That was a pretty good analogy, but theories are built on many combinations of facts and intricate assumptions. No thoery yet has been proven to be flawless, E=Mc2 is not perfect but representative as a step to further understanding. Theology does not own the licence to spirituality either. I do not think that we can contain in ourselves at the present time all there is to know about what random and directed even mean, for we are still in a phase where we view nonliving matter as something less important than life, and other life as less important than ourselves, myself included. There is no proof that the thoeries of thermodynamics are universal laws, so you have used theories with holes to display holes of other theories, I guess that is a good way to do it, punch the holes and use what is left over.
I am from WV too, and love the sceanary under the bridges and up on the mountains, beautiful.
So I guess you are a creationist? Not me, but I don`t hold it against you :) What do you thing happened? How did we get here, and if there is a plan or direction, by and for what?