Romans 1:25 speaks of an error very prevalent in our day; of people having a love of nature to an unbalanced degree, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator." NIV
On the other end of the spectrum, many of us think less highly of our Creator than we should because we fail to stop and smell the roses if you will. That is, we don't take the time to notice the magnificence of creation and what it tells us of the Creator. A few verses earlier in Romans 1:20, we are told that "His invisible nature and attributes, that is, His eternal power and divinity, have been made intelligible and clearly discernible in and through the things that have been made (His handiworks)". AMP
This is why I love to study and teach Marine Biology. Under the sea, I see some of God's most magnificent handiwork and I grow to love and appreciate Him more.
It is my prayer that each student that travels to the Florida Keys with us will join me in growing in their love of God as we together observe and marvel at His magnificent handiwork in the aqua blue waters surrounding the islands that make up the Florida Keys.
In this blog we will be looking at some of the plants and animals that live in the ocean surrounding the Florida Keys and we will share some of the unique places we experience together during our one week class based in Layton, Florida on Long Key. I hope we learn together to be more amazed about God through seeing His underwater handiwork.
In the very beginning of the Bible in the middle of the creation story, we hear God speak the words, "Let the water teem with living creatures." Let the oceans swarm with living things. This is exactly what we experience when we put our masks under the water in the keys. It is a privilege to be able to share some of what He has done with you.
This certainly has to be a rewarding experience - witnessing firsthand the colors and intricacies of God's creation.
ReplyDeleteHow are the expeditions organized? As a LCCS student, might I be working with students from another school?
There are no other schools involved during our week in the keys. This allows us to have a very high instructor to student ration both in the water and the lab. We are however guided on our one of our trips by the crew at Keys Marine Laboratories. They take us off shore in their boat usually driven by a Marine Biologist PHD who often get in the water with us. There are also scientists from a University sharing the facility we stay at doing research on lobsters and various sponges who are always willing to share their knowledge with our students.
ReplyDeleteI lead a dive prep for each new site we snorkel at explaining what the habitat and conditions will be and go over safety concerns and any unique things to look for. Each student has a dive partner and a leader assigned to them.