Ryan has done it again! Friday, the #12 ALLTEL Dodge clocked in at 23.398 seconds at a speed of 156.475 miles per hour to win the Bud Pole at North Carolina Speedway.

Rockingham is a little special this year since rumors are surfacing that perhaps there may not be many more races at the "Rock" for NEXTEL Cup Drivers. One of the season's two races has already gone out to the west coast. Texas is being mentioned as a possible recipient for the second race.

Winning the pole is sweet to any driver. It automatically assures you of a spot in the Bud Shoot-Out at Daytona the following year. Extra dollars are earned for every pole won.

None of this new to Ryan Newman. The Purdue University graduate has claimed the title 19 times in his 82 career starts. Three of them were won in five races at the 1.017 mile track at Rockingham. Indiana is proud of yet another NASCAR Cup Driver who, in his young career, is fast claiming many of the honors bestowed upon his mentors at the racetrack. Krissie, the pretty blonde who has been often seen near at hand to the #12 car and driver, became Ryan's wife during off-season.

We have SPEED Channel in our area this year for the first time. Now we are able to watch many events that before had to be gleaned from the newspaper or web. Friday, after qualifying, the TV camera kept swinging back to Ryan being photographed with his sponsors caps of many colors. During a couple of clips, red, blue, orange and other multi colored caps could be seen, waiting to be placed upon Ryan's head for one more picture. ALLTEL, Mobile I, Sony, Gillette, Gatorade, and Goodyear were just some of the names on the caps of many colors.

I was reminded of a young man named Joseph who was given, by his father, what Genesis describes as a coat of many colors. Joseph had a natural self-assurance that is required of NASCAR drivers to climb into a 3400 pound race car and face the wind at blazing speeds for 38 weeks a year.

Sometimes Joseph's self-assurance became overconfident as he became the favorite son in the family. Too much glory from Joseph's father caused his brothers to conspire against him. But his self-assurance and trust in God, molded by the pain of his brothers betrayal allowed him later to survive and prosper where most would have failed.

Many of you today are experiencing your own kind of pain. Learn that what matters is not so much the events or circumstances of life, but how you respond to them. With God's help any situation can be used for good, no matter how others intended it for evil.

NASCAR drivers, like Joseph and maybe you too, experience many setbacks. Ryan had 11 Bud Pole wins last year, but all race fans remember the #12 turning over and over at the first race of the year. Daytona International Speedway stands became hushed for a few seconds until they saw a frustrated, but unhurt, Ryan climb out of the totally demolished vehicle. Add to that several DNF's during the first part of the year. 

But, Ryan and his team never gave up. Come next race day he was seen climbing back into his car ready again to go to the front. His positive response week after week transformed each setback into a step forward. In early December at the NASCAR Banquet in New York, Ryan could be seen accepting the honors and money for sixth place in driver point standings.

Now here we are at race number two in another season and Ryan is once again putting on the caps of many colors. Because of his perseverance Ryan is now known as a NASCAR star in the world of motorsports.

In this world we live in today, God can take simple, ordinary people with that same kind of perseverance and do great things with them. He uses all kinds of people to accomplish his great purposes.

Maybe you will never, like Joseph, be given a coat of many colors. Nor, like Ryan, trade sponsor caps before a world-wide audience. Yet, no matter how dark and desperate you feel just now, God has a plan for your life. No matter how insignificant and useless you feel, today choose faith in God. He desires to bless you and make you a blessing to others.