People are fascinated with prophecy, and we will take it any way we can get it.  Anything from crystal balls to Tarot cards, palm readings, horoscopes, fortune cookies, and of course, psychic hotlines.  This is not just a modern day attraction.  We have searched for help into the unknown ever since there has been an unknown.  The Bible tells about Simon the Sorcerer, Balaam - the prophet for hire, and even king Saul sought the aid of a medium to bring back Samuel.

     I really enjoy those books and movies where someone is placed in a different reality.  Somehow the character travels forward or back in time, or maybe a wish comes true, or sometimes he just wakes up to a brand new life not knowing what the heck is going on.  Regardless of the avenue used to transport the character into his new world, the purpose is always the same; for the reader or viewer to contemplate, “What would I do?”  In the movie, Bruce Almighty, after Bruce makes some emotionally led comments about God’s performance as the All Powerful, God hands over His power to hi

         Recently I had a coworker tell me he believed in karma.  (from here forward I will refer to my coworker as Cowo and alternate the he/she pronouns)  Cowo told me this as she was describing her moral stance on a common occurrence associated with her job.  He also let me know very quickly that not everyone followed his ethical choice.  Karma would pay these people back and she wanted no part of that because, “I believe in Karma”.  I am telling you about Cowo’s belief, and fear, of karma because he has also told me he is a Christian.  You might be saying, “What’s the big deal?”.

As a runner, I’m not too fond of hills.  They are hard.  They take more effort.  They make my heart beat much faster and cause my breathing to expand.  They make my calves burn and slow my pace.  They are a nuisance!  I know some of you might be thinking, “What about going downhill?” and you’re right.  Going downhill is easier, but if the grade is too steep it is rough on the knees, and if you start and finish at the same place, which I do, there are no downhills without uphills.

I don’t know about you, but I am not too fond of having to be a card holder of every retail store in America in order to receive their advertised sale price. Really!!?? I have to carry 400 cards on my keychain or in my wallet just to make me special, to separate me from the non-valued customers? I think everyone that is willing to enter a store and purchase the items they offer should be eligible for the same low price. I am not saying I don’t like a bargain, but why the hassle?

You have probably heard many spiritual analogies containing foundation comparisons. "You must build your house on the solid rock if you want it to stand during the storm." "Jesus is our firm foundation." Not only have I heard a few, I have made several myself. Describing Jesus as the foundation of our lives is such a powerful comparison because we all understand the importance of a foundation. Even if we don't know the first thing about building a house or any other large structure, we all know a building starts at the bottom and grows up from there.

Have you ever been the new kid? It's not very fun, is it? You feel out of place, nothing is familiar, and everyone looks at you like you are out of place and unfamiliar. What you were accustomed to is gone. What are you going to do? Taking on something new comes with challenges. Whether it is a new school or new team, new job or new club, new church or new family, we have all experienced being placed in a new environment. Young or old, when we move into something new, learning has to begin again. Sometimes our past experience can help us learn our new assignment quicker, sometimes not.