Maximum Nature Lover

I have met many people who have a passion for nature; but none can compare to the woman who set the record for the fastest hike of the ENTIRE Appalachian Trail. Jennifer Pharr Davis enjoyed every minute of the 2,180-mile trek from Maine to Georgia!

She saw 36 bears, moose, porcupines and just about every sunrise and sunset during her journey, which lasted exactly 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes since she left Mount Katahdin in Maine on June 16.

"Fastest is so relative," Davis said Tuesday after estimating she had slept about 30 of the past 48 hours. "My average was 3 mph. So what are you not going to see at 3 mph?"

She emerged from the woods Sunday with her husband by her side and walked to the granite slab on Springer Mountain in Georgia at the trail's southern end. There cheering for her were her parents and dozens of other family members and friends.

Since she carried less gear, her hike was quieter, allowing her to see more animals and to get more in sync with nature.

Davis also provided the boost she needed when she was ready to quit during the first days of the trip in Vermont after being chilled by a sleet storm in the White Mountains. He pointed out she was ahead of the record and would feel even worse if she quit.

"There's no way I could have done it without him," Davis said. "Not just the physical, logistical support, but his emotional support."

The Appalachian Trail winds its way through 14 states and gets close to 3 million visitors a year. About 1,500 of those people try to hike the entire trail in one trip, and about a quarter of them make it all the way, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

For many of the "thru hikers," the trail turns into a communal experience. But Davis' pace kept her chances at making new friends to a minimum. An average day had her up by 5 a.m. and asleep around 10 p.m. "I said good morning and good night to the sun every single day on the trail," she said.

But the solitude always made her appreciate nature's boundless beauty.

Here's Kristy Watts interviewing Jennifer

Now here is a woman who truly loves the Creation of God! Congratulations, Jennifer!

2011 Christian Nature

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Affirmative Action for the Ugly?

Is there anything there's NOT a 'study' on, no matter how ridiculous? I don't think so. The latest is a study called "Ugly Ducklings Become Ugly Ducks". On the basis of that study, University of Texas at Austin economist Daniel Hamermesh is asking the government for Affirmative Action for 'Ugly Ducklings' (less attractive people).

In his latest book, "Beauty Pays" he quantifies the economic impact of beauty! And, to think, my poor ignorant parents taught us that it's on the inside that matters!

Watch the video, and then I have some questions.



1. Who decides who's attractive and who is not? Isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder?

2. Is Hamermesh saying an 8 on the beauty scale of 10 is a disability?

3. Is Hamermesh really comparing 'less attractive' people to African Americans? Hmmm...let's see. Would I rather be less attractive (but have talents and abilities), or would I rather have grown up in the 19th Century as a black child with the Ku Klux Klan around me?

4. Who paid for this ridiculous study? The government (like in the form of a grant)? Do we not have more important issues to take care of in this rotten economy?

5. How much profit is Hamermesh pocketing from this ridiculous idea? Remember: another man became a mega-millionaire off of his preaching of Global Warming. Lost his wife, but still keeps his mega-mansion going full blast with electricity. I'm just saying...

Has common sense totally abandoned us today? I knew, some time ago, that common sense was dead, and I wrote a Eulogy For Common Sense. Perhaps Hamermesh ought to read it and just consider it.

2011 Christian Nature

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Dung Beetle and Sneaky Partner

Have you heard of the Dung Beetle? No? What did you think picked up the poop all over the world? It's this strange insect! And, unwittingly, he has a strange, sneaky partner.

Dung Beetles may not be a very pleasant subject, but after all, someone has to do the housekeeping. So God created what man has classified into 30,000 species of Dung Beetle. Many will form their finds into a ball about the size of a croquet ball and roll it home for the wife and kids. Others tunnel beneath a find and set up housekeeping there.

Now there is a purple flower in Borneo that cuts into the productivity of one of the tunneling species without giving it anything in return. This flower smells, not like a rose, but like dung. It relies primarily on this Dung Beetle for pollination.

Studies show that most other pollinators will examine the flower, but, perhaps put off by the smell, won't attempt to pollinate it. However, the dung beetle is a successful pollinator as it searches the flower for food. The flower's unpleasant odor seems designed to do nothing other than fool the beetle into pollinating it. It apparently offers the beetle nothing.

This is an example of a flower imitating the dung of an animal to fool a beetle into pollinating it. It would be nonsense to say that this flower designed this strategy, all by itself, to attract a beetle able to pollinate it. It would be just as silly to say that the impersonal forces of evolution designed this deceptive plant. Only an all powerful, all wise Creator could have designed this relationship which intricately weaves needs and abilities to make the whole creation work!

Now that's detailed design!

2011 Christian Nature

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Precautions For Food Handling

There's nothing like having your own vegetable garden -- or even better, your own ranch/farm! You know the soil, you know exactly who's handling your food, and there's always an abundance. So those alerts for dangerous food don't bother you too much. But not everyone can have that. Most of what we consume is grown by others, picked and handled by many others, and there are not enough safety inspectors to assure us our food is safe. So, we get constant food alerts. Here are some precautions for food handling.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 million people are sickened each year from contaminated foods in the USA and 5,000 people die. What are the high-risk foods and what can we do to avoid becoming another statistic?

High-risk foods
Many of the healthiest foods are also the most likely candidates when it comes to food contamination. For example, raw fruits and vegetables are grown in dirt filled with bacteria. They are handled by multiple people throughout the food production process and then they sit in the open air where heat, moisture and natural sugars combine to make the perfect breeding ground for contamination pathogens to grow.

Here is a list of the top 10 offenders:

Spinach and other leafy green vegetables
Eggs
Tuna
Raw oysters
Potatoes
Soft cheese
Ice cream
Tomatoes
Sprouts
Berries

Many of the healthy foods can be made safe with just a little effort and proper handling. However, tuna, raw oysters, soft cheese and ice cream will always be risky because of the nature of the food and the way it is served.

Proper food handling
According to several scholarly articles from such prestigious food science institutes as the University of Minnesota, Colorado State University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food handling is the key to food safety. Follow these recommendations to reduce your risk of contaminated food:

-Keep your kitchen counter tops, refrigerator, cookware and cutlery clean.
-Wash your hands before preparing meals.
-Keep fresh foods away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.
-Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy fruits and vegetables.
-Wash fruits and vegetables - even prewashed packed produce - just before you eat them.
-Also wash the parts you don’t eat (peel, rind, etc.).
-Gently rub fruits and vegetables under running water. Don't use any soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic cleaning chemicals.
-Scrub firmer fruits and vegetables (such as potatoes) with a vegetable brush under running water.
Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.
-Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.

Certainly, using just a little caution can help you avoid being one of the statistics; simply washing your fruits and vegetables may save your life!

So, until you get your own garden where you can control the variables, follow these simple 'food alert' rules.

2011 Christian Nature

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Magic Green

In our house, we know that green is magic when it comes to health. Green tea is a must if we are to be healthy. We even eat green ice cream!

As a child, Isao Kubo's grandmother always told him to drink green tea after he ate something sweet. Today, as a University of California chemist, Kubo has shown that his grandmother's advice was scientifically sound.

It's been known for about ten years that tea can help fight dental cavities. A substance in the tea helps prevent the bacteria that cause cavities from latching onto the surface of a tooth. But researchers found that this effect was too small to make tea as effective as it is known to be in preventing cavities. This led scientists to continue their search for something else in tea that makes it so effective.

Kubo discovered that a class of molecules found in abundance in green tea actually kills the bacteria that cause cavities. Tests show that these natural chemicals, while harmless to us, are also able to kill at least two different kinds of molds, three yeasts, and eight kinds of bacteria.

It is effective against some of the bacteria that cause gastrointestinal disease and acne. However, you don't have to drink green tea to take advantage of this powerful, natural cavity fighter.

It is also found in coriander, sage, thyme, and is added to some ice creams, candy, chewing gum, and baked goods. Because of this research, we may someday find it in toothpaste.

Makes me wonder whether, in the perfection that existed before sin, the creation was filled with many additional natural substances that prevented the health problems we experience today.

It seems likely there's much we don't know about how our ancient ancestors ate. We do know they lived much longer than we do today.

Notes: Science News

2011 Christian Nature

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Different But the Same

One of the most asked questions is, "If you Creationists believe Adam and Eve were created by God, and we're all descendants of Adam and Eve, then how did we get all of these different races?" (It's sort of a 'gotcha question.) Using our Bibles as our authority, we 'Creationists' do have an answer! We're different, but the same.

Today's differing racial and cultural characteristics began at the separation of the world's population into different groups based upon language. This followed the affair at the Tower of Babel. Before this separation, the one population shared the genetic traits of all humanity. In other words, they had a common gene pool.

After the separation into groups, each group contained only a part of the former gene pool. This means that each group had lost some of the genetic information.

As one generation followed another, genetic information continued to be lost in each group and in fact, is still being lost to this day. Certain traits in each isolated group became highlighted. For example, the decreasing tendency to produce melanin in the skin gave rise to the Caucasians, the white people of Europe.

Other traits like hair type and soft tissue characteristics became unique to various groups that we refer to as "races" today. Interestingly, interracial marriages produce offspring that recapture some of that genetic information lost by each race represented by their parents.

No matter what race we belong to, we all share the same feelings and desires. We are still 'one people' though we may look different!

2011 Christian Nature

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Birthing An Adult?

I am a mother, and the thought of giving birth to an adult is incredulous. But there is an insect who does just that! So think about it. If you gave birth to adults, you would never have any children, right? Sounds impossible, doesn't it?

But there is a creature that can have a huge number of offspring, yet never have any children! That unusual creature is the aphid. The first aphid of spring is a female, has no wings, and hatches from an egg early in the season.

After about ten days, she will give live birth to another fully formed adult female aphid. There have been no males around. Within ten days the new female, too, is ready to give live birth to another fully formed adult female. The picture (from Wikipedia) shows an aphid giving birth to a fully-grown female aphid.

By the end of the summer, that first female aphid could have almost six million offspring! Obviously, one plant can't hold that many aphids. So those offspring born with wings fly off to another plant to continue this mysterious process.

Once cold weather begins, the female aphids begin giving birth to both male and female aphids, some with wings and some without.

The winged males fly back to the original plant, mate, and this time the females produce eggs that can withstand winter so the entire cycle can start again the next year.

The word “understanding” is often used in Scripture and refers to the sense in which God created all things in such a way that they interact and react to countless situations in precisely the way He designed them. The lowly aphid is an astonishing example of this principle!

It is just amazing to ponder the creativity of The Creator!

2011 Christian Nature

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Smallest and Largest of God's Creatures

You remember 'Goliath', right? The giant that tried to intimidate young David who had only a sling shot? Well, the largest known beetle in the world is the aptly named Goliath Beetle. This African beetle can become almost as large as a mouse. So if you're wondering which are the largest and smallest of God's creatures, you came to the right place!

Dinosaurs were not the largest animals ever to live. The great blue whale holds that honor.

The smallest mammal in the world is smaller than many insects. A newly discovered species of bat in Thailand weighs only 6/100 of an ounce.

Such extremes might lead some to wonder whether those giant insects we see in the movies would ever develop. Could a spider grow to be as large as a house?

You will be happy to know that no spider or any other insect could grow as large as a house. We can be sure of this because of the way insects breathe.

Insects breathe through small tubes along their bodies. These tubes provide oxygen directly to their internal tissues. If an insect were to grow too large, these tubes could not get enough oxygen to the tissues. This is because the larger the creature, the more internal living tissue that requires oxygen.

You and I have lungs that provide a network of surfaces equal to the size of a tennis court. An insect our size would need a body that has the surface area of a tennis court, too, which is an impossibility.

Even though different creatures have different organs to supply their needs, each creature has just the right organs for its needs. This is a sign of our Creator's wisdom. After all, He created them!

2011 Christian Nature

"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."
—Romans 1:20 NKJV

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Starving But Eating

The poor unsuspecting antelope wanders in to gorge on food that will soon kill him of starvation. He doesn't know any better, but we do.

The thorny acacia tree is not the usual food of the Kudu antelope. But because of overcrowding on game farms, the antelope began eating the leaves of this tree. Eventually, the kudu starved to death, even though there were plenty of acacia leaves to eat.

Scientists learned that when antelope feed on the acacia, the tree begins to produce a chemical called tannin k. The tannin combines with other chemicals to give the leaves a bad taste. But worse for the antelope, the tannin impairs their ability to digest food, and eventually they starve to death.

Scientists found that while tannin is not normally found in high concentrations in acacia leaves, within 15 minutes of leaf damage, the tannin levels in the leaves nearly double. They also found that the trees warn other trees about browsing animals in the area.

When a leaf is chewed, it releases a scent that causes neighboring acacia trees to begin to produce tannin!

It got me thinking. In those places of the world where Bibles are easily available, Bible reading is decreasing. It is primarily where Bibles are hard to get that people appreciate the power of God's Word. Throughout history, Christianity has always thrived in places and times when Christians were being persecuted.

In my own country, the persecution is subtle, but ever-growing -- nothing like it is in other countries...yet.

God's Word has provided us with plenty of food for our souls. In fact, it's the only way we can 'put on the mind of Christ.' I pray we will not overfeed on the world’s food and starve our souls as the poor antelopes are starving.

I pray it will not take American Christians long to figure out we need to stop gorging on the things of the world and turn to the spiritually nutritious Word of God!

2011 Christian Nature

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. Amos 8:11

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Banana Plant Blues

Look at this pitiful banana plant! It makes me want to sing the Banana Plant Blues. It grew so fast I couldn't keep up with its water needs. As I think about it, it looks a lot like I look at times.

I get so excited over "emotional growth" books, or theological "brain-stretching" books that I neglect my quiet time with You, Lord.

After all this reading and 'growing', my leaves look wilted and brown because I have not been drinking from Your well. I have not been soaking in Your Presence. Then You must prune away all this non-essential growth, as I must do to this banana plant.

This poor plant will experience shock as it tries to adjust to its diminutive stature. Likewise, my own view of self suffers after each pruning. I wonder if I’ll ever get it right.

Oh, Father, I’m ashamed of my willful arrogance – thinking I can live this Christian life all on my own. I’m angry with myself over all the time wasted in gaining knowledge that does not bring me closer to You.

Father, help me learn that growth can only be sustained by frequent drinking from Your Word. Help me get it: without Your springs of Living Water, all growth is vain, meaningless, and will leave me spiritually dehydrated.

This happens any time I leave the basics.

(c) 1985-2011 Christian Nature

Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” John 4:10

Nature Scientist

Such psycho-spiritual depth from a mere banana plant. Nature truly does provoke you to deep reflection and analysis, April!

Christian Nature

When I wrote this I was thinking about my "spiritual dehydration". It's my nature to ponder.

U.N. Naturalist

Your inclination to ponder is called 'meditation' and is why you are a good writer.

Christian Nature

Yes, I guess it would be called meditation. The Bible says we are to meditate on the things of God, so I guess these posts are my meditations.

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Plants Have Feelings and Memory?

If I told you that plants have 'memory' you would think I was nuts, right? Some of you thought I was silly when I told you plants grow better if you talk to them and sing to them. Many experts thought that this was a silly idea since plants are very low, comparatively speaking, on their evolutionary scale. Research eventually proved that plants which were treated to music, especially classical music, did indeed seem healthier.

New research has convinced many scientists that plants also have feelings and memory. Researchers carried out their experiments on the bur marigold, which typically sprouts and immediately produces two identical leaves. Scientists made several tiny needle holes in only one of the leaves and then, after only five minutes, they removed both of the leaves.

Later they removed the top growth of the young plants in order to force growth from the buds adjacent to the leaf sites. As a result, the plants tended to show growth only on the side where the undamaged leaf had been.

Further study has shown that, while plants do not have a nervous system, they do have a chemical communication system which works something like memory!

We certainly must marvel at our Creator's care in giving even plants feelings and memory. And then we are reminded that if He has taken such care in creating and caring for plants, how much more must He care for each and every one of us!

What hope that brings to many in this time of turmoil.

2011 Christian Nature

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World's Largest Rodent Stalks California

Residents of Paso Robles, California, are wondering what the 'monster' is that's roaming free in their area? Most are scared of it. But it is, in fact, the world's largest rodent - the Capybara. It's less like a rat and more like an extremely large hamster - as large as a dog.

The Capybara, a South America rodent, has been spotted in the Paso Robles area several times over the past few weeks.

According to published reports, animal officials believe the Capybara was brought to California from another state. It's legal in other states to keep the rodent as a pet.

Officials say the animal either escaped or was released into the wild. They hope to trap it and donate it to an organization that keeps exotic animals

Capybaras are herbivores, grazing mainly on grasses and aquatic plants, as well as fruit and tree bark. An adult Capybara will eat 6 to 8 pounds of grasses per day. They are very selective feeders with four to six plant species making 75% of their diet. They will select the leaves of one species and disregard other species surrounding it.

Capybaras eat a greater variety of plants during the dry season as there are fewer plants available. While they eat grass during the wet season, they have to switch to reeds during the dry season as they are more abundant. Plants that Capybaras eat during the summer lose their nutritional value in the winter and are thus not consumed at that time. (I wonder Who taught them that?)

There is a lady who has an entire YouTube Page dedicated to her pet Capybara whose name is 'Caplin'. Don't ask me why, just watch the video!



Now that's some pet! :-D

2011 Christian Nature

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Squirrel Spirituality

Yes, you have met "Sylvester the Squirrel" before. He was a regular on my back porch railing. He's one of the critters that caused me to question my own spirituality. I wondered: had I ended up with Squirrel Spirituality?


He was one of the blessings of mountain cabin life, along with his 'critter friends' I met. Each morning I would take my sack of peanuts and wait for them. They would come just so near, then they would stop to give me a chance to throw the peanuts to them! It was not an intimate relationship they were seeking: they wanted the peanuts! They would have been much happier if I had thrown the peanuts on the ground and then disappeared out of sight. They wanted my benefits without contending with me.

Today I ask myself if I'm anything like those squirrels. Is it a relationship with You I seek, Lord, or would I be just as happy if You would throw some blessings my way and then get out of the way?

My human nature is a clue: it wants the benefits without the accountability and responsibility required by relationships. Before regeneration, I was a "normal" human. Being spiritually dead, I didn't understand the selfishness of my heart; but I've traveled with You long enough, Lord, to see the need for self-examination.

All one has to do these days is hear the news headlines to know how selfish human beings are. I heard "The Televangelist" say that America is in a spiritual free-fall. I'm thinking he's not so far off base.

That old saying, "If It Bleeds, It Leads" is truer today than it was twenty years ago. I wonder how this makes You feel, Lord, after You have blessed us more than any other nation?

I hear people asking the pundits what the answer is, and I want to scream, "A personal relationship with Jesus is The Answer! Didn't He say He was The Way, The Truth, and The Life?"

I know the current philosophy of the "basic goodness of man" is popular, but it contradicts Your Word in Jeremiah 17

" The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked;

Who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind,

Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the

fruit of his doings."

I know only You can tame this heart of mine, Lord. I've tried and failed too many times to believe I can do it on my own. I have my squirrel spirituality moments, and all of my good intentions don't seem to mean much when the rubber meets the road. Only Your Spirit can change a heart from the inside out. I'm willing to be changed.

Lord who searches the heart, search mine. Reveal any desires that are not pleasing to You. Show me any selfish way in me. I'd like to be an agent for change in my circle, but it must be as an outcome of my relationship with You. Don't throw those blessing peanuts at me without holding me accountable for my relationship with You.

Copyright 1989 - 2011 Christian Nature

Nature Scientist

It takes a discerning soul to be provoked to spiritual self-examination by merely observing a squirrel or any part of nature. Very deep!

Christian Nature

I thoroughly enjoyed my squirrels, and have a funny photo for an upcoming post. The purpose of this was to confront the "Man is basically good" lie that's so widely accepted. That is not what The Word says!

Peg

I think this is a question any growing Christian should ask of themselves. It's too easy to get self-focused as humans living in a free fall world.

Christian Nature

Jeremiah 17 is NOT a popular scripture these days. We're all "good at heart"! huh? Any one who believes that doesn't watch any news at all! I agree: Christians should question themselves diligently.

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'Christian' the Lion - Tearful Video

My friend from Holland sent this video to me. It is the full story of Christian the Lion, and if your eyes aren't wet at the end of this video, well...I don't quite know what to say.

In 1969 John Rendall and Ace Berg saw a Lion cub for sale in Harrods. Cramped and lonely in a small cage, the Lion touched their hearts. They decided to bring it home and gave the lion the name 'Christian'.

Ace and John dedicated themselves to giving Christian the best life they could, and the bond that developed between them is a joy to behold.

Christian was a remarkable lion - obviously very intelligent, loving, and gentle to everyone, both humans and animals. And then the drama began...



I have seen this video so many times, and yet I cry at the end every single time. There's not much that brings me to tears, but the surprise ending of this story did.

The music is by Aerosmith.

2011 Christian Nature

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The Odd Couple

Do you remember the television show, "The Odd Couple"? Two divorced men - A neat-nick and a slob - sharing an apartment? Well, Hollywood did not invent The Odd Couple! There's a terrific example in God's Creation! Actually, The Odd Couple lives in Central America!

One would never expect to find any insect sharing living arrangements with a spider. That's why scientists were amazed to find a tiny fly in the rain forests of Central America who shares both room and board with a spider!

The fly spends most of his time on the back of the golden web spider, who does not seem to mind. This spider does not deal with its victims in the same way most spiders do. When a large insect gets caught in the tough web of the spider, the golden web spider injects the victim with digestive juices to prepare it for eating.

The fly keeps track of meal preparations from the spider's back. Just before the meal is liquefied to the spider's satisfaction, the fly buzzes over and drinks its fill in a few seconds. By the time the spider approaches lunch, the fly is back napping on the spider.

Both the spider and the fly are designed with special features to make this most unlikely arrangement work. If the golden web spider's eating habits were like most spiders', there would be no liquefied meal for the fly. The fly itself has a mouth that is specially designed to allow it to drink a full meal in seconds. This helps keep him out of the spider's way.

How can a spider and a fly live together? God can design a solution to any problem. Why design an arrangement between a spider and a fly anyway? Maybe it's so we would know there is a Creator and that He can meet any challenge?

That's certainly the message this Odd Couple sends to me. And in this day and age when life can be chaoticly changing, that's a very comforting message.

2011 Christian Nature

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How Old Is Grand Canyon?

See the interloper on my porch? I'm very annoyed with 'Sylvester'. Why? Because he never told me that his cousin, the Tassle-eared squirrel, had told Scientists exactly how old the Grand Canyon is!

Who would have thought that squirrels would tell us how old the Grand Canyon is? Yet, creation scientists tell us that the Tassel-eared squirrel, who lives near the rim of the canyon in Arizona, has done just that.

Tassel-eared squirrels are found on both the north and south rims of the canyon. Scientists have assumed that the squirrels were there before the canyon was formed, supposedly millions of years ago. However, since the canyon has kept the two populations apart for so long, the differences between them should show what millions of years of evolution will do to squirrels.

There are minor differences between the squirrels on the north rim and the south rim. But they're not even enough to classify the squirrels as separate species. North rim squirrels have white tails and black bellies. Squirrels on the south rim have white bellies and dark tails. But many north rim squirrels have coloration like those on the south, and many on the south rim are colored like those on the north.

Creation scientist Dr. John Meyer has carefully studied these squirrels. He has concluded that the squirrels on the north and south rim are actually one population that has a complete range of fur colors.

According to a law of evolution accepted by evolutionists, there should be a much larger difference between the north and south squirrels if the Grand Canyon is really millions of years old. The conclusion must be, then, that the Grand Canyon is quite young – only thousands of years old.

So, dear 'Sylvester' as you peer at me through my window, please know I'm very upset you kept this important information from me - the one who feeds you!

2011 Christian Nature

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Pitiful Tomatoes - Like Eden Fruit?

Have you ever wondered if the fruit in Eden was anything like the fruit we have today? I think I doubt it. I mean, have you seen those pitiful pink/orange things they call 'tomatoes' in the stores today?

Tomatoes in the market are picked green and then exposed to ethylene gas to make them turn red. They are picked green because tomatoes quickly over-ripen. Somehow it seems to us that this state of affairs would be different in a perfect world.

Scientists at Cornell University have developed a natural way to slow the ripening process of tomatoes. They learned that there is a natural process that allows ripe tomatoes to keep for longer periods of time.

They learned this from a Brazilian tomato that keeps for weeks even after being picked ripe and flavorful. This tomato has twice as much of a chemical that prevents over-ripening as other tomatoes. This natural chemical, added to other tomatoes, doubles their shelf life. This allows them to be picked ripe and flavorful. Perhaps before sin, all tomatoes had this ability?

Solution? Grow your own tomatoes!

2011 Christian Nature

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. Genesis 1:29

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Engineering of the Honeycomb

We all know if the honeybee disappears, so does our food. But have you ever considered how intelligent the honeybee is? Or how specific? Let's look at the engineering of the honeycomb for an example.

The amazing structure of the honeycomb has amazed scientists for thousands of years. As early as the third century AD, the astronomer Pappus of Alexandria offered an explanation for the six-sided or hexagonal shape of the honeycomb.

He pointed out that while the triangle, square and hexagon could all be candidates for the shape of the comb, one of these shapes holds more than the others. The most efficient shape for storing the most honey while wasting the least space is the hexagon.

There are many variations of the hexagon that are available to the bee. However, the honeybee is always very precise in constructing honeycomb hexagons, with an obtuse angle of 109°23´ and an acute angle of 70°23´. These angles produce the most usable space for the least amount of building material. Humans are unable to use such precision in their designs without sophisticated equipment.

Each honeybee is a tiny but powerful computer that could only have been designed and built by an intelligent Creator. Bees and what they do are of central importance to much of the rest of creation. No wonder God has given them so much: the complex structure of their society, their intelligence and industriousness!

Notes: Creation Moments

2011 Christian Nature

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Weird Garden On the Mountain-top

Are you a mountain-climber? I know of a mountain in South America that is unique. There's a weird garden on it, and everybody knows nothing grows on the mountain-top, right? Uh, no.

Deep in the Venezuelan jungle, 60 miles from the nearest settlement, it appears as if God decided to plant a very special garden. That garden grows on a mountain that rises 7,000 feet on sheer cliffs above the jungle. The mountain, rising eventually to 9,000 feet, is the highest mountain in South America outside the Andean mountain chain.

Called the Mountain of the Mists, this horseshoe shaped mass features a 25 mile long river valley that is just as deep as North America's Grand Canyon. The mountain is so remote and hard to reach that it was virtually unexplored until 1984.

Scientists have found that over half of the species of living things found on the mountain are new to science. Some are unlike any other creatures ever seen on earth.

A plant called the Neblinaria resembles a large artichoke standing four feet above the ground on a thick stalk.

Four-foot-tall carnivorous pitcher plants, giant earthworms, and long-legged frogs add to the uniqueness of the place.

Rainfall has washed most of the nutrients from the soil, but many plants make their living by producing their own soil in the center of their leaves, while others live off the air itself.

Now that's weird!

There is absolutely no limit to God's imagination! Think you have a problem He can't (or won't) solve? Not the God I know! Dig out your Bible and read about Him!

2011 Christian Nature

Is anything too hard for the Lord? Genesis 18:14a

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Nothing New Under the Sun

Humans tend to think they are very clever with their 'new inventions'. And some even have the hubris to think no one is smarter than they are! (I've known a few.) But if you believe the Bible is Truth, as I do, you remember Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us 'there is nothing new under the sun.'

So it is with the hook-and-loop fastener. Your kids know it because it has replaced laces in their shoes and zippers on their coats. Men know it because it holds their wallets together. Even scientists know it because it was used in our space program! But, in reality, it was not 'invented' by a human!

Plants were the first to use this hook-and-loop principle! Scientists learned about the principle when they were checking out stories of how bean leaves were used to trap bedbugs during World War II.

They discovered that the hooked hairs on the underside of bean leaves did indeed trap bedbugs by their feet. The bedbugs stayed stuck to the leaves until they starved to death.

In nature, the hooked hairs trap leaf-hoppers, leaving them unable to munch on the leaves of bean plants.

Further research has shown that some varieties of wheat trap the cereal leaf beetle, preventing damage to their leaves.

But most amazing of all is the timing of this defense. Plants that use this method to protect themselves don’t start growing the hairs until a few days before the annual attack by their insect enemies! Is that awesome?

Yep, there IS Someone Else Who 'invented' the hook-and-loop principle! Wanna take a guess Who?

2011 Christian Nature

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Loan Me Your 'Thought Map'?

Would you loan me your 'thought map' for a minute? Oh, sorry. I forgot it's not something you can loan to me. I was so upset over losing my way to this store. It's been so long since I drove here last time that I forgot the way.

Your 'thought map' is your own. You use it when you're trying to find your way to a store you haven't visited in a long time. You use it when you're at your in-law's house and need to use the rest room. The ability to remember objects relative to one another is called a 'thought map' by scientists.

Thought maps help us remember where to find a water glass, the gas or brake pedal, and home. Thought maps require intelligence. They help make possible additional intelligent activity, such as finding our way around and conducting an intelligent search.

This is why scientists have been surprised to find that many creatures, not just humans, use thought maps.

Bees use mental maps. Even if a bee is forced to detour on its way back to the hive, it always reports the food source as though it had used a direct route. Bees are also able to find a food source that has been moved after its discovery.

One experimenter carried a chimpanzee on his back while he hid 18 pieces of food in a field. Then the chimp and five others were released in the field to find the food. The chimp who had seen the hiding places found most of the food, following a very different route than that originally taken by the researcher.

Ants have also been shown to use mental maps.

Mental maps help humans and animals think deductively about changes in the environment.

Mental mapping ability could not have evolved because even the lowliest creature requires this ability to survive. This ability must have been given to them in the first place by their Creator.

What other explanation could there be for a lowly ant or bee?

Notes: Science News

2011 Christian Nature

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Don't Like Bark Beetles!

Several years ago, I owned a beautiful red cabin in Big Bear, California. It was my respite from the problems of the world, completely surrounded by beautiful trees. Then, the trees started turning red and looking dead. It was that 'bark beetle' that was destroying trees by the hundreds.

Sadly, I had to sell the cabin to a well-known writer (she didn't care about trees). But I don't like 'bark beetles'!

Now the same thing is happening all over the Western United States. The newest spot is Colorado. Now I know bugs have a right to eat. But cutting down thousands of trees in a forest area? The decision to cut down so many trees is causing quite a controversy, as evidenced by this video.



2011 Christian Nature

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Triangular Shape Sailing

If you're not a sailor, you may not know what 'downwind' means. It means with the wind. Is the wind blowing north? Then you're sailing north, also! It takes a REAL sailor to sail against the wind, and one of them is not a human being. Can you guess who this 'real sailor' is? Here's a hint: it has a triangular sail!

What if I told you it's a jellyfish? Oh, I know no one wants to be called a 'jellyfish'. It's like a pejorative, especially to men. But I'm talking about a real jellyfish - the Velella.

Unlike most jellyfish, velella does not merely drift with the wind. Velella has a triangular sail. However, unlike some jellyfish with sails, velella's sail doesn't simply catch the wind and move velella along with it. Velella's triangular sail has an S-shaped base so that it can stand up to winds from any direction. The sail is set on top of velella's body at an angle to its length. This makes velella a biological oddity – because its body is not symmetrical.

This asymmetry is not without purpose. The unusual body design of this jellyfish allows it to sail as much as 60° off the direction of the wind. This is what sailors call a 'broad reach'.

Some velellas have their sails tilted to the right, allowing them to sail up to 60° to the right of downwind. Others have their sails tilted to the left, allowing them to sail up to 60° left of downwind. What's more, velellas can change their angle of sailing by extending or retracting their tentacles in the water.

When scientists noticed that velella's body was asymmetrical, they immediately looked for a purpose behind the design. Even though many scientists will not recognize the Creator, they understand enough to realize that nothing in the creation is without purpose or design. So while many deny the Creator, they still recognize the pattern of His handiwork!

Notes: Discover

2011 Christian Nature
"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:21

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How the Moth Gets New Brain

Have you ever wondered how a moth can operate with a caterpillar brain? After all, the brain of a moth is much bigger than the brain of a caterpillar! So, the answer is...he can't! It takes a totally different brain! So just how does a moth get his new brain?

In the caterpillar stage, the moth lumbers around in a body that is primarily designed for eating. Its brain must be able to command powerful jaws and a comparatively huge digestive system as well as the complexities of caterpillar locomotion. The world of the caterpillar is very different from the world of the moth.

During metamorphosis the caterpillar completely dissolves and the moth is rebuilt from the liquid. The brain, for example, requires new nerve cells and new connections between brain cells, while some brain cells change function, migrate to new locations, or even die.

The result is a brain that is 10 times the size of the caterpillar's and ready to control flight. The moth's primary purpose in life is to reproduce. So its new brain is able to generate the odors used by moths to identify and communicate with potential mates. It is also equipped to detect the scents of a potential mate.

Only our almighty Creator could completely rebuild a caterpillar into a moth. Only He could rebuild and increase its brain ten-fold in only a week or two. Even more amazing is how He remakes people. Through the forgiveness of sins, Jesus Christ turns us from people who wish to escape Him to new creatures who love Him and find joy in Him.

As I say over and over, "I am truly amazed by His Creation!"

Notes: Science News

2011 Christian Nature

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

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