As United States citizens execute their democratic right to elect their next President, a true Christian should pause and ask a more fundamental question—is there a better answer?

Disaster after disaster, misery heaped upon misery—drought, fires, floods, earthquakes, wars, diseases—dominate the news these days. Does it seem as if these things are growing more intense, or is it just that they are “better reported” than ever?

The age-old debate intensifies, as the “realists” disdain the “doomsayers” and the “doomsayers” point accusatory fingers at the “realists.”

In southwest Arkansas there is a diamond mine. That's right, a genuine diamond mine. At the turn of the 20th century diamonds were mined commercially at the site, producing high-grade diamonds, mostly colored stones.

When the lode no longer yielded diamonds in sufficient quantities to be commercially feasible, the mining operation shut down. The land owner would then let folks hunt diamonds on the property for a small fee, and they got to keep whatever they found.

A cousin of mine has been very successful in several business ventures. He has worked hard over many years and has accumulated wealth and property. He has the accouterments of wealth that one might expect in the form of homes, cars, boats, an airplane, and a farm in the country. This cousin has traveled extensively pursuing his interests and passions. Along the way, his family fell apart and he has experienced a lot of heartache and pain. His “success” has not really brought him the peace of mind and satisfaction that he thought it would.

The bare trees make a silhouette on the horizon in the winter morning light, beautiful to behold in the cold, clear, crisp air. Not much traffic on a Saturday morning, a far cry from the crowded traffic on roadways on weekday commutes for most workers.

The radio news is relatively quiet, except for analysis of the still-ongoing political issues and talk about the big games scheduled for the weekend.