God in the Evolutionary Process

I recently read an article in the NYTimes about the delicate balance that one teacher is striking with his Christian students to teach them the science of evolution. This has been such a contentious issue for so many years, so why does it seem so simple to me as a Christian? Why can't my God, who is the most powerful and imaginative being to exist, be the author of the evolutionary process?

I am so reticent to speak aloud about matters of faith and science because I feel so inept in both areas. (Maybe attending church alongside rocket scientists and Old Testament scholars has shown me how much I don't know!) But this is my space to write, and so I will try to make my thoughts as coherent as possible, even if I have reams more to read on both subjects. I know (and hope) that my understanding will deepen with age and experience. Here I am at this point in time, however simplistic.

I have come to understand the bible, more to the point, the Christian Old Testament, in such a different way than I had grasped it growing up. And it makes so much more sense to me, especially Genesis, to understand it as a work of literature. I certainly believe that God is powerful enough to create the world and everything in it within 10,080 minutes. (That counts Him resting.) But to me, it makes more sense that the opening chapters of our Bible tell a story figuratively, and that God created a much more interesting and orderly world over a much longer stretch of time. To me, it makes God appear even bigger and more creative in the way He introduced mammals, etc. (us included) into this universe. He set the laws of nature for some good reason, I think.

But that's not the point for me. The point is, while it is imperative that we do our best to think critically and draw the most logical conclusions, it shouldn't matter to our faith the exact manner in which God created us. God created us. And however He did it, whether He set his stopwatch or took His time, it's an amazing work. Whether his way to create us was to evolve us into the latest model, or to set us down as the prototype, we are here now as we are and we're here to serve and worship him. Regardless of how we got here. Either way is a miracle. And frankly, I believe there is so much that God doesn't tell us so how can any of us presume we know the definitive answer? I think that the more scientific discoveries are made, the more God reveals to us how amazing His creation really is. And how vast His resources are as Creator. Observing the evolutionary process doesn't negate our value as humans. It further unveils an imaginative and brilliant Creator.

Come Visit Me in Chicago!

Or if that's too far, just stay at your computer and click on the Chicago Mom's Blog, where I have just added my voice to a wide variety of other mothers from Chicago, writing about their parenting adventures and mishaps in the Second City. (My children may despise me for this when they are older!)

In Anticipation of our Roadtrip this Weekend

Road trip, seatbelts click, across the hip, in case we flip.
Settle back, make a pact, for God to get us there and back.

Listening, Nourit will sing, to herself, it's a precious thing.
Start to breathe, behind I leave, a load of responsibilities.

Some Highs and Lows of Last Week

Another quiet summer week with friends and at the playground last week. Low - Thursday the girls turned into drippy, snotty, disgusting messes, so we played alone. High - Friday, however, we kept our swim date with the twins Stella and Hayley, and what a fun morning we had! Since having Avi, I haven't had enough arms (I'd need at least 2 more, maybe 4) to take both girls swimming, so unfortunately Nourit has only been swimming once this year. She borrowed a swim vest from the twins' and by the end of the morning, was paddling around the deep-end all by herself, arms full of pool toys (including a couple dinosaurs, I think.) It was perfect, so I'm going to order one (along with a couple thermal swim suits) so I can take both girls to the (freezing-cold) gym pool, and teach Nourit to swim this year. Thanks, Christine!

High- Saturday we helped clean the parsonage to get it ready for our new (but old) Pastor Joe and Pastor Joe's wife, Dr. Sherwin. I'm looking forward to what God has planned for our small congregation this year.

High - Sunday we had the Patterson's over for lunch. Heather is getting so big and happy, and I think she and Nourit will become good friends over the next year in the church nursery together.

After a few minutes learning to drive in our backyard, Heather subsequently asked her dad if she could have the car keys to drive home.

Really Big High - Nourit has been a ROCK STAR on the potty this week! She has even been out and about without a diaper, peed on a big potty at the pool, and even tried it out in the garden this week. (She's a bit intrigued that all the little boys go potty at the park behind the trees, so she wanted to try it out.) She even dumps her little potty into the big one to help mom 'clean up.' Very cool, but now I'm wishing Cassia came more than once a week to clean the bathroom!

Low, Low, Low - Mike and I now have the girls' colds. Ugh!

Su La What?

I've spent quite some time trying to find just the right address and title for my blog. Liz's Blog is just so...I don't know...not available as a URL. And neither are all the other deep, thought-provoking, cute or catchy ones I could think up, including: blessed, gracenotes, gracenote, mamainwonderland, mommyinwonderland, lizardmusic, hotmama and a great deal of other ones that I can't remember (mostly titles of my favorite children's books or songs.) But lo and behold, I tried sulali and it wasn't yet taken by someone who abandoned their blog 5 years ago! Not much behind it, really. It's just one of Nourit's favorite lullabies that we sing every night. I don't think the words actually mean anything. It's simple and you can substitute lots of words, like I Love You, or Noo-ou-rit, or Cho-co-late.

So welcome! What would YOU substitute for it?

Overheard at the Dinner Table

Tonight, we were playing word games with Nourit, asking her things like opposites, etc.

Mike asked, "Nourit, what time of day is dawn?"

"Morning!"

"Nourit, what time of day is dusk?"

"Nightime! The sun goes up, and then down, and then up and then down," she said, making circles with her arms. Obviously she's been coached.

"Nourit," Mike asks again, "Is mommy silly or serious?" and I furrow my eyebrows to look as serious as I can.

"Mommy is crazy," Nourit responds.

Obviously she's been coached.

~~~

While I was at work this afternoon, Mike said there was a time when the room was quite messy, the music was a little too loud, and Avi was crying. At that point, Nourit put up her hands and said, "This just isn't working out."

Week in Review

Wow. I'm having a hard time even remembering back one week. Let's see...

Last Monday, my dear friend Elaine came to visit, and thoroughly made Nourit's day since she played with her the entire time. Elaine was one of the first people to welcome me to Hyde Park through MTHP, five years ago, and who gave Nourit her precious Dodo. ~ We spent quite a few days just going to the playground, and then Thursday, Grandma arrived! (Oh, the screams of joy!) We had a picnic at the Point (our first of the summer, I'm afraid.)







Friday was appointment day. We drove to the far end of Lincoln Park just to visit a pediatric dentist who got rave reviews by Nourit's pediatrician and our dentist. With Nourit's fear of doctors (apparent every time a man in a white lab coat addresses her), I was willing to go out of network and out of my comfort zone of Hyde Park to find someone who could get her to say "ahhhh". Well, we hit the jackpot. Dr. Morin was wonderful and Nourit got a good report on her teeth. (And he was so adorable I just had to take his picture!)

Yes, he is a doctor, even though he doesn't wear a white coat.

Next was Avi's 6 month appointment with Dr. Schwab. She weighs 14lbs 13ounces, and is 26 inches long, and is perfectly healthy.

Saturday morning, we made our usual trek to the market/garden/coffee shop, but then had an impromptu picnic with some other old friends (well, old for our time here!) Where? The Point!

Nourit, Rachel and Maya

Rachel, Maya and Nourit 1 year ago

Edwin and Mike
Lisa, Nourit and Baby Owen

Sunday we went to church, came home for lunch and naps, then had a nice visit with our friends Viola, Marek, and Jacob (Kubi), and their young friend Anja, who was visiting for the summer from Poland. The evening ended with Nourit peeing on the floor. (But today she's 4 for 4!)

Avi just learning to sit up this week, playing trains with Kubi.

Although she's too young to step foot in the Lyric, Nourit created her own "Opera Sunglasses." I wonder if there's a market for them...