Thursday, July 05, 2007
Rated PG!
I guess I talk about death too much!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Learning to Trust God
Well, as you can see, it's been a LONG while since I posted to this blog. Life has been running me lately, and I just haven't had time.
Learning to Trust God. That's what I am trying to do right now. It seems we all go through the ups and downs of life, and in those "up" times, it's relatively easy to trust Him, we can feel His presence in our lives in so many ways. But what about the seasons of our lives when God seems absent, when it feels like the world is pushing at you from all sides, when you feel like everything is collapsing in your life?
That's where I have been for the last several months, in the wilderness, not feeling God's presence in my day to day life, feeling alone. We own a family business that's in it's 61st year in business, but the Michigan economy has made it quite difficult the last few years to get by. My wife, daughter, and myself have really struggled with what WE can do to turn things around, how WE can change things, what course of action WE can take to make the store a success once again. What WE haven't been able to do is to trust God in this, to put it into His hands.
I began teaching a class this spring quarter on the book of 1 Kings, and God really opened my eyes. When you look at the lives of the kings of Judah and Israel, it becomes clear that the things that WE can do are pretty insignificant, it's what HE can do that matters. It doesn't matter what WE can do, because HE can do anything! The good Godly kings of Judah recognized this, while the bad and oftentimes evil kings of Israel always seemed to put their faith in their own abilities.
So, I have put my trust in Him, and I am starting to see evidence that God is working in my life again, that He is turning things around, that He is God and I am not. In our study in 1 Kings, we have been using the Warren Wiersbe "Be Responsible" study material, and he has a great quote at the end of the book: "Responsibility is our response to God's ability".
What a great way to see it! I can continue to put my faith and trust in my own abilities and watch my world collapse around me, or I can respond to God's ability to do wonderful things in my life. So even though we are still in a time of uncertainty, with many trials ahead, I know that God is with us.
Learning to Trust God. That's what I am trying to do right now. It seems we all go through the ups and downs of life, and in those "up" times, it's relatively easy to trust Him, we can feel His presence in our lives in so many ways. But what about the seasons of our lives when God seems absent, when it feels like the world is pushing at you from all sides, when you feel like everything is collapsing in your life?
That's where I have been for the last several months, in the wilderness, not feeling God's presence in my day to day life, feeling alone. We own a family business that's in it's 61st year in business, but the Michigan economy has made it quite difficult the last few years to get by. My wife, daughter, and myself have really struggled with what WE can do to turn things around, how WE can change things, what course of action WE can take to make the store a success once again. What WE haven't been able to do is to trust God in this, to put it into His hands.
I began teaching a class this spring quarter on the book of 1 Kings, and God really opened my eyes. When you look at the lives of the kings of Judah and Israel, it becomes clear that the things that WE can do are pretty insignificant, it's what HE can do that matters. It doesn't matter what WE can do, because HE can do anything! The good Godly kings of Judah recognized this, while the bad and oftentimes evil kings of Israel always seemed to put their faith in their own abilities.
So, I have put my trust in Him, and I am starting to see evidence that God is working in my life again, that He is turning things around, that He is God and I am not. In our study in 1 Kings, we have been using the Warren Wiersbe "Be Responsible" study material, and he has a great quote at the end of the book: "Responsibility is our response to God's ability".
What a great way to see it! I can continue to put my faith and trust in my own abilities and watch my world collapse around me, or I can respond to God's ability to do wonderful things in my life. So even though we are still in a time of uncertainty, with many trials ahead, I know that God is with us.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Grandpa's Eulogy
This past Saturday I had the privilege of speaking at my Grandfather’s funeral. Several people who couldn’t attend the service asked me for a copy of the eulogy and I thought that some of you might like to read what I had to say about my namesake. My hope is that his life will encourage you in some way and that maybe you can learn a little more about him.
Good morning. On behalf of our family, I would like to thank everyone for being here to pay tribute to my Grandfather, Al Petri, and honor the life and legacy that he leaves behind.
In 1963, after a church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King gave the eulogy at the funeral for three of the children that had died in the explosion. Now, Grandpa doesn’t have much in common with school kids from the 1960’s, but there is much of what Dr. King said then that can really speak to us today, Listen as I read a few of the words Dr. King spoke that September day:
May I now say a word to you, members of the bereaved family? It is almost impossible to say anything that can console you at this difficult hour and remove the deep clouds of disappointment which are floating in your mental skies. But I hope you can find a little consolation from the universality of this experience. Death comes to every individual. There is an amazing democracy about death. It is not aristocracy for some of the people, but a democracy for all of the people. Kings die and beggars die; rich men and poor men die; old people die and young people die. Death comes to the innocent and it comes to the guilty. Death is the irreducible common denominator of all men.
I hope you can find some consolation from Christianity's affirmation that death is not the end. Death is not a period that ends the great sentence of life, but a comma that punctuates it to more lofty significance. Death is not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal. Let this daring faith, this great invincible surmise, be your sustaining power during these trying days. Now I say to you, life is hard, at times as hard as steel. It has its bleak and difficult moments. Like the ever-flowing waters of the river, life has its moments of drought and its moments of flood. Like the ever-changing cycle of the seasons, life has the soothing warmth of its summers and the piercing chill of its winters. And if one will hold on, he will discover that God walks with him, and that God is able to lift you from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope, and transform dark and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of inner peace.
We couldn’t have done any better. My dad said that the other day, after Grandpa died. We couldn’t have done any better. I think what Dad was saying was that we couldn’t have asked God to give us a better husband, or father, stepfather, grandfather, uncle, or friend. Grandpa was as good as it gets, God really gave us the best.
Grandpa and I had many parallels in our lives and the most obvious one is probably our name. He was the first Al Petri and I am the last. What many of you may not know is that both of us started life with different names than we have now. Grandpa was born in South Bend, Indiana February 26, 1918 but he wasn’t named Alexander. My wife Debbie discovered that fact a few years ago while doing some genealogy research. She asked Grandpa about it, and sure enough, he was recorded in the South Bend County Records as Joseph Petri, Jr. Soon after he was born Grandma Petri had second thoughts about his name and she renamed him Alexander Zolton.
44 years later, on July 9th, 1962, I was born. My mom and dad had decided to name me David. Dad had left the hospital, and the paperwork for my birth certificate had not been filled out yet. So, Grandpa went to visit mom and me after dad had left the hospital. Now, if you knew Grandpa at all, you would understand how difficult it was for my mom to refuse to change my name; you see, my birthday just happened to be Grandma & Grandpa’s 24th wedding anniversary. Grandpa had all the leverage he needed to convince mom to see things his way.
Grandpa did many things in his life; he was an entrepreneur that started his own business, one that is still going today, sixty years later. He was a concerned citizen that had a successful career as a politician, he was a state representative, a city councilman, and he really enjoyed his time in politics. What can you say about his life, a life that was 88 years long and lived so fully?
When I first began to think about what I would say this morning, I thought about telling you a particular story or two about Grandpa, maybe sharing with you the details of a vacation trip or conversation that I had enjoyed with him. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that I should talk about the kind of man that he was, and the example that he was to us. So, I am not going to stand up here and talk about the facts of Grandpa’s life, the things that he did, or the jobs that he held. I know that many of you have special memories of Grandpa, and I encourage you to share those memories with each other, give us more insight into the life of this man that we all loved so much.
Grandpa was a family man, who taught us values and ethics, and he also taught us to love God. He was always there when you needed him, whether it was with timely advice, a word of encouragement, or just to lend a listening ear. Even if you hadn’t asked for it, he’d be glad to give you his opinion on how, or what you were doing. And you could always be sure that if you didn’t know who to vote for, he would provide a word of advice for that as well!
Grandpa was intelligent; in fact, he was one of the smartest men that I ever knew. He graduated High School while most of the kids his age were finishing junior high. He taught us to think things through, to study, and he encouraged us to learn and be informed about the things that were going on in the world and in our communities.
Grandpa was compassionate and caring. He loved people. He contributed to many charities and he spent time doing service work in order to make his community a better place to live. He worked with many civic and business organizations on fundraisers, raffles, and supported many of the local kids’ sports teams throughout the years.
Grandpa was a man of ethics and moral principals. While he was a councilman in Ecorse many years ago, there was a wave of corruption that surrounded the city government. Grandpa received death threats from some of his political opponents and the family even had to move out of the house for awhile. Everyone was under investigation, and many councilmen and other city officials were recalled or resigned, but Grandpa had done nothing illegal or improper. He was one of the few people in the city whose reputation wasn’t tainted by the scandal. He always believed in what he was doing and he believed in doing it with honesty and integrity.
Grandpa was a family man. He loved his family and he did everything he could to provide for and protect them. He worked long hours, especially when he was gone to Lansing during his time as a State Representative. But he never missed a game that my dad or my uncles played in, even if that meant driving from Lansing, watching the game, then turning right around and heading back to the state capitol. From family trips to holiday get togethers, Grandpa was always there. He took us to Florida, to Colorado and Arizona, to the Grand Canyon and so much more. He showed us what it truly meant to love your family, to honor and care for your spouse, and to believe in and support your children. He was the patriarch of the Petri family for nearly 70 years.
Grandpa was a man of God. He cared deeply about his commitment to his church, and he served the Lord here at St. Francis for many, many years. So, here we are, gathered together not to mourn the death of Al Petri, but to celebrate the life that he so richly lived. He was a man that we all loved, that we learned from, and that we cared deeply for. Let’s remember fondly the things about Grandpa that bring a smile to our faces, and look forward to the day when we are reunited with him in heaven.
In his poem entitled “Success”, Robert Louis Stevenson could have been speaking of Grandpa when he wrote:
He has achieved success who has lived well,
laughed often, and loved much;
who has enjoyed the trust of pure women,
the respect of intelligent men
and the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others
and given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory, a benediction.
So, I say again, we couldn’t have done any better. Grandpa was as good as it gets. And I am so grateful for that day in July 1962, when Grandpa convinced my mom to change my name. I am honored to share the same name as Grandpa. I hope that one day I can grow up to be half the man that he was.
Good morning. On behalf of our family, I would like to thank everyone for being here to pay tribute to my Grandfather, Al Petri, and honor the life and legacy that he leaves behind.
In 1963, after a church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King gave the eulogy at the funeral for three of the children that had died in the explosion. Now, Grandpa doesn’t have much in common with school kids from the 1960’s, but there is much of what Dr. King said then that can really speak to us today, Listen as I read a few of the words Dr. King spoke that September day:
May I now say a word to you, members of the bereaved family? It is almost impossible to say anything that can console you at this difficult hour and remove the deep clouds of disappointment which are floating in your mental skies. But I hope you can find a little consolation from the universality of this experience. Death comes to every individual. There is an amazing democracy about death. It is not aristocracy for some of the people, but a democracy for all of the people. Kings die and beggars die; rich men and poor men die; old people die and young people die. Death comes to the innocent and it comes to the guilty. Death is the irreducible common denominator of all men.
I hope you can find some consolation from Christianity's affirmation that death is not the end. Death is not a period that ends the great sentence of life, but a comma that punctuates it to more lofty significance. Death is not a blind alley that leads the human race into a state of nothingness, but an open door which leads man into life eternal. Let this daring faith, this great invincible surmise, be your sustaining power during these trying days. Now I say to you, life is hard, at times as hard as steel. It has its bleak and difficult moments. Like the ever-flowing waters of the river, life has its moments of drought and its moments of flood. Like the ever-changing cycle of the seasons, life has the soothing warmth of its summers and the piercing chill of its winters. And if one will hold on, he will discover that God walks with him, and that God is able to lift you from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope, and transform dark and desolate valleys into sunlit paths of inner peace.
We couldn’t have done any better. My dad said that the other day, after Grandpa died. We couldn’t have done any better. I think what Dad was saying was that we couldn’t have asked God to give us a better husband, or father, stepfather, grandfather, uncle, or friend. Grandpa was as good as it gets, God really gave us the best.
Grandpa and I had many parallels in our lives and the most obvious one is probably our name. He was the first Al Petri and I am the last. What many of you may not know is that both of us started life with different names than we have now. Grandpa was born in South Bend, Indiana February 26, 1918 but he wasn’t named Alexander. My wife Debbie discovered that fact a few years ago while doing some genealogy research. She asked Grandpa about it, and sure enough, he was recorded in the South Bend County Records as Joseph Petri, Jr. Soon after he was born Grandma Petri had second thoughts about his name and she renamed him Alexander Zolton.
44 years later, on July 9th, 1962, I was born. My mom and dad had decided to name me David. Dad had left the hospital, and the paperwork for my birth certificate had not been filled out yet. So, Grandpa went to visit mom and me after dad had left the hospital. Now, if you knew Grandpa at all, you would understand how difficult it was for my mom to refuse to change my name; you see, my birthday just happened to be Grandma & Grandpa’s 24th wedding anniversary. Grandpa had all the leverage he needed to convince mom to see things his way.
Grandpa did many things in his life; he was an entrepreneur that started his own business, one that is still going today, sixty years later. He was a concerned citizen that had a successful career as a politician, he was a state representative, a city councilman, and he really enjoyed his time in politics. What can you say about his life, a life that was 88 years long and lived so fully?
When I first began to think about what I would say this morning, I thought about telling you a particular story or two about Grandpa, maybe sharing with you the details of a vacation trip or conversation that I had enjoyed with him. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that I should talk about the kind of man that he was, and the example that he was to us. So, I am not going to stand up here and talk about the facts of Grandpa’s life, the things that he did, or the jobs that he held. I know that many of you have special memories of Grandpa, and I encourage you to share those memories with each other, give us more insight into the life of this man that we all loved so much.
Grandpa was a family man, who taught us values and ethics, and he also taught us to love God. He was always there when you needed him, whether it was with timely advice, a word of encouragement, or just to lend a listening ear. Even if you hadn’t asked for it, he’d be glad to give you his opinion on how, or what you were doing. And you could always be sure that if you didn’t know who to vote for, he would provide a word of advice for that as well!
Grandpa was intelligent; in fact, he was one of the smartest men that I ever knew. He graduated High School while most of the kids his age were finishing junior high. He taught us to think things through, to study, and he encouraged us to learn and be informed about the things that were going on in the world and in our communities.
Grandpa was compassionate and caring. He loved people. He contributed to many charities and he spent time doing service work in order to make his community a better place to live. He worked with many civic and business organizations on fundraisers, raffles, and supported many of the local kids’ sports teams throughout the years.
Grandpa was a man of ethics and moral principals. While he was a councilman in Ecorse many years ago, there was a wave of corruption that surrounded the city government. Grandpa received death threats from some of his political opponents and the family even had to move out of the house for awhile. Everyone was under investigation, and many councilmen and other city officials were recalled or resigned, but Grandpa had done nothing illegal or improper. He was one of the few people in the city whose reputation wasn’t tainted by the scandal. He always believed in what he was doing and he believed in doing it with honesty and integrity.
Grandpa was a family man. He loved his family and he did everything he could to provide for and protect them. He worked long hours, especially when he was gone to Lansing during his time as a State Representative. But he never missed a game that my dad or my uncles played in, even if that meant driving from Lansing, watching the game, then turning right around and heading back to the state capitol. From family trips to holiday get togethers, Grandpa was always there. He took us to Florida, to Colorado and Arizona, to the Grand Canyon and so much more. He showed us what it truly meant to love your family, to honor and care for your spouse, and to believe in and support your children. He was the patriarch of the Petri family for nearly 70 years.
Grandpa was a man of God. He cared deeply about his commitment to his church, and he served the Lord here at St. Francis for many, many years. So, here we are, gathered together not to mourn the death of Al Petri, but to celebrate the life that he so richly lived. He was a man that we all loved, that we learned from, and that we cared deeply for. Let’s remember fondly the things about Grandpa that bring a smile to our faces, and look forward to the day when we are reunited with him in heaven.
In his poem entitled “Success”, Robert Louis Stevenson could have been speaking of Grandpa when he wrote:
He has achieved success who has lived well,
laughed often, and loved much;
who has enjoyed the trust of pure women,
the respect of intelligent men
and the love of little children;
who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
who has left the world better than he found it
whether by an improved poppy,
a perfect poem, or a rescued soul;
who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty
or failed to express it;
who has always looked for the best in others
and given them the best he had;
whose life was an inspiration;
whose memory, a benediction.
So, I say again, we couldn’t have done any better. Grandpa was as good as it gets. And I am so grateful for that day in July 1962, when Grandpa convinced my mom to change my name. I am honored to share the same name as Grandpa. I hope that one day I can grow up to be half the man that he was.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Goodbye Grandpa
My grandfather, Al Petri, Sr. died today. I never spent enough time with him. It seems that life is too short and we never have enough time to spend with those we love. He was a good man, a first generation Hungarian American. He was a man of integrity, loyalty, and, most of all, faith. He taught us how to love and how to live. I am really going to miss him. He loved God and was active in his church. He attended St. Francis Xavier in Ecorse and served there for many years in many different ways.
I am his namesake. I was born July 9th, which was my grandparent's anniversary. When my dad left the hospital that day, he left assuming that my name was David. My grandfather stopped by after Dad left and tried to convince Mom that since I was born on his anniversary, I should be Al III instead. And if you knew my grandfather, you wouldn't be surprised that he was able to change his daughter in-law's mind. So I am, and have been ever since, Al Petri, III.
When I was a young teenager, Grandpa would take me for summer vacation to the lake or the KOA Campground in Dundee. Once, we drove out west to Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, the Wild West! The time we spent at the Grand Canyon will forever be etched on my mind.
He and my grandmother cared about family. They started our bicycle shop as a family business 60 years ago this year. Grandpa would work at the factory during the day while Grandma would pack up the babies and bring them to the bike shop, waiting on customers, unpacking orders, doing the bookkeeping. After finishing his work at the factory, Grandpa would come in while the shop was closed and do the service work. We have had 5 generations of Petri's work at the shop my grandparents founded, a true family legacy.
I know that you are no longer suffering, that God has truly healed you now, the way only He can. We will all miss you, and we love you. Goodbye, Grandpa.
I am his namesake. I was born July 9th, which was my grandparent's anniversary. When my dad left the hospital that day, he left assuming that my name was David. My grandfather stopped by after Dad left and tried to convince Mom that since I was born on his anniversary, I should be Al III instead. And if you knew my grandfather, you wouldn't be surprised that he was able to change his daughter in-law's mind. So I am, and have been ever since, Al Petri, III.
When I was a young teenager, Grandpa would take me for summer vacation to the lake or the KOA Campground in Dundee. Once, we drove out west to Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, the Wild West! The time we spent at the Grand Canyon will forever be etched on my mind.
He and my grandmother cared about family. They started our bicycle shop as a family business 60 years ago this year. Grandpa would work at the factory during the day while Grandma would pack up the babies and bring them to the bike shop, waiting on customers, unpacking orders, doing the bookkeeping. After finishing his work at the factory, Grandpa would come in while the shop was closed and do the service work. We have had 5 generations of Petri's work at the shop my grandparents founded, a true family legacy.
I know that you are no longer suffering, that God has truly healed you now, the way only He can. We will all miss you, and we love you. Goodbye, Grandpa.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Heal the Children
We just received word that a boy in our congregation has been diagnosed with a spinal tumor. They are doing a surgery today to remove the part of the tumor that is impacting his spinal cord, and will discuss further treatment options afterwards. They haven't determined whether or not it is cancerous. We also know of a young girl whose father was raised in our church who was recently diagnosed with cancer and is currently battling this awful disease.
Debbie and I lost a son to cancer, so this is especially painful to us. We know what it is like to go through these treatments, this time of uncertainty and pain. It is so difficult to watch our children getting poked, getting radiation & chemo, becoming ill. We do know, however, that God is with them all, holding their hands and hugging them, giving the comfort and support that only He can give.We are asking for your prayers that both Jake & Cassie will be healed and that their families will be strengthened by God through this ordeal.
Debbie and I lost a son to cancer, so this is especially painful to us. We know what it is like to go through these treatments, this time of uncertainty and pain. It is so difficult to watch our children getting poked, getting radiation & chemo, becoming ill. We do know, however, that God is with them all, holding their hands and hugging them, giving the comfort and support that only He can give.We are asking for your prayers that both Jake & Cassie will be healed and that their families will be strengthened by God through this ordeal.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Nooma
Well, several of us from church got together and started a new small group this past Sunday. We are using Rob Bell's Nooma videos as a discussion starter, but our aim isn't to just have another group that talks about things, we want to make a difference in the Kingdom of God. Our goal is to learn how to be real followers of Jesus, not just believers in Him. As Rob Bell puts it in one of the videos, we want to be covered by the dust of our Rabbi, Jesus Christ. It seems that too many of us get worked up about what you're supposed to believe when you become a Christian, and not enough of us take the time to discover how to really live as Christians.
In Mark 10, the rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. I used to believe that he meant "How do I get into heaven"? But go re-read that passage, and it's parallels in Matthew & Luke. Look closely at Jesus' answer to him. If his question meant "How do I get into heaven?", then I would expect Jesus to say "Repent and believe in Me".
But that's not what Jesus tells him. He says "Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." I wonder if what Jesus was really telling him is how to live in God's Kingdom here and now. Jesus concern is so often for the poor, the widows, the orphans. How can we claim to be like our Rabbi and not show the same concern for the marginalized in our world? When Jesus says to us "Come, Follow Me" are we prepared to obey Him?
In Mark 10, the rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to gain eternal life. I used to believe that he meant "How do I get into heaven"? But go re-read that passage, and it's parallels in Matthew & Luke. Look closely at Jesus' answer to him. If his question meant "How do I get into heaven?", then I would expect Jesus to say "Repent and believe in Me".
But that's not what Jesus tells him. He says "Go, sell everything you have and give it to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." I wonder if what Jesus was really telling him is how to live in God's Kingdom here and now. Jesus concern is so often for the poor, the widows, the orphans. How can we claim to be like our Rabbi and not show the same concern for the marginalized in our world? When Jesus says to us "Come, Follow Me" are we prepared to obey Him?
Sunday, September 10, 2006
A friend in Finland
I received an email from a good friend of mine who is currently serving the Lord as a missionary in Finland. Be sure to check out the portrait Jim did, which is shown below. Jim, I can't wait to see you in October, we all miss you, my brother!
I don't think he would mind if I shared some of his last e-mail with you:
Hi Al, I read your blog, but didn't read the other blogs yet. I will get to it someday soon. I just finished "The Case for a Creator" by Lee Strobel. Anyone who reads that book cannot have any good excuse to believe in materialism or Darwinism, even many atheistic scientists admit Darwinism is just not feasible but they can't bring themselves to believe in a Designer. Strobel talks about "irreducible complexity", which is the idea that a biological function like the cilia which is actually a very complex biological motor, could not have happened unless all the parts of the machine came together exactly as they are to function as a motor, there is no way it could have evolved from a simpler design. There are literally millions of examples of these in nature. And he also talks about how the cambrian explosion of phyla, happened all at once, there is no gradual evolution in the fossil record. How did all that dna information get programmed at one time? Even Darwinists call themselves Neo-Darwinists now because they can't stomach Darwin's theories.
Anyway, having about 18 lessons a week which run from 1 to 2 hours each. I gave two guitar lessons today (Saturday). Also finished a portrait (I have to show somebody! - it's of a kid that was killed last year - friend of a friend).
I don't think he would mind if I shared some of his last e-mail with you:
Hi Al, I read your blog, but didn't read the other blogs yet. I will get to it someday soon. I just finished "The Case for a Creator" by Lee Strobel. Anyone who reads that book cannot have any good excuse to believe in materialism or Darwinism, even many atheistic scientists admit Darwinism is just not feasible but they can't bring themselves to believe in a Designer. Strobel talks about "irreducible complexity", which is the idea that a biological function like the cilia which is actually a very complex biological motor, could not have happened unless all the parts of the machine came together exactly as they are to function as a motor, there is no way it could have evolved from a simpler design. There are literally millions of examples of these in nature. And he also talks about how the cambrian explosion of phyla, happened all at once, there is no gradual evolution in the fossil record. How did all that dna information get programmed at one time? Even Darwinists call themselves Neo-Darwinists now because they can't stomach Darwin's theories.
Anyway, having about 18 lessons a week which run from 1 to 2 hours each. I gave two guitar lessons today (Saturday). Also finished a portrait (I have to show somebody! - it's of a kid that was killed last year - friend of a friend).
I plan to be home at the end of October to visit some relatives and then hopefully get a teaching job overseas in the Orient somewhere. It's too expensive for me to stay here without a job and I can't seem to get one. Lord bless you all,
Your brother Zeteoan (Zeteon? - sounds alien) and your brother in Christ,
Jim
