God is the ultimate example of loving care and protection!

This week I share a story of something scary, and an amazing gift!

I found a place that reminds me of the Bible, filled with God's promises!

Let's all work together to serve God and serve others.

The great thing about earth is that we are always pretty close to some of God's amazing artwork...NATURE!

Show love by always being ready to serve others and help them with their needs.

What is the most valuable thing to you? I invite you to keep this in mind...

No matter where you go, God's asking you to be kind to everyone you meet.

I'm so glad God created us with the ability to adapt to all kinds of difficult situations.

Go find places that have been set aside to enjoy God's nature!

WARNING: The enemy will try to camouflage bad things in order to try to make them seem like good things. Keep your eyes peeled.

You can do mission work wherever you are!

Well, we got covered up again by the white stuff. You might be pretty surprised what I have to do to get out...

No one can keep secrets as God can. You can talk to Him about anything, anytime, anywhere.

No matter where you are, some of God's awesome artwork is waiting to be enjoyed by you!

God made variety, therefore He loves it! So should we...

Watch out for the walls the enemy tries to put between us...

Looking for someone to tell about Jesus? They're everywhere!

Today's snow storm reminds me of...

Happy New Year greeting from the "Mud Guy"....

Let's never forget the real reason for the season!

Stressed out? Too much homework? Covid continuing to annoy you, too? Time to relax...

Let's get out of here...where is the EXIT?

There's something very special about this place...

Sometimes life moves pretty fast.  Once in a while, it's necessary to just stop and look around...

So glad God is building us a bridge...

I love examples of when nature the Bible continue to be hand-in-hand!

In danger? You run away. Near sin? You run away.

It's THAT kind of world we live in...

Honor God with everything you do, including what you build...

Everyone can do their little part to help protect God's great earth!

Sometimes you just need to turn all the noise off...Did you noticed I don't even have background music in this video?....

Many of you started school already, many others are about to start real soon. Consider this, though...

Look for the tiny clues around you!

Always run away from temptation!

I was just driving down the road...in Alaska.

Today I visit the beginnings of one of the world's most popular foods!

God protects us like a fortress!

Millions, billions, and trillions!!

SPLAT! July 1, 2021....Today's SPLAT is in honor of USA's Independence day...

Today should really be SPLASH instead of SPLAT...

This week in Guide Magazine I write about making your own edible glass candy.  Here is the recipe, it's super easy to make at home!  But....

There's something lurking on this mountain top...

Wow, what a crazy picture. Let's unpack it.

For many of you awesome Guide readers, you have entered into "graduation season" and might just be graduating from the 8th grade in the next week or two or three....This post is for you.

It's a jungle IN there!  What's up with all these plants inside my house?

Got an unexpected surprise this week...

After 17 years....they're back.

A couple of days ago I was stuck in the mountains...

Check out this national park I visited today!  

It's a big amazing diverse world out there!

Don't be a fool, keep your cool.  

Hey, don't forget to pull over once in a while...

Sometimes in life, you need to just stop and smell the.....sheep?

Today I'm on a journey that doesn't end well...

This week in Guide Magazine I talk about showing you guys how you can make some cool sugar glass at home!

Hey!  It seems like a lot of the country is getting the white stuff this year!  Yay!

This week there was an exciting continued eruption of Mt. Etna and some amazing video footage of this amazing and powerful natural event.  Check out the video!

Want to try to solve a puzzle that has never been seen before?  You've come to the right place.  This puzzle has never been seen because I just made it, but let's still see if you can solve this JIGSAW puzzle picture of me with your excellent Guide Managing Editor, Laura!  

As you already know, I love to write about God's awesome nature! What an amazing way to learn about God! I wrote this cool, full-color book to help us have fun learning about some of God's incredible, fascinating, and bizarre nature!  God's nature is so cool, I even had to come with an amazing name for the book!

Hello everyone!  Today's SPLAT! comes from somewhere warm and features one of the most unusual creatures ever...check it out!

Keep looking, keep exploring....God's nature is everywhere.

Happy New Splat!  I mean, Happy New Mud!  I mean, Happy new year!  Finally got it right.  This week I reflect on what I am really looking forward to!

Always be on the lookout for God's second book...NATURE!

Smile.  Be Joyful.  Don't be a lemon.

SPLAT!  It's snow time! This year has been exhausting for everyone. That's why the idea of a fresh coat of snow to cover everything sounds kind of nice!  

Let your life story reflect the story of Jesus!

You should always be looking at how and where you can be serving God!  

This week we are reminded to enjoy the amazing free art show outside!  Compliments of God.

Which one of those FIVE places did Rich visit?

This week in Guide Magazine I talked about 5 amazing places in the world that I'd like to visit someday.  At the end I revealed that I had already been to one of them and that you would have a chance to guess/vote which one you think it was...

What's up with the wacky, weird weather?

Ever been to a foreign country?  Ever been on a mission trip?  Take a look at both on today's episode!

In life, make sure you always have a great Guide who will lead you upward and protect you! Here's a GREAT example of what I'm talking about...

WOW!  What exotic location is Rich visiting today???  You'll be surprised...

A lot of people wonder why I'm called the "Mud Guy" by some people.  I think you know the answer but here's a muddy response!

Sometimes things get pretty crazy, sometimes they get pretty loud and even chaotic.  That's why every day you need.....this...

Can't wait to see my mansion in heaven!

Can't wait to see my mansion in heaven!

Have you heard in the news about a comet called NEOWISE that is passing near us this week?  Go out and see it!  But how?  I will help you...

God made nature for you to enjoy! Jump in!

Life comes with challenges.  God will be with you though!  Oh by the way...if you live in the United States...happy Fourth of July!

Guard what goes into your heart! Guard it like a fort!

Today's SPLAT! comes to you from CUBA and it talks about our connection to worldly possessions...

This place seems like a paradise but Heaven is the real paradise!

Everyone knows it's important to stay away from things that will hurt you. Today is a reminder to stay away from the most dangerous thing known to humans...

 Today's devotional thought comes from a monument at the center of the island of CUBA. 

Sometimes you're driving down the road and you see a little sign...

Freedom comes at a very high price.  Jesus paid that price for us too...

Today in SPLAT! I'm talking about one of God's greatest gifts!

SPLAT! today is a behind the scenes look from my 3ABN show, Bible Treasures!

Let's talk about a recent visit to some medical professionals...

Ok, let's talk about the coronavirus, but just for a minute...

Hey, do you ever have a hard time getting along with people?  We all do.  Here's an idea that might help...

Best to keep your distance and stay as far as you can from dangerous things... 

Working toward something great? Don't quit!

Thanks for the sweets, God!  Yum.

Ever feel like you're a bit lost?  Jesus is the light!  Follow his light always...

An imposter?  Check out today's humorous post!

Life is full of mysteries, today we encounter a strange mystery in quite an unusual location!

God often suprises us with amazing gifts and experieneces...

This place reminds me of one of God's amazing promises!

Hey, check out this amazing activity you can do from anywhere in the world!!

Can you visit Bible lands in North America?  This is pretty close!!!

Happy new year from a...well, unique location...but why was I there?

Merry Muddy Christmas from the Mud Guy!

Who and what do you reflect by the way you live your life?...

Sometimes in life we just don't feel very special.  That's the enemy trying to put you down.  Today's SPLAT is a reminder of just how amazing you are!

Sometimes in life you have to just stop and smell the roses.  If roses aren't available try something like this...

Things on this planet get destroyed all the time for various reasons. This was the case in my location today...

Today's SPLAT! location is a reminder of how much God loves and protects us! CHECK IT OUT!

Every week I post a new SPLAT! vlog here on the Guide Magazine website.  Did you know that you can also see a bunch of other stuff on my YouTube channel?

These guys are cute but bullying is not cute at all...

Ah, roadtrips.  It's just part of life in North America.  Have you ever been on THIS road before?

This ferry crossing joined two halves of a country that are separated by water.  And that country is...

I think butterflies are so amazing.  They're so beautiful and colorful yet delicate.  Here is an really cool way to help you identify which kind of butterfly you may have recently seen!

Today I'm standing in front of one of the most recognizable monuments in the United States...

It's time for your voice to be heard!  What are some of the topics and things you'd like for me to write about in a future issue of the incredibly awesome Guide Magazine?  Remember, I'm the NATURE columnist it's probably best if you don't ask me to write about...

I was on a recent adventure and I came across something I never would have expected to see there...

Check out these amazingly sweet gifts from God!  

Sometimes you just have to stop and smell the roses, but there weren't any here... Close enough.

Guides are necessary, especially when you are on a dangerous path...

Today was 9-11.  This is what I do to make sure I never forget the sacrifices that have been made for me and for you...

In today's SPLAT! I discover that sometimes you find the strangest things in the middle of the city...What did I find, and what city am I visiting?

And now it's time for more of my favorite animal memes!  It's time to smile!  Enjoy!!

Check out todays SPLAT!  Sometimes we each fall down...that's ok...

I'm in Oshkosh this week...and so are many of you!!!

Hello everyone!  Greetings from the place in this picture!  I haven't been able to post any SPLAT! videos because I'm on the road on a long trip.  The question is....Where am I?

Did you say Oshkosh?  That's right!!...

Snow in June?  I kid you not.  Where's RICH???

Check it out! Am I in paradise?...

Today I talk about one of my favorite places....but...

And now it's time for more of my favorite funny animal memes!  I love animals, and I love to laugh so this is going to be great!

Are you always listening to that little small voice? Today I was and something incredible happened...

Sometimes life just surprises you with things...

And you thought these buildings are pretty cool....

This week in Guide Magazine I talk about this guy that can hold his breath for a very LONG time.  It was hard to believe until I saw him do it...Now you can see him do it too.

Sometimes you have to just say NO MON...

You can hold your breath, you can hold hands, you can hold it until you get to the rest area...but can you hold this?

Yep.  Life can have some pretty scary moments...like the one I'm about to have in this weeks vlog...

How easy are you to get along with?  If you score on the "difficult" side of things, today's vlog is for you!

Ok, I know we're all barely at Spring Break in North America but that means summer is also right around the corner!  You know what that means....

WARNING: You might get dizzy watching todays vlog...

Did you know that the name JAMES in spanish is SANTIAGO?  In today's SPLAT! I'm coming to you from "James"...

Today's vlog comes to you from southern Illinois, the studios of 3ABN, a Christian broadcast company that creates tons of content to teach people all over the world about Jesus.  

Here's a vlog from last fall when the Mud Guy got a little muddy...

Have you ever read JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH?  Check my vlog out today, I'm at the center of the earth!!

Since I love to write and talk about nature, it's pretty obvious that I also love animals.  I have a question for you today and I hope you will respond so we can get answers from people all over the world!   The question is---

Hey everyone! Check it out, I'm in a supermarket today!  "Wait a second, that looks like a forest. What is Rich talking about? WHERE IS RICH?"  Check out today's SPLAT! vlog...

My SPLAT! vlog this week comes from Loveland Colorado!  The question is...what was I doing in Colorado?

Hey everyone, where's RICH?  Check out my vlog, SPLAT!   Does life's path seem a little blurry at times?...

Over the last 4 weeks I was in Ecuador for a week and three weeks in Cuba.  I'm glad to be home again!  We traveled to Cuba on Christmas day to go with Andrews Academy on a mission trip. One of the most important tasks I did while in Cuba was...

Hello amigos!  Yes, I am currently blogging from the wonderful country of ECUADOR which ironically (not really ironic) sits directly on the equator, the imaginary line that represents the exact half-way point between the north and south poles. 

Ok, so you mulled it over and took a guess.  It's time to reveal what last weeks WhatzIT was...

So most of you are probably in the final stretch toward CHRISTmas vacataion!  Perhaps you have finals next week?  Perhaps you're stressed out about everything going on?  It's time for a WhatzIT break!  Let your mind be distracted for a moment to see if you can figure this one out!

This is one of those years.  This is the THIRD deer someone in our family has hit in 2018.  Poor us.  Poor cars.  Poor deer.  Let me tell you what happened...

This month in Guide Magazine I talk about my visit to Taiwan a few months ago.  I thought I would share a few extra details and pictures of my trip!  Check it out!

Most of you know that earlier this year I finished production on a new movie called THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE. Pathfinder clubs all over the country have been premiering the movie in their towns and churches before the official release next year but did you know that there was one very famous person that had a cameo appearance in the movie?...

Ok, you may think I'm strange by saying I'm a little excited that winter is here and it's almost "snow-time".  I grew up in New England so I've experienced snowy winters every year of my life.  It's just part of me! But did you know...

Ok. The Mud Guy has a confession to make...I like watching those funny animals videos!  The great thing about these videos is that you KNOW there is nothing scripted. These are just animals being funny!  Fortunately someone was there to record it!...

Many of you know that I produce the NATURE TIME segment for Kids'Time on 3ABN.  They are a lot of fun to produce and I'm so happy Ms Brenda asked me to produce them. This last summer we shot a whole bunch more during my trip to Australia.  Have you ever watched an episode?  If not, you can now!

This was an exciting week for me as my first book in a foreign language was published, Pasaporte a la Aventura!  Yes, to some of you this book might seem a little familiar...

When I was a kid, video games were just being invented.  Yeah, don't ask what century I'm from... One of the first and coolest video games invented was called Asteroids. Players needed to cruise around in a little space ship and shoot passing asteroids into smithereens.  This week was amazing because....

If you are like me, I'm already very excited about Oshkosh Camporee coming up in less than 11 months now.  It's expensive to go so many clubs out there are fundraising all year long.  If your club is fundraising, you need to let your leaders know about this opportunity to make money for your club with The Mysterious Note!

Ok, it's no secret that for the last 2-3 years I've been traveling around touring our big DINOSAUR show around the country.  This last summer we even toured it in 6 Australian cities.  Lots of people like dinosaurs, I'm just wondering if you have a favorite...

This week in Guide Magazine I ask what your favorite foods are.

Hey everyone!  I hope you are having a great summer so far.  Sadly, I can see that the new school year rapidly approaches.  For some of you, you may be starting next week or maybe you've started already!  In my household school starts in just over a week. You've probably heard the expression "working hard or hardly working" before.  I want to give you a few encouraging words before school starts.  We all know that smart people are always looking for advice from others so that they don't have to learn lessons the hard way.  Be brave...click on that READ MORE>>>> button down there...

The ocean is full of mysteries.  Marine biologists often claim that we only know a small percentage of what is going on in earths oceans.  It's true, the oceans are immense and in some areas they're very deep....and CREEPY...

I'm trying to decide whether to tell you the answer or let you spend another week guessing what that thing was in the picture last week.  We had some pretty good guesses....

I know you have been anxiously checking everyday for months waiting to see when I would post the next WhatzIT!  Fear not, your wait is now over and I have proudly posted probably one of the most difficult WhatzIT's ever posted on this blog.  You are hereby challenged to see if you can figure out what it is.

I am writing this blog from summer camp!  Did you go to summer camp this year?

G'day mates!  I just got back from working for three weeks in Australia! A lot of bizarre things happened but I don't know where to begin!  I'll start at the beginning and work my way through with some unusual experiences....

Hello and greetings from Alberta, Canada!  I'm super excited to be here this weekend at....

Today, Guide Associate Editor Laura Samano came to my dinosaur presentation in Idaho. Find out when I'm going to be holding one of my events near you.

Ok, I know that for some of you staring at a weird picture for 10 minutes can be frustrating, especially for those of you that haven't quite yet figured out how to see the "hidden" images in these stereograms....

I just got back from spending a week in Taiwan, Republic of China. It was an eye opening and blessed experience being there for a week of prayer at the Taipei American Adventist School.  It was especially interesting because the majority of the kids were Buddhists...

I just read an article claiming that dinosaurs may have become extinct because of poisonous flowers, and also because of an asteroid impact.  Historians struggle to understand what happened 100 years ago so imagine how hard it would be to guess what they think happened 65,000,000 years ago.  Let's explore a little deeper...

I'm super excited to be in Ohio this weekend!  Where will I be exactly?....

Have you ever tried to solve a jigsaw puzzle ONLINE?  I have never tried until I found this website.  It's pretty cool because I was able to make one for you! Give it a try. It's one of my favorite memes which is what makes this fun.  You get to solve a puzzle first, and then you get to enjoy a funny meme!

Yes, you heard correctly!  This Saturday night you travel ONE HOUR into the future!  At 2am it will suddenly be 3am!  Ok, it's not really time traveling but why do we do this in many parts of the world?

I've had a crazy last two weeks.  Part of my work requires me to travel every once in a while, but every once in a while the traveling piles up into a chaotic mess all in the same overlapping time period....

God created animals with all sorts of amazing variety and abilities.  One of my favorite abilities is CAMOUFLAGE.  It's amazing if you think about it!  The question is...can you spot the animals in these pictures?    If you think you can, I'd like to see how many you can spot!

Unfortunately it has been another sad week in the news. These things happen because of the sinful world we live in. Instead of dwelling on that I will offer support by way of showing you an animal video. It's short but it'll make you feel a little better watching it....especially if you like blueberries. Either way, we are all looking forward to that day when there will be no more sin, no more death. Can't wait to be in heaven.

Perhaps you wonder what Rich does all the time. Yes, you already know he writes for Guide Magazine.  Some of you also know he's the nature host on Kids'Time on 3ABN. Some of you may also have read some of his books or know about the upcoming movie, The Mysterious Note.  I'm pretty sure you didn't know about this...

Warning: Over the next few months you will be hearing a lot about the release of THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE, the movie I've been working on now for almost two years.  The movie is finally done! 

Check out this video of carnivorous plants!  Before you watch though, please read this warning....

I was cleaning off one of our cars today and I paused to give it a Mohawk look...

Wow, it's hard to believe 2018 is almost here.  I remember when I was a kid there was this show on TV called Buck Rogers. They would show reruns on TV and I remember that the show took place "way in the future" in the year 1987.  Now we're about to enter 2018!  There were other shows too...

Ok, you've been glued to your computer for almost a week, waiting and wondering when I would post the answer and reveal the mystery of this great WhatzIT.  Fear not, your waiting period has ended and the answer is only a click away. Most of you said it was a _______ but a couple of you had a different idea.  Which one was the correct one?  It's time to find out!

Happy Sabbath everyone!  It's time for another WhatzIT! These are fun.  So if this is your first time experiencing a WhatzIT, my job is to post a picture of something in nature that has been super zoomed in.  Your job is to guess what you think it is....

Hello everyone!  I've been slowly discovering that some of you are already old enough to be on Facebook.  If you are, I'd like to invite you to "LIKE" my page and keep up with some of the other stuff I'm doing...

Just kidding.  I really want to wish each one of you a wonderful, warm Thanksgiving day!

It's true, tornadoes are part of the natural world. In the US, there are about 1000 tornadoes per year that touch down so I'm guessing that there are some of you that maybe have a tornado story?

About 10 years ago I traveled to Cuba with a ministry many of you have heard of, YOUR STORY HOUR. One of my tasks was to document and produce a short video about the work they are doing there in Cuba.  I thought I'd share that video with you today....

This week in Guide Magazine I write about one of the many very unusual fish found in the sea, the frogfish.   If you're wondering how it got that name then you've got to see this video clip!

It seems like the news lately has simply been a collection of BAD news.  There's natural disasters ravaging the the world, there's people in power abusing others, there's countries threatening war on each other.  I'm not trying to say we can just ignore all that but if we spend too much time focusing on the endless list of BAD news around us, it will steal the joy that God wants us to have.  SO...It's time to laugh a little...

Hello everyone. It is with a heavy heart that I feel compelled to write this week about the horrific events that unfolded in Las Vegas last weekend. 

Hello!  As you may have noticed a few weeks ago I had posted a notice about looking for volunteers to help me on a new TV show we're producing with 3ABN.  Last week I spent the week at their studios in southern Illinois.  Here's a little update...

Friends, today I come to you to ask us to unite in prayer for the people picking up the pieces in Houston, as well as the people that recently got hit in the Caribbean, as well as the people that are about to get hit this weekend in the south. 

So last week we all had fun trying to catch a glimpse of the solar eclipse, or at least a partial eclipse.  If you are an amateur astronomer you will want to pay attention to this blog....TODAY.

Calling all volunteers between the age of 11 and 15!   I am working with 3ABN to produce a new TV show called BIBLE TREASURES.  We will start recording the first season soon but we're still looking for volunteers to be on the show with me!...

It is most likely that you have heard all the excitement in the USA of a total solar eclipse next week.  It's true, there will be a total eclipse in the US next week on Monday the 21st and its true, this is a rare event.  Not everyone in the US will be able to see it but here are some things you should know so you can prepare for this exciting event!--

It's time to reveal last weeks WhatzIT!  We got some very high quality guesses...and you're probably wondering--Did someone guess correctly?  The answer is---

It's time for a new WhatzIT! It seems like lately every time I post a new WhatzIT there's a handful of you that are able to guess correctly!  This week I am once again attempting to stump you guys....

When I was a kid I used to get a poison ivy infection every single year.  It was not fun. READ MORE to get the full (and itchy) story...

Marhabah!  Greetings from the Middle East! At this very moment (Friday, July 21) I am in the Middle East doing some recordings for Kids'Time on 3ABN.  I wanted to take a moment and wish all of you in North America (and the rest of the world) a Happy Sabbath!  Even though I'm on the other side of the world I'm still thinking of you guys! 

  Hello everyone!  I hope each one of you is having a terrific summer...if you live in North America. For many, summer is a time to take it easy and rest and relax a little.  Some of you may be old enough to be working and helping out in other ways.  Either way, I hope that each of you get to do some fun/relaxing things this summer, too.  Here are some interesting SUMMER facts...

Hey everyone!  I'd like to share a video with you from a mission trip I got to on in CUBA.  Cuba is in the news a lot lately as the US and Cuba continue to explore the changing political climate.  I figured this would be good time to share this video...

Today I have a pretty random blog for you.  OCEAN LIFE.

Summer is here!  At least if you are in North America.  For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere...Hang in there.   Let's try something fun though...

Hello everyone!  Had enough time to ponder over this picture of the latest WhatzIT?  Time to reveal the answer....

Hello all you wonderful people!  It's time to mess with your brain again. Yes, WhatzIT is back.  This time I am determined to show you something that will be super duper to get...I hope...

  If you read Guide Magazine, you know that every once in a while I post some of my painfully CHEEZY jokes.  You're in for a treat today....

Hello and greetings from the Inter-America Division Camporee in the Dominican Republic!

If your parents crashed their car, do you think they would just say, "Don't worry, just leave it there, it'll fix itself!"  That would be crazy! That's why your body is super amazing!

It's time to register for SUMMER CAMP!  This is my favorite time of the year because each year I'm blessed to be invited to be the camp pastor at one of our Adventist camps in Michigan, Camp Au Sable. That means I get to hang out with you guys for a week and I just love it.  If you aren't sure if you should go...read this post...and check out the pictures...

Hey everyone!  I'm excited to announce that I will also be coming to Nashville TN to do the DINOSAURS! 3-D event on Sunday, March 26 at 4pm!

I'm happy to let you know that my new MUD book is out!  If you enjoy reading my column in Guide magazine you're going to like this book...

Hey everyone!  I'm coming to Chattanooga and Atlanta on March 24-25!  I'd love to see you there!

This week in my Guide Magazine column I wrote about sharing some video clips of some amazingly unique marine creatures, especially the one called the "flying spaghetti monster."   Here it is....no tomato sauce though.  

If you like looking into space, tonight (Friday the 10th) is a rare space triple-header of things happening in the sky...

So, many of you were able to see the image hidden in the "magic eye" challenge last week.  I figured this week we can have more fun with how our eyes process images.  Check out these optical illusions...

Ok, it's time for a MAGIC EYE Challenge.  You've probably seen them before.  You've probably found yourself staring at them before. You've probably told yourself before, "I give up on these crazy things!"  I believe in you though.  Can you see what is in this picture?

If you live in the greater DC/Baltimore area OR in Southern New England I'm excited to tell you that I'll be doing events in both of those areas during the weekend of January 21-22!  

As the year 2016 winds down and prepares to pass into history, I want to pause a moment to wish each of you a very merry CHRISTmas!

Ok, get ready to watch a video with some of the cutest baby animals out there.  Get ready to say "aw" like 20 times...

So I live in Michigan and we've had a very light winter in 2016 so far...until this week.   

Since you are all fully engaged in school activities now, I thought I'd share an idea with you of a fun simple experiment.  You can use this for school or you can just do it for fun at home. It's called WALKING WATER!

Well, I thought this was going to be a difficult WhatzIT but I was wrong. A BUNCH of you got it right...

Every month or so I post a new WhatzIT for you. Every month at least one person usually gets it right, or pretty close.  I decided to give you a very difficult WhatzIT this time. I'm really curious to see if any of you will be able to guess it correctly this time...

My new daily devotional book is now available!  Passport to Adventure.

Everyone likes funny animal photos!  Check out my blog today for a lot more!

Hi everyone!  Tomorrow (Wednesday Oct 12) I head to Florida for the 2016 Southern Union Camporee!  I'm told there will be thousands of you there so I'm looking forward to meeting many of you guys over the next 4 days! 

Check out this neat video I saw today!  It's hilarious!  God's nature running around wild!

Ok, it's time to reveal last weeks WhatzIT. There were a bunch of really great guesses, but a few of you actually got it right!  Well done!  The answer...it is a...

This week in Guide Magazine I talk about animals that purr.  Of course, when you think of a purring animal, everyone pretty much automatically thinks of the cat but there are many other animals that purr, too!

We haven't had a WhatzIT challenge in a while.  It's time.  This is where I show you a super zoomed in close up of something in nature, then you post guesses to see if you can figure out what it is.  Next week I then post the answer.  Click "read more" to see the picture...

This week in Guide Magazine you were bombarded with questions from The Mud Game Show!  I promised you a prize for your awesome participation and here it is!

 Hey everyone!  Everyone loves a free light show!  There's one going on each evening this weekend if you're lucky enough not to have cloud cover...

I hope you are enjoying summer! (At least for most of you in North America...)  When I think of summer, I think of one thing, and that's what my poll is about today...

Hello everyone!  I have a special announcement to make to the public and I've decided to make it known FIRST here at the Guide website....   Lucky you.

So here's a short video clip of a creepy crawly that might creep you out little.  It's called an amblypygi tailless whip scorpion.  It's a mouthful of a name, but look what it can do with those creepy pincers...

I just got back from a 12 day filming trip to Mexico and South America.  While I was in Peru, I ran into some friends...

Hello!  I have been in Latin America for the last week and I will still be here another 4 or 5 days.  I started in Mexico City, then traveled down to Ecuador, then Peru, and now I'm in La Paz, Bolivia...

My favorite time of year is coming up...SUMMER CAMP TIME!   Will you be going to a summer camp this summer?  

If you live in North America, you are almost certainly counting the days till the last day of school.  Summer is around the corner!   For my blog today, I simply have a question I'd like for each of you to respond to. I'm very curious to see what your answer is.   The question is--

Most of you know that besides having the coolest job of writing for Guide Magazine, I also produce stuff for TV.  If you haven't caught me on TV yet, here's where you can see me in action---

Ok, you saw this WhatzIT I posted last week and a bunch of really great guesses were posted. If I recall, only one person got it right this time.  The answer is...

I post a WhatzIT on my blog here every once in a while, but in Guide Magazine this week I posted a PRINTED version. Here's the picture. Do you know what it is?

When God created animals, He provided some of them the ability to blend in and camouflage into their environments. Here are several pictures that have an animal in them.  See how quickly you can spot the animal!

Do you live in the Chicagoland area?  I'm going to be in your neighborhood this weekend to talk about dinosaurs! I hope I can meet you! 

Ok, let's have some fun with the blog this week. It's pretty simple and the title says it all. Here's a compilation of Guilty Dog pictures. 

  The thing you're carrying around between your ears is more amazing than you think. It's definitely not just a grey blob of matter. Something much more incredible is going on in that organ...

 Today on MudTV I feature a guest I met today on the campus of Andrews University. Who could it be?  You won't want to miss out! The solution is simple. Click that Read More>> thingy down in the corner...

If you live in the Orlando or Miami areas, I might be seeing you this weekend!  I will be doing events in both of those cities called DINOSAURS!  Hope to see you there!

Hi everyone! Lately in my discussion forums we've had a lot of chatter about DOGS.

Meet Daniel Kish. I introduced him in this weeks Guide Magazine. He is completely blind, but like bats and dolphins, he has figured out how to use echolocation to find his way around!  

This week in Guide Magazine I wrote about some interesting little buggers, ARMY SURGERY ANTS!  Can't find a band-aid?  Can't find a suture?  Look no further, these ants will do the trick.

Ok, it's time for amazing facts about that body you're walking around with.  As you know, it was custom created for you by our awesome God. Did did you know about all the stuff it can do?  Here are some examples--

 There's something going on in the night sky you might want to see!

I love animals.  I especially love funny animals so it's time for another round of funny animal memes!  Enjoy!

Have you ever wondered where your trash goes after you consume something?  Just because you properly disposed of your litter, it doesn't mean it disappeared, right?  Of course. Here's a little reminder of where it goes:  

Introducing our newest presentation!

It's hard to believe 2016 is upon us. Just saying "2016" feels like something out of a sci-fi movie.  I remember as a kid thinking 2000 was so far in the future, but I'm pretty sure a lot of you were born after 2000!  That's like someone telling you about the year 2040 and you guys thinking, gee, that sounds so far away!

Having a hard time understanding the concept of the "speed of light?"  In Guide Magazine today I talk about a video you can watch that might sorta help out!  Check it out!

Hey everyone! Some of you are getting to be old enough to get an account on Facebook. Every once in a while I get a friend request from a Guide reader and I'm always happy to accept.  If you are on Facebook, you are welcome to find me and friend me.  I'm listed as:   Richard Aguilera    In the meantime, I'm sharing a post I made today...

So today, instead of zooming in for a super closeup of a WhatzIT, I'm challenging you to take a quick look at these pictures that are the opposite of a WhatzIT, these are ZoomOUTS! The pictures have been taken from space.  Do you think you can identify what is in each picture?

Ok, you've been wondering all week. You've been biting your nails and you've been losing sleep over this, haven't you?  No?  I'm surprised.  Don't worry, it's time for me to reveal what is pictured in the super-duper zoomed-in close-up of the picture I posted last week...

Hello WhatzIT fans!  It's time again for a new WhatzIT!  

The news lately seems to talk about a lot of natural disasters. Flooding here, fires there, earthquakes, tsunamis, mudslides, volcanoes.  The list goes on. The news usually focuses on how the people deal with these disasters and how they survive, but today I want to tell you about how fire ants survive flooding. It's amazing!

I'm working on my Mud column this week and I'm writing about some unusual creatures you may not have ever heard of. I'm going to share one of them with you here today!

One of the most unusual creatures in the world is the jellyfish.  You definitely don't want to run into one if you're playing in the ocean, but at the same time, they are so bizarre looking, I just want to look at them!  If you're like me, this LIVE webcam is for you...

This coming Sunday night something will happen in the sky that has not happened since 1982 and won't happen again till 2033, so don't miss it!...

This week in Guide Magazine I wrote about some pretty cool things we see in nature. I want to share an amazing video with you about one of them...

Well, for many of you, school has officially started now. For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, the school year goes on a little longer still. For you homeschoolers out there, keep plugging away regardless of how far along you are in your school year.  Let's try something---

In this last weeks column in Guide Magazine, I talked about extreme weather.  Earthquakes, tornadoes, flooding, etc. Today is YOUR chance to post!  I'd like to know if any of you have experienced extreme weather. 

One my favorite of God's animal creations is the DOG. They are cute and funny and unpredictable.  Enjoy this handful of dog memes, and may they remind you of the One who created them. I'd love to know which was your favorite! Post your answer below.

There will be a awesome free show in the sky tonight (Wednesday) and tomorrow, Thursday night! (August 12-13)

Ok, I've left you in suspense long enough. Actually, longer than I said I would. Sorry about that! Are you ready to find out what this super close up was?  A couple of you actually got it right!

Ok, let's see how sharp your WhatzIT skills are today. Here is a close up picture of something in nature, something God created. The question for you is...what is it?  

This month in Guide Magazine I shared with you a bunch of my favorite things.  I'd like to know what you're favorites are, too! 

I love summer. Mostly because it's that one block of time each year where I can spend a lot of time with my family doing stuff.  Sometimes we don't do anything, but even that is fun, too.  What about you?

The General Conference Session in San Antonio starts in one week!  Will you be there?

Scientists often claim how little we know about what is lurking in the earth's oceans. Some claim that up to 95% of our marine species haven't been discovered yet. It's true, the ocean is HUGE, and it's also very deep, and yes, there is so much that we haven't discovered yet. That's why you've GOT to check out this video clip!

This week in Guide Magazine I was talking about caves. Here is a video I made back in 2001 about my visit to Mammoth Caves in Kentucky.

Are you ready for the answer to last weeks WhatzIT? 

WhatzIT returns!  How good are you at identifying things when they are super duper zoomed in? Give it try here...

This week in Guide Magazine, I mentioned a video about 25 of the most endangered species on earth. Check it out!

Did someone say bloopers?

This Saturday most of the United States will be able to witness a Total Lunar eclipse...

For the last couple of years I've been working on a video project. I'm so very excited to announce that it is finally done and released. This coming Tuesday at Andrews University we will be having the World Premiere & Dedication event for this series as it now start going out into the world to boldly proclaim that God is the Creator!

Many of you out there live in parts of the country that receive snow. This year it seems like we've had a lot more snow than usual. Still, there are some places that got ridiculous amounts of snow this winter. Check out some of these pictures of the nice, fluffy, white stuff God made, but feel good knowing that we're almost done with winter...unless you're in the Southern Hemisphere...

So we all know that God is an amazing Creator. He has designed incredibly complex life forms, expansive never ending spaces, beautiful landscapes, etc. Here are a few of God's cutest creations to bring you a smile and remind you that God loves you! Enjoy!

This week in Guide Magazine I tell you about a video I produced recently. Here is one of the videos I made for the 3ABN show "Kids' Time". As many of you know, I'm the new host of "Nature Time." 

It's no secret that this winter, various parts of the US are getting pounded with snow. Still, nothing compares to the amount of snow on the ground in this place!

I have some fascinating nature videos to show you today. Sure, it's a great example of "extreme" nature in action, but I think it's amazing. Here are several volcano "time lapse" videos for your enjoyment!

Ok. You've looked at the close up, you've posted your guesses. The good news is that one of you got it right, Smileygon10 got it right! Congrats!  If you want to know what it is, read on...

It's time for WhatzIT! We are way overdue. We haven't done a WhatzIT since last year! Of course last year was only 3 weeks ago, but we are still due for another WhatzIT. I show you a super zoomed in picture of something and you try to guess what it is and post your answer here.

This week in the magazine, I talk about fireflies. Here is a little video clip that shows the synchronized fireflies flying around. Very cool!

Happy New Year!  It's hard to believe it's already 2015. Although 2014 seemed to be a year filled with tragedy and sadness, we still have the hope that God is with us and He will return soon!

This week in Guide I write about PLATINUM. This stuff is tough! Watch this video clip of a scientist putting platinum through some rigorous chemical testing!

Did you notice something about the way I wrote that?....

How's your vision these days? I figured I'd torture some of you this week with some "magic eye" art.  The question is, can you figure out what's in these pictures?

If you live near Berrien Springs, Michigan, this is for you...

Want to get a close up look at some curious lions? You've got to see this!

Hello everyone! I am writing to you from Italy. Greetings from this beautiful country!

Hello everyone! Greetings from Austria! I am here for 10 days on a Creation tour to 10 cities. I'm rraveling with a team of 8 guys during all these days. I wanted to share some pictures that I've taken in the last couple of days. By the way, the church here has a very challenging job. The culture here is not very open to hear about Creation so please pray for me and the team here! Here are 3 photos. Driving through the mountainous countryside. The inside of one of the auditoriums we rented, and a quick stoo by a castle in Germany. Happy Sabbath! Splat!

Ok, it's no secret that I'm a fan of ODD and UNUSUAL creatures. It's just more proof to show how incredibly creative God is. Today I want to show you one of the most unusual creatures I have ever seen. WARNING: This might creep you out...

As you know, I travel all over the world speaking and shooting videos. I recently was shooting a video in Mexico and you'll never guess what I, (along with Leo and Alex) were swimming with...

Yes, I love animals. God created such and amazing variety of wonderful animals. I thought today we could have fun laughing at some funny animal memes again. Post which one is your favorite one at the bottom!

Happy New School Year!  As you dust off your brains and get back into school mode, let's see how you do with this weeks' return of the WhatzIT...

UPDATED! Here are some pictures of a few of you I've run into here at Oshkosh!

This week in the Guide I wrote about some of the scariest creatures in the ocean. Here is a video clip...

After years of waiting, the time is finally here! OSHKOSH CAMPOREE!  I know not every one of you can be there, I wish it was so, but for those of you that get the opportunity to go, I hope I get to run into you! Where to find me...and what to do...

Hold on, did I read correctly?  A tree that covers more area than a typical Walmart? Is that possible? You better read on...

I move around a lot. If I'm not doing speaking events, I'm on some adventure filming something...  

This week in the news I came across an article that I thought was quite interesting. As you know, I like to write and talk about God as our Creator. I don't have a problem standing up and telling anyone what I believe.  This week I was surprised how a politician stood up and did the same.   WHAT?  A POLITICIAN?  Read on...

Happy Independance Day! Some people also call this holiday "The Fourth of July" but I prefer the name "Independance day" because it better reflects what we're celebrating--  Independance.  Freedom.  The question is, what are you doing with your independance?...

I know the whole world is cheering on their favorite football (soccer) teams this month, but are you remembering to cheer the grass they're playing on? God made it!  This month in my column I talk about what the World Cup would be like without grass...

Ok. It's true. I have World Cup fever.  Although millions of people in the United States aren't even aware that the World Cup is officially underway now, I can't help but take a moment to blog about this exciting event.

Time to reveal our latests WhatzIT!  I'm please to announce that several of you got it right.  The answer is...

WhatzIT is back. But you say, "Oh, this is an easy one."   But I say, "No, it's not. It's NOT what you think it is..."

Storms can occur anywhere, anytime.  Spring is typically a very stormy time of year for many parts of our country, but earlier this week a few storm chasers caught an amazing supercell cloud formation in action.  This is a really cool time lapse video shot by a team of weather people following this amazing cloud formation.

Sure, I like riding my bike. Taking long nature rides is a favorite thing to do. It's a great way to get out into God's nature and see some amazing scenery. This is a little too extreme though...

I'm happy to make a special announcement to you guys here in my blog.  I'll give you a clue, it involves 3ABN.

Sometimes we sit and stare out into space and there's really no way of fully appreciating how big our universe is.  This video will try to put it into scale a little bit...

How many of you saw the eclipse tonight?  Post if you did!

Next week most of us will have the unique opportunity to see an eclipse!

OK, time to reveal last weeks WhatzIt.  There were a lot of great guesses, but only "I am a boss" got it right...

It's that time again, time for a new WhatzIT!

In a more normal year, most of the United States would now be enjoying the beginning signs of Spring coming. As you know, this has not been a normal year. Here's a picture of my street yesterday...

For the most awesome and amazing week of your summer, go to summer camp! 

This week in the magazine I talk about some guests you probably didn't know were living on your body.

Since you asked for more funny animals, I am happy to comply.  Here are a bunch of more for you!

Ok, if you haven't figured it out by now, I love to laugh. I'm back with a handful of new funny animals to put a smile on your face. Enjoy!

Time to reveal last weeks WhatzIT!  Want to know what it is?  See that little "Check it out" down there?  You know what to do...

In this week's issue of Guide magazine, I talk about some amazing and weird ocean creatures called pyrosomes.  Check out this amazing underwater video clip!

Yes friends! It's time to try your hand at another WhatzIT! Click below to take a look at the super duper close-up image.

Just a couple of weeks ago I ran into some very special people.  Can you guess who this one is before clicking on the CHECK IT OUT link?

This week in the magazine I was mentioning if you are a Pathfinder or a survivalist, I would show you a video that teaches you how to make fire using bamboo. Here it is!

Ok, last week a few of you asked for more funny/cheesy stuff that may or may not make you laugh.  I gotta a least try...

I want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving! Remember to enjoy your time with your family, but don't forget to be thankful to God for the many blessings.  One way to know you are enjoying your day is if you are smiling and laughing a lot.  Here's a couple of cheesy funnies in case you need them...

Exactly 50 years ago on November 22, the United States suffered a very dark day in its history. I recently visited this historic spot.

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dealey Plaza, in Dallas, Texas.  It makes me sad to think how humans sometimes treat each other.  These are the effects of sin which originated when Satan coveted God's glory, and then transferred to us when he convinced Adam and Eve to disobey God. 

In this recent photo, I am with my family standing in Dealey Plaza, in Dallas.  If you look at the "X" on the road where we are standing, it is the exact spot where President Kennedy was in his car when he received the fatal shot.

I can't wait till God returns one day to removed us from this sinful world!

As you know, I travel around quite a bit. In the last couple weeks though, I've had the privilege of meeting up with two special "Guide Stars"....

The International Pathfinder Camporee is ONLY 9 months away!  Will I see you there?

Thanks to modern technology, we can now watch polar bears gather on the banks of Hudson Bay while they wait for sea ice to form so they can go hunt for some food.

Have you ever daydreamed about soaring like an eagle?  Amusement park rides have even tried to build rides to give you this sensation.  Today, you can actually see what it looks like!  But you're going to have to click here...

This was an interesting week in the world of marine biology!  Not only did ONE of these giant oarfish get discovered, TWO of them were found!

This week in the magazine I talk about a new BONUS Mud Video.  Here it is!

This last week in the news I saw an article that caught my eye, a brand new island formed in Pakistan.  Aw, a baby island. So cute.

Tis time to reveal this weeks WhatzIT!  I'm pleased to announce that several of you got it!

I've been doing WhatzIT's in my blog for some time now, but this week in my printed column, I challenged you with a WhatzIT on good ol' paper! 

Ok, peeps, let's reveal the answers to last weeks apple quiz.  Did you guess?  How did you do?

You may have heard in the news that this last week Colorado took a beating from nature...

It's apple season!  As many of you know, I live in Michigan where apples grow plentiful.  I love apples, especially right off the tree when they're super fresh and crunchy and they practically explode in your mouth.  It's also pretty cool when you bit an apple and accidentally splash a friend that's like 5 feet away.  Sweet.  Let's see how much you know about apples...

About a month ago I mentioned in my blog that this past summer I spent a few weeks in Central America doing a speaking tour through 9 cities in 3 countries.  I also mentioned I would share some pictures.  Here they are!...

Last week I posted a question to see which Guide Reader out there was the closest to the equator, and therefore spinning the fastest relative to our planet...We have a winner--

Whoa!  Slow down!

You know, we live in a culture that seems to be constantly racing at full speed.  So many things to do, so many places to do, so many National Parks to visit.  Do you really want to know how fast we're going, though?  This will blow you away...

Do you like fish?  Do you like to feed fish?  Then this is for you!

Hello everyone!  Greetings from Costa Rica!  Click here so I can tell you about my trip here in Central America...

You may have noticed that many parts of the country has been experiencing a pretty intense heat wave. Hot  hot hot.  What are you doing to beat the heat?

Ok, enough waiting, enough suspense.  I know you have been patiently waiting all week, biting your nails, sitting at the edge of your seat, wondering...what was that picture in Rich's WhatzIT? 

Ok, so maybe you're only mildly curious.  Hey, that's something. 

It's time to reveal...

Hello everyone!  I hope you are having a great summer!  Naturally I'm interested in helping to keep your brains nice and sharp all summer so I figured it's time for another WhatzIT where you will have dig deep to figure out what I have zoomed in on in this picture...

One of the most unique insects in the world will be making an appearance this summer after waiting underground for the last 17 years. 

In today's Adventist News Network broadcast, you can watch a little nature short I made!

I spent a lot of days on the road this month...

Hi everyone! In my column this week I talk about how to really appreciate how big TINY things are.  Check out this video, you will be amazed how small things can get!

If you saw Randy's blog already, you know that last weekend I had the privilege of being in Maryland with Randy, Laura and 4Christ for a cool event.  Maybe some of YOU were there...but who else was there?

It's time to reveal last weeks WhatzIT? Think you got it right?  A few of you did...

By popular demand, the WhatzIT challenge is back on!  How will you do this time?

This week in the magazine I talk about quicksand and a video that you can watch about it.  Here it is!

I'd like to share a few photos with you of my trip to Venezuela last week where I was speaking at a Pathfinder Camporee.

Hola chamos! Un saludo grande desde Venezuela! That means: Hello friends, a big hello from Venezuela!

Say what?  You read correctly.  Check out this short video about these tiny bone-devouring zombie worms called Osedax.

This week in Guide Magazine, I talk about watching a video to show you how to make your own paper...

Ok, it's time to reveal last weeks WhatzIT.  Drum roll please....

The  return of the WhatzIT!  Think you can guess what it is this month?  Good luck and click here now!

For the last two years I've been working on production of the video series, The Creation Case.  I have a special announcement to make!

This week in the magazine, I refer to a Bonus Video on avalanches.  If you want to see some amazing avalanche footage, watch this video!

One of my favorite parts about traveling around is meeting you guys.  Last weekend I got to spend Sabbath in the Arlington SDA Church, in Arlington, Texas.  Here are some new friends I got to meet!

Nature is powerful, especially water.  It looks so harmless when you drink a glass of it.  This week there was a pretty big sinkhole that collapsed in China.  Part of this one was caught on video.

Ok, you've waited long enough.  It's time to reveal the WhatzIT from last week!

By popular demand, the WhatzIT is back!  After giving you guys such a nice hard WhatzIT last time, I was inspired to see if I could provide you with another tough one.  Here it is!

It's time to reveal the answers to last weeks brain squeezer, I mean brain teaser.  I gave you guys 10 tricky questions to answer.  Here are the answers...

You've been back to school from break for a week now.  Was your brain ready?  This might help a little...or it might not.

Well, we've started another 12 month cycle.  2013!  But I hope you don't fall this little trick this year...

God designed some pretty cool creatures.  Here's a series of 6 creatures that were designed to cleverly blend into their backgrounds.  How quickly can you find them?

Once again, I find myself reading through articles and finding another one that talks about the discovery of living fossils.   Wait a sec, aren't fossils made of rock?  How could they be living?

After a week of mystery and best-guesses, it's time to reveal the WhatzIT from last week.  From looking over the variety of guesses, I would say this WAS probably one of the hardest WhatzIT's I've ever posted.  Click here to see what this was...

After a series of easy WhatzIT's, I have gone to great lengths to make this one really, really hard.  Good luck!

The greatest part of my travels is meeting you guys!  I thought for this weeks blog I would share a bunch of photos I've taken over the last few months of you very cool people I've met.  Are you in any of the pictures?

People either think frogs are the greatest or they are totally grossed out by them.  Me personally, I was one of those kids that grew up out in the country so I loved finding frogs and carrying them around as pets.  My column in the magazine this month talks about these few fun paper frog activities you can do at home...

I'm not talking about ME needing your garbage, please don't come to my yard and dump all your trash there, no thanks.  But there is a country that needs garbage so bad they are willing to go out and bring it from other countries!

This week we got to see just how powerful nature can be.  Hurricane Sandy became the largest Atlantic hurricane in diameter on record, with winds spanning 1,100 miles.  Wow, no wonder it was nicknamed "Frankenstorm."  Check out this amazing TIME LAPSE video!

Hello nature lovers!

Last week I meant to post this video on my blog, it is a short video clip I refer to in my October "MUD" column.  Sorry it wasn't posted till now...

It's that time of year again. Baseball playoffs! 

Wait a second, you say, i thought this was the Mud Guy, not David Robinson.  Ahh, but although I love all things nature, I'm also a big sports fan, too! 

Don't worry, I always find a way to spin everything into a nature related blog....

It's time to reveal last weeks WhatzIT!  How did you do?

Oh yes, it's time for a new WhatzIt!  Last time so many of you got it right I worry that I made it to easy for you guys, so let's see how you do this week.  I think this one is a little tougher.  I think...

Every year as I travel around doing my talks, one of the best parts is that I get to meet thousands of you from all over the world.  What a treat!  Every once in a while I like to share pictures of a new friend...

Brand New MONKEY!

Yes, you read correctly!  A new species of monkey was recently discovered.  It's rare to find "large" mammal species that has never been discovered.  Fortunately you've come to the right place to read more about this recent discovery!

Remember when Rich talked about the bee's waggle dance in his MUD column? Here you can see it for yourself.

Sometimes, we just need to let photos speak for themselves...

Hello tout le monde! 

I hope you are all enjoying the precious days left of summer vacation.  If you are reading from the southern hemisphere, then I suppose I should say something like "I hope you are having a lovely winter!"  Anyway, as you know, I am a fan of terribly horrible cheesy jokes.  The kind that are so bad that you just HAVE to laugh.  So I thought today for fun, I would post a few of classics.

You guessed it, it's time for another WhatzIT!  You guys did awesome on the last one I posted, I'm wondering if i made it to easy, so let's see how you do on this one...

We are big Olympics fans at my house.  We are trying to catch as many of the big events as possible although it can be overwhelming how many events there are to see!  At home, our main focus so far has been swimming and soccer.  Still, there's other things on the TV that catch my eye...

Hello summer fun warriors! I hope you are all having a great summer so far.

Have many of you gone out on outings or road trips?  When I was a kid, that was my favorite part about summer, we'd always take a 4 week road trip!  Maybe that's why I like to travel so much...

Happy summer to all!  I've enjoyed meeting a lot of you these past few weeks as I've been spending a lot of time at the Central California campmeeting and the Oregon campmeeting.  It's great to meet and hang out with you guys!

This week for my blog I want to share a pretty interesting little video clip about one mean fish . . .

In this week's Mud column I talked about animals with an amazing sense of hearing. Check out how owls use their hearing to catch their prey.

Hello space cadets!

OK, so it's no secret that I'm very intrigued by all things "space," so I wanted to share one of the most amazing videos on the web.  It's a series of time lapse photos taken from the International Space Station. 

In the last few days you might have heard about something in the news called "The God Particle." What is that?

Unfortunately, the extinction of species on our planet is a common occurrence.  Sadly, a few days ago on June 24, 2012, a giant Pinta Island tortoise named "Lonesome George" died.  He was believed to be the last remaining individual of the subspecies called Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni.

This week in Mud I talk about how icebergs form when chunks of ice calve, or break off, from a glacier. Have you ever seen a glacier calving? Check out this video clip that shows massive chunks of ice falling into the sea. Watch out for the giant wave!

Grand summer greetings to all!

I hope you are all enjoying the summer.  I assume most of you are either done with school or about to be done with school.  Congrats for finishing another school year!  

Hello Mudseekers! It's time to reveal our current WhatzIT, and I'm impressed...many of you guessed correctly!  It is a close up picture of a mushroom!  Good job. 

Greetings to all you Spring Feverites! Yes, I'm also excited about all the warm weather many of you are experiencing, yay! Enjoy. Last week I posted a new WhatzIT but I must say I was a bit disappointed at how few guesses there were. Did I stump you guys so bad this time?

Hola, everyone!

Summer is almost here!  I'm sure you all are very excited about that.  I'm excited too because I'll get to meet a bunch of you over the next few months as I speak at various events.  This weekend I'll be at the Michigan Conference Pathfinder fair, where there will be almost 1,000 of you present.  In June and July I'll be seeing you guys at camp meetings in Central California, Oregon, and even England! 

Hello to all!

Webcams are very intriguing to me because it's like being in two places at the same time . . . well, sorta. While you are at home in your pajamas sitting in front of the computer eating baby carrots, you can also see exactly what is going on somewhere else in the world. That's pretty amazing!

Bonjour, everyone! 

This Saturday night there will be an interesting event for all you people who like to look at the night sky.  Anyone in the United States will be treated to a "supermoon" event.  You may ask, What in the world is a supermoon?

A couple days ago I returned from Puerto Rico, where I spoke at a Pathfinder camporee to about 1,000 Pathfinders. I also spoke at a couple of churches and had a lot of fun meeting lots of new people. I was surprised to meet a bunch of Guide magazine readers there, since Puerto Rico is a Spanish-speaking country!

Hi everyone!

I'm in Puerto Rico right now. Yes, it's boiling hot here, but I'm excited that I've had the chance to meet a bunch of new Guide readers here already! 

Last week a friend of mine posted a blog about me, so I wanted to share it with you guys.

In this week's Mud I talked about bizarre defense mechanisms that animals use to protect themselves. As promised, here are two videos where you can see a hagfish using its slime defense and a bombardier beetle blasting out hot chemicals.

I enjoy keeping up with the news, especially when there are articles about new scientific discoveries. I always keep an eye out for articles that also try to make new evolution claims. 

For example, just the other day there was an article in USA Today called "Fossil foot poses human origins puzzle."

Hi everyone!

Last week I saw a most amazing sight.

Hi, everyone!

This week James Cameron, a filmmaker, completed a record-breaking dive to the deepest part of the ocean: the Mariana Trench, about 200 miles from Guam. He was in a special submarine he had built that could withstand the pressure of being more than 35,000 feet below sea level. Wow, that's deep. That's almost 7 miles straight down! The smallest leak would have cause his submarine to instantly implode. Yikes. 

Hi everyone! I've always been a big fan of stereograms like the one shown here. You've probably seen them before. It's amazing how sometimes our eyes see something, and then they don't. It reminds me of how God sees the BIG picture in our life, but we don't. But don't worry; God is in control since He sees and knows everything!

In this week's Mud I talk about some of the topics you requested in the chat, including the Venus flytrap. Have you ever wanted to see a Venus flytrap actually catch something? Watch this video!

Here's a new joke for you: Q: What kind of flower do you have between your nose and your chin? A: Tulips!

Hi everyone! This week in the newspaper I saw an interesting article about a Christian NASA scientist who claims he was fired because he believed in intelligent design. "Intelligent design" is the belief that some higher power, such as God, created everything.  John West from the Center for Science and Culture in the Discovery Institute says it's part of a pattern.  He says, "There is basically a war on anyone who (disagrees with) Darwin, and we've seen that for years."  The case just landed in court and is about to start being heard, so we'll see what happens.

Hey everyone! My name is Rich Aguilera, and I'm the NATURE GUY at Guide! I LOVE nature, and I love to be outside, so fasten your seat belts and join me as we go for a little ride in our new feature called MUD. Yeah, "MUD" . . . no, it's not an acronym for anything, it just means that when you go out in nature, you might get a little dirty! You'll find me here on this website, and this summer I'll start appearing in Guide magazine too. We're working on some really cool stuff for you guys.

Interactive stories, short videos called "MudTV," some of my favorite webcams from around the world--and of course, I always have a few surprises, plus mysteries and funny stuff. Oh yeah, some gross nature stuff too!
(He-he-he.) You'll just have to keep coming back! Of course, if you have ideas of stuff we should explore, let me know. I really look forward to exploring nature with you. I think we'll have a blast together! After all, God created nature for us to enjoy.

LET'S GO!

Hi everyone! First things first: Did you find "the hidden tiger" from last week's Tricky Eyes blog? If you haven't tried this optical illusion yet, check out the link. Don't scroll to the bottom of this page unless you're ready to see the answer!  This week there was a neat article in the news talking about the northern lights, also called the "Aurora Borealis." Apparently they were being exceptionally active. This colorful phenomenon is caused when sun particles collide with the Earth's atmosphere near the poles. 

I love optical illusions. Mainly because they force you to think "outside the box" to figure them out.  Of course, having your eyes and brain tricked once in a while only makes you sharper.  SO, here's an optical illusion for you. This is not an easy optical illusion.  It was created by American wildlife artist Rusty Rust, and it shows a huge Bengal tiger standing in a bamboo forest. Your mission now is to look for “The Hidden Tiger” in the image.  Where is the hidden tiger? Once you see it, it seems so obvious. If you find it, go ahead and post down below that you found it and maybe even say how long it took you, but DON'T spoil it for others by saying where it is.   Let's keep it a secret until next week! Splat!

A few days ago I returned from a mission trip to Cuba.   We visited a bunch of churches and got to teach the kids and adults about Creation.  This was a pretty exciting opportunity because we got to reach a country with no Christian schools. 

One of the interesting things about Cuba are the billboards.  In the United States we can't go anywhere without driving by a bunch of billboards advertising something or other.  "Buy this!"  "Go here!"  "Eat this!"    In Cuba, they have billboards but they are ALL used by the government to send messages to the people.  Here's an example of one. It basically says "The Motherland above all else."  

You know, Christians also have a message to send to the people of the world.  Did you know that God has asked YOU to be a billboard for HIM?  What message are you sending?

It's time to reveal the answer for last week's WhatzIT! Think you got it? Here's one last chance to stare down the picture to see if you think you've got it. If you're ready, scroll down for the full-size picture.  














Yes! One of your favorite veggies, broccoli! Did you know that broccoli is part of the cabbage family? The large flower head is used as a vegetable. It has a lot of vitamin C and is high in fiber too! Now go out and get some. Splat!

OK, everyone, here is our next WhatzIT. Let's see how you guys do this time.  As you know, I’m showing you a picture of something that has been seriously zoomed in. You need to figure out what it is and post your guess below. Next week I will reveal the full-size picture and see how many of you got it right.  
 
As usual, I'm happy to provide you a hint. It's not a banana. You’re welcome.  Splat!

Hi, everyone!  For the last year I've been working with our church in Cuba to organize an event to bring the news of God the Creator and salvation to the kids there.  Did you know that there are NO Christian schools for kids on the entire island? That means 100% of the children there are taught in school that we evolved from slime!  Talk about "yuck" . . . Next week on January 24, after a year of planning, I will be traveling to Cuba for two weeks. There I will be visiting 11 cities and reaching thousands of children to teach them why there is more evidence that a loving God created us all.  Your prayers are important to me, so please pray for me and the leaders in Cuba as well as all the kids and adults who will be at the events so that they open their hearts to discover the truth about God. Splat!

Hello, everyone, and happy New Year! Wow, 2011 is gone—here comes 2012. Instead of reminiscing over 2011 and talking about making resolutions for 2012, let's talk about chocolate. Yes, it's delicious, and yes, you should eat it in moderation. With that said, did you know that the French general Napoleon is said to have carried chocolate for an energy boost? That would explain what he's grabbing for in this picture . . . May 2012 bring you many smiles! Happy New Year!  Splat!

Time for another WhatzIT!  Last time several of you guessed it or were pretty close. Let’s see how you do today.
 
As you know, I’m showing you a picture of something that has been seriously zoomed in. You need to figure out what it is. Although you see straight lines, I CAN tell you that this is NOT manmade; it’s not a temple or anything like that.
 
Post a comment and tell me where or what is in this picture. Next week I will reveal the full-size picture and see how many of you got it right.  
 
I’ll give you another hint: It’s not a moth. You’re welcome. 

And now it’s time to reveal the answer for last week's WhatzIT! If you haven’t already tried to guess what it is, here is one last chance to look before you scroll down for the answer. OK, obviously it’s a rock of some sort, but why the straight lines, and where is it? Scroll down—







This is a place called the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. It’s an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed by a volcanic eruption. Scientists think the lava cooled rapidly, causing it to fracture into these pillar-like forms. Splat!
Rich
 

Thanksgiving is upon us again!  Time to answer those "what are you thankful for this year" type questions you will surely get asked at school, at church and at home. Start working on your list.  Classic answers always include things like "family", "home", "friends", and
all those wonderful things God gives us.

This year, I challenge you to add some unusual things you may not normally remember to be thankful for.  I'm not talking about being thankful for football and iPhones, either.  What am I talking about? Well, how about being thankful that you live in place where you don't
have to hide to worship God. Being thankful for soldiers, firemen and police officers that work hard to keep you safe. How about being thankful that even though the economy might be making things difficult for Mom and Dad, you still have things you NEED.  You may not have the things you WANT, but at least the things you need such as food, clothes and shelter.  There are billions of people in the world that don't have even that.

Yes, we have lots to be thankful for this year.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Splat!

Hi everyone! 

Most of you know how much I like to teach about the “Creation vs. Evolution” issue. A couple weeks ago I got to spend three days in Petersburg, Kentucky, at a conference about Creation. The conference was held at a super-cool place I love to visit: The Creation Museum!

This state-of-the-art museum is an awesome place to learn about how God created the world and His plan of salvation for you. It has almost TWO acres of indoor museum space with all sorts of amazing exhibits, theaters, and even a planetarium! There’s also a cool outdoor zoo petting area and beautiful gardens.  Tell your folks about it. Perhaps someday you can go visit! Here is the museum's Web site: www.CreationMuseum.org.

Have any of you ever visited the Creation Museum? Tell me about it in the “comments” below!

Splat!
Photo from www.CreationMuseum.org

Hi, everyone! One my favorite things to do is to visit you guys in person at your churches. Many of you have seen my "LIVE! and Muddy" presentations in various places. Once in a while I also get to speak at Pathfinder camporees.  Those are so fun! Are you a Pathfinder? A few weeks ago I got to spend several days at the Gulf States Pathfinder Camporee. It was at the beautiful Camp Alamisco in Alabama.  Here are some pictures of a few great clubs I met while I was there.


If you are not a Pathfinder, consider joining the club! If your church doesn't have a club, get with your friends and go ask your leaders if your church can start one. If you are a Pathfinder, why don't you post a reason below why you think being a Pathfinder is great? Maybe together we can convince others to join the club.
I hope some day I'll see you at one of the camporees! Look on the main Mud page for a list of where I'll be.
Splat!

Welcome to WhatzIT?—a new Mud activity! It's pretty simple: I show you a picture that has been seriously zoomed in on something. You need to tell me "WhatzIT?" or, in proper English, what it is.

Just post a comment saying what you think is shown in this picture. If you don't know, at least take a guess! Next week I will tell you what it is and reveal the full-size picture. Let's see how many of you get it right.

I'll give you a hint: it's not a cucumber. You're welcome. 

This blog post will reveal the identity of the mystery item shown in last week's WhatzIT? If you haven't already tried to guess what the object is, you may want to look at the last post before you read this one. OK, here it is: Yep, some of you were right: it's a moth. Specifically, a painted tiger moth, which lives in the southwestern United States. Cool, huh? Moths are very similar to butterflies, but there are few notable differences between them. In general, butterflies have a smooth, thin body; moths are thick and fuzzy.  Butterflies are active during the day; moths are active at night. Butterflies come in bright colors; moths usually have dull colors. When standing, butterflies hold their wings vertically; moths hold their wings flat against their body. I love noticing the little details in the creatures God made! Splat! Rich Photo from Wikimedia Commons, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Arachnis_picta_edit1.jpg.

Hi everyone!

My favorite season is autumn.  I really enjoy the crisp weather and the colors of the trees.  This is a picture of a maple tree in my yard right now.  Year after year I'm always amazed at the incredible show of colors the trees display as they prepare for winter. 

Even though trees don't have a brain, I think it's awesome that God created them as if they DID have a brain!  At the end of summer, they automatically adjust as needed.  Since there are fewer hours of sun and cooler temperatures, the trees slow down the amount of water they take in, the leaves slow down the photosynthesizing, the branches get woody, and they are soon ready for all the cold and snow winter can throw at them.  These are the adjustments they make in order to survive until spring.

Only God could create such an amazing organism.  Just think, there are millions of wonderfully complex organisms out there all around us!

Splat!

Hi, everyone!  I hope you are all having an awesome summer! I've been traveling a lot this summer and I've had the chance to meet many of you.That's been super cool. I'm sorry I've been silent lately in my blog. I've been working a special project just for you guys that has kept me really busy.  It's a new video series called "The Creation Case."  I'm producing 13 half-hour episodes which will be seen on Hope TV and other places once they're done. During the summer, I traveled about 10,000 miles to about 17 or 18 states with a filming crew in order to shoot the series. I think you'll like it. It should be out sometime before the end of the year. This fall I will continue to travel a lot too. Hopefully I'll get to meet many more of you since I'll be visiting some of you at your Pathfinder camporees and in different churches I get invited to speak at. I look forward to meeting you guys! Enjoy the rest of your summer! SPLAT!

Hey, gang!  Summer is around the corner, and I'm sure you guys are excited about taking a little break from school.  That doesn't mean you have to stop learning, though!   What I like to do is go outside and just be curious. 

Just the other day I was noticing some ants in the yard, and I was trying to find their colony by following them around.  Each colony has ONE queen ant, right?  Well, I started to wonder--what happens if another queen ant is born?  There can't be two!  Does she leave?  Is she banished?  Do they eat her?  I was so curious I just had to look it up.  I hope this summer you can go outside and be curious about nature too. 

I'm sure you've all created a drawing or painted something or built something that you were really proud of.  I like to think of nature as God's artwork.  Nature is the ultimate canvas, the ultimate sculpture--showing God's incredible creativity.  What makes it even more exciting is that in most cases, the nature is alive! 

Remember, there's something cool God made almost everywhere . . . you just have to look!

P.S.  Oh yeah, were you wondering about Ms. Queen Ant?  She takes off and starts a brand-new colony!

Hey, gang!  Thanks for watching MudTV and for all your comments about our first series!  I hope you had fun being a little goofy with me while also learning some pretty neat stuff.  Many of you have asked about "more" episodes.  I have good news for you!  A new series of MudTV has already been produced, and we will start posting them in July.  I think you'll really like this new series . . . get ready to see some incredible stuff!  


What can I tell you about it?  I can tell you that it will NOT be four episodes this time.  I can also tell you that one episode will be EXPLOSIVE!   You'll just have to see.


Oh, yeah, starting this July, you will also start seeing our new "Mud" section in the actual magazine every month.  Get ready to dive into the world of Mud!  Splat.

Hello, followers of the goings-on of all things Mud!

Next Sabbath (July 18) is a special Sabbath in the world of Mud. Mud will start appearing in your issue of Guide magazine every month with a lot of cool, wild, muddy stuff!  Not only that, the new MudTV series will begin that same weekend and will take you on a new, fast-paced adventure to . . . oh, yeah, I can't tell you.

I hope you are all having a great summer.  I know many of you are gearing up for the Oshkosh camporee in a month--you guys will have a blast! If you're not going, you can always go jump in some mud.  Ask Mom first, and by all means, close your mouth when you jump in . . .
 

Hey kids!  I'm sure many of you were at Oshkosh this year. I hope you had fun and stopped by the Guide table! I thought about surprising everyone by arriving through the thickest part of the jungle and jumping out, but when I found out there was no jungle in Wisconsin I decided to stay home. Not really.

School is around the corner and for the lucky few of you, it has started already.  Have you dusted off your book bag?  Have you sharpened all your #2's?  I hope this year you guys do great in school, and remember, be curious about everything--it makes learning fun!

See ya!

Hey everyone!  I hope you have gotten off to a good start in this new school year. 

In this week's Guide magazine issue I talk about bizarre trees.  Let me tell you, when I kid, one of my favorite activities was climbing trees.  As you can imagine, I was never afraid of heights either. My biggest concern was making sure there wasn't any poison ivy around because I'm very allergic to that stuff.  Now, a few years later, I'm still completely intrigued by trees, and once in a while I still find myself climbing a tree!   At this point, though, I get more enjoyment learning about bizarre trees, visiting them in person, and taking their picture.  Say "CHEESE," or better yet, say "LEEEEAVES" . . .

One of the BIZARRE TREES featured this week is the dragon tree. It comes from the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa.  In this video we explore dragon trees and the vegetation on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands.

Hi, everyone. Well, it's been a rainy week for many of you out there. I'm thinking and praying for you guys in the Southeast--hang in there!   Just recently someone asked a question on "Stump Rich" about natural disasters and why they happen.  I thought I'd post my answer here in the blog:   First of all, let me mention that our planet is not just a piece of rock, it's a dynamic planet which is constantly changing. Second, let me mention that evil is not "something," it is the LACK of something--it is the lack of GOOD. Kinda like LIGHT and DARK. Dark is not a thing, it is the LACK of LIGHT. Evil is a lack of good. Many bad things happen in this world, and most of them are associated with SIN. Death, disease, crimes, etc. We're all sinners, so we have to accept and understand that bad things will happen because of sin. You've probably heard the saying, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" If we're all sinners then maybe the question should be "Why do GOOD things happen to BAD people?" . . .   Join me in praying for the folks enduring these natural disasters.  

Just recently, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil was awarded the Summer Olympics for the year 2016. That’s SEVEN years from now. How old will you be in seven years? Many of the athletes who will be competing in those Olympics are actually YOUR age right now. None of them know that in seven years they will be there, because no one knows the future. All I know is that if you put your future in God’s hands, He will have wonderful things for you to look forward to! 

Hey, everyone! My favorite season of the year is autumn. I love to watch the transition of the leaves. The days start getting cooler and shorter, so the leaves start losing their green color, which exposes the bright yellows, reds, and oranges that are naturally found in the leaves. If you live in a place where the leaves change colors every year, you may be used to the changes, but this year take a fresh new look at these changes as they occur. Make a conscious effort watch this year’s transition and observe God’s free color show!

Hey, everyone!   I just wanted to thank all of you for your nice comments on the “MudTV: The Assignment” videos you’ve been watching the last few months. I had a lot of fun making them for you, and I hope you learned something new!   For those of you that patiently watched the last episode all the way through, you noticed that I included a “sneak peek” teaser about the next MudTV, called “MudTV: Eureka!” That will be coming out soon, so keep checking back!   Splat! Rich     

Do you have a lot to be thankful for this year? This is a great time to stop and remember all the things you are thankful for. But you know what? Every day should be Thanksgiving! (Without the “Black Friday” too . . .) When we were all kids we’d say, “I wish Christmas was every day!” Well, I can’t help you there, but I don’t see why you can’t celebrate Thanksgiving every day. We’re always thankful for our families. Well, this time tell them in person! Have some distant relatives? Call them up or send them an e-mail this year. Tell them you really appreciate them!   Splat! Rich     

Well, it’s December—’tis the season to be jolly. You know what I’ve been doing for years? Almost every time I write a letter or an e-mail during the month of December, at the bottom I finish with “Merry CHRISTmas.” As you can see, I’ve capitalized CHRIST in Christmas. I consider it a subtle way of reminding people of the real reason for the season, CHRIST. Let’s all try to remember what we’re really celebrating—Jesus’ birth, even if it wasn’t really in December. Merry CHRISTmas! Splat! Rich     

Hello everyone! By now you’re all probably out of school on break and sad that your mind is not receiving educational nourishment (school). I can help with today’s blog, which I will call “December Trivia.” We’ve gotten so used to the name “December” that we’ve never really stopped to think about it. What is a “December”? Well, I can tell you that in Latin, “decem” means “ten.” December was originally the tenth month in the Roman calendar, until a monthless winter period was divided between January and February. Did you know December starts on the same day of the week as September? Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year!

Wow, it's the year 2010!  When I was a kid, "2010" was used to talk about the distant future when space ships would fly around and we'd all be walking around in silver jumpsuits. It would be like saying "the year 2040" now!  I'll be the first to admit that I don't have a silver jumpsuit.  I'm sure glad that only God knows the future.  With God we don't have to worry or wonder about silver jumpsuits.  Just trust in God.  Here in the Northern Hemisphere, many animals are hibernating now.  They have trusted their God-given instincts to hibernate during winter.  They've put their future in God's hands.  I hope you will put your 2010 in God's hands this year!   Happy new year!
Splat!
Rich

Hi, everyone. I was very saddened at the news of the big earthquake in Haiti this week. Ironically, my column in Guide magazine this Sabbath talks about earthquakes and how destructive they are.  Please join me in praying for the people in Haiti: Dear God, we're praying for the people of Haiti today—they are going through terrible suffering right now. These are Your sons and daughters that are experiencing devastation and pain. There are many things in this world that we don't understand, God, but I know that You see their tears and know their sadness. Please give them comfort. Many people are rushing to help the people in Haiti. Lord, keep them safe and give them the tools they need to serve these people, and give us the wisdom to do our part too. Amen.

Hi, everyone! Some people don’t like snow. Not sure why. I guess if you didn’t grow up with snow, you don’t like it. Some people grew up in snow and then moved to a more temperate climate and say they will never go back to the snow. Me? I’ve lived my whole life with cold, snowy winters. I love snow! Sure, there are a couple days each winter where it gets painfully cold. Those days aren’t fun, but most days are pretty nice if you dress right. It doesn’t matter where you live—you are likely to have a few days of uncomfortable weather each year. About 18 months ago I went on a mission trip to Cuba in the middle of the summer. That was painfully hot, and not too many places with AC either! I like my snowy winters. BTW, the world record for most snowfall in one year is held by Mount Baker, Washington. About 10 years ago they had 95 feet of snowfall! Here is a picture of my street a couple days ago. It snowed about 15” and the plows hadn’t come yet. Drive at your own risk! And here’s a picture of me during that snowstorm. I had been plowing my driveway, and it was snowing so hard that 3” of snow accumulated on my visor!      

Are you a fan of the Olympics? I am. In 1996 the Summer Olympics took place in Atlanta, Georgia, and I was able to attend six events. That was a lot of fun. Someday I hope to be able to attend a Winter Olympics. Where would the Winter Olympics be without snow and ice? They’d be in trouble! I think it’s neat that the entire Winter Olympic event relies on snow and ice, elements of nature that God created. It sure would be funny trying to imagine Winter Olympics without them . . . Skating in a puddle of water? Skiing down a grassy, muddy slope? What about the ski long jump? Scary. If you watch some Olympic competitions this month, remember none of them would be possible if God hadn’t created water with those very specific and special properties!   Splat!

Hey, everyone! Earlier this month I was in San Antonio, Texas, for our first "LIVE! and
Muddy" speaking event. It was exciting to meet a bunch of you and
spend some time learning about God through nature and science. I'm
including a few pictures of the event here in my blog. I also enjoyed
getting to know your town and state. Rich loves Texas! Hopefully in the future I can meet many more of you in events similar
to this. Perhaps if you mention it to some of your leaders, we can
work toward trying to visit you guys where YOU are! Have a great Sabbath! Splat!       

 Hey, everyone!  I just wanted to tell you about this new sidebar on the right of your screen for “LIVE! and Muddy.” You may have noticed it there a couple weeks ago. We put that there so you can keep track of the places I’m planning to visit in the coming months.  I would really like to see and meet you all, so I’m going to start going around the country to hang out with you for a weekend! I hope you keep checking back on the calendar to see if I’ll be in your neck of the woods.   Last Friday I was at the Cyber Chat for a while and someone asked me how to go about having me visit their church. Simple—just have your youth pastor or Pathfinder director contact me! Then we’ll see if it can be done! Splat!

Is your family looking to take a family trip anytime soon? Looking for the adventure of a lifetime? I want to invite you to join me for a new thing called “Christian Family Adventures” where YOUR family can join me on a one-week adventure you will never forget. Picture yourself in the rainforest of Costa Rica, ziplining from one treetop platform to another! Go rafting, caving, horseback riding, and more! Each day I’ll lead out and provide family-friendly worships. Throughout the week you and your family will also help me produce a souvenir nature documentary video. The final day we’ll give back—we’ll do some mission work at a local orphanage. If you are interested, there is more information at our website— www.ChristianFamilyAdventures.org I’d love to have you come and explore nature with me! Splat! 

Hi, everyone! I was wondering how many of you are going to be at the General Conference Session this summer in Atlanta, Georgia. I’m planning on being there, and I would love to meet all of you! I’ll be easy to find—I’ll be wearing my hat most of the time! People ask me about my hat every once in a while. They ask, “Do you take that hat everywhere you go?” Actually, I do! And before I had that hat, I had another one that I took everywhere. Do you want to know why? It’s simple: To protect my head from getting too much sun! A lot of people love to lie out in the sun and get a tan. That’s cool, except for the part about dramatically raising your chances of getting skin cancer. Experts say, “One blistering sunburn can double a child's lifetime risk of developing skin cancer.” I don’t want ANY of you to ever get cancer. The sun is good for you, but getting burned is not. As North American summer rolls in, remember that you are also a part of nature that we should protect. Splat!     

Hey everyone!  I hope you are all having a great summer.  I'm in Atlanta at the General Conference Session and I'd love to see and meet you! If you see me walking around I hope you come over and say hi. I'll be in the exhibit hall most of the time and I'll be in Atlanta till the session ends, so I hope to see you! Just look for the guy in the unusual hat!

If you're not able to be in Georgia, I'll see you in this Sabbath's issue of Guide magazine!

Splat!

A couple days ago there was an article in the news called “World's Largest Dinosaur Graveyard Linked to Mass Death.” It’s about a huge dinosaur graveyard recently discovered in Alberta, Canada, and how the scientists have determined that thousands of dinosaurs were buried there by a flood.   If you’re a creationist like me, you’d say, “I could’ve told you that.” Unfortunately, though, most scientists refuse to believe in creation, intelligent design, or a worldwide flood, so they provide alternate explanations for everything we see. The article simply says, “The likely culprit in this scenario was a catastrophic storm.”   The funny thing about this is that these same scientists say pretty much ALL dinosaur graveyards and dig sites on the planet were caused by water-related catastrophes. Coincidence? I don’t think so.  Splat!     

People have been trying to find Noah’s Ark for hundreds of years. Here’s what the Bible says about its location: "The water receded steadily from the earth. At the end of the hundred and fifty days the water had gone down, and on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters continued to recede until the tenth month, and on the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains became visible" (Genesis 8:3-5). So where are the “mountains of Ararat”? No one knows for sure. Most searches have taken place in Turkey on a mountain called Mount Ararat, but the Bible says the ark came to rest on the mountains (plural) of Ararat, which is a vast mountain range. Mt. Ararat is also a volcano. As you know, volcanic mountains are constantly changing, so it’s impossible to know what that mountain was like 4,300 years ago—that’s even IF it is where the ark landed. The mountain itself is extremely dangerous to climb, and many people have died trying. It’s also located in one of the most politically unstable corners of the world. Just being there is life-threatening. What’s my point? Yes, it would be super neat to discover the ark. Do we need proof in order to believe? No. Even if it were to be discovered, there would probably be thousands of people who would rush in to disprove the claim. We will never have all the answers. Our goal is to have faith in the truth we believe in. Splat!

For most of you, school is probably underway already. I find it funny how one event, the start of school, can be looked at so differently by so many people. It’s the same event, but there is such a wide variety of reactions to it. Some of you have been looking forward to school starting since the last day of school last year. Others dread the thought of going back to school. Others love summer, but toward the end they start getting a little bored and are ready to go back to school to see their friends. Same event, a variety of reactions. Why is that? In nature the laws are pretty consistent. If you throw a ball into the air, gravity will bring it back down every single time. The laws of nature for humans are a little different because God made each one of us unique, special, and different. There is no other you in the whole world! God did that on purpose. So if you ever feel pressured at school to be like someone else, to look like someone else, to dress like someone else—remember, God made you to be you, and only you, not someone else. Have a great school year! Splat!

In the last month it seems like the number of natural disasters has been going up. If you listen to the news, you may have heard about volcanic eruptions, flooding, earthquakes, and just this week in the South Pacific, a “Super Typhoon.” It wasn’t a regular typhoon, it was a SUPER Typhoon, and it was called “Megi,” which is Korean for “catfish.” Are you wondering, What is the difference between a regular and a super typhoon? It’s probably pretty obvious. A super typhoon is the same as a Category 4 or 5 hurricane—that means it has sustained winds of 150 miles per hour or more. Very intense. They bring high storm surges at the coasts, torrential downpours, and super powerful winds. Typhoons form over warm water and usually lose power once they hit land. The problem with Super Typhoon Megi is that as it went over the Philippines, it did not lose much strength since the Philippines are smaller islands. This super typhoon is not expected to lose strength quite yet. Meteorologists say it's heading toward the mainland of China. There are millions of people in that area. Let’s keep those people in our prayers this week!

Christmas is upon us! The decorations are up, there is plenty of snow on the ground, and I have an ample supply of hot chocolate ready to go. My family room carries the scent of fresh artificial tree and I’ve brushed up on the lyrics of “Silent Night” in two languages. I’ve avoided the shopping craze of Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Devastating December as much as possible. The stereo is stocked with my five favorite Christmas CDs, and I’ve started closing all my e-mails with “Merry CHRISTmas.”  Am I missing anything? Oh, wait, this weekend is our church’s children’s Christmas musical. Batteries are charged and the tripod is ready. I have my red sweater washed and ready to wear, as well as my Christmas socks that have pictures of reindeer on them. Do I have it all now? I can’t find my copy of It’s a Wonderful Life, but maybe someone borrowed it and I’ll get it back soon.  What do you think? Do I have everything? What am I missing? Are you missing it too? Keep your eye on the ball.  Splat!

Have you ever heard of the term “albino”? Albinism is an inherited condition that prevents the body from making the usual amounts of the pigment melanin. Melanin is what gives your skin its color, so without it the skin and hair are very light-colored. It doesn’t just happen with people; it can affect other mammals too, as well as fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.  The polite term for someone affected with this condition is a “person with albinism.” Remember, people with albinism are just as normal as anyone else and should not be treated any differently. When I was a kid, I had a friend with albinism and he was super nice. It makes me very sad when people are treated differently just because of how they look.  The enemy is trying to trick you into judging people by their looks, so this week I have a Christian challenge for you. I want you to go and seek out a person that you think may be being judged by their looks. I’d like you to try to get to know them. You never know when you might make a lifelong friend! Remember, God loves what’s on the inside and we should too!  Splat!      var fctb_tool=null; function FCTB_Init_e19435fb67b45443ad574113e6946779(t) { fctb_tool=t; start(fctb_tool); }

This has been a wintry winter. Places like the Northeast have experienced amazing amounts of snowfall this season. Some people are fortunate and escape to a sunny beach somewhere this time of year. I’ve never been a huge fan of ocean water since I did not grow up near an ocean. I find it too salty. Ocean water is salty because it contains 3.6% dissolved minerals. Salt is the primary mineral (sodium and chlorine). Scientists have been measuring the amount of sodium in the oceans for decades. They calculate that over 400 million tons of sodium are deposited into the oceans every year, but only about 100 million tons leave the ocean. That means there’s about 300 millions tons of salt being added to the ocean every year. By looking at the amount of sodium in the ocean now, the evidence strongly favors a young earth. If our planet has really been around for billions of years, the ocean should be completely saturated with salt. Even if you escape to a nice warm beach this winter, the evidence for a young earth seems to follow you! Splat!
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I know a lot of you readers out there are dog lovers. I never got to have a dog when I was growing up, but they sure looked like a lot fun to own. This week was the Westminster Kennel Club dog show, where each year a bunch of dogs come to New York and compete to be "Best in Show" as well as win in other categories. This year a Scottish deerhound named Hickory won. Here's a photo of a deerhound. These dogs are known to be gentle and extremely friendly. They also love to chase stuff. Do you have a dog? I'd love to know what kind of dog your family has. Just go to the Mud section of the Discussion Board and answer my question about dogs! The Scottish deerhound has been around for a long time, long before records of dog species were kept. Since then many new species of dog have appeared. You might think of them as "breeds," but they are different enough that they could be considered different species. Of course, these "species" are created by humans through breeding, but the same process can happen naturally, but more slowly. Some scientists call that evolution, but creationists call that variation. There is no evidence that dogs are turning into a different kind of animal—we are only witnessing the endless variety of dogs that God built into the dog kind DNA. Splat! (Photo from Wikipedia)
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Another year is just about to check out. See ya, 2010. Of course, I can’t help but wonder what 2011 will be like. I remember a year ago thinking, “I wonder what 2010 will be like.” Well, now I know.  It was neat meeting a bunch of you at the GC session this summer in Atlanta. I also traveled to eight different states to present “LIVE! and Muddy” in many of your churches. That was fun. I went on a mission trip and I also started working on a new TV video series about creation. It’s been an exciting year!  It’s good to look back and remember, but let’s also look forward at the year ahead. What are the big moments coming up for you in 2011? What are the big events planned? What are some challenges you know you will have to face?  My challenge for you this year: Face 2011 with Jesus by your side. Check in with Jesus on a daily basis—just tell Him every day what you’re up to and the stuff you’re concerned about. He wants to be your best friend, so go ahead and treat Him like one. He will never let you down.  I look forward to discovering and exploring more of God’s creativity in nature this year with you!  Splat! 

In this month's Mud I answer your questions from the Web site. One of them has to do with Fibonacci numbers. Find out why some scientists consider this pattern "the fingerprint of God"! Then, see if you can stump me with more questions.
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Hi, everyone! I hope you are all having an awesome summer! I've been traveling a lot this summer and I've had the chance to meet many of you.That's been super cool. I'm sorry I've been silent lately in my blog. I've been working a special project just for you guys that has kept me really busy.  It's a new video series called "The Creation Case."  I'm producing 13 half-hour episodes which will be seen on Hope TV and other places once they're done. During the summer, I traveled about 10,000 miles to about 17 or 18 states with a filming crew in order to shoot the series. I think you'll like it. It should be out sometime before the end of the year. This fall I will continue to travel a lot too. Hopefully I'll get to meet many more of you since I'll be visiting some of you at your Pathfinder camporees and in different churches I get invited to speak at. I look forward to meeting you guys! Enjoy the rest of your summer! SPLAT!

This month in Guide magazine I wrote about some of most bizarre creatures in the sea. What amazes me is that most scientists say that we’ve discovered only a small percentage of the ocean’s species so far. That means most of the creatures in the sea haven’t been discovered yet! Maybe you’ll grow up to become a marine biologist and discover a few more! Today’s featured video clip talks about some of the smallest bizarre creatures in our seas: zooplankton! Check it out . . . var fctb_tool=null; function FCTB_Init_2859b3acd54a184b9ce0c1f3ebd9b39e(t) { fctb_tool=t; start(fctb_tool); } FCTB_Init_2859b3acd54a184b9ce0c1f3ebd9b39e(document['FCTB_Init_84b96506291a134cb07a45f32665c40e']); delete document['FCTB_Init_84b96506291a134cb07a45f32665c40e']

If you liked the brain exercises in this month’s Mud column, then you’ll like these additional brain exercises. Remember: keep those brains nice and sharp with plenty of exercise! (The answers are at the very bottom, but don't scroll down until you've tried to figure out all three!) 1. Michael and Sophia have the same father and they were born at the same hour of the same day to the same mother in the same hospital. However, they are not twins. How is this possible? 2. Little Tommy suddenly found himself surrounded by thirty galloping horses, twenty-five charging bears, and ten roaring lions. How did he survive this situation? 3. Four cars come to a four-way stop, each coming from either North, South, East or West. It isn’t clear who arrived first, so they all go at the same time. No one crashes, but all four cars successfully continue on their way. How is this possible?
  var fctb_tool=null; function FCTB_Init_ca56b7ac7fe3fa4cb8579174630874e3(t) { fctb_tool=t; start(fctb_tool); } FCTB_Init_ca56b7ac7fe3fa4cb8579174630874e3(document['FCTB_Init_235e95666de6e24cb5d7cbe4a57ad1f1']); delete document['FCTB_Init_235e95666de6e24cb5d7cbe4a57ad1f1']                               1. They are two babies in a set of triplets. 2. He got off the carousel! var fctb_tool=null; function FCTB_Init_d8f2b3d774936d4293830120ebad6741(t) { fctb_tool=t; start(fctb_tool); } FCTB_Init_d8f2b3d774936d4293830120ebad6741(document['FCTB_Init_09233e06bef04c4599b47e99e4a4141e']); delete document['FCTB_Init_09233e06bef04c4599b47e99e4a4141e'] var fctb_tool=null; function FCTB_Init_cc7560286785ea49879467226d842850(t) { fctb_tool=t; start(fctb_tool); } FCTB_Init_cc7560286785ea49879467226d842850(document['FCTB_Init_e5bf0229a7ac8f489e8cf27c26208ac1']); delete document['FCTB_Init_e5bf0229a7ac8f489e8cf27c26208ac1'] 3. They all made right-hand turns.

In the news today there was an article about a tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea called Menorca. It turns out that scientists recently uncovered fossil evidence of a new extinct species of rabbit. What's interesting is that this was a GIANT rabbit that was three feet tall!  That's about six times larger than your typical rabbit today! (Bigs Bunny?) Evolution teaches that over millions of years creatures have evolved from simple to complex and from small to large, but over and over again we see from the fossil record that animals from the past were actually bigger, not smaller.  Giant sharks (megalodon, 10-foot-tall sloths, 50-foot-long crocodiles, three-foot-tall rabbits, and, of course, everyone's favorite—giant reptiles . . . also known as dinosaurs. The fossil record shows that creatures in the past were larger, not smaller. This is completely opposite of what evolution says needs to happen for their explanation to make sense.  Splat! var fctb_tool=null; function FCTB_Init_a3a1b34a300c674aa248c6f20a745f44(t) { fctb_tool=t; start(fctb_tool); } FCTB_Init_a3a1b34a300c674aa248c6f20a745f44(document['FCTB_Init_3b76ef57ce67c448a605fe85cc348548']); delete document['FCTB_Init_3b76ef57ce67c448a605fe85cc348548'] var fctb_tool=null; function FCTB_Init_80556e1a6f8a57449c2d2bf950cb20ad(t) { fctb_tool=t; start(fctb_tool); } FCTB_Init_80556e1a6f8a57449c2d2bf950cb20ad(document['FCTB_Init_af13ada1ed709048acfc362426fe9e46']); delete document['FCTB_Init_af13ada1ed709048acfc362426fe9e46']