Well, I know it's been almost three months since my last post. I've been overwhelmed with school and family and work responsibilities and things like this blog have fallen by the wayside to the more important priorities in my life. Today, though, something has been impressed in my heart and mind that I need to share here. A man was giving a talk in church today on the topic of gratitude. He quoted a scripture that says: "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." I realized that the underlying purpose of this blog is to promote and share my gratitude for God and his greatness, especially the greatness of the ordinary things or the things that we pass by every day and take little notice of.

I've spent the last several days laid up in the hospital. I've never been more than a few hours in a hospital, and up until two years ago, I had hardly even stepped foot in one. This last week, I had a bout with my Crohn's disease that landed me in the ER two nights in a row, then admitted me here for the next four days. I haven't spent as much time reflecting as I thought I might, but when you don't eat or drink for several days straight, your mind is not in the right place most of the time. I sought merely to be entertained and distracted from the pains I was feeling and the time I was going to have to pass here -- not knowing how long it would be.

What I've learned to be grateful for is life, for one, but I have been treated well here at the hospital and I've been grateful for the availability of great healthcare. As much as I don't like the attitude that can be cultured with free government benefits, I am grateful to have them while I am in need. I am grateful for the people who dedicate their lives to helping others. I have felt thankful to the many people who have stepped up and helped my family while I was not able to. Praise to my Father in Heaven who has given us his Gospel and scriptures and prophets to teach us how to become like Him.

Sorry, it's been a couple of weeks. I had finals to study for and we had a surprise meeting for church last Sunday. So I just finished up an Intro to Geology class this term. This had to be one of the best classes I ever attended. The teacher kept the lectures exciting and integrated gospel truth with scientific truth very well. In fact, much of the information that I want to share in future posts will come from things that, either he shared, or I learned while preparing for class. I am so excited to share the things I have learned and be able to combine two worlds that are often considered complete opposites: science and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

There have always been disagreements about the integration of science and the gospel, but they have to go hand-in-hand, especially if you believe that God created this world. I think that the number one thing that divides the two systems is the concept of time. Growing up under the teachings of the scriptures, I believed that the world had been created in six days, like the 24-hour days we reckon today, and that man can only have been around for about 6000 years beginning with Adam. Scientists have dated the earth to 4.57 billion years old. How is it that there is roughly a 4.57 BILLION year difference in reckoning? Who is right, and who is wrong? Are they both wrong? Are they both right? The truth is that we probably won't know the exact answer until we get to heaven and we can ask the Creator, himself, but let me share with you some things I have learned that have allowed me to accept both points of view. I have faith in our Father in Heaven and that he has revealed many things to us in scripture and through prophets throughout time, including today. I also have faith that He guides the work of science and technological advancement, in order to advance his work here on earth.

The experiences we have here on earth, are experiences we could only have as we live out of the direct presence of our Eternal Father, and only with a mortal body. It's like moving out of your parents' house; there are just some things that cannot be learned while still living under their roof. That being said, though, we are also taught that knowledge is the only thing that rises with us after the grave and any intelligence we gain here will put us that much further ahead in the life to come, when we have to learn everything and become like God. For this reason, I believe that secular knowledge is essential in our eternal progression.

Clearly, some things are better to learn than others. God has told us that everything we need to know in order to make it back to live with him eternally is found in the Holy Scriptures, but that does not mean that everything there is to learn is contained in those scriptures, or that through modern Prophets and Apostles we can't learn modern applications to the principles taught in them. If we will follow the simple steps of the gospel, we WILL return to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for the rest of eternity. In addition to this knowledge, though, we have much to learn before we can know all things, like they do.

So my point with all this talk about knowledge is that, we must be open to learning all things, as they relate to eternal life. The one disclaimer I have to put on this is the disclaimer that God put on learning all things: we must "ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost." This is the kicker: "And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of ALL THINGS." All truth comes from God and the only way to know if something is true is to ask Him. He promises you and me that if we will ask him, he will tell us the truth of it through his messenger, the Holy Ghost. Of this I testify; I witness that the only way to know the truth is through Him. So when I say be open, that does not mean accept anything that comes along because you will be blown around in the whirlwinds of popular opinion, which often is not truth, but doctrines that make people feel complacent in their existence. Build on the foundation that our Creator has laid, and you WILL NOT be persuaded by the often changing winds of popular beliefs. Here is some wise counsel I will leave you with: "Question boldly, even the very existence of God." I pray that God will bless you in your search for truth. I love you!

Why this blog?

I think this blog has been a long time in the making, but I came to the realization of what it was that I want to share with the world as I was reading a list of classes for a special week of public education at my school. They offer over a thousand classes, but the title of one caught my eye and it led me to title my blog the way it is. I haven't been able to get it off my mind over the last week or so. "The Greatness of God's Creations" is the reason I do many of the things I do. Everywhere I go, I reflect on how awesome He is. Everything I see reminds me that he is there. The feelings I get when I admire the rocks of the hills, the leaves and sticks on the ground, the scientific advancements that man has made throughout history, the scriptures he has given us, the foundational truths that govern everything in the universe, including here on our planet, etc., I can't help but stand in awe. My limited human mind cannot comprehend it all, but with his help I am coming to the understanding of how many of the pieces of the puzzle fit together and that is what I am here to share: insights into the things I have learned and how they may connect. Many things we will not know for sure in this life, but I believe that through His Spirit we can know the truth of all things. My goal is that you will begin to think of the world around you in a different light than you did before and to deepen your love for your Creator. Your world is the way it is because of the goodness of God -- good or bad. Follow me and hopefully you will learn why!