Entropy, Kalam, and First Cause

[GriffinHunter]

Hey fellas. So in a discussion with Nestor, I brought up the proposition that the second law of thermodynamics would prevent the use of an infinite regress of "causes and effects" as a counterexplanation to the Kalam argument. (thus you would either have to admit some kind of first cause, or explain things away in terms of many universes or cyclical theories) Nestor suggested I bring up the topic here:

The Second Law of Thermodynamics pertains to entropy but it doesn't change overall energy in a system, and the cause of entropy as far as I know is possibly reducible to conditions in the early Universe. How it effects the so-called heat death in our Universe's future and what that means, I suggest you might want to ask Alex K or Surginator. They're the physicists. It would make a good post in the science section as I and I'm sure others could benefit from such a discussion.

So I'm curious what you guys have to say about this. Personally, my own knowledge of physics is far too lacking to carry on an educated discussion on this. I'm sure there are people here much more knowledgeable than me, and I'd like to learn more about this issue.
How does the law of entropy relate to the idea of a First Cause? In my (likely flawed) understanding, wouldn't it be impossible for the universe to have existed infinitely in the past? (even if you use cyclical explanations) It seems there would have to have been a "beginning" at which point some kind of force (outside and above the universe itself) intervened to create and set the universe in motion. (Deism, anyone? )
That force may or may not be personal, and perhaps it isn't even a mind. But I just can't wrap my mind around the idea of there being absolutely no First Cause at all...