Hello My Good Friends, Here I am yet again needing to apologize to everyone for not answering your posts for the past few weeks. I have been so tied up with family and friends and the holidays and all that I just haven't had the time to update all my websites and blogs. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that the new year will be bright and prosperous for each of you and your loved ones.

Following is my newspaper column for last week and it might help explain a small part of my absense. Thank you all for visiting my blog in my absence and for posting your comments. It is so good to know that I am not forgotten.

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A Funny Thing About Laughter

Published in The Valley Beautiful Beacon, Dec 26th 2006

Hello Dear Readers,

Did you know that laughter is good for the heart? According to Readers Digest, laughter is the best medicine. And in the words of Bob Newhart, "Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on."

But, I suppose we all have those days when life hits the fan and everything seems to fall apart like a stale biscuit. Sometimes we may feel that laughter has deserted us. However, we can always find a little humor in nearly everything, if we'll take the time to look for it. Although, sometimes we may have to dig a little deeper before we find it. I had to use a backhoe this week.

You see, I lost my little friend a few days ago. He was a Pekingese named Gizzy. He has been my shadow for nearly seven years, his love and loyalty unwavering.

If I left the house without him, even if I was gone for only ten minutes, he always welcomed my return with a wag of his tail and that little happy dance that only dogs can do. He never judged me by my mood or my appearance. He didn't mind that I often look like a creature from another planet when I get out of bed in the morning. He wouldn't have cared if I'd never combed my hair nor put on make up. The kind of clothes I wore made no difference to him. He loved me unconditionally. All he asked in return was that I loved him and acknowledged his presence. That I spent time with him, talked to him and allowed him to be near me. Isn't that much the same way that God loves us? Not for what we look like, what we have, nor who we are. He loves us simply because we exist.

For those of you who have pets, you know how easy it is to become attached to them. They become like a member of the family. You talk to them so much they start to understand Human, and you realize that you must spell out the words if you don't want them to know what you're talking about. Hubby and I had to spell out the word bologna, otherwise Gizzy would immediately run to the refrigerator and sit there wagging his tail and begging for a slice, and there was no peace in our house until he got it. Whether or not the bologna had a first name made no difference to him.

No matter which room of the house I was in, I always knew when someone was at the door. Gizzy would bark and run in circles. Having him around was like having a doorbell with legs.

I've always adored animals, especially dogs. I caused so much grief and anguish for my poor mother when I was a kid. I wanted to keep every stray dog, cat, chicken, bird, rabbit, or anything else that happened to wander into our front yard. I remember crying for weeks because she wouldn't let me keep our neighbor's little pig that had gotten out of its pen and wandered to our house. I couldn't understand why I wasn't allowed to keep it. But then, she explained to me that pigs weren't pets, they were food. She explained how they grew into hogs and became food, like bacon, sausage and ham. And, of course, I went into a screaming fit. It was quite a few years before I was able to accept the natural order of the food chain. I still eat meat on occasion, but I like to pretend they make it at the grocery store.

I miss my little friend today. It's strange how a tiny dog can leave such a huge empty spot in the home. Despite the law of physics, I can see his absence, even though it has no mass nor substance. I can hear and feel the empty space. I will miss him for a long time to come. However, time heals everything. Well, everything except old age, grey hair and wrinkles.

All we can do is take life as it comes, one day at a time, and try not to take it too seriously. It isn't permanent.

And if you should happen to come visit me, and I don't hear you knocking on the door, try barking and running in circles, and I'll come and let you in...

All from Insights from a Blind Man: Chris Hansen

Chris Hansen
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God Said, "Hello!"

by Chris Hansen

What if God actually said, "Hello!"?  What a life-changing revelation that would be!  The doubters among us express the following reasons for their doubts concerning the existence of God:
We are being asked to believe in a God that nobody can see and nobody can hear!  Worse yet, our eternal destiny hangs on believing in this God who has left us no evidence!  If He did leave us any evidence, then it was so long ago and, over time, this "evidence" has been shrouded in mythology and exaggerations - so that no one can tell just what is myth and just what really happened.

These doubters do seem to have a point, at first.  I can't see God as I sit here writing this article.  Further thought, however, soon shows that 'not seeing something' does not disprove that some things existence.  A man born blind can't see the moon and stars.  They still exist!  Radio waves existed before Marconi discovered how to perceive them.  A detective can't see a suspect by the time that detective arrives.  But, he most certainly can see the fingerprints left behind by that suspect!  I contend that an invisible God has left us fingerprints, and rather clear ones at that!

God's thumb print: Creation.  Science and theology can quibble over details.  Just how did creation come about?  In how many stages?  How long ago?  And so on, and so on.

How does one establish creation then?  Take this article as an example.  How do you know that a chimpanzee didn't just sit down and randomly tap the keys on a computer?  The answer is simple.  This article is a very complex and very organized informational format.  I believe that the universe as a whole, and earth in particular, exhibit this kind of complexity.  Now, evolution holds that 'very simple processes' built themselves up into very complex ones.

This theory also postulates that plant life evolved first, followed by animal life.  After all, plants must provide the food for the animals which would have to come later on.  It is maintained that plants are a rather simple form of life.  Now on the surface this seems plausible.  But, is it really that simple after all?

Consider just how plants make food.  Photosynthesis is a very complex process.  Plants are asked to do something that our most intelligent scientists can't do!  The request is as follows:  Mr. plant, would you please take a mound of dirt, a gust of wind, a splash of water, and a flash of sunlight, and would you please create dinner for us?  Absurd!  This dirt dinner needs to contain complex enzymes, vitamins, fats, sugars, starches, and proteins of all sorts!  Our best minds could feed the world if they could figure out this process!  Well, science hasn't yet done so, but dumb dirt managed it already!  How?  Doesn't it seem that this dumb dirt had somebody really smart guiding it?  And if plants are "simple" forms of life, then animal life must be truly complex!  This brings up another annoying question.

Man is the most complex animal of all.  His brain can question, ponder, wonder, feel emotion, and act volitionally.  And this massive brain full of conscious volition was created by unconscious dirt?  How did stupid unconscious dirt create smart and conscious man?  Could somebody already conscious have already been there to guide?

Let's imagine a book about mathematics for a moment.  It is an arrangement of ink and paper, to be sure.  But, it is so much more!  It requires a linguist, a mechanic, and a mathematician to organize this ink and paper just right.  Somebody has to run the press.  Somebody has to write the grammatical code.  Somebody has to organize the mathematical formula.  Simply knowing how ink and paper interact tells you nothing about a math book.  In the same way, knowing how chemicals react tells you nothing about life.  Life is more than chemical reactions.  Life is a very complex code requiring a code writer!  Could that code writer have left a thumb print?

His index finger: Conscience.  Every human society has a group moral conscience.  Everybody has rules about who deserves to live, how many women you can have, what property belongs to you, and so on.  The ten commandments are actually the ten reminders.  The rules among cultures may vary, but the point is, everybody has rules.  Where did these universal rules come from?  Could these rules have existed in the mind of someone who was here already?

His third finger: History.  Just how did the Israelites escape Egypt?  They were unarmed slaves.  They had been enslaved for centuries.  They were in bondage to the most powerful military force on the earth of their day.  Then, all of a sudden, they gain their freedom?  That would be the equivalent of Los Angeles defeating the entire might of the United States Military.  Could the Jews have gotten supernatural help?

Just how did the Christian church get started?  After all, it was started by a Rabbi with grandiose dreams who got himself killed!  It was started by eleven cowards and one traitor to their cause!  Why would Peter deny Jesus one day, and then risk his life on another day?  Peter claimed that Jesus had risen bodily from the grave!  Could Peter be right?  A resurrection would qualify as a major fingerprint of God!

Perhaps, it will be argued the disciples only thought Jesus rose from death.  The theory suggests that Jesus was only unconscious, and not really dead.  Consider for a moment what the Romans did to Jesus.  They were professional executioners!  They knew how to kill.  Jesus lost copious amounts of blood owing to the crucifixion and to the severe beating he received.  He suffocated slowly during his ordeal because of the way he hung on the cross.  He suffered cardiac stress during the crucifixion.  A Roman soldier pierced his heart with a spear just to make sure he was really dead!  After that, he was wrapped in heavy grave clothes and left in a cool tomb.  Does it seem likely that his friends would have buried him if there were any sign of life?  The crucifixion induced shock.  This medical condition is best treated with warmth and comfort.  Jesus got anything but that!  The last place you put a shock patient is in a cool tomb!  The coolness would have intensified the shock to the point of death, even if he were still alive somehow.

Even if this mangled Jesus did manage to survive, imagine, for a moment, His dramatic encounter with Thomas.  We all know what Thomas said, "My Lord and my God!"  If Thomas had seen a mangled messiah, I am quite sure he would have said, instead, "My Lord, you need a physician!"  That isn't what Thomas said!

Even the day of common worship has changed.  Why?  The Jewish community was fanatical about Sabbath worship, Saturday only.  Folks were killed for breaking this law!  They didn't fool around about this day of worship.  Now, all of a sudden, in mass, they switch the day to Sunday?  A dead body rising on Sunday morning just might explain their sudden change of attitude! 

His fourth finger: Prophecy.  Hundreds of years before Christ came, prophets wrote down very explicit and very specific details about their coming Messiah.  Anybody can prophesy in a vague or general sort of way.  A great leader will come who will inspire the people ... and so on.  Given enough time, that sort of prophecy is bound to come true.  The messianic prophecies aren't anything like that.  Psalm 22, for example, predicts among other things, that He would have his hands pierced, and even that they would cast lots for His clothing.  Isaiah, chapter 53, is His biography in advance.  Daniel, Chapter 9, points to the precise time of His arrival.  Could God have left yet another fingerprint in prophecy?

God's little finger: Changed lives.  Thousands of case studies can be brought forth regarding what is commonly called the "Jesus factor".  Without Jesus, drug rehab has a miserable success rate.  With Jesus, the recovery rate is truly amazing.  Why?  Mere psychology doesn't seem adequate to explain this.  People, who regularly attend church, live longer and have fewer health problems.  Could this be yet another fingerprint?

So what?  What if God is real?  What if Jesus really did do amazing things?  The answer is simple.  Either life has a purpose, or it doesn't.  Either we all die like insects, or we live forever.  Either we are mere protoplasm or we are princes!  If Jesus is telling us the truth, then we can live forever and rule the universe at his side!  If he is telling us the truth, then rejecting him is treason!  If Jesus is telling us the truth, then treason against Him has an eternal penalty!

What do I do about it?  Jesus told us the answer.  "If you confess me before men, then I will confess you before my Father."  (Luke 12:8.)  Tell people what you believe to be true about Jesus, and then He tells His Father what He believes to be true about you!  You  might begin by sending this article to others.  Investigate the Bible for yourself.  Go to church and investigate other Christians.  Tell Jesus how you are feeling.  After all, if He rose from death, then isn't He alive right now?  Could God be leaving fingerprints on your soul, too?

© by Chris Hansen

Author of Grandfather's Journal

Revelation Revisited and Secret of the Psalms

TIS THE SEASON TO GO SHOPPING!