I have a soul, I have a brain, and I have the ability to choose what I would like to do. That is pretty much all I came into this world with.
Over the years, I've learned to have a deep faith in a Higher Power (I prefer to call Him Father), and I know that there is something much larger out there that looks out for me, and occasionally helps me out if I'm paying attention. God doesn't just speak to us in small still voices like our conscience, but He also speaks to us via coincidences, because that is where we see His hand at work (IMHO).
I'll give you one example of an incident where God was asking me what I wanted to do...................
When I was 16, I was living in foster care with a family that didn't really treat me like they were supposed to, and I got tired of it one day and ran away. Well, I got to the runaway center in Helena MT (also where the foster program was based) after leaving Missoula MT, and spent the night there. The next day, they contacted my case worker and he told me that I either had to pay rent at the runaway home (80 bucks/nite), or I would have to go back to the foster family. I said okay, and went back to the bus station to go back to Missoula. Well, apparently the bus was running early, because just as I got there, the bus was pulling out. I called back to my case worker and told him what happened, and he said to wait for the next bus and go back.
Well.................I really didn't want to go back, and I still had around 30 bucks in my pocket, so I asked how much for a ticket to Chicago. That was more money than I had, so I asked where the next bus out was going. They told me Great Falls MT, which also happened to be where my Grandparents lived, so I asked how much and got a ticket for 25 bucks and rode to Great Falls.
Now here's where it gets weird...................I was walking from the bus station to Vaughn (small town on the outskirts of Great Falls), and got hungry, so I stopped at a truck stop on the edge of town. Well, after I ate (still had 50 cents left), I was walking through the parking lot, and 3 guys in a VW pulled up and asked if I needed a ride. I said sure, where ya going? And they said Missoula MT. I told them that I only needed to get to Vaughn and that would be far enough (about 6 miles).
Well..................I KNEW that if I ran away back to my Grandparents, I was walking out on a full college scholarship that would be provided by the foster organization if I stayed, but if I went back, yeah, I could go to college, but I would also be stuck for another year and a half in a miserable situation, so I chose to live the last year or so with my Grandparents, miss out on college, and join the military.
That one night was Father asking me if I was sure that I wanted out or not, because I could have gone either way a couple of times.
Other incidents have happened like that in my life, which is why I have faith that there is a Creator, whom I call Father, because if it was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me, as I am Jesus' little brother. Ask me how if you don't believe me, because I can explain it via BOTH the Bible and science.
Over the years, I've learned to have a deep faith in a Higher Power (I prefer to call Him Father), and I know that there is something much larger out there that looks out for me, and occasionally helps me out if I'm paying attention. God doesn't just speak to us in small still voices like our conscience, but He also speaks to us via coincidences, because that is where we see His hand at work (IMHO).
I'll give you one example of an incident where God was asking me what I wanted to do...................
When I was 16, I was living in foster care with a family that didn't really treat me like they were supposed to, and I got tired of it one day and ran away. Well, I got to the runaway center in Helena MT (also where the foster program was based) after leaving Missoula MT, and spent the night there. The next day, they contacted my case worker and he told me that I either had to pay rent at the runaway home (80 bucks/nite), or I would have to go back to the foster family. I said okay, and went back to the bus station to go back to Missoula. Well, apparently the bus was running early, because just as I got there, the bus was pulling out. I called back to my case worker and told him what happened, and he said to wait for the next bus and go back.
Well.................I really didn't want to go back, and I still had around 30 bucks in my pocket, so I asked how much for a ticket to Chicago. That was more money than I had, so I asked where the next bus out was going. They told me Great Falls MT, which also happened to be where my Grandparents lived, so I asked how much and got a ticket for 25 bucks and rode to Great Falls.
Now here's where it gets weird...................I was walking from the bus station to Vaughn (small town on the outskirts of Great Falls), and got hungry, so I stopped at a truck stop on the edge of town. Well, after I ate (still had 50 cents left), I was walking through the parking lot, and 3 guys in a VW pulled up and asked if I needed a ride. I said sure, where ya going? And they said Missoula MT. I told them that I only needed to get to Vaughn and that would be far enough (about 6 miles).
Well..................I KNEW that if I ran away back to my Grandparents, I was walking out on a full college scholarship that would be provided by the foster organization if I stayed, but if I went back, yeah, I could go to college, but I would also be stuck for another year and a half in a miserable situation, so I chose to live the last year or so with my Grandparents, miss out on college, and join the military.
That one night was Father asking me if I was sure that I wanted out or not, because I could have gone either way a couple of times.
Other incidents have happened like that in my life, which is why I have faith that there is a Creator, whom I call Father, because if it was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me, as I am Jesus' little brother. Ask me how if you don't believe me, because I can explain it via BOTH the Bible and science.
