a little bit of physics (don't be scared!)

"by faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible." hebrews 11:3

this is one of my favorite verses--i call it my physics verse because to me it is tying together my faith and subatomic particles.

no, really--i mean it!

when i first started working on a degree in physics and a minor in biology, somebody (i don't remember who anymore, but it seems like it was somebody on some kind of discussion board...) told me that i would forget about all that dumb "christianity" (<--spell checker doesn't like that. hmm...) stuff. once i had been educated, i would see that faith was superstition and a pointless waste of time, something for the ignorant, uneducated masses.

while i'm sure that is the conclusion some people come to, it sure wasn't for me.

                               quite the opposite, really.

i sat/struggled/cried through a lot of physics and biology classes:
nanoscience
general physics 1 & 2
         breakdown waves research
                mechanics
               quantum mechanics
             electricity & magnetism
          modern physics
             electrical circuits 1 & 2
                      advanced physics lab
                          thermodynamics & statistical mechanics
       zoology
                    anatomy
               physiology
                  general biology
                        microbiology
                    cell biology
                    botany
                  chemistry
         cancer biology
...and probably a few that i'm forgetting and that you don't really want to hear about anyways!

in all those classes, almost everyday, i was more and more
amazed.

...at the unbelievable complexity of the world around me.
...at the fact that opposites attract (not talking relationships here!).
...that the world doesn't just spin out of control and fly off through space.
...that we don't all have crazy diseases and harmful mutations.
...that chaos doesn't reign and entropy doesn't make everything fall apart.
...that people can look at these things and not know there is a Creator.

you know what's even more amazing to me?
the Creator of all this,
~the One who completely understands quantum physics and cell biology and physiology and thermodynamics,
~the Master of the Universe,
~the One who controls entropy,
~the Ruler of creation,
~the One who formed the double helix and coded DNA,
~the Controller of the stars,
~the One who knows the unknowable,

the Judge
One True God
Almighty
Consuming Fire
King of Kings
All Powerful

He loves me.
He knows everything about me.
He gave His Son for me.
He knows just how many cells are in my body, and He gave them all a job.

how awesome is that?

my classes didn't lead me to forget about that whole "God idea."
they humbled me. they showed me that the God who created the universe out of subatomic particles (what is unseen--get it? God's cool.) is the God who loves me and who lets me call Him Abba ("father" or "daddy" depending on who you ask).

i am so thankful for the small glimpse of Him that i got in those classes.

Know your worth

Love yourself Live your truth Follow your heart Do what's right for you Get what you deserve Believe in yourself The world is all about telling us how we should view ourselves. What we think and feel is valued above all else--don't let anybody else tell you what you should do, just live your best life right now. And while you're living that best life, remember that you should be given the best at all times--after all, you're worth it. But what are we really worth? If you look at the chemical basis, here's approximately what we've got: 65% oxygen 18.5% carbon 9.5% hydrogen 2.6% nitrogen 1.3% calcium 0.6% phosphorous 0.2% potassium 0.2% sulfur 0.2% sodium 0.2% chlorine 0.1% magnesium There are more elements at even lower amounts, but altogether? Estimates vary, but going off of the prices of chemical elements listed on wikipedia, you're looking at around $30. Obviously, we're more than the sum of our parts, though. Right? So what does the bible say abou...

what's next?

My husband and I were talking to our kids the other day about how important it is for them to learn to stand for their beliefs and live the life God has called them to now, while it is easy. We were talking about how one day in the future, they will most likely be forced to either cave to the world or stand for God, and in that moment the decision will mean a whole lot more than just social standing. Right now, Christians in the United States have been given a reprieve. The election of Trump was honestly not something I expected. I've written for quite a few years now about the decline of our nation, and I know I'm not the first--or only--one to point out the downward spiral of morality that we've been seeing for decades. As a nation founded by men who claimed the protection of God, I truly believe we chose to be held to the standards of the covenants we entered. God keeps His side of His promises--the good and the bad. That means that broken covenants have consequences. Wh...

Psalm 19

"The celestial realms announce God’s glory; the skies testify of His hands’ great work. Each day pours out more of their sayings; each night, more to hear and more to learn. Inaudible words are their manner of speech, and silence, their means to convey. Yet from here to the ends of the earth, their voices have gone out; the whole world can hear what they say." (Psalm 19:1-4, VOICE)

EricaJanuary 26, 2012 at 1:28 PM
I needed this today. I need to remember just how huge my God is-- even in the midst of hard emotional circumstanes. Thank you!!
Heather LawsonJanuary 26, 2012 at 2:06 PM
Thanks for posting this! I so often see people enter the college realm and all of a sudden they get these agnostic liberal ideas in their head. I feel that often times college days warp your mind more than mold it. It is good to know that it is possible to understand the world on a subatomic level and still believe in Him. College can be a confusing time because of the things we are taught or untaught. I'm angered by the thought that Christianity (wow... spell check REALLY doesn't like that word... oh never mind... it wants it capitalized. Good to know...) is paralled with ignorance. I never think that non-believers = ignorance. I guess that is the difference between people who think it is their place to just and those who are enlightened.
AnonymousJanuary 26, 2012 at 6:31 PM
Nice! Thank you for sharing your heart. I'll never forget when I was in college, I gave an atheist history professor "Mere Christianity" for Christmas:)
Eric HayesJuly 18, 2012 at 7:09 AM
Thank you for your post, it fell directly in line with my thought on this verse. We often discuss the balance between our heads and our hearts during our Life Group meetings. Our Group is reading through Hebrews, and we had a discussion on 11:3 and the Higgs boson last night. I handed out copies of your comments to the Group and it was an excellent compliment to the study / discussion.
Joan ConcilioSeptember 23, 2012 at 8:09 PM
Found this today when I was reading this chapter in YouVersion... and, THANK YOU! My degree is in applied mathematics, and I too sat through I don't know how many classes where everyone around me seemed more and more cynical and I was just more and more awed by our great God.

Thank you for sharing - and for shedding a different light on this awesome verse!

life. faithful.

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