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The Migration Season


Northern Michigan at it Best!

Each year as fall and winter approach, the animals and birds start their journey to their winter homes. Some of us will do the same thing, moving to a warmer climate to avoid those cold winters.

It’s interesting how this approach to life also impedes our daily thoughts. How we tend to migrate to what makes us comfortable. Some of us like to curl up on a sofa or favorite chair and read a book or watch one of our favorite movies. Some will throw on running shoes and hit the trails. One might dispute that they are not the same. Some people I know that get such great joy out of running would argue they are. The big difference is that for the runner you must first work at it until your body starts looking for that rush you get. It becomes our mental state of mind. One might have a glass of a favorite wine, lite the fire in the fireplace and sit back letting our mind and body slide into deep relaxation. We have trained our brains in a way that fits our desires, what makes us comfortable, and what we feel gives our life stability, and in many ways purpose.

Running, walking, reading, participating in a sport ( I personally enjoy golfing), or just meditating is great. We should desire some level of this in our lives. It’s also important to realize that becoming content with our daily lives, we have allowed some level of complacency to settle in.

As a runner, we enjoy that rush we get, but as our body ages, we need to recognize that maybe it is time to take brisk walks instead. As a reader, we need to explore new authors gaining new perspectives. Maybe it is examining the other side of a topic that we feel strongly against. We should not allow complacency to inhibit our ability to look outside the box. We should look to reinforce our current beliefs or possibly alter our position just a little.

Opening one’s mind to things outside our comfort zone is difficult. Our subconscious mind drive our feelings. Many times we dismiss thing around us just because we didn’t see them or we dismissed the thought before we took the time to think about it. We didn’t agree or thought it was a waste of time.

It truly takes a conscious effort to eliminate complacency from our lives.

I once asked myself the question: What is this life all about anyway?

Allowing myself the freedom to explore this thought, raised a key question. Did I evolve from something or was I created by someone? Logic would say of course I was created by my mom and dad. But what came first? The chicken or the egg? How did this all start?

Watching the discovery channel, I’m told that it all started millions of years ago. That my great, great————, great grand father was really just a single cell that randomly happened.  If this is the case than I guess that we are only on this earth for what we call our life time. Once this is over we just decay away too nothing but a memory in someone’s mind.

But how could this cell be randomly started with the built-in DNA requirement to make me into a human complete with brain and mind to think with? Is it then possible that I was created? If so, then I do have a real purpose. Maybe there is more to this life and possibly even death.

Exploring these questions is something each of us should attempt to do. We should not just accept what we are told on TV, in our museums, in our schools, and even in our places of worship. We need to decide for ourselves what is true and to do this we have to overcome the complacency of our mind. Directing our lives and not allowing someone else to control our thoughts and beliefs can be difficult. The satisfaction of expanding our knowledge, allowing ourselves to stand firmly on our beliefs, never hiding from a discussion, and always being able to have open dialog with those who have a belief different than ours, is the key to a full and robust life.

So until tomorrow when the sun comes up again, I will continue my quest. Please feel free to join me on my adventure and chime in anytime. Your thoughts and ideas are welcome.

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The View of an Eagle


Lifting my eyes towards the sky
Imagining I am an Eagle that can fly
With wings spread wide and head held high
Feeling that uplift can bring tears to one’s eye

The view below was sitting so still
It felt so good it must be God’s will
When looking around the clouds I could see
All puffed up big but soft as can be

As the updraft of air starts to dwindle
Down, down, down I continued
With life’s past thoughts quickly emerging
Both worlds start converging

I start to wonder just what I had seen
Soring so high where the air is so clean
Where it was easy to see and to feel so free
God’s wonderful world came in focus for me

Again I looked down with a new open mind
Treating my past as one of a kind
The updraft was back and rekindled my though
On my wide spread wings it had caught

Higher and higher I began to climb
Above the scant clouds in a very short time
The view from above I could see the earth
I really began to feel my true worth

Life took on a new meaning
A little like spring cleaning
Everything seemed so clean and so free
I just couldn’t believe it, it just couldn’t be

But God opened my eyes so I could see
All is not lost if you just believe in Me
Open your heart and let Me in
And I promise I will forgive all of your sins

I opened the door into my heart
And then my life began a new start
With God by my side I wondered no more
My life had changed right down to the core

As the Eagle flies high
With his eyes he can see
Gods wonderful gift
It’s so great to be free

By: Wm. Forbes

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Religion… Science… Religious Rule… Scientific Rules


Just Think About It

How does one attempt to make sense of the many religions and their rules? And we can’t forget the rules of science. So what is it that feeds our minds? What pushes us in one direction or another?

Sometimes I think people hide behind the word religion, picking one that makes them feel good or fits their lifestyle. There are many options out there. Many religious beliefs are handed down from generation to generation. Maybe it’s where you are born or what level of society you are born in. These beliefs become something people put faith in. Sometimes, they become traditions and embedded ways of thinking and acting.

I think the key word is ‘Faith,’ and faith is something we believe even if we don’t understand it completely. An example of the difference between knowledge and faith could be knowing your car will start because it started the last time. Faith is believing it will start after you replaced some wires, thinking you did it correctly.

So faith is something you believe, but you have not seen the actual outcome. You read the direction on where to connect the wires and have faith that the directions are correct. You turn the key or hit the start button, and nothing happens. What went wrong? You revisit the directions, double-check your connections, and everything looks correct. You try again, and still the same result. Something else must be wrong, or just maybe it’s the manual you used.

The point is that we placed our faith in someone else’s instructions. That’s also true in religious beliefs. So which one do you put your faith in, or do we discredit all religious beliefs and place our faith in the science that tries to tell us we just evolved? That we are just part of an evolutionary world.

It truly takes faith to step out and believe in something unproven or unseen by our own eyes.

I’ve often said we must peel the onion down to the last layer to find the answer. In this case, it is the answer to where to place our faith. It’s a most critical question. Is there more to life that we don’t understand, or do we live for some years and then die?

So we do some more research. We double-check the version of the manual we used on our car. We find an older version online or at the library. We check the wiring diagram and find the instructions are different. You change the wiring using the instructions in the older manual, and the car starts.

The point is that we need correct information. To peel the onion, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to remember that the science of evolution is just a theory. Something that evolutionists place their faith in. Their own science still points out that someone or something had to start it all in motion, that the odds are simply impossible for it just to happen. Then we have all the other religious beliefs. Which one is correct? If we go all the way back to some of the oldest written words, we find the Bible, especially the Old Testament of the Bible. It tells us God created the world and everything in it. Many religions are offshoots of the Bible where man has added their take. They may add rules that they think are needed. Some religious writings seem to fit a comfort level or even a way of ruling or controlling people. Then we find in the New Testament that Jesus made it easy as He gave us His way to have faith.

So when I peeled the onion to the core, it looks like it was either evolution or the God of the Bible. One is true, and one is not. It’s a matter of where to place one’s faith. We need to throw out all the confusing “what if’s” and focus on getting ourselves to the “truth of the matter.” Something to place our faith in that has meaning and brings stability to our lives.

You can find where I place my faith in this blog’s ‘Boiled Down – My Beliefs’ section.

You might disagree with me, but have you ever asked yourself, what if?

So the real question is:

Where do you place your faith?

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Just think about it: WHAT IF?


How do we deal with the “WHAT IF’S” of life?

If I had turned right instead of left, I would have found the restaurant I sought.

If I had continued my due diligence and invested in company XYZ instead of ABC, I would have tripled my investment.

Everything would have turned out just right if I had just kept to the plan.

What if…

Those “what if’s” can drive us craze sometimes. But what about the “what if’s” we don’t even know exist? The ones we miss because things seem to be working out. We didn’t even know there was something less expensive but equal quality and functionality which would have worked better.

Sometimes we say: if I would have only known.

To deal with life to the best of our ability, we must ask ourselves the “what if” question. The more we do this, the better our life decisions will be. Too often, we don’t see what’s coming until it’s upon us. Then we stumble on and wish we had asked ourselves, what if?

Learning always to ask questions is generally learned over time. Not many people can say they just stumbled through life, and all is well. Maybe it started when you were a kid, touched something hot, and burned your finger. The next time you ask yourself, is it hot before you pick it up.

Sometimes the “what if’s” become subconscious thoughts that guide us along life’s path. Sometimes we have formed opinions and don’t want to ask questions.

So think about it. Don’t just take someone’s word about a subject. Instead, investigate it, and ask: “What if?”

What if I’m just part of the evolutionary train?

What if there is more to my life than the day-to-day grind?

What if God is real?

??WHAT IF??

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Just Think About It


Religion… Science… Religious Rule… Scientific Rules

How does one attempt to make sense of the many religions, the rules within them, and science? What drives each of us one way or the other?

Sometimes I think people hide behind the word religion, picking one that makes them feel good or fits their lifestyle. There are so many options out there. So many religious beliefs are handed down from generation to generation. They become something people put faith in. Sometimes, they become traditions and embedded ways of thinking and acting.

I think the key word is ‘Faith,’ and faith is something we believe even if we don’t understand it completely. An example of the difference between knowledge and faith could be knowing your car will start because it started the last time. Faith is believing it will start when you just replaced some wires, and you believe you did it correctly.

So faith is something you believe, but you have not seen the actual outcome. You read the direction on where to connect the wires and have faith that the directions are correct. You turn the key or hit the start button, and nothing happens. What went wrong? You revisit the directions, double-check your connections, and everything looks correct. You try again, and still the same result. Something else must be wrong, or maybe it’s the manual.

The point is that we placed our faith in someone else’s instructions. That’s also true in religious beliefs. So which one do you put your faith in, or do we discredit all religious beliefs and place our faith in the science that tells us we just evolved? That we are just part of an evolutionary world.

It truly takes faith to step out and believe in something unproven or unseen by our eyes.

I’ve often said that we must peel the onion down to the last layer to find the answer. In this case, it is the answer to where to place our faith. It’s a most critical question. Is there more to life that we don’t understand, or do we live for some years and then die?

So we do our research. We double-check the version of the manual we used on our car. It’s a new revised edition. We do some research and find an original version online or at the library and find that they are not the same. Someone made a mistake. You go back and change the wiring, and the car starts.

The point is that we need correct information. To peel the onion, we need to go back to the beginning. We need to remember that the science of evolution is just a theory. Something that evolutionists place their faith in. Their own science still points out that someone or something had to start it all in motion, that the odds are simply impossible for it just to happen. Then we have all the other religious beliefs. Which one is correct? If we go all the way back to the oldest written words, we find the Bible. We find that God created the world and everything in it. Many religions are offshoots of the Bible where man has added their take. They may add rules that they think are needed. There are religious writings that seem to fit a comfort level or even a way of ruling or controlling people.

So when I peeled the onion to the core, it looks like it was either evolution or the God of the Bible. One is true, and one is not. It’s a matter of where to place one’s faith. We need to throw out the what if’s and focus on getting ourselves to the truth of the matter.

Personally, I believe that God is our creator, that Jesus is his son, that he was placed on earth and then died and was resurrected from the dead, that many people witnessed this, and that there is a Holy Spirit that will guide us once we place our faith in God.

The question is:

Where do you place your faith?

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A Grandsons Question


Why did Jesus have to die?

My grandson asked me a question the other day that I should have been able to answer, but it caught me by surprise. It went like this; why did people have to kill Jesus?

After some thought, I decided to write it down to keep my thoughts and understanding intact.

It all started back at the beginning of time when God created the heavens and the earth. Oh, I know, some people believe that everything happened by way of a big boom. The thing is, science continues to show that someone had to orchestrate it, even though they don’t want to tell us.

You might ask, what does this have to do with why they killed Jesus? It’s just that the answer takes a bit of background information.

The Bible tells us that the first man and woman were created in Their image, meaning God and his son Jesus. He created the first man and woman (Adam and Eve) to love Him and to live forever. However, he was not going to force them to love Him, he gave them that decision, and today we have that same choice.

But then someone, the Bible tells us it was Satin, or a serpent influenced by Satin, said to them that they didn’t have to listen to God, that they could do their own thing. And they did the one thing God asked them not to do, and that was when everything changed.

Many books are written about the historical information in the Bible, showing the accuracy of the Bible’s written words. But we must step forward through time to give the question an answer.

God used people to tell the story about His son Jesus early on in the Bible. They were the prophets that we read about in the Bible. They tell the story about Jesus hundreds of years before Jesus showed up on earth. The religious leaders at the time of Jesus’ life on earth knew about this but didn’t want to believe Jesus was who he said he was. I can only guess that they didn’t want their lives disrupted. They loved being in control of their people. So, they worked to have Jesus put to death. To prove He was a fake. The thing is, how Jesus would die was also made known hundreds of years before it happened.

So now Jesus was killed and buried. But what happened next is the most important part. After three days of being buried, actually he was place in a tomb, God raised Him from the dead, just as He said He would hundreds of years earlier. God allowed this to prove to everyone that He and His son Jesus are real. That death is not the last thing that happens when we die.

I truly believe that there is a part of us that never dies. Our bodies may get old or maybe sick and eventually give up, but the part of us that makes us who we are, our spirit, our soul, lives on. I believe that is how Jesus was born a baby on earth. God placed his spirit in that unborn baby at the time of conception. I think we’re the same. When we are conceived in our mother’s womb, our spirit is placed in us. And if God created the Heavens and the Earth, He can most definitely do this also. That is what makes us who we are. We are a real person way before we are physically born.

It’s now a matter of where we decide we want to go after we die. Remember, we are given a choice, a mind, and the ability to choose. No one wants to force someone to love them. That is not true love. Our mom or dad does not force us to love them. If they did, we probably wouldn’t love them very much.

So, the answer to the question is that if Jesus did not die and then come back to live again, to be seen by and talked with by hundreds of people, to show people the truth about what was written in the Bible about Him, then everything written in the Bible would not be true. There are many people that have a hard time believing in God, believing in Jesus, even after all these predictions have taken place.

Let’s try to draw a conclusion to the question.

Jesus told us that if we would love Him and His father, tell Him about the things we know we have done wrong, and put our faith in Him, then we become one of his children. And because He love’s us, when we die, we will go to live with Him forever. There is the saying, ‘there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend.’ Actually, Jesus also said this. And Jesus laid his life down for each of us.

I’m not saying we won’t do anything wrong again after we place our faith in Jesus. But we cannot earn this by doing things we think are good to do, even though we should be doing good things. Going to Heaven when we no longer are alive here on earth is something we put our faith in, something that we believe in, and trust will happen after we die. And if God and Jesus are real, then it’s important that we decide what we want to believe and what we want to put our faith in. Do we want to place our faith that all life is over once our bodies give out and we die? Or do we want to believe in Jesus and everything He told us?

I’ve often stated that either full blown evolution is true or what’s written in the Bible is true. Well, if the Bible tells the true story, then making a decision of where to place our faith is the most important decision we will ever make.

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“Decisions”


When Making that “Decision,” do we look at what makes us comfortable, or do we dig into areas that differ from our comfort zone?

We all make decisions every day. Some work out great, just like we planned, and some do not. Decisions are generally based on what we have learned over time, experiences, and sometimes just our human desire. Finally, a decision is made, even if it’s subconscious. Even religious teachings are an influence, and just as significant the lack of religious teachings also influences decisions. C.S. Lewis said, “If Heaven is real, not much else matters. If Heaven is not real, nothing matters at all.”

If we broaden our scope of influence and step out of our comfort zone, we recognize that some form of religious belief has existed since the beginning of time, at least human time as we know it. So if we discount religion, we base life’s most significant decisions on something short of all the influences required to have a solid basis for our decisions. To narrow down the discussion about religions, of which we can find books and books written on them, let’s focus on the oldest known and recorded religious writings. The Bible. Especially the first part of it. This part is where we find information about God’s creation of the heavens and earth. However, many scientists want to argue that this is not correct. That science and the recorded events of the Bible do not line up. Or do they?

Some people take what they understand, the concepts, the teachings learned during their education years, and scientific findings, and then search for ways to interpret the words written in the Bible, or possibly the plethora of other religious beliefs, to fit these influences neatly. Finally, we make a decision: This is how it all happened!

Maybe it’s time to take what’s written in the Bible and look at how science fits God’s written word. One big question continues to rise to the surface. I believe this has to do with how evolutionary science try’s to explain the world into existence. Some interpret verse 8 in 2nd Peter, “a day to God is like a thousand to us,” to support the millions of years that evolutionary science teaches how everything came into existence. The question should be asked: under what context is this written? Does it have anything to do with God’s creation, or is it in context to the eternal, everlasting God of the Bible? Is Peters writing about creation or about how our human mind needs to grasp that all things are in God’s timing, not ours?

In the creation account, as told in the first two chapters of Genesis, are we to interpret the words about a day and night as maybe a thousand years or perhaps a million years or more? Or are we to understand that when God said there was night and day, He meant one night and one day? We should also understand that throughout the Bible, prophecies and events are based on a 24-hour day.

So this brings back the question about the science discovered and defined by humans that many things are millions or even billions of years old. How could this be true if we believe God’s written word that a day and night is a day and night as we experience it? What was different at the time of creation that would alter what science tells us? What was different on earth before the recorded flood of Noah’s time versus today?

One question I have asked myself is how could any of the recorded ages of the men in the Bible before the flood of Noah be correct when we know that is not possible today? What was different? Could today’s scientific knowledge be used to explain this?

This important question needs answering: Is God real, is His written word accurate, or are science and the theory of evolution true? This is critical information! When you boil it down, all other religious beliefs fail in comparison to this question.

So it’s decision time. Do we attempt to make God’s written word fit into our human scientific findings, or do we allow our human scientific findings to fit into God’s written word? This question challenges the evolutionists’ view that God does not exist and that only time and some mysterious explosion exist. We must remember that this event is scientifically unproven even though so many believe it as fact, even though it is a theory only.

So, where does one go from here? Is it time to discover, or are we content with our current understanding? Now that’s a ‘Decision’ each of us should make. But, it truly has ramifications if God’s word, as recorded in the Bible, is true.

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Part Two: Do we Avoid Questions on Faith


     When we’re confronted with something that questions what we believe, how do we react? Sometimes the questions are subconscious, sometimes a friend, or maybe something we see or read. Often we push the thought aside or let political correction (PC) filter into our thoughts toning down or completely stopping what we deep inside wanted to say. Being politically correct or practicing apologetic’s can gloss over an issue or a topic, causing you to miss a chance to make a difference. It often disappears as fast as it presented itself. Your chance to make an impact on yourself or others diminishes and disappears. However, taking a chance and opening up to questions will better prepare each of us. It’s part of being able to express one’s thoughts in a manner that can be understood even when the listener disagrees with you.

     One thing that is common among all people is that we acknowledge there is good and evil in this world. What is often missed is how we are born with this instinct, this internal understanding. Just as a newborn baby knows it must eat, it also knows its mother and shows love to her. You may have heard the term, “The love of a newborn.” Evolution would have us believe that this just happens over time after we are born. That we are nothing before our birth. Where do our instinct’s originate from?

     So I propose we accept a challenge. The name of this blog is called “The Think Tank.” Often I try to give examples but don’t always ask a question. So today I will make several statements and ask the question, “Where do you place your faith and why?” With an open mind, question yourself how you feel about my following statements.

  • I believe that God exists.
  • I believe that God created everything at the beginning of time.
  • I believe in micro-evolution, but totally disagree with macro-evolution.
  • I believe that it takes faith to believe in God.
  • I believe that it takes faith to believe that we just evolved.
  • I believe that the God of the Bible is the only God, the original God.
  • I believe that other beliefs have been defined/created by man for man’s purpose.
  • I believe that many want proof, scientific evidence that we were created by God before they will believe He is real.
  • I believe that those wanting this evidence fail to recognize that they have placed their faith in evolution, that God doesn’t exists, just as those that believe in God have placed their faith in Him and that He does exist.
  • I believe our men and women that explore each of our scientific fields and their statement, “That evolution is a ‘theory’ of how everything started.”

     I could continue telling you what I believe, going deeper into my journey of life, my investigation, but what should be important to each of us is the question of our faith. Where do we place it? It’s an important part of our life. Do we place it in God, some other god, or evolution/no god? To recognize and accept the fact that it takes faith is the first step to understanding who we are. When peeling back the layers, we need to push past the desires and influences of others. Taking up the quest to question your faith, to recognize you have placed it on something, to not let your current desires and what you want to believe as true sidetrack you, and you will be on the best journey of discovery you will ever take.

“Where do you place your faith and why?”

“My faith is in God”

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“Part one: Is God Real?”


What do the numbers tell us?

     There are many references to population growth rates. Some show that the world population is growing faster today than in the past, but will slow as we move into the years ahead. Different countries have different rates. It can get confusing. However, the best over time average reference that I have found that fits the past growth rate is .456. The intent is to find approximately when the population on Earth first began.

     If we take into account today’s global population and utilize this growth rate, we find that approximately 4500 years ago there would have only been two people living. The Bible tells us that 4365 years ago that would have been eight. Noah, his wife and their three sons and their wives.

     The Bible tells us that the earth, at least what is important to mankind going back to Adam and Eve, is approximately 6021 years old. What happened to all the people that lived those first 1656 years?

     This brings up the question, what is wrong with the mathematical formula? However, science tells us it is correct based on all factors including wars and catastrophic events. Is our knowledge of the current global population wrong? I don’t think so.  

     Using this population growth formula that points back 4500 years, to the flood of Noah’s time, we should be able to assume that the Bible timeline is correct. Can you imagine, Noah must have been a visionary, or he was truly directed by God. Noah spent 100 years building that great big boat. The level of scorn and embarrassment he would have faced would have been immense. The Bible tells us that up until the flood, it had never rained, that the plants and trees were watered from below and from the dew above. So why build a boat that large, spend 100 years of your life doing it, and put up with the ridicule of those that watched if God didn’t direct you to build it? Was Noah crazy, or did he believe everything God told him?

     Some will tell us that this information was written by man and there is no way to prove the accuracy or authenticity of it. However, in research, we find that one of Noah’s sons, Shem, later to be called Melchizedek, was the High Priest to Abraham. Shem would have known not just Abraham, but Issac and Jacob and possibly Levi. Moses, the supposed author of Genesis, would have been well informed about all the events leading up to the flood as well as the events after.

     For one to discredit the biblical writings, it is important to utilize everything in our science tool bag, take into account what is written in the Bible, and then determine where to place our faith. The population numbers point toward a truthful Bible. So is God real? Science continues to find that something or someone started it all. Is God the one that science keeps pointing towards that started everything in motion?

Is God real? Where should one choose to place their faith?