Arise, Shine...

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.” –Isaiah 60:1

I can’t help but think of how this verse applies to each Christian’s moment of conversion – made possible by the arrival of the Messiah foretold in the book of Isaiah.  But I’m seeing this morning that I do not currently “arise and shine” in some places – and definitely not at my church.  I’ve hidden behind my vow of “striving for the purity and peace of the church” and bottled up my sadness, pain, and loneliness for the past 16 or so years.  The relationships that I began to form were interrupted by those friends moving away, so I’ve been allowed to hide in plain sight – sharing some of my gifts, but never myself in this place that is supposed to be my family.

The most recent hurt came around 14 years ago.  I had been leading Bible studies both in weekly and monthly formats for the women in our church.  I loved studying and teaching God’s word.  In the midst of this time, a group of older ladies in the church decided that our weekly Bible study should be revamped into a new format.  They did involve the current leaders in their plans but told me they didn’t need me to teach the first year.  In the second year, they lacked Bible teachers and when I said I would teach, I was told ‘No – you are too young’.  Honestly, this is a super-simplified version of the story- I could type a lot about how my calling, my gifts, and my competence were questioned by older women who hid behind the commands in Titus 2 to get their way about the Bible Study.  In the one instance where these tactics of the older women were questioned, nothing really happened.  None of the outcomes were changed.  I wasn’t allowed to teach, and I ended up leaving the leadership group.  And I became convinced that this situation was connected to an older hurt I’d experienced a few years prior.

That greater wound came around 17 years ago.  While expecting my 1^st child, I started serving as a Nursery director.  This was a great fit for a new stay-at-home mom who loved organizing and planning.  The church Nursery experienced unbelievable growth during this time – for 2 years, we had almost 20 babies (under 6 months old) in the youngest group.  When we pair trying to make changes to accommodate growth with personally being pregnant for 2 years/ having 2 little babies, it was a recipe for disaster.  It was worse when you consider my husband was working 70+ hour weeks and I had no family support to help me.  I really don’t remember the specifics – I remember trying to hold it all together, being frustrated with the lack of cooperation, and literally just trying to survive each day (mentally, mainly).  But it started crashing down when men in church leadership came to me to say that I was not being gracious to others and that I needed to step aside from my Nursery role (which I did).  I became paranoid because I didn’t know who I had offended.  I couldn’t trust anyone at church because they seemed nice, but what if they were one of the people who had complained.  I wanted to apologize but no one would tell me who I should apologize to.  So I continued raising 2 babies with a husband who worked all the time and tried to fit in with the other moms, even though my heart and soul were a gaping, bleeding wound that was ripped open every week that I stepped my foot into the church building.

Ultimately, God used the more recent situation for His good and made sure that I knew it.  He opened a door of opportunity for me to teach Biology at a local university.  He then provided 6 women – all older than me – as my first class.  He has kept me in that place – teaching hundreds of older and younger students over the past 13 years. 

But I’ve never really come to terms with the 1^st wound.  I still am paranoid – I still can’t open myself – I still avoid a lot of church events because…  well, its just awful. 

My advent devotional encouraged me to write out my testimony this morning and share with another believer.  After I recounted the fact that I joined the church at age 12, my writing went to what you see above.  And you may be wondering – “how in the world is this supposed to encourage anyone?”   If you have been a part of a church for more than 5 minutes, you have likely experienced some kind of hurt.  I pray it is not as deep and persistent as my own, but maybe its even worse.  In any case, I’d like to encourage you with 2 things.

First, I’m becoming convinced that “striving for purity and peace” in the church does not mean that I always must quietly endure whatever is thrown my way.  Sin within the church should be confronted – like the misuse of Scripture to beat up a struggling, overwhelmed young mom who tried to offer her gifts – as this promotes purity in the church.  And ‘peace’ speaks of harmony – not just the absence of outward conflict.  This is what we should be striving for in our individual and corporate relationships.

Second, and more importantly, don’t let the hurts of the past deprive you of “letting your light shine.”  God still has a purpose and place for you in His Kingdom.  I know it’s scary, and I am still trying to figure out what that is supposed to look like in my own life.  But as I walk through this season of Advent, full of expectation, I want to see how God might use even these old hurts for His glory and my good.  I hope this might encourage you to do the same.

Prayer Letter 1 - August 10

I've been feeling a bit panicked about the start of school.  Being a homeschooling mom with a full time job means that days are VERY full.  Over the past 3 years, I have seen that I don't deal well with being hyper-scheduled and these 2 jobs require it.  But it seems more than that.  I have come to see that my main struggle centers around 1 kid.  This kid was diagnosed with ADHD last year and really hates school.  He is very intelligent but he doesn't believe it. He is also very determined to do what HE wants.  So, I am asking you to pray for both me and this child, and hope that you gain some insight into what it means to parent and homeschool this particular child with ADHD.

1.  Pray that my husband and I would have insight into how to help him.  Keeping him on track - day by day, week by week - is a never ending puzzle of what works (today, because it is always changing) and what doesn't.  I can't tell someone 'what are you going to do to help him' because, I don't know!  I try something and if that doesn't work, I try something else.

2. Pray that I will ignore the judgmental and grace-less comments and looks I receive because of my child's school performance.  Do you have any idea what mighty work of sanctification God is doing in my life (a high school valedictorian who graduated with Honors from college and graduate school) to know that my child is okay with a C grade or that turning in his assignment is not a big deal?  I have come to the place where I know in my HEAD that all I can do is give assistance, ask to see work, put structure in place that gives him his best chance.  I cannot (and will not) write his papers for him, re-do his assignments, or coach him through each problem or question when he has decided not to give effort.  Unfortunately, he lives with the consequences of his bad choices - if he fails a class, he will be in summer school (like we did this year - so more work for me) or he might not be eligible to play the sports he enjoys.

3.  Pray that God would do a work in this child's heart.  He is struggling with a lot of frustration right now.  He is struggling with confidence in his own ability.

4.  Pray that we would be able to meet the needs of this child.  He needs to learn to manage his own time and work better.  When that doesn't happen, he needs appropriate consequences, which is sometimes that he is not permitted to participate in certain activities with friends.  This child is an extrovert and isolation makes him more angry and frustrated, which does not help him focus on his work.  So you see that we are in a quandary.  We need lots of prayer for wisdom.

5.  Pray that I would have some outlet - friend? - that I can share my struggles and frustrations with.  I have encountered a couple of people who see this situation, and have offered grace and compassion and understanding.  But these people are far and few between and I don't run into them on a regular basis.

6.  Pray that we would find classes where both he and our family are supported.  We thought we had his classes settled, but new requests (that seem to make additional demands of me rather than my student) from a coop administration are turning us a different direction.  Pray also that we would know when additional tutors might be helpful and that we would be able to locate them at the right time.

Your prayers are needed.  I am weak and a bit weary and the school year has not yet started!  Thanks for reading and I appreciate your partnership through prayer.

Livin' on a Prayer

I've been convicted lately about a lot of things.  A big one has been my lack of connection to the local expression of the body of Christ even though I have been a member there for almost 19 years. I attend Sunday School and church every Sunday, am a member of a small group, and serve in our music ministry, but I am not really connected.  I can walk into the building and be there for almost 3 hours without a single person seeming to realize that I am there.  Sometimes this is a blessing because when I do interact, I say the wrong thing or I share something hard and things go very wrong.

As we are approaching the beginning of a new academic year, I have mixed emotions.  I am excited to see my students again.  I am looking forward to the classes I will be teaching. I am overwhelmed by the thought of another year of working full time and homeschooling 3 kids.  I am fearful that my kids will struggle and I won't have the ability to help them - possibly due to being overwhelmed or overworked.  I am struggling with the thought of adding ONE MORE thing to my plate when I think about starting a PhD program.  I feel frustrated and lonely when I consider the time all of these things require and know that most of my waking hours have already been claimed.

I feel very strongly that God has called me to minister at SWU.  I teach students how to view biology and science as a Christian, while also encouraging them to be excellent in their work so they may be lights in their field and instruments useful to God.  I strive to befriend and mentor students - some who need a listening ear, others who have never observed how a Christian family functions, and more who need guidance on classes or careers.

I feel very strongly that God has given me 3 children and the best place for them to be educated (for a variety of reasons) is through homeschooling.  In the past 3 years I have experienced first hand how difficult and draining it is to teach your children.  In the past year, we have added a ADHD diagnosis and the fun dynamics of the relationship between parents and teenagers.  I have discovered of the 3 tasks needed to successfully homeschool - lesson planning/ teaching, grading, and record keeping - I can accomplish only 2 of these at the same time.

We are currently praying about the opportunity for me to begin (again) work on my PhD starting in January.  The doors seem to be opening and aligning for this to be a possibility and other things have occurred which make this move seem wise.

So where does this leave me?  I believe that many of the emotions expressed in the second paragraph are directly related to the lack of connection mentioned in the first paragraph.  I truly believe that God has called us all to specific work in his kingdom, and that this is not restricted to those who are employed in "full-time Christian ministry" roles of pastors or missionaries.  If I am doing the tasks and work above for the Lord and He has called me to that work, I am involved in full time Christian ministry.

My life has involved these different roles and responsibilities for the past 3 years and it has been hard.  I probably haven't shared this with a lot of people because I fear the judgement and negative comments the have followed when I am most needy.  But I need the support and encouragement of the body of Christ.  I need prayers lifted on my behalf as I do the work God has called me to do.  Tonight I have found both the courage and the words to place these before you and pray that God will use it for my good.  So consider this my Prayer Letter.  Will you join my ministry to both my children and my college students by praying?

God is Great, Sweet Tea is Good, and People are Crazy

The words came out of my mouth today, and I wish I could amend them – “It has been a bad week.”  For background, let me summarize the events.

On Wednesday, I listened to, cried with, and prayed for a student in my office about 2 unrelated situations that had both scared her and pricked her heart.  I hope sharing with me lessened her burden.

 

On Thursday, I started the day with the homeschool version of a parent- school administrator conference.  When I got to work, I had students share a concern about the way another classmate was speaking to them.  This may not seem big, but seemed to be bordering on bullying.  I told them I would pray about it and let them know what the next step should be.  The day kept getting more interesting when I ended up helping make the decision that we needed to call 911 to take a student to the ER.

On Friday, I learned that the child who had been discussed and defended at the conference on Thursday had completely made a liar of me.  That night, my husband and I made a decision to go down a path with this kid that we have decided against for many years.  This is scary on a lot of levels – and maybe someday I will be ready to articulate that.

On Saturday, I was unable to block some negative or less-than-supportive comments from other parents about my youngest child’s football team and their coaches (who include my husband).  This led to me expressing my displeasure – although I think I was not rude or inappropriate – and I am a bit embarrassed that I couldn’t just ignore the negativity.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon when my beloved alma mater, the University of Tennessee, played one of my 2 least favorite teams, the University of Florida.  I have been confident that we would win this game – breaking the streak, moving down the path to an SEC East title, returning to national importance.  We celebrated the excitement of the game and then showed that our team has basically forgotten how to win – we play just good enough to lose.

All I could think was, “After the week I have had, why couldn't ONE good thing have happened?  Winning this game would have made the week so much better!”  I saw the various posts of Facebook friends discussing the game – supporting either of the teams.  I was greatly annoyed.

And then it hit me – why would a GAME between people I have NEVER MET have made anything from the previous 3 days any better?  Does a Tennessee win mend the breaking heart of my student, improve the health of another student, resolve the relationship issues of other students, ‘fix’ the academic issues of my child?  Of course not! But that was where my heart and mind looked for ‘relief’ from the heart ache of my week.

We are living in a Brave New World – where pain is medicated by food and sports and trivial things.  Where everything is supposed to be easy or you are doing it wrong or shouldn’t do it at all.  Where real life – which is hard – is BAD.

No – I want to go back.  My week was HARD, but it was GOOD.  I was given the privilege of sharing the burden of multiple students, of helping to make hard choices with other students, of observing real community between many of the young people I interact with on a daily basis, of celebrating milestones with my children, of getting to have new and hard discussions with my husband about how we parent our children.

So that’s what I wish I had said this morning – “My week has been hard, but good.”  May we all come out of the Brave New World and be real again – sharing our joys and sorrows without shirking away from the real life we have been given.

PS – If you have not read the book, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, you really should check it out from your library or buy it from your favorite book source.  I believe it is a shame that I only just read this book over the summer.

You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy

Social media has again got my head spinning and my frustration aroused.  Here are a couple of thoughts on this icy February morning:

1.       Why do we think that if someone is wrong about something, they are wrong about everything?  Today I have seen again comments pointing out that Martin Luther and John Calvin did not accept heliocentric theory (the idea that the Earth and other planets orbit around the sun).  I could give more examples of people of the past who had great contributions to human knowledge, but seem to have a glaring blind-spot in some area of their thinking.  Are there things that if you are wrong about disqualifies everything else you have ever said?  Apparently so in our culture.  However, there has never been a person who was right about everything.  Never.  Einstein and Darwin and Galileo and Lincoln (to name a few) are currently held in a place of esteem in history.  Maybe because they got a lot of things right (or maybe the scientific process hasn't shown them to be wrong - yet) that society currently values, but it certainly doesn’t mean that they are immune to errors in their thinking. 

2.       Why are we so arrogant to believe that we are right about everything?  All of humanity believes that they are right in the way they think.  It was true in the past and still true today.  We don’t see our own blind-spots – this is probably why they are called ‘blind-spots”.  We are steeped in our own culture and it is often easy to see the mistakes of others, especially those who found themselves in another culture and time.  “How could anyone possibly believe that the Earth was the center of the solar system?” we ask, and millions of other similar questions.  We believe we are so enlightened, so smart, so beyond our forefathers. 

Again, when in the history of mankind has anyone been right about everything?  And why do WE think we will be any different?  It is true that we continue to make new discoveries about things that we have previously not understood, but we also find evidence that points to new theories and conclusions. Rather than be grateful for the shoulders we stand on, we scoff and ridicule. How do we forget that Luther and Calvin and all were human beings like you and me?

We all hope to make a mark on this world – to leave a meaningful contribution to human knowledge or well-being.  Do you long for the good works God prepared and allowed for you to do to be torn down and trampled because our offspring realize that – gasp – you were a fallen human being who made mistakes in other areas of life and thought?  We are human – just like Luther and Calvin and Darwin and Einstein.  Can we extend to these the same grace that we wish to receive from others – both now and in the distant future?  Can we learn from the brilliance and mistakes of these and others who have gone before us?  This approach would be a welcome change and a vast improvement.

Who to Believe - Hobby Lobby, FDA, Someone Else???

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard many voices expressing opinions about the recent Supreme Court decision allowing Hobby Lobby to not cover 4 contraceptives of the 20 required under the Affordable Care Act.  I’m a reproductive physiologist by training and did my Master’s thesis research on estrous cycle synchronization.  Amazingly, I chose this path because there is little else in the world that is more interesting and cool to me than hormonal control of reproduction. 

It seems there is a lot of information being thrown around without citation, so how do you know what is REALLY going on?  Hobby Lobby objects to 4 contraceptives – Ella, Plan-B, Mirena (hormonal IUD), and Paragard (copper IUD) – on the basis that they may end a human life.  However, there are many voices that are claiming this is not the case.  The below quote is one such voice.

“Well, you might ask, based upon some of the charges being made, aren't the contraceptive methods being funded through the Affordable Care Act, abortifacients? Not if you believe medical science.  In the words of Jeffrey F. Peipert, M.D., Ph.D., the Robert J. Terry Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine, "these contraceptive methods work by preventing pregnancy (fertilization) from occurring in the first place. For instance, the intrauterine device works primarily by preventing fertilization. Plan B (or the progestin-containing, morning-after pill), along with Ella (ulipristal acetate), delay the release of a woman's egg from her ovary. The egg does not get fertilized, which means the woman does not become pregnant."” (Blog 2)

There are really 2 questions at play in this discussion.  First, how do you define ‘pregnancy’ and second, do the 4 contraceptives in question have the potential to prevent normal development of a zygote/ fertilized egg.

Most people think the first question I have presented is pretty straightforward.  However, ‘pregnancy’ is not the same as ‘fertilization’.  If you can think back to previous biology courses, ‘fertilization’ is the moment when the egg and sperm fuse and form a new diploid cell.  This occurs in the oviduct/ Fallopian tube of the mother.  It is days before the embryo reaches the uterus where it will implant for nourishment for the next 8-ish months.  For many, a substance is not an abortifacient unless it terminates a pregnancy.  Therefore, a substance does not end a pregnancy if it only prevents the embryo from implanting in the uterus.  For additional information about the definition of pregnancy, you should view the following website -  http://thefederalist.com/2014/05/19/the-washington-post-is-super-confused-about-where-babies-come-from/

As one who holds to the view that human life begins at the moment of fertilization, it is important to continue to answer the second question I have posed above – do any of the 4 contraceptives in question have the potential to prevent normal development of a zygote/ fertilized egg.  Might these substances have the ability to prevent an embryo from implanting in the wall of the mother’s uterus?

As a scientist, I answer these questions by viewing journal articles in the primary literature.  Here is a summary of the information I have located by doing such a search in the past week.

ELLA

“The principal effect of ulipristal acetate is to inhibit or delay ovulation, but the mechanism by which this occurs has not be fully clarified….Results of animal studies suggest that ulipristal acetate may have a direct inhibitory effect on follicular rupture.” (McKeage & Croxtall 2011)  This same review article also mentions a minimal effect on the endometrium and an alteration of ‘progesterone-dependent markers of implantation’ within the endometrial epithelium.

MIRENA

“Intrauterine devices (IUD) exert contraceptive action by interfering with sperm transport, ovum development, fertilization, and implantation.” (Mandelin et al. 1997)

I did another search for the mechanism of action of Mirena several years ago and found no studies that showed a post-fertilization effect.  Most studies concluded the main mechanism of action was to interfere with fertilization for both the sperm and ova.  Sperm are not able to fertilize an egg until that are ‘capacitated’ (this process is beyond the scope of this blog) – Mirena’s action prevented this process from occurring.  It also showed an action of ‘zona blocking’ – making the outer covering of the zygote impenetrable to sperm – again, no fertilization.  Unfortunately, I was unable to locate these studies in my search of the literature.  I am guessing this was due to having access to different journal databases.

PARAGARD

“The copper IUD is nonhormonal and continuously releases copper into the intrauterine cavity.  It prevents pregnancy by interfering with fertilization and preventing implantation.” (Bosworth et al. 2014)  “The modern banded copper IUDs are highly effective. The copper IUD acts primarily by preventing fertilisation, the copper ion being toxic to the sperm. Implantation is also impeded, enabling the device to be effective when used for post-coital contraception (Standford and Mikolajczyk 2002, Bhathena & Guillebaud 2008).

PLAN-B

“Levonorgestrel (LNG) works in several different mechanisms depending on the cycle day of unprotected intercourse and the day on which the treatment is started. LNG may inhibit the process of ovulation, fertilization or implantation. However, there is no direct clinical indication that supports these mechanisms. Emergency contraception is effective only before a fertilized egg is implanted because it can’t disrupt an existing pregnancy, i.e., emergency contraceptives are not abortifacient.” (Shohel et al. 2014)

“Kahlenborn and colleagues, in their 2002 publication, summarize early studies regarding the post-fertilization effects of EC (emergency contraception) agents. Based on a combination of theoretical and empirical arguments, the authors argue that the efficacy of EC agents cannot be explained by ovulatory inhibition or the inhibition of sperm transport alone. Thus, they surmise that endometrial effects must also be present.  This position is bolstered by the FDA-approved labeling of Plan B One-Step: “Plan B One-Step works primarily by: preventing ovulation, possibly preventing fertilization by altering tubal transport of sperm and/or egg, [or] altering the endometrium, which may inhibit implantation. Plan B One-Step is not effective once the process of implantation has begun”. It is worth noting that the FDA-approved labeling of Plan B One-Step may allow for the possibility of a post-fertilization effect, even in the absence of supportive data. Computer models intended to clarify the mechanism of action have fallen short, always confirming the effect of ovulatory inhibition, but failing to rule out the possibility of a post-fertilization effect.” (Lewis & Sullivan 2012)

”For the past two decades the scientific community seems to have been burdened with the impetus to prove, in contrast with the typical protocol by which the mechanism of action for a drug is determined, the manner by which a drug doesn’t act by proving “beyond a shadow of a doubt” the manner by which it does act. The authors of this manuscript would be foolish to believe that such a shadow will ever be completely removed from the inquiry at hand, at least until such a time as we have access to a test that might identify the moment of fertilization, as suggested by some writers. However, present evidence provides sufficient motivation to believe that levonorgestrel, used as EC, possesses no clinically relevant effect during the post-fertilization period. (Lewis & Sullivan 2012)

Given the above information, the literature seems to indicate that the primary method of pregnancy prevention for each of these substances occurs pre-fertilization.  However, all 4 substances list alteration of the endometrium or prevention of implantation as possible mechanisms.  Plan-B seems to question this possible mechanism the most throughout the literature, as discussed by Lewis & Sullivan (2012).

Some blogs (Blog 1 & 2, as examples) are loudly declaring that the FDA has stated that none of these 4 substances are abortifacients.  I am not sure what studies the FDA is citing to make this declaration, but there is a simpler explanation of why many people believe these substances can have a post-fertilization mode of action.  It appears that they have gotten their information from the FDA required prescribing information documents of each of these contraceptives. 

Here are quotes from the documents for each of the substances in question.

ELLA

“When taken immediately before ovulation is to occur, ella postpones follicular rupture. The likely primary mechanism of action of ulipristal acetate for emergency contraception is therefore inhibition or delay of ovulation; however, alterations to the endometrium that may affect implantation may also contribute to efficacy.” 

In addition to this statement, information about trials in pregnant rats and primates (not humans) did show that established pregnancies were terminated by the substance in about 40% of the cases.  (Ella Patient Information Leaflet)

MIRENA

“The local mechanism by which continuously released LNG enhances contraceptive effectiveness of Mirena has not been conclusively demonstrated. Studies of Mirena and similar LNG IUS prototypes have suggested several mechanisms that prevent pregnancy: thickening of cervical mucus preventing passage of sperm into the uterus, inhibition of sperm capacitation or survival, and alteration of the endometrium.” (emphasis mine, Mirena Patient Information Leaflet)

PARAGARD

“The contraceptive effectiveness of ParaGard® is enhanced by copper continuously released into the uterine cavity. Mechanism(s) by which copper enhances contraceptive efficacy include interference with sperm transport and fertilization of an egg, and possibly prevention of implantation.” (emphasis mine, Paragard Patient Information Leaflet)

PLAN-B

“Plan B One-Step^® works primarily by:  1) Preventing ovulation.  2) It may also work by: Possibly preventing fertilization by altering tubal transport of sperm and/or egg; or altering the endometrium, which may inhibit implantation” (emphasis mine; Plan-B Website)

Each of the 4 contraceptives in question list prevention of implantation as a possible mode of action in their patient information leaflet.  If you are not an academic with easy access to primary literature, it seems logical that you would draw the conclusion that these substance might have a post-fertilization mode of action to prevent pregnancy.  I mean – you read the information provided by the manufacturer! 

I want to repeat here a quote from above that gives some good food for thought on this topic - ”For the past two decades the scientific community seems to have been burdened with the impetus to prove, in contrast with the typical protocol by which the mechanism of action for a drug is determined, the manner by which a drug doesn’t act by proving “beyond a shadow of a doubt” the manner by which it does act. The authors of this manuscript would be foolish to believe that such a shadow will ever be completely removed from the inquiry at hand, at least until such a time as we have access to a test that might identify the moment of fertilization, as suggested by some writers.” (Lewis & Sullivan 2012)

Truly, after looking at the primary literature, I would not have an ethical issue personally using Mirena, or Plan-B.  The mechanism of action demonstrated in various studies appears to be pre-fertilization.  I do have quite a few questions about Ella, given the animal studies that have shown abortifacient properties in those species.  For both Plan-B and Ella, I also have questions about the safety and possible long term effects of repeated use, but those questions aren’t really relevant to the current question.  However, I very much understand the concern of those without my background in this area of study and without access to primary literature.  Published statements from the manufacturer’s themselves that support the view of Hobby Lobby! 

If one believes that human life begins at the moment of conception and that human life is special and worth protecting, erring on the side of caution seems a responsible path.  

Works Cited

Bhathena, R. K., & Guillebaud, J. J. (2008). Intrauterine contraception: an update. Journal Of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 28(3), 262-265. doi:10.1080/01443610802042266

BOSWORTH, M. C., OLUSOLA, P. L., & LOW, S. B. (2014). An Update on Emergency Contraception. American Family Physician, 89(7), 545.

Lewis, J. D., & Sullivan, D. M. (2012). ABORTIFACIENT POTENTIAL OF EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES. Ethics & Medicine: An International Journal Of Bioethics, 28(3), 113-120.

Mandelin, E, Koistinen, R, Koistinen, H, Affandi, B, Seppala M.  Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device-wearing women express contraceptive glycodelin A in endometrium during midcycle: another contraceptive mechanism? Hum.Reprod. (1997) 12 (12):2671-2675 doi:10.1093/humrep/12.12.2671

McKeage, K., & Croxtall, J. D. (2011). Ulipristal Acetate: A Review of Its Use in Emergency Contraception. Drugs,71(7), 935-945. doi:10.2165/11207410-000000000-00000

Shohel, M., Mahfuzur Rahman, M., Zaman, A., Nasir Uddin, M., Al-Amin, M., & Mahmud Reza, H. (2014). A systematic review of effectiveness and safety of different regimens of levonorgestrel oral tablets for emergency contraception. BMC Women's Health, 14(1), 1-15. doi:10.1186/1472-6874-14-54

Standford JB, Mikolajczyk RT. 2002. Mechanisms of action of intrauterine devices: update and estimation of postfertilisation effects. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 187:1699–1708

Blog 1 - The Hobby Lobby Decision: A Summary and Explanation 7/1/14 Love, Joy, Feminism by Libby Anne

Blog 2 - If Hobby Lobby Wins, Pro-Life Christians Lose 6/27/14, Huffington Post by Rev. Richard Cizik

Ella Website – www.ellarx.com

Mirena Website – www.mirena-us.com  

Paragard Website – www.paragard.com

Plan B Website - http://planbonestep.com/hcp/taking-plan-b-one-step.aspx

Professor Johnson’s Gift to You for Christmas 2013

The Top-Five Things I Hope You Learned This Semester that have NOTHING to do with Biology

5.      In the real world, a ‘group project’ means that all team members work together to produce a final product.  Not everyone has the same strengths, but all members have something of value to offer.  Your outcome (in this class – your grade) of a group project is usually based on your individual contribution to the project’s creation and presentation.

4.      It is rude & distracting to the entire class to talk when others are speaking.  This is something that mature adults know and practice.  This applies to when the instructor is talking or when classmates are attempting to have a class discussion.  You may believe that whispering to your classmate in the back of the room is so quiet that no one will hear you, but you are incorrect.  Few things are more discouraging than having something important to say and realizing that the people you are talking to are choosing not to listen. 

3.      You look foolish when you ask a question that was answered 5 seconds before when you were busy texting, facebooking, or whispering to your neighbor.

2.      When your professor makes comments and suggestions on your paper, you should read those comments and change the paper as they have requested before re-submitting the assignment.  If you only submit a paper once before grading, the comments from one paper apply to the next assignment.

1.      You are capable of more than you know and believe.  You have the ability to read and learn many things on your own.  Your instructors want to help you with things you need more help on – not spoon feed you every piece of information you might possibly need to know.  Thomas Edison, one of the greatest American inventors ever, was adamant that his success was not due to some amazing intellect.  He often told people that it was “90% due to hard work.”  The great news is this is something that is completely within each individual’s control. 

It has been a great privilege to spend this semester with you in Introduction to Biology.  Please feel free to stop by my office and chat when you return in the Spring!  Have a wonderful and restful semester break and Christmas!

 

It's a Good Day to Die Hard

Let's walk through the past week, shall we?

Monday - Wake up and take T3 to school.  Come home and frantically pick up house until the cleaning lady arrives.  Go to school with T1 and T2.  Spend 1 hour going over the days school work.  Go teach a class of 23 college students.  Come back and spend more time with T1 and T2 (they did not make much progress in my absence).  Go to office and grade papers, work on a literature review, and answer emails.  Pick up T3 from school.  Work on school work with all 3 kids.  Take T1 to gymnastics practice.  Help T3 get ready for football game.  Talk with husband on, while alternating house work and grading papers.  Talk with husband on the phone about the logistics of the evening.  Take T3 to football game.  Leave football game at halftime and go with T2 to soccer game that I am coaching.  Come home and eat a sandwich.  Grade Math from T1 and T2.  Look over lesson plans and activities for the next day.  Go to bed and hope to sleep.

Okay - I don't think I can make it through the remaining days.  I can tell you all the days went pretty much the same except there was a soccer game with football practice on Tuesday, I taught a class on Wednesday night, and we only had soccer on Friday and Saturday nights.

There has been little adult interaction aside from logistics.  I don't have time to socialize during lunch at work.  I can't socialize with other parents at the soccer games because I am coaching.  I don't have any friends that call, text, or email to check on me during the week.  This place has been extremely lonely.

Just for good measure, let's throw in a trip to the doctor for a sinus infection that has been hounding me for the past 4 weeks. 

I'm tired.  I feel really awful.  In this condition, I wonder if any of this is making a difference.

But I feel at peace - I know I am doing the things that God has called me to do.  And, maybe more importantly, I know without a doubt that I am dying to myself.  Some days, this 'dying to self' is excruciating - probably because I fight against it and try to live and serve in my own strength.  Other days, I am just spent.

So, despite the loneliness, the exhaustion, the illness - I am thankful.  Thankful that I am being made more into the image of Jesus.  Thankful that I have been given the opportunity to teach and serve.  Thankful that God isn't finished with me yet.

I'm sure that I will at times be impatient with this process and other times I will think I am 'finished'.   I need to be reminded that He will not be finished with me this side of Heaven - He loves me too much.  So I need to embrace where He has me and empty myself of confidence in myself.  This post is one reminder to myself that..... It's a Good Day to Die Hard.

This is Not a Re-Run

I'm sitting at the dining room table alone with my iPad and computer.  There are 2 un-graded math assignments from my now home-schooled-kids beside me and an entire house that needs cleaning.  But instead of grading the papers, getting up to clean, or even pulling out my book to do some more reading, I am staring at social media.  I feel a little paralyzed and the only word that keeps going through my mind is "tired".

I think if you saw me at this moment, I might look the way I did 12 years ago when I gave birth to my second child in 11 months.  I have few memories of the following months as I did what had to be done - basically in survival mode.  I looked okay, but the weight of life was heavy.

I have had no moments of real quiet during any afternoon this week.  Practices and school work have kept things loud and buzzing.  I feel like I have worked at SOMETHING every second from 9 am to 11 pm, and most of those things were not what I had planned.  Physically, I feel a little off, but mentally - well, I'm just not sure.

The first 4 days of homeschooling has been interesting, to say the least.  There has only been 1 breakdown on the part of a child, and I was proud of being gentle yet firm in expressing my instructions and expectations.  We are moving through our books and curriculum at the recommended pace with little problem.  Overall, I think this is going to work out well.

So why am I seconds away from tears myself?  Why do I feel run over by a truck and mentally exhausted?  I have 3 more weeks until the real craziness of life takes over with work and sports and school for the 3rd grader.  I am seeing more and more that learning at home with me is what both of my kids need to correct deficiencies in their life skills.  This early start is allowing us to get ahead (one of my favorite things) and I expected to slip into this new routine with the older kids now and make small adjustments when mid-August arrived. 

But this has not been the reality.

Being a working mother of 3 children with their own activities is very hectic.  It is even worse when you have no family around to help you out.  Even though I have not been able to participate in women's Bible studies or be invited to "Girls Nights", I have had the thought that if I REALLY WANTED TO, I could squeeze that in.  I guess the reality is setting in that EVEN IF I WANT TO, there is not going to be time for any additions while I fill all of roles I must fill, in the way I believe will glorify God.

I don't want to go back to survival mode.  I don't want to live feeling weighed down and perpetually tired.  Only Jesus can give me joy in this place He has called me - as wife, mother, professor, and now homeschooling parent.  Perhaps he will use people around me as His hands and feet, but maybe not.  I'm thankful that He is showing me that this is all too big for me.  Now I must let Him do it - through me - rather than hope I can do it all in my own power and strength.

It's Time for a Posture Check

My current running app likes to ask me for a "Posture Check" at least once per workout.  Sometimes this is really irritating, but today, it made me think in an entirely different way.

In a recent post I complained about how many people chose to share their political opinions on Facebook in a rude, demeaning, or condescending way.  This holds true on whether I agree with the 'side' the person is defending in their post. 

There is another approach taken by others that is more troubling to me - those that say "this is what I believe, but you believe something else.  Both are okay.  Its no big deal."  These posts and statements are not talking about a favorite flavor of ice cream or most enjoyable television show, but about serious moral questions.

So today, I was pleasantly surprised to see this post in my Facebook feed comparing the difference between POSTURE and POSITION.  I think he sums up well the difference between the two, although I believe both are important. 

If your POSTURE is that you will argue and ridicule those who disagree with you, your witness and relationships are damaged - regardless of whether you are correct!  On the other side, if your POSTURE is one of extreme flexibility bordering on relativism, your relationships are not damaged, but I still think your witness is minimized.  As Christians, we are clearly called to certain standards - not because our salvation depends on it.  Rather, the One who layed down His life for us knows what is best for us and we seek to honor Him through all of our actions.

What might it look like to hold firm to your position while maintaining a posture that glorifies God in our encounters with others?  I believe it hinges on a Biblical understanding of man.  All of us are made in the image of God and have value, dignity, and worth.  Nothing can take away from that position, and we need to recognize and proclaim this, maybe most especially with those with whom we disagree. 

The next time I open my running app on my iPhone, it will again remind me to do a posture check.  This is appropriate because this is something we will need to check regularly - daily, maybe hourly - both in our physical body and heart.  Perhaps with practice we can form a habit of a proper spiritual POSTURE toward our God and our fellow man.  This would be a change I would welcome.

I Can't Look Away from the Trainwreck....

Hello Facebook Friend - I'm blogging today wondering why you continue to post certain topics. 

I don't really care what you are eating for breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner.

I don't think your children are the most amazing things in the world, and your posts will not convince me of this.

I don't want to play any games, so please stop inviting me to do so.

I don't care that YOU are playing games or that you just got a high score.

I don't like seeing opinions presented in a ridiculing manner or laced with profanity.  This would include politics, education, or health care.

But the bigger question I have is - WHY CAN I NOT CLOSE THE STUPID WEBSITE AND STOP READING THESE THINGS I DON'T CARE ABOUT?

I have never had lots of friends and I have never been popular.  This has not changed through high school, college, graduate school, mommy-hood, to the present.  I find myself in the same pattern of those times - on the outside looking in.  I was physically THERE - I heard the conversation - but I was not really A PART of it all.  If I had been absent, not much would have changed for the ones who were. 

So I 'act' on Facebook the way I always have - listening - but not being heard, watching - but not being seen.  Deep down I have the same desire and hope I have always had.  Someday, someone will look over, see my sad lonely self on the sideline and invite me to participate in life. 

Albert Einstein is credited as saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  Given what I have shared here, I would certainly qualify as insane in this arena.  But what is a Biblical response to all of this?  We are made for relationship, but ultimately that relationship should be with Jesus.  People will always disappoint us - He never will.  He always sees and hears me - these are the truths I need remind myself of in moments of sadness.  And I don't need to be connected to Facebook or other social media to be 'followed' by Him.

Graduation Insights from a Faculty Member and Mom

This past Friday and Saturday I was privileged to attend 2 graduation ceremonies (okay - I was required to go as a faculty member but it is fun to see former students on such a momentous occasion).  I have been known to carry a book to graduation, especially since I hear the same speaker/ speech twice in 2 days.  This year, I didn't crack my book - in either ceremony!  The speaker talked about sacrifice - as he defined "choosing to suffer".  He reminded us that sacrifice exponentially increases the outcome of whatever it is attached to.  Sacrifice it not moral and can be used in any cause - good or bad.

To explain why this address had such an impact on me, you need a little back story.  I am in my first year of my true career.  I have been working at a job I love - teaching college students - for 8 years now.  I have worked as the lab coordinator for 2 years.  However, this is the first year I have been on a full-time contract doing what I thought I would when I applied to graduate school many years ago.  This opportunity is exciting.  I think of not only what I can do to be better at my job, but also what I should do to advance my career.  This has lead to thoughts of research, thoughts of returning to graduate school to finish my Ph.D., thoughts of more activities at work.

In the midst of these thoughts it has become clear that my middle schoolers are struggling.  One has no free time - it is all homework and gymnastics practice.  The other is on a grade roller-coaster - either make perfect grades or struggling to turn in any assignments.  In all of this, I see a lack of care in their work.  Due dates appear to be suggestions and there is no consistent rule for when late work is no big deal and when it is not even accepted.  After a lot of prayer and discussion, we have decided to home school these 2 for the next academic year.

So thinking about advancing my career while being responsible for the education of a 12 and 13 year old feels overwhelming.  So while I sat in the audience at graduation,  I thought about what the speaker was saying about sacrifice.  I had a real sense that God is calling me to sacrifice for my kids' education right now.  They need me.  God has big plans for these children of mine - plans that require them to have life skills like meeting deadline and paying attention to detail.  These skills are lost on them right now and I have the opportunity to sacrifice my desires for a while to make sure they are ready for what God has in store for them.

There will be time for other sacrifices - those that will allow me to finish my Ph.D. and apply for promotion at work.  But I need to remind myself that now is not that time.  God is directing my path, and I feel that this is the sacrifice He is calling me to right now.

I am a "Miserable Comforter"

After 3 years of “read through the Bible in a year” plans, I decided to do the Chronological Plan for 2013.  I was a little surprised when the plan sent me to the book of Job right after Noah left the Ark!  For the past week I have been reading the bad council of Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz to the suffering Job.  “Surely you are being punished for your wickedness!” they continue to declare to him while Job insists on his innocence.

Each day after reading the accusations of Job’s visitors, I am left with a sense of thankfulness.  Above all, I’m thankful that although I am as sinful as they are describing, God does not treat me as my sins deserve due to the finished work of Christ.  But if I am honest with myself, I am thankful that I would never say such things to a suffering person.  As I type this, it smacks with more of a Pharisaical hypocrite than it normally does in my head (Lord, I thank you that I am not like this tax collector…), but God in His mercy has orchestrated all of this to teach me something new.

There are suffering people around me.  It seems like more than normal.  I don’t know if this is because I am paying better attention or if it is really the case.  As I am patting myself on the back that I would not be so insensitive and wrong as Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz, God has shown me that I am just like them.  I just speak a different language of insensitivity.  Rather than accuse the suffering of being wicked, I accuse them in my mind of other REASONS why they find themselves in their current situation.  Your health is poor because you have not lost weight/ exercised/ gone to the doctor.  Your relationships are bad because you are selfish/ demanding/ no fun/ a bad listener.  Your illness is due to cellular malfunction (I could explain it to you)/ bad luck (let me tell you about mutations).  Surely this isn’t as bad as Job’s miserable comforters, right?   Because what I am saying in my head is really true, right?

But why is my mind going there?  I have been convicted today that all of these reasons in my mind are there so I can check off that I am NOT like that.  I am in good health because I have exercised and gone to the doctor.  I am not selfish or demanding.  And because I BELIEVE this about myself, I am saying that I am in control of my health, relationships, and whatever else you would like to include.   I think that is what Zophar, Bildad, and Eliphaz are trying to convince themselves – “we are seeking to follow the Lord and so we are safe from suffering like yours, Job.”    Put in my current language – “I am doing what modern medicine says in healthy for me, so I am safe from serious disease and early death.”  Or “I am kind and level-headed in my conversations with others, so my relationships should be good.  No one could think poorly of my work, intellect or dealings with others.”

Just like Job’s suffering was not tied to the reasons presented by his miserable comforters (which we see at the beginning and end of the book, but Job never learns), it is very likely that the suffering of those around you and me is about much more than science, medicine or relationship help instructions.  God is up to something in his world and people.  We try to shrink what we observe down to where it is small and easy to understand.  His ways are not our ways.  He is always about moving all of creation toward its final destination where His glory and goodness are fully known.  

So I am thankful – for his free gift of salvation that promises me his goodness and grace.  But also that I am reminded that this world is not just about what the physical world can explain.  That he is weaving together ALL of redemptive history into a beautiful masterpiece that this world and its circumstances cannot even comprehend. 

I am a miserable comforter, but I am loved, I am washed, I am redeemed for His glorious purposes.

Life Lessons from Bowl Season

The past 2 years have brought an entirely different perspective on bowls.  As a University of Tennessee fan, there was always 1 bowl that I cared about.  Since we have not been bowl eligible, I have observed other teams and fans in a different light.  A lot of this observation has wrought great irritation in me.  Today, it occurred to me all of the life lessons my children and students could learn from this year’s Bowl Season.

Before I begin, I’ll give my disclaimer:  I am not a football expert.  I am not declaring my view correct in all areas.  So don’t take it personally if you resemble any of my examples below.

 

1. You are not too good for your opponent or your bowl game

I can think of 3 games that I watched this bowl season where some version of the above appeared obvious.  In all 3 cases, the team with this attitude lost the game.  Life is no different – when you have an opportunity in your life, you should take full advantage and work at it with your whole heart.  Any other action is squandering your gifts, talents, and opportunities.

2.  Talent does not win ball games.

The commentators in some games had the audacity to say that all a team had to do was show up and they would win.  They were shown to be very wrong in most cases.  Talent opens doors and gives you opportunity.  But hard work and perseverance are much better indicators of actual success on the field (and in life).

3.  Disrespect is always ugly

Whether it is announcers (see #2), coaches, players or fans, people are made in the image of God and should be treated with respect.  I do not care if you made a good tackle, threw a great pass, or your team just won – this always applies. 

4.  Rankings may not be fair, but it’s the best we can do now – get over it!

Any time someone brings up the word “fair”, it gets under my skin.  Life is not fair and it never will be.  The sooner a person understands this reality, the better off they will be.  I don’t mean to say that we should always accept this state.  Much of the time (in life, especially) we should work to rectify wrongs.  But even then, we will never be able to make things truly fair. 

I may later go into the ultimate of example of things not being fair that we benefit from, but this is not the time or place. 

5.  Basing your fanhood and life’s happiness of the performance of 18 to 22 year olds (pre-adults) is not fair to the players and makes you look ridiculous.

Its easy to forget that the players you see on TV are basically kids.  Would you have wanted nasty emails and public ridicule for the mistakes you made at this age?  Most of us are lucky enough that those mistakes were private or at least seen by only a few people.  Imagine having your mistake viewed by 80,000 people live and then re-lived on ESPN for the next week (or more).  No wonder so many of these kids turn to unhealthy and destructive behaviors.

 

Finally, one other item really struck me today.  I am constantly trying to protect my 2 oldest kids from the evils of social media.  I believe their home should be a place of rest and refuge.  Much of the time, social media can rob them of this.  In one extreme case, my daughter needed to completely close her account and take a break from social media for several months.  Usually I can look at the various views presented in these forums and move on.  But some comments in my News Feed have raised my blood pressure, given me gray hairs, and encouraged me to throw my computer through a window.  I have allowed social media to rob ME of a place of rest and refuge.   I need to take my own advice and remove those ‘friends’ who regularly have this effect.  There may be a time where I find that I need to completely remove myself from social media, and I need to be willing to do that if it is the best thing.

2012 Reading and 2013 Goals

My goal for 2012 was to read 35 books.  I surpassed my goal by 5 books. 

1. Water for Elephants - Gruen
2. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist - Piper
3. Eat, Pray, Love - Gilbert
4. The Wind in the Willows - Grahame
5. The Hunger Games - Collins
6. The Help - Stockett
7. Finally Alive: What Happens When We are Born Again - Piper
8. The Woman in White - Collins
9. Catching Fire - Collins
10. Who Made God?: Searching for a Theory of Everything - Andrews
11. Radical Together - Platt
12. Middlemarch: A Study of Provincial Life - Eliot
13. The Litigators - Grisham
14. Mockingjay - Collins
15. Gospel Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting - Farley
16. Soul of Science - Pearcey
17. Coming to Peace with Science: Bridging the Worlds Between Faith and Biology - Falk
18. Genesis in Space and Time: The Flow of Biblical History - Schaeffer
19. The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out - Manning
20. The Last Child - Hart
21. Best Friends Forever - Weiner
22. A Change in Altitude - Shreve
23. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Haddon
24. The Brethren - Grisham
25. The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor's Plan Designed for Rapid Results - Moreno
26. The Midlife Miracle Diet: When Your Diet Doesn't Work Anymore - Puhn
27. Organizing the Disorganized Child: Simple Strategies to Succeed in School - Kutscher
28. Icons of Evolution: Science of Myth? - Wells
29. Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love - Sobel
30. Old Yeller - Gipson
31. Philosophy of Science: The Natural Sciences in Christian Perspective - Ratzsch
32. Aftershock: Protect Yourself and Profit in the Next Global Financial Meltdown - Wiedemer
33. Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach - Poythress
34. Should Christians Embrace Evolution: Biblical & Scientific Responses - Nevin
35. The Handmaid's Tale - Atwood
36. Saving Darwin: How to be a Christian and Believe in Evolution - Giberson
37. What the Best College Teachers Do - Bain
38. Divergent - Roth
39. Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution - Miller
40. Anna Karenina - Tolstoy

I was again surprised by how much I enjoyed the classics I read.  Anna Karenina & The Woman in White were both very good!

I'm not sure of the length of some of the books I will be reading this year, so I think I will stick with a goal of 35 books.  I plan to rotate still between classic literature, non-fiction, and something I want to read (possibly recent fiction). 

So what did you read this year that you really enjoyed?

Musings Following "Saving Darwin's God"

The most recent book I’ve completed is Kenneth Miller’s Finding Darwin’s God.  This one took me a while to finish – not because the content was difficult, but because the work of the semester limited my reading time (well, that and finding Alias on Netflix).  As with my previous book, (Saving Darwin – see previous post) bad theology leads to some interesting conclusions.

There were too many times to count the number of times Miller said the he “knew” or science had “proved” something about the age of the Earth and the means of the appearance of life.  He even denigrates our ancestors saying that ‘our species has now grown up’ and that we should have a more sophisticated view of the history of our planet and species.  His comments show his ignorance of the limits of science.  Science cannot prove anything – the data support or refute hypotheses.  In addition, data support multiple hypothesis – some of which have not yet been thought of by humans.  I find it ironic that Miller has such a high view of science, which was conceived by our ancestors, when he then belittles the views of the same people.

Miller’s treatment of the Fall minimizes the effect of sin on the human heart and all of Creation.  Rather than acknowledge that we may not understand the impact of the Fall on biological systems, he dismisses such an idea with less than a paragraph.  Scripture is pretty clear that sin affected not only our spiritual condition, but the natural world, as well.

There were many points that Miller argued from history rather than from a proper understanding of Scripture.  In multiple areas, he gives erroneous interpretations of Scripture as the true meaning of the Bible.  I am not sure if he was trying to address these views within the church or not, but it seemed he tried to debunk a widely held idea based on what other people thought rather than debunk it with a correct interpretation of Scripture (what God thought).

As the book progressed from biological evolution, I learned much about Miller’s theology.

1.       He seems to believe that God is not involved in a natural process if that natural process can be explained by natural causes.  The only time that God intervenes is directly and in those cases, He suspends the laws of nature.

2.       He states that God HAD to make the world the way He did so it could be independent.  Otherwise, we live in a world with no free will, no independence.  He even argues this is so based on quantum theory.  

I don’t think that God is held hostage by the properties of matter.  God is eternal – matter is not!  My understanding of Scripture would say that God IS in control of His creation and He knows where history is leading.  But this does not eliminate free will – where we are free to act in harmony with our nature.  This reality is one of the mysteries of Scripture as I don’t fully understand how both are true.

Overall, this book had a lot of interesting views.  Christians who hold to evolutionary theory in various forms have gained an audience in the wider culture.  Yet, I wonder how many of Miller’s views mentioned above are shared by Collins and other popular Christian writers.

Musings following "Saving Darwin"

The past couple of weeks, I have been reading Saving Darwin by Karl Giberson.  The subtitle of this book indicates that it will examine how Christian faith and evolution can coexist.  If you have read my “Musings” on other books, you know that these are not critiques of the book.  However, I put down the thoughts running through my head as I digest and struggle with the ideas I have just encountered.

I have always held the position stated by Petcher and Morris (Science and Grace) in their Introduction that “there can be no contradiction between science and faith, properly understood” (emphasis mine).  As I read and learn, I see that having a proper understanding of the data and conclusions of science that is consistent with a proper understanding of what the Bible teaches is an exercise in mental calisthenics.  I see a great temptation of scientists that profess belief in the God of the Bible to exhaust their cerebral capabilities to understand the science and while neglecting a similar study and contemplation of the deep truths of the Bible and ultimately, theology.   If there has even been a book that highlighted the importance of taking ones theology seriously, this would be it. 

Early in the book, Giberson states that the “acid of evolution” and natural history dissolves pretty much all of the historicity of the events in Genesis, particularly Genesis 1-11.  It seems that Giberson believes that we must only hold to the historicity of Jesus and His work on our behalf in order to be Christians.  However, in doing so, he undermines the very facts that make the historicity of Jesus part of a rational view.   Books have been written on this topic (some I have read and others I have not) discussing these issues, but I will make a brief statement concerning my thoughts on this topic.   If Adam was NOT a historical figure and Jesus Christ WAS a historical figure, why do the Apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews take such pains in the New Testament to tie Adam and Christ (the second Adam) together when describing the process of our justification?  They are either both metaphorical and spiritual or both historical figures.

Giberson spent his time arguing with a traditional creationist view of origins.  I say this because he continually referred to the fact that creationism states that God made all animals in the current form.  However, a careful reading of Genesis does not demand this at all, even though this has been a position of scientists and theologians in the past.  It seems possible to hold to a special creation of species without restricting them in how they might change over time.  I would echo the above statement from Petcher and Morris, and argue that it is likely that none of the currently accepted views (evolutionary, creationist, and others) have properly interpreted both general revelation (creation) and special revelation (Scripture). 

Toward the conclusion of the book, Giberson presents the evidences of evolution.  It seems clear from the summary of the evidence, that defending evolution on the basis of evidence was not a high priority for this book.  In addition to this treatment, Giberson does not seem to understand that experimental data can support multiple hypotheses – not just one.  I say this because the universality of DNA and common structures, which are both mentioned, do not exclude or refute a hypothesis of a special creation.  They both support such a hypothesis – unless you wish to say that special creations must not share anything in common, which is a common statement I have read by the supporters of evolution.  However, if we believe that a creator could create freely, who are we to dictate HOW they must have created?

Probably the most troubling shortcoming of the book is the treatment of Darwin’s rejection of a special creation due to pain and suffering within the animal world.  Examples of nature “red in tooth and claw” lead some to believe that God could not be involved in creation because His goodness and perfection is inconsistent with these aspects of Creation.  Giberson gives a one paragraph response in his 221 pages to the idea that the Fall resulted in significant changes – including suffering and torture in the animal world - to Creation.  He basically dismisses the idea that the Fall altered the physical creation at all and that it was a purely spiritual event.  However, it seems pretty clear that ALL of Creation fell with man and that the Fall affected the whole of man (physical and spiritual).  The Fall was no small matter – all of Creation is broken due to the effects of our rebellion.  It seems to me that a view that ignores the effects of the Fall does not understand the seriousness of sin or the holiness of God. 

From the standpoint of a book that recounts the relatively recent history between science and faith, Giberson brought much to my attention.  From that perspective, the majority of this book gave useful information.  But overall, I am underwhelmed by Giberson arguments.  I am concerned that THIS is what believing scientists have to read and contemplate as a proper Christian response to the controversy between science and evolution.  Giberson seems to hold high the importance of rationality and logic in science and these are seriously missing in many areas of the book, as well as his presentation of Christianity.