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Boldly going forward, because we can't find reverse!
LELAND ACKER chreporter@mediactr.com
My college roommate was a weirdo. No, really,

he was. He would even tell you he was a weirdo. Hey, I was a weirdo in college. Who wasn't? My managing editor was probably a weirdo, because she went to school at the University of Texas, and we all know that there are those who want to "keep Austin weird."

Anyway, my college roommate (who is now teaching English in South Korea) had an album with a song on it called, "Star Trekken."

The song went,

Star Trekken, across the universe.

On the Starship Enterprise, on with Captain Kirk.

Star Trekken, across the universe,

Boldly going forward because we can't find reverse!

That last line was my favorite of the entire song, boldly going forward because we can't find reverse. The song parodies the popular Star Trek movies and TV series which proclaimed to boldly go where no man has gone before. (I think there was even a cartoon series.)

To boldly go, imagine! (No, Yoko, I'm not stealing John's intellectual property). To boldly go!

You know, Star Trek did not invent the notion of boldly going.

Romans 8:15 says "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, 'Abba, Father.'"

This verse teaches us that God does not instill in His children fear. He does not want us to be, nor teach us to be timid and afraid. This verse also teaches us that God is our Father, that is if you know Him as God and Jesus as Savior. What did Jesus say about God's parenting skills?

He said (Matthew 7:11), "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask Him?"

Lesson learned, God is the ultimate Father.

Now, good fathers today provide for their children, raise them up to know God and Christ as their Savior, and prepare them to be successful in today's world. I think we can all agree that fathers who do not encourage their children to work hard in life and excell are falling a little short.

God is not like that. Not only does He give good gifts, He prepares His children to be successful in His eyes.

Take Gideon for example. Gideon was scared to death to go to battle, but God led him down beside the enemies' camp so he could hear their conversation. His trip taught him that his enemies were more scared of him than he was of them.

Knowing how great a Father God is, and that He is not the source of the fear that is within us, what, must we ask, is the source of the fear which holds us back? I think you can draw that conclusion.

Go boldly forward, because with God, there is no reverse. Accept Christ as your Savior, join a church, share your faith, and walk worthy of the vocation into which you are called.

Don't be afraid. You may find your fear is baseless.