then the clearance will need to be 16 feet or more.

Think of yourself as a visionary and designer. And then prune accordingly! Whatever you do to your tree now will radically change the function and appearance of that tree later!

The trunk must have branches that are well-spaced along the trunk. Remember: the trunk is the most important part of the tree and everything must be proportioned (and relative to) the trunk.

When a newly planted tree is pruned, it is almost always 'corrective' pruning. Everything must be removed that would prevent that young tree from reaching its ultimate purpose and beauty. If it's a fruit tree, pruning will result in more fruit.

Now, a newly planted tree will develop roots much faster if there is no pruning involved.

If I apply that last statement - A newly planted tree will develop roots much faster if there is NO pruning involved - to a human being, it can be rather scary.

The saying is, Give us a child until he's six years old and we'll have him for life. That's the reason for corrective pruning of trees and human beings!

I can't tell you how many people - most of them were women - grieve the pruning process of their cute little fluffy trees! I mean, the trees look totally different after their first 'haircut'! Actually, they look sad and bare. But, remember, we're pruning now so they will be majestic later.

We must always be in the forward-thinking mode.

It's very similar to how our own Creator is with us. God told Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." Jeremiah 1:5

Now that's forward-thinking! The Great Designer, Himself, knows each one of us before He forms us in our own mothers' wombs. He has a plan for each of us, and He administers pruning that will produce the person He wants each of us to be. Some of the pruning is 'corrective' and, believe me, HE knows what He's doing!

Being pruned even today? That's not unusual. Even man, in his finite knowledge, knows trees must be pruned all of their lives. As they age, the types of pruning change, but always produces a specific goal.

Do you trust God to prune YOU?


USDA Forest Service has some great helps for pruning trees

University of Minnesota, Pruning Trees and Shrubs, also great helps

The animation at the Arbor Day Organization is extremely helpful and entertaining.

The Horticulture Dept at NC State University has an excellent lesson plus graphics on pruning your new trees.

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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Golden Retriever Lessons From 'Shadowland'

I love my dog. His name is Shadow, and he's a beautiful Golden Retriever/Collie mix. My kids named him after the gentle Golden Retriever from the Homeward Bound movies from a few years back -- and for good reason. He is just like him. He has the perfect temperament for children. He's playful when they're playful, and he becomes totally mellow when it's time to settle down.

I always let Shadow out first thing in the morning into a section of our yard that I built just for him. We lovingly refer to this area as "Shadowland." He usually runs right out the door and into the yard. But on one particular morning, just as he was about to dart out into the yard, he stiffened like and board and for a split second the hair on his back raised straight up. I was puzzled by his actions and I looked out to see what was going on, just in time to observe a family of ducks waddling through the yard.

Shadow is a Retriever, so his nature is to pursue these hapless creatures and bring them home for dinner. I looked down at Shadow and noticed that he had relaxed slightly. He looked back at me with those sad Golden Retriever eyes, as if to say, "Everything in me wants to go after those ducks, Dad. But I know that would displease you, so I'm not going to do it."

I was filled with so much love for Shadow at that moment. I got down on one knee, hugged his neck and said, "Shadow, you are the best dog in the world."

Once the ducks were safely out of the yard I let Shadow out into the yard and began getting ready for my day. But throughout the next hours that moment kept playing again and again in my mind.

You see, Shadow wasn't always so obedient. We live on a busy street and I won't allow the dog to go out in front of the house. When I work on the front yard, I often leave the garage door open and Shadow wanders out to watch. He knows he is not allowed in the front yard and so he sits at the edge of the garage with his paws right on the line where the concrete driveway meets the house. He knows what his boundaries are, and he usually obeys -- that is, until that one fateful day.

I was out working in the front garden and Shadow was at his perch in the garage. Suddenly a rabbit dashed out from between the houses and ran into the busy street. Instinct took over and Shadow was after him like a flash. Out of the corner of my eye I watched Shadow cross the line of safety, running headlong into the path of danger. In a split second I sprang up, spun around and yelled at the top of my lungs, "Shadow, no, no, no!"

Shadow knows his father's voice and before he could reach the street he stopped cold and crouched down in a humble position, looking back at me. I was relieved, but I still rushed over to grab him by the collar -- I knew that his hunting instincts might yet overcome his obedience to me. Once he was firmly in hand I chastised him again, leading him back into the house. After a stern warning I leaned over and hugged my dog, thanking God for protecting him from himself.

As a child I had lost two dogs that were dear to me. One had run away, and the other had been hit by a car. I remember the pain I felt then and I was glad that my kids would not experience that same anguish on that day.

After that day Shadow never darted out into the front yard again. But when those ducks waddled past our door I know that it took every fiber of love and respect that Shadow had for me to keep him from enjoying the hunt and the kill.

We humans are a lot like Shadow in that way, aren't we. In our fallen nature we have desires that seem almost overwhelming. These passions may be different from one person to another, but we all have them. Some people have the urge for wealth and power, others are motivated by the desire to be accepted and loved, others just want security and peace. If we're not watchful, these desperate urges can manifest themselves in destructive behavior that the Bible describes as sin -- sexual sin, drug and alcohol addiction, gambling, verbal or physical abuse, greed, violence, murder, rape, envy, lying, stealing, cheating -- the list goes on and on.

Over the years I have lovingly cared for Shadow. I have taught him to obey the rules that I set for him -- rules that I establish for his protection, because I love him, not to keep him from having fun.

Now if Shadow grew up in the wild, he would never have had the input of a loving father, and he would be subject to the dangers of this world. He would be ruled by his instincts -- and those instincts would have mastery over him. Had he been a wild dog chasing that rabbit, he very well may have followed it out into that busy street, and the very urge that drove him could have brought about his destruction.

Does any of this sound familiar?

The Bible tells us that we humans are fallen beings who are ruled by our sinful nature. In the book of Romans the Apostle Paul details our wretched condition apart from God's mercy:

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God's law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? (Romans 7:21-24).

Sounds a bit like Shadow, doesn't it? In our sinful condition this is our tragic lot. But as Paul writes, "The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." The first couple of verses of the next chapter in Romans gives us the key to freedom from this slavery to sin.

Now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death (Romans 8:1-2).

When you yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life -- when you recognize that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross to pay for the sins of every person who ever lived -- when you accept Him as your Savior, the grace and power of His shed blood brings freedom to your life like you can't even imagine.

Those worldly things that seemed so fun and important suddenly lose their luster. The sinful things that once brought such pleasure seem empty and meaningless. The habits that held you in bondage are weakened and in time completely broken by God's grace.

And most wonderful of all, you learn that you are a child of your Heavenly Father. You discover that He speaks to you, He guides you, He instructs you by His Holy Spirit -- and like a good earthly father, He disciplines you because He loves you.

When I disciplined Shadow that day it was because I love Him and I could see what he could not -- that obeying his instincts could lead to death, but obeying my instructions would lead to life. Over time Shadow has learned to trust me. He has learned that I am a loving father who is interested in his good. That day when the ducks waddled by he demonstrated his trust and love for me by resisting his instincts and looking instead to his loving father.

The Bible says that God sets the choice before us. Will we obey our sinful instincts, or will we submit to the direction of our loving Heavenly Father? We can chose life or death. The reality is that no matter what we choose we are a slave to something or someone -- either a slave to sin, or a slave to God.

The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). If you submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ you are a slave who is given complete Liberty. If you stay in your sin, however, your slavery will ultimately lead to your death -- physically here on earth, and spiritually in eternity.

You can trust God to free you from your sin and to give you a victorious life in Him. You don't have to be ruled by your instincts. When temptation arises you can look to your Heavenly Father and know that His way is the best way.

It's not always easy, and sometime our instincts get the best of us -- just like Shadow's. But it is also comforting to know that when we blow it our Father is always there to forgive us, to instruct us and to bring us back to a place of love and safety.

(c) Craig von Buseck. Used with permission. This article was first published on CBN.com by the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Craig von Buseck is Ministries Director at CBN.com and editor of the ChurchWatch Blog (http://blogs.cbn.com/ChurchWatch/Default.aspx). Learn more about Craig at his archive on CBN.com (http://www.cbn.com/about/bios/craigvonbuseck.aspx).

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Science - The Discovery of God's Order

An interesting study reveals where true knowledge comes from. Not hearsay, assumptions, or opinions. True knowledge.

Americans lead the industrialized world in belief in creationism and a literal Bible. A study by a University of Cincinnati researcher compares American's belief in a recent creation and the truth of the Bible with beliefs in other countries.

The study found that 45 percent of Americans believe that God created the world less than 10,000 years ago.

Another 40 percent try to mix God and evolution.

Only ten percent believe in atheistic evolution.

In comparison, only 7 percent of the citizens of Great Britain take the Genesis account of creation literally. Surveys of people in Norway, Russia and the Netherlands produced results similar to Great Britain.

Interestingly 5 percent of the physical scientists polled in the United States believe the account of creation as taught in the Bible.

The study concluded that America is losing its scientific competitiveness because so many Americans believe in creation and the truth of the Bible. But scientific progress has come about because, historically, scientists believed that we live in an ordered creation that follows the rules imposed on it by a Creator. They saw science as the discovery of God's order.

Isaac Newton wrote more Bible commentaries than he did scientific books. Taking the Bible literally, he concluded that the Earth was less than 7,000 years old. Other examples from history could be multiplied.

But the lesson of human history is that true scientific progress is possible only when man recognizes that all knowledge and wisdom comes from our Creator God though the Scriptures He has given us.

Dear Father, help me never to be deceived by man's false wisdom. Help me to rejoice in the knowledge only You can give.

References: Americans for Creationism, The Christian News, December 21, 1998, p.18.

2009 Nature Girl

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 1 Corinthians 1:25

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Nature Video - Then Sings My Soul!

There are times when everything seems to be going wrong and you don't see how you will be victorious. Those are the times when your eyes - your spiritual eyes - must be on Jesus and what He has provided for you.

Also, those are the times when getting out of the house and into God's nature will feed your soul.

Those are the times when your soul will sing.

Maybe there are those out there in cyberland - maybe even you - who are at this point right now. It is for you that I post this nature video. My prayer is that it will encourage you as it has encouraged me today.




God bless you out of your discouragement! Remember: He wants your soul and spirit to sing of His greatness!

2009 Nature Girl

"Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise you the Lord"
(Psalm 150:6).

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The Parrot Says It Loud and Clear

According to evolution theory, birds should not have been around at the time of the dinosaurs. This is especially true of the parrot, which is supposed, by those who believe in evolution, to be a more highly evolved bird.

A fossilized parrot's beak was dug up 40 years ago but ignored.

It was recently rediscovered at the University of California, Berkeley, by a graduate student. The problem for evolutionists is that they date the rock in which the beak was found as coming from the Cretaceous period when, they say, the dinosaurs lived and birds had not yet evolved.

X ray study of the fossilized beak shows that the beak has the same blood vessel and nerve channels as a modern parrot. But it is not just one parrot's beak that has been found in rocks from the age of dinosaurs. Loons, frigate birds and other shore bird fossils have also been found in rock that was supposedly laid down during the time of the dinosaurs!

Fossils are remains of living things rapidly buried, we believe, at the time of the Genesis Flood. However, it is perhaps not too surprising that bird fossils and dinosaur fossils are generally not found together; indeed, bird fossils in any part of the Earth's strata are extremely rare.

This is because while dinosaur bones are very robust, bird bones and beaks are extremely fragile and would not have survived the turmoil of the Genesis Flood. The very few that have been fossilized tell us of very rapid and deep burial that would be expected during the Biblical Flood.

Seems, to me, that The Bible is pretty clear about all things.

2009 Nature Girl

So He destroyed all living things which were on the face of the ground: both man and cattle, creeping thing and bird of the air. Genesis 7:23a

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Plants and Aspirin

A few years ago we aired a "Creation Moments" program about how plants seem to have pain and alarm responses similar to humans and animals. Of course, we don't know if plants have feelings as we know them. But when a plant is injured, it produces a chemical called jasmonic acid. This acid produces a vapor, similar to the jasmine in commercial perfumes, that is sensed by surrounding plants. They, in turn respond to the signal.

When humans feel pain it is due to chemicals totally unrelated to jasmonic acids. As we all know, aspirin is important to pain management for many people. Aspirin works by disabling the chemicals that cause our pain.

Now scientists have discovered that aspirin also works to shut down a plant's response to injury. Aspirin shuts off the plant's production of jasmonic acid, even though jasmonic acid is not at all similar to human pain-causing chemicals.

More amazingly, aspirin's chemical reaction is of the same kind in plants and humans. So the next time you accidentally injure your favorite house plant, it might appreciate a small dose of aspirin!

Also, if someone sends you cut flowers, one aspirin in the water will help them stay fresh much longer!

Isn't aspirin amazing?

References: S.M., Aspirin works on plants, too, Science News, v.154

2009 Nature Girl

He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

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