Discover Your Destiny

I heard a sermon on the radio this week that really made me think. The message was: "You can't determine your own destiny; you discover it." And the way to discover your destiny is through a daily walk with God.

God has a destiny for each of us, and it not only affects our own lives but also the lives of many others. He reveals His plan for us as we seek Him and have a daily relationship with Him.

I think about Joseph in the Bible. God showed him his destiny through dreams and visions while Joseph was just a boy. When Joseph was 17, his brothers sold him into slavery and he was taken to Egypt. Joseph could have given up on the dreams, but he didn't. He remained faithful to God. He saw the dreams come true and years later when Joseph became a ruler, he saved his family and the whole country from famine.

Joseph fulfilled his destiny by being faithful, and it changed the world.

When we discover our God-given destiny, we can impact the lives of others, too. It may not be on the same level as Joseph, but our purpose has great significance. If we touched the life of only one person for God, we have accomplished much. And we know that we have the chance to touch the lives of many people every day by sharing our faith.

The sermon I heard showed me that our primary purpose in life is to "know God," and our assignment in life is to "make God known" to others. We fulfill our destiny when we use the gifts and talents God has given us to get to know Him and to make Him known. And as we get to know Him, God will reveal more of His plan and destiny for our lives. He has great things for us if we remain faithful and walk with Him.

Pledge To America

It's a step in the right direction. House Republicans came out with their Pledge To America, a conservative agenda they hope will help them get control of the House in the November mid-term elections. The pledge is a welcome change from the radical ideas of the far left.

This pledge has commonsense ideas and focuses on the conservative values that our country was founded upon. It's a promise to honor families, traditional marriage and life.

You wouldn't think that we would need a pledge to uphold family and marriage in America. But our country has gotten so far out of balance that the Republicans felt they had to draft this document to put the focus back on traditional values.

Like Newt Gingrich's "Contract With America," which helped Republicans take control of the House in 1994, the pledge will help power the GOP back into the majority in just 36 days from now.

As a conservative, I'm excited about the things the pledge stands for. Among other things, the pledge calls for a cut in federal spending to 2008 levels and would require all bills to be posted online three days before votes. Imagine that, lawmakers could actually read a bill before voting on it!

It also is a pledge to repeal Obama's disastrous health-care bill. If Republicans can stop Obama-Care, it would be a huge victory and a major step toward blocking Obama's Socialist agenda and returning power to the people.

With this pledge, Republicans are well on their way to taking back the House. Democrats are in for a rude awakening. I can't wait until Nov. 3 (the day after the election) when we can begin putting the country back on the right track!

Tidbits

Here are a few things that have crossed my mind recently:

With temperatures stuck near 90 degrees this late in September, it makes me wonder if maybe there really is something to this global warming stuff. NOT! I don't care what Al Gore and his learjet liberal cronies say, the earth is not going to melt any time soon. The earth will be around at least another 1,000 years until the end of the millennial reign of Christ when the new heaven and new earth will come down. Still, with Fall arriving this week, I hope it will bring cooler weather.

There's a nationwide move under way for 40 days of prayer. The web site http://www.4040prayer.com/ has the details. Basically, it's calling for people of all denominations to pray for revival and renewal for 40 consecutive days from Sept. 20 to Oct. 29. By clicking on "The Latest News" tab on the web site, it will give you Bible verses and prayer emphasis for each day. Today's prayer focus is Longing for His Word. This is a worthwhile project, and I hope it sparks a new great awakening in America.

Speaking of religion, President Obama and the first family attended church on Sunday for only the fourth time since he took office. He went to a mainstream Episcopal church in Washington. With a recent poll showing that 18 percent of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, the president apparently was trying to show that he really is a Christian. But, come on, who's he fooling?

Dancing With The Stars kicked off its new season last night. It's my mom's favorite show. I tune in occasionally to check out the "scenery." But do we really need to see 76-year-old Florence Henderson in skimpy outfits? That's better than Cloris Leachman, I guess. And what's up with Bristol Palin? Haven't you embarrassed your mother enough?

I don't watch much network TV since I'm so obsessed with Fox News, but I have become hooked on two shows. "Undercover Boss" follows executives who go undercover within their own companies to find out what happens on the front lines. It's pretty interesting as the bosses are often surprised at what goes on. My other new favorite is ABC's "What Would You Do?" The show has been around a while, but I just found it last season. Using hidden cameras, the show presents various ethical situations to see how people react. It tells a lot about the values of average Americans. Very interesting. Check it out and see how you would react in the same situation.

It's A Start

You have to start somewhere if you're going to get anywhere. It has been a little over a year since I have walked. After a lot of thinking and praying, I decided to go ahead with physical therapy. I've been twice so far. I know it could be a long process, but at least I've made a start toward my goal of walking again.

I've taken physical therapy off and on pretty much my entire life. At times, I think it has helped, but some of the exercises really don't work for me. My hamstring muscles are tight, so the therapists always start off by stretching these muscles. But the muscles will always be tight, partly because my celebral palsy causes me to tighten up when I move to compensate for my weakened balance and coordination.

Still, the therapists insist on trying these stretching exercises. This week, I had two therapists working on me. Besides the regular therapist, there was a student intern. I felt like a lab experiment with both of them pulling on me.

I like them both, though, and they really want to help me walk again. I just get impatient sometimes. I guess I try to rush things. Yesterday, I asked when I could try to take a few steps. They explained that I had to do the exercises first to get my muscles ready to walk because some of the muscles have been dormant for a year now.

I understand and know that's true. They did let me stand up and try to put weight on my legs. It felt pretty good. I was able to stand and hold onto parallel bars. The main thing is going to be trying to keep my ankle from turning over when I walk. I still may need a leg brace. But we're not at that point yet.

At least it's a start. There's a long road ahead, but I know if I do my part, then God is faithful to complete the work. I'm trusting in Him and believe with all my heart that He WILL see me through!

Free Speech vs. Hate Speech

I'm a strong supporter of free speech, but some things should go unsaid. The Florida pastor who had planned to burn copies of the Koran in the name of free speech was dead wrong.

Certainly, the book of the Islamic religion is not a holy book and will lead to the damnation of those who follow it because Jesus is the only way to God. But, to antagonize, provoke, anger those who believe it is a holy book, and stoke the fire is wrong. What possible good can be accomplished by this tactic?

The pastor provoked the ire of many. There were protests across the country and rightfully so. Fortunately, this nutty preacher did not follow through with his plan to burn the Koran. But I wonder: Would there have been that kind of outrage if it had been a Bible? Or would it have been dismissed as an expression of free speech?

Many Christians today are afraid to stand up for God and defend His holy word.

One thing that really stood out to me in all of this is the message of the protesters. They carried signs calling for "Peace" and urging religions to "Co-exist." But the fact is that religions cannot co-exist nor should they.

The Bible instructs us to separate ourselves from the ways of the world. As Christians, we are "in the world but not of the world."

Protesters called for peace. The world is hungry for peace, especially in the Middle East. People are looking for someone who will bring peace and change. That's why voters embraced Obama's message during the 2008 election. He ran on a campaign of hope and change.

That's also the message the anti-Christ will bring when he is revealed in the world. He will promise to bring peace, and many people will be deceived into following him, just as they were deceived by Obama.

Obama is not the anti-Christ. He is in fact a forerunner of the anti-Christ. I do believe the anti-Christ is alive and that it won't be long before he is revealed. The world is ripe for the anti-Christ to come onto the world stage with his message of peace and hope.

I don't plan to be here when that happens. Thankfully, the saints of God will be raptured out just before the anti-Christ comes onto the scene. That alone should motivate us to stay prayed up and watching for Jesus to appear. It won't be long now. Stay alert and watching!

Remembering Sept. 11

Most of us remember where we were on Sept. 11, 2001. I do. It was a day that changed our country and the world.

For me, it started like any other work day. I was listening to the radio that morning when the first tower was hit. When the second tower was hit, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. America was under attack. I just began to pray.

I got to work at the newspaper around noon. Normally, the newsroom was deserted at that time of day. But that day people were standing around a TV set, and work had already started on special coverage in our paper. There would have been even more people in the newsroom but, oddly enough, the paper had laid off several staffers just the day before Sept 11. One of the affected workers said he kept expecting a call that day to come back to help with the special coverage. But no call came.

That day seemed to last forever. It was like everyone was in shock, but we still had to get the paper out. I remember looking at the vivid images as they came across the wires. The newspaper was expanded that day and for several days afterward to cover all aspects of the terrorist attacks.

It was hard to read and edit those stories. As a journalist, I knew it was our duty to report on the largest terrorist attacks in our nation's history and give our readers as much information as possible. But as an American, I kept wondering how something like that could happen in the U.S. and why.

Now, nine years later, I still wonder why. It still seems so senseless, and we are still feeling the effects of Sept. 11 through the war on terrorism. I think about all the troops who have fought in the war and the ones who lost their lives. I think about the families who lost loved ones. We need to remember them today and honor them always. We must never forget.

I love this country, and I'm proud to be an American. This is still the greatest country on earth. And the best thing we can do for our country is to pray for it. Pray and seek God. Then God will hear our prayers and heal our land. God bless America.

Don't Worry, Just Believe

I heard a statistic this week that I found very interesting but not really that surprising. It said that only 8 percent of the things people worry about are legitimate worries. In other words, 92 percent of things that we worry might happen never actually happen. So why worry at all?

I used to worry a lot. I would worry about things at work. I would worry about the future and about getting older. Most of the time, I found that I was worried for nothing.

Jesus said, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

If Jesus tells us not to worry or fret, I think we should listen to Him. In Luke 12, He tells us, "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."

I like the illustrations Jesus gives us. He says look at the ravens. They have no storeroom or barn. Yet, God feeds them. Then, He tells us to consider how the lilies grow. They don't labor or spin, but "not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."

We are worth more to God than the birds and the flowers. If He takes such good care of them, we certainly should trust Him to take care of us. God knows we have needs, and He is able to meet every need. The Bible says He knows all our needs, even before we tell Him. And He will give us all these things if we come to Him and seek Him first.

So why should we worry about anything? Worry is the opposite of faith. We need to have the faith to simply believe that God will take care of everything in our lives. He wants us to trust Him. So cast all your cares on Him and then let them go and simply believe. God is faithful. He will never let you down when you look to Him in faith.

The Digital Age

I don't read newspapers much anymore. That's quite a change for me after working for a newspaper and having to read the paper every day for nearly 17 years. Newspapers just don't interest me much anymore. I'm still the news junky I've always been, but there are so many other ways to get the news these days.

The Internet has changed the newspaper industry greatly. More and more, newspapers are using the Internet to attract readers and provide more up-to-the-minute news.

The Amarillo Globe-News recently launched its new and expanded Web site. It has some neat new features. It even has profiles of all of the reporters and editors. Most reporters and editors also have blogs on the new site. They didn't have all of that when I worked there.

I think it's a great way to personalize the news. Readers feel like they know the reporters. I like it because I can keep up with some of my friends and former co-workers at the paper.

Amarillo's other newspaper, The Independent, has done away with its print edition altogether and is now just online. The Indy has always been far too liberal for me. But when it's not attacking conservatives or the Globe-News, it does have some good investigative pieces, It's worth a quick look sometimes.

For the truth, though, I usually look to Web sites like World Net Daily and the Drudge Report for news about mainstream issues. And, of course, there's Fox News, which I'm addicted to.

Newspapers still have a place, even in this digital age. But as readership dies off with the older population and the younger generation turns to other forms of media, it will be harder for newspapers to survive. Will newspapers ever go away completely? Some smaller papers might, but I think larger ones will still be around for a long time.

Heavenly Thoughts

I find myself thinking more and more about heaven. Like the popular MercyMe song "I Can Only Imagine," I really can't comprehend in my limited human thinking how wonderful heaven is going to be.

I've always been one who tries to live life to the full, as it says in John 10:10. Sure, life has its share of trials and hardships, but I love life. I want to experience all I can while I'm here. But this is nothing compared to what awaits us on the other side.

As things in the world grow darker and darker, I can't help but think that we must be getting so close to the return of Jesus and the rapture of the saints.

I don't know a lot about biblical prophesy. But I know that the rapture is the next great event on God's calendar. Nothing has to happen before the rapture takes place. The Bible says "as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the return of the Lord." If you look around at the world today, I think we're there. People are going about their business, many without a thought to the return of the Lord.

Some prophesy scholars believe the return of Christ will coincide with the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah. This year, Rosh Hashanah is Sept. 9. That's this Thursday, by the way.

Knowing this, and in light of world events, we would all be wise to examine our lives to make sure we are ready and watching for Jesus' return. No one will want to be left here after He comes to gather His followers.

Whether His return is today, next week or next year, Jesus IS coming. Will you be ready? It's not too late to turn to God, but time is running out. Heaven is a real place, and it's going to be wonderful. Don't miss it. Make sure you're ready!

Call Me Crazy

How can someone so smart be so dumb? In his new book, prominent physicist Stephen Hawking says modern physics leaves no role for God in the creation of the universe. He attributes the creation of the world to "randomness."

Hawking wrote, "Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing."

So this whole universe just came out of nothing? How ridiculous is that! I have never understood how anyone could believe in the "big bang" theory or in evolution. It just doesn't make sense.

Think about it. Think about how complex the universe is, with all the stars and planets. There's no way that could "just happen." When I see a spectacular sunrise or sunset, I have no doubt that there's a Creator. When I see a rainbow, I know there is a God. When I think about the complexity of the human body, I'm amazed at how wonderfully God made us.

I feel sorry for people like Hawking. They just don't get it. But one day, they will meet the Creator.

Thankfully, Hawking's new book, "The Grand Design," is already being debunked by Christian groups. Evangelist Ray Comfort, who wrote "You Can Lead an Atheist to Evidence, but You Can't Make Him Think," said, "it is embarrassingly unscientific to speak of anything creating itself from nothing."

Comfort put it best when he wrote, "Common sense says that if something possessed the ability to create itself from nothing, then that something wasn't nothing, it was something -- a very intelligent creative power of some sort."

If atheists just had a little common sense, they would see how crazy their ridiculous theories are. Instead, they call Christians crazy for believing in God. Well, call me crazy, then. I know there is a God, and He is the Creator of all!

The Seasons of Life

Ahhh. September. It's the start of one of my favorite times of the year. Fall will be here soon, bringing cooler weather and the changing colors on the trees.

After a long, hot summer, I always look forward to fall. I love the crisp air in the mornings. It's already starting to get cooler. Lately, I have been getting up a little earlier and taking a ride around the apartment complex on my scooter. It's really been refreshing. It's a time when I can think and pray before I get my day started.

When fall arrives, it seems like time speeds up. Soon, the holidays are upon us, and before you know it, it's the end of another year. You look back and wonder where the year went.

Life is like that, too. We get so busy living our lives that we forget to stop and enjoy life. If we're not careful, life will pass us by and we'll come to the end of this life and wonder where all the time went.

Like the distinct seasons of the year, we all go through different seasons of life. God gives us an allotted time on Earth. Some have a little more time, some a little less. It's our job to make the most of every season of our lives.

We shouldn't let the little things and the cares of the world distract us. Life is too short. Forget about those little things. In the end, they will all burn up. We were put here for a purpose: To serve the Lord and to point others to Christ.

Since I stopped working last year, I've had more time to concentrate on the things that really matter. I want my life to make a difference. I know God has a purpose for me in this season of my life. So soon this life can be over and I will be faced with the question: Did I make the most of my time and fulfill my purpose here on Earth?

When I get to heaven, I want to hear the words "Well done, my good and faithful servant." How about you?