Let's see. It looks good, sounds OK, hmmm. How can you tell if this car is a lemon or a sweet thing that'll last way after the warranty has expired? You can't tell by the price tag, the looks, advertisements or even the recommendations. The only true test is after you've driven this baby about 25.000 miles on the back roads and the highways. Just take a quick spin around the block and sign on the dotted line. Time will take care of the rest.

What might have happened if you had known then what you know now? How often do we hear, "When I was in school, I should have studied more. If I had had the chance to do it over, I would have done it this way."

Well, what would any of us do if we knew what would happen today or what might happen to us years from now? What if we knew who we are destined to marry, what our careers will be, where we are to live, what our happy as well as our tragic times will be like, and even when and how we are to die? Would this be a blessing or a curse?

Since we haven't a clue, we can use the next best thing. Either our horoscope or the National Enquirer. These horoscopes in the paper — or on fortune cookies — are so accurate. After all, I am a Gemini and that means I am witty, intelligent, handsome and destined for fame and riches. Who can argue with that? And just scan the Enquirer, available at every supermarket checkout, which you can read while you're standing in line to pay for your groceries. Those absolutely righteous accurate and readable pages know what was, what is and what will be for the royals, the stars and the wannabes. We fit in there somewhere.

While I'm at it, what is wrong with reading one's horoscope, flipping a coin, having the local palm reader take your 20 for a quick read or calling the psychic line? I digress.

When those ancient Israelites were wandering around the desert, they had a much larger problem than trying to get from here to there. Moses was constantly struggling with a loose and motley group of people to mold them into a nation. He had to struggle with their nagging about having to leave the soup kitchens of Egypt in order to risk their lives for an unknown future. Moses was ready to ask these people to forsake thousands of years of polytheism and demand that they worship just one god. This was to risk the anger of the gods and would be the height of insanity!

When they worshipped, made images or totems of these gods, they knew their names, secret incantations and gave the proper gifts. Then the people had control and could gain protection and favor. "Now, Moses, your God won't tell us the future. He allows us to do dumb things, will not give us everything that we want and will let us learn by our mistakes. You are asking us to worship a god who permits life to be chancy, risky and scary. We are not ready to do that."

In modern times, folks will tell themselves, "If God is so loving, then He will smile at our silly superstitions. He will laugh at our attempt to divine the future. He will merely look the other way. But all we want are a few clues. "What's around the corner? How about a hint or two on the stock market? May I have just one good roll of the dice? Okay, Lady Luck. Come on, boxcars, baby needs a new pair of shoes. Don't let me crap out. Yeah!" Reminds me of my old Navy days.

I believe the entire plan is relatively easy to understand. On this day and every day, we are not to put our trust in money, CDs, stocks and bonds, 401Ks. Republicans or Democrats. We shall not bow down before FOX or CNN. We will not worship the cults or their leaders. We are not to trust the prophecies of Nostradamus. We will not put a statue of St. Christopher on our dashboard or bury him in our front yard in order to sell our home. We are to trust in God and in Him only. There are no substitutes allowed!

If I knew I was to die today, what would I do differently? Would I lead a better life than I did the day before or would I do everything I ever thought of doing — good or bad — just so I wouldn't feel as though I had missed something important?

Let me share with you what I have and what you have. It is so wonderful! We have perfect freedom to choose! We are not puppets and our lives have not been so carefully planned that we must do this or must do that. There is more than ample reason to believe that God has given us two remarkable gifts. He gives us our life and He has given us our days to live our life. I believe with all my heart that He allows us to create our own future.

We must choose. We do not have the luxury of having no choice. Ultimately, there is a price to pay. Here it is. We can choose God's rule or the rule of someone or something we believe should receive our devotion.

Here's the rub. If we choose God's rule, the price is obedience. The future? Well, it is wonderfully indescribable!

Have a good day, my friends. Have a good day.

Thanks, God!