We live in an imperfect world, not because it was created that way, but because we (man) have messed it up. Most of us will probably agree that our world has problems and we should all strive to make it a better place. The issue, is that we just can't seem to come to a consensus on how to do this. Part of the dilemma is that some people are too selfish or could care less. But we also have different values, beliefs, and knowledge. 
As a teacher of science, a lover of nature and a believer in Christ, I
have, in the past, had an inner conflict with what I thought were two
opposing ideas. I was confused by the battle with what I know and what I
believe and I struggled in finding the truth, scientific truth and spiritual truth. A similar battle is alive and fierce in the world today.
I think religion and science can be harmonious. It is a flaw for religion to ignore what science has enabled us to understand about our world. It is also equally erroneous for us to think everything has a scientific explanation. Spiritual questions lie outside the reach of the scientific method. If God exists, then He must be outside the natural world, and therefore the tools of science are not the right ones to learn about Him. Science can neither prove or disprove the existence of God. The ultimate decision about God is based on faith, not proof. The more science learns, the more we realize how miraculous our world is. Albert Einstein said "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
This week I finished reading "The Language Of God" by Francis Collins,
who headed the Human Genome Project. In his conclusion he wrote, "It
is time to call a truce in the escalating war between science and
spirit. This war was never really necessary. Like so many earthly
wars, this one has been initiated and intensified by extremists on both
sides, sounding alarms that predict imminent ruin unless the other side
is vanquished. Science is not threatened by God; it is enhanced. God
is most certainly not threatened by science; He made it possible".
Saturday's clear skies at sunrise brought promise to the day.
Brother was out following me around as the horses played musical hay... moving between each of the three piles, while
Missy watched from a warm and safe spot on her shelf in the tack room.
The sunny day was only slightly flawed by the cold and breeze and it never got over 26 degrees.
Mid-morning Joe and I went out and moved over 40 bales of hay, putting some in the corn crib, some in the lower level of the barn and half of it into our neighbors pick up truck. Our Church is doing a series on love, and challenged the congregation to show ridiculous love to someone this week. So we chose our neighbors and showed them love by sending them a card earlier, and then giving them some hay. They were so appreciative, and the hug the neighbor lady
gave me was priceless.
I actually took a nap in the afternoon, which is not something I usually do. Joe grilled steaks for dinner and then we went to Normal and later Hayworth, to listen and dance to two different bands. The horses weren't put in the barn until midnight... a late night for all of us.
On sunny Sunday, Joe and I went to Courtney's for water, Wal-Mart and then late Church, not getting home until after 1 pm. An hour later we left for the Replex. I walked 2 miles and did some arm weights. Then we went
to the movie,
"The Guilt Trip" with Barbara Streisand. It was still light at 5 pm
when we got home. I did an extra good job cleaning stalls, moved some
hay around, moved the horses to the back pasture, changed some paddock
fencing to keep them and the cows separate and filled all the food bins
with feed knowing I wouldn't be able to do that job for a week or more.I woke at 4 am Monday, not feeling very rested. I have recently been too apprehensive to sleep well. I was not to eat or drink, so messed around here until 5 am and then went out to do all of the day's chores so Joe would
have it easy in the evening. During
my shower, I scrubbed with
anti- bacterial soap as instructed, and left for the
surgery center at 8:30. Surgery went well. The hardware has been removed. It served it's purpose but has since been a flaw to my wrist function. As Courtney so eloquently put it, "Good riddance to bad rubbish!" The Dr. said he would remove any scar tissue and calcification that might also interfere with motion, while moving my wrist as he worked. Joe left work
before noon to bring me home, leaving my car at the Surgery center to be
picked up later. He even stopped to get me a milkshake on the way
home. I kept my hand elevated and on ice as much as possible for the
next 48 hours. I was quite groggy the remainder of Monday, taking a
nice long nap when I got home. My wrist is sore, but nothing like the surgery
over a year ago when they put all this stuff in to hold the
completely broken radius in place. Here is a close up of the titanium
plate and screws next to a dime for a size comparison.After my nap I was quite hungry, snacking until dinner time and then eating too much pizza. I may have hit the food intake a bit too fast and furious, because I ended up with a tummy ache. After dinner I took a Tylenol for pain, more for my head than my wrist and sat and watched TV with Joe for three hours.
I was wide awake before 4 am Tuesday, so got up, realizing I could take a nap later. I went out to feed the horses and barn cats at 5 am, knowing they would be hungry since Joe fed them early the night before. I left them in the barn for Joe to let out later though.
The day didn't amount to much... I mainly rested... reading, blogging, and hanging out on Facebook. In this photo, Abbey and I are watching a video of a kitten and cat wrestling, kind of like her and Charlie when he visits. She was intent on watching and would turn her head as she followed the action. So cute. 
I took a long nap after lunch but woke up feeling sick, queasy,
dizzy, light headed, and my stomach ached. I wasn't sure if I was
coming down with something or having a reaction to the anti-inflammatory
medicine. Still not feeling great, I left for B/N with Joe. We went
shoe shopping, each getting a new pair of walking shoes. We grabbed a
quick dinner at the golden arches and then went to the retirement
planning class at Lincoln College. We picked up my car from the surgery
center on the way home, arriving here to find Charlie who Dan had
dropped off. Above, Tiny and one of the hens looking through the hay. To the left, this is so Charlie.I woke up feeling better Wednesday morning so took more of my medicine. I did the feeding chores in 7 degree temperatures at sunrise. I couldn't get a glove over my bandaging, so kept my hand in my coat sleeve, making it awkward to use, and my fingers got cold.
Abbey and Charlie hanging out on my desk... Abbey bird watching and Charlie playing with the string of the venetian blind.
Charlie decides Abbey would be more fun to play with.
Abbey puts the smack down...
But Charlie is un-phased.
Mid morning I walked 2 miles in my new shoes at the Replex and then picked up my coat with the new zipper. I was only charged $8.00 but gave her a ten because it was such a great deal. I was so happy to have a good, winter work coat once again.
By the time I got home, I was feeling sick again, so called the Dr. office and was given the go ahead to throw the rest of my medicine away. I was also starting to feel "trapped" by the temporary immobilizing brace on my arm, and was getting anxious to be able to bend and move my wrist once again. I stuck it in a plastic bag, Joe taped it tight around my forearm, and I took a wonderful, rejuvenating shower. Still feeling light headed and dizzy, but refreshed.
If Charlie isn't bothering Abbey or I, he is messing with Kaysha. He likes to play with her tail and steal her toys.
I had a 9:30 appointment with the surgeon Thursday. The tech guy cut off the bandaging, re-did my butterfly strips over the sutures (not staples this time), and X-rayed my wrist. I moved my wrist while waiting for the Dr. in the exam room and was delighted by being able to bend and turn it without pain, although it was sore. When talking with the Dr., he said I need to be very careful with the wrist until the bone heals. Each of the screw holes is a flaw, a weak spot in the bone. So I have been restricted to not lifting anything over a pound without the arm brace on, and no heavy lifting until after another x-ray in 4 more weeks.
The Dr. wasn't too keen about me
riding, the longer I wait the better. And I am to
wear my brace anytime I might fall or strain my wrist. I am not allowed
to swim for 10 more days, but can at least shower if I dry the incision
area with alcohol afterwards. I am not thrilled with the temporary
restrictions, but have no regrets about having the hardware removed
because I can tell already, how much better my wrist is going to feel and be. 
When Joe and I went to workout, I did the first 30 minutes of the aerobics class until they started on
weights. Then I walked a mile on the indoor track. The snow started
falling while we were inside. We stopped to pick up a
few movies on the way home. 
I went straight to the barn to bring the horses in. They were covered in snow. It was snowing in Amiga and Zorro's stalls and in the aisle way between them. When there is a strong wind out of the east, it will force the snow through the ventilating gap between the two sections of roof, as you can kind of see in this photo. I brushed the snow off the horses as they ate, hoping they would be dry and warm for the night.
It snowed steadily all evening, but by the end of the movie we had watched, it had turned to sleet.Things did calm down overnight and by Friday morning, we only had 1 inch of ice on top of 2 inches of snow, as well as some drifting.
The horses were dry and warm even though parts of the barn had
quite a bit of snow inside. Notice how much snow is in the aisle-way next to Zorro's stall.
I took lots of snow photo's during morning chores and while walking around before coming inside for breakfast.
Above the cows are eating their grain. To the right the horses have been let out of the barn. Zorro is eating some of the cow's hay which has blown or been pushed through the Electro Braid fence.
Brother has again been missing
(for two days now), and I hoped he had found shelter in the storm. Once more, Missy seems to be looking for him.
There was no wind and it was in the upper 20's, so the chickens where game to come out of the coop. Hercules and Tiny look it over first.
Tiny standing tall and pretty. She is on the lookout for Missy who has followed me to the coop.
Missy heads back to the barn, walking in my foot steps, while Tiny follows her.
Turkey on ice.
As I head for the house, I look back at the coop and notice more of the girls have come out to join Hercules.
The snow covering is beautiful
on the different plants.
You can see in the above photo, that there was no wind. I was trying to also show the ice covered branches but without much luck. It would have been gorgeous if the sun came out.
Our cute little farm house. I still want to get shutters on Britney's bedroom window. Don't look too closely or you will also see the mold on the north side of the house.
Joe drove the Expedition in order to get through the snow drifts and down our drive so he could make it in to work.
Mid morning the wind picked up and the ice on the tree branches started falling to the ground. It was pretty noisy for 2 or 3 hours as the ice pelted the roof, siding and windows.
Much of the day, I just sat here at my computer working on this blog. Charlie kept me company, napping part of the time. I also watched TV and ventured outside to check on and feed livestock. Joe went to play cards again and I am headed in to watch TV till bed time.
We live in a flawed and broken world. Humanity can't seem to agree on anything. We argue, fight, and disagree about the truth or distort facts with our own agenda in mind. There really shouldn't be a conflict between scientific truth and spiritual truth. Truth is truth. Truth cannot disprove truth. Wisdom is the means by which we arrive at the truth. James 3:17&18 " But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." I pray our hurting and fighting world would find this kind of wisdom and come together in love, understanding, compassion and peace.
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