Random Thoughts with Will

    18 years ago, VeggieTales made the jump from direct-to-home videos to the big screen, releasing Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. G iven that Jonah's story ends on a unique, not-so-uplifting note, it was interesting that  VeggieTales chose to make this Bible story into a full-length movie. That said, the movie  does end on a positive note with a musical number about Jonah's story and the lessons we can learn from it. Recently, I read through the Book of Jonah (both with friends at church and on my own) and I wanted to share my takeaways from reading through Jonah. Here we go: God Uses Us in Spite of Ourselves       Last year, I heard a sermon where the overall message was that God will use us in spite of ourselves and our actions. While the sermon itself focused on Samson and his life, Jonah is another good example of God using someone in spite of one's actions. When Jonah was instructed by the Lord to go to Ninevah, he went the exact opposite direction ...

     A little over a month ago, longtime television personality Regis Philbin passed away. While Philbin holds the world record for most hours on U.S. television, there is one particular game show that I most fondly remember him for: Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (as a fun throwback, my family had a CD Rom of the game that we'd sometimes play). Over the course of Philbin's tenure as the host, there was one trademark phrase he'd ask contestants as they made a decision: "Is that your final answer?" The question would often be asked for clarification or as time ran down. Nonetheless, once the contestant said "final answer", their decision had been made -- good or bad.     While Regis Philbin never asked me that question, I have certainly asked myself that question countless times. A lot of times, that has occurred (but is not limited to) taking tests and exams. Before I'd turn in or submit a test, I would often review my answers (time permitting) to dou...