A Case for Creation

It was early last week...Monday morning, I believe. As I sat with God, watching the world wake up, I witnessed the most beautiful thing. It was really foggy. And cold. And the combination created a white world...similar to a fresh snowfall, yet different. Individual frost flakes coated every surface. And the air was white with a frozen fog. It was, in a word, magnificent!

Then the girls woke up, breakfast had to be made...my day began and the spell was broken. I kicked myself all day for at least not trying to take pictures. Well, I got my chance the next morning...I was greeted with the same picture. So, as soon as I could, I trekked out into the yard and started clicking. However, there was so much light...so brilliantly white, that the pictures were all whited out. So, I wandered out for a second attempt. These were the pictures I got. Like most things in life, the copies don't do the justice to the original.

For many days after, I pondered the beauty I was blessed to witness on those early mornings. It felt like a personal showing of God's greatest art. Each night I thanked him for his creativity, and I couldn't help but think, yet again, how obvious the Creator is through His creation. How can people not see Him?

This made me think about beauty itself. I guess, if you really wanted to, you could make a case that "beauty" is really just a natural survival instinct. We are "attracted" to those of the opposite sex so that we are willing to propagate our species. We see "beauty" in a newborn babe so that we determine it necessary to care for the young until they are able to survive on their own. And, I guess, I case could be made for us seeing "beauty" in nature...as it would tell us "good place to make camp".

I finally determined that one could say that "beauty" is not art presented by a creative God, but just a perception on our part (dictated by the "big bang," I'm sure!) But there was an idea that could not be explained away. How are we moved to tears by words and music? What makes us see beauty in a grandparent interacting with a grandchild? An elderly couple sharing a smile and holding hands? The first words of a child? The miracle, I've decided, is not just what we see that He creates, but that we even see it...feel it. He gave us that gift. To see beauty. Wow. Can you imagine life without that?

Can a worm see beauty? Can a tree? Can an amoeba (that we apparently came from)? The ability to see and feel the beautiful. That's my case for creation.

Introducing Everett Allen

First, I must appologize for being awol for so long! I really don't know what my excuse is this time. Just busy, I guess. Between school, cooking, and cleaning...seriously, it really shouldn't keep me that busy, but it does. Anyway, we've begun the "we're really going to try to sell this house" cleaning again. But I'm serious this time. :)

On a much happier note, my sister finally had her baby. Last Thursday, January 28, Everett Allen Abrams entered the world at a whopping 11 lbs, 4 oz!!! (At least now we know what took so long!) You go girl! Everett was born at home, as was Avery and Easton, and everything went very smoothly. We visited on Friday, and let's just say, 11 lbs sounds much bigger on the phone than when he's in your arms (of course, we Videen girls don't mess around with those "average-sized" babies...we only produce 9+ pounders!) He sure still seemed tiny to me. And beautiful. And if I could just bottle up that baby smell...!!!

And this one's my favorite. I can totally see Grampa in this one!!!

As always, I have more to say...but, as always, I'm just too wiped to do it! :) Hopefully, I'll be back again tomorrow to bore you to tears. Until then, God bless, and have a fabulous end to your week!