Yeah, but...I've already seen that. Or have I?

"woman now 21 years old has a 1 in 4 chance of experiencing a violent crime in her lifetime" -Cosmo

I am not 21.

Yet I have already witnessed a couple violent crimes. One happened right across the street from where I live. The tiny factoid above makes me wonder if I have gotten my fair share, or if I am destined to experience more terrible things in my lifetime.
It also makes me contemplate whether I believe in pre-determined fate or chance or luck or karma. I do believe in chance, both the good and bad things have proven that chance is imminent and lurking in the corners of every day. I also believe in luck, but not in the way that someone is simply lucky or unlucky; I think luck and chance go hand in hand.
A good happenstance is lucky, but an unfortunate event is unlucky.

I do not think I believe in karma....The idea that certain actions can determine the course of your future, twisting and turning and changing it at any moment without you knowing sounds too out of control. In fact, the idea of karma sounds like you have no control over your life at all. I suppose you could argue that you can control your choices and actions and therefore your future, but it is not a exact science.
Helping an old lady across the street does not guarantee you will receive a raise from the boss that hates your guts.

So I suppose I so not believe in pre-determined fate?

However there is also the wonder about a higher power.
Come to think of it, there is. But that doesn't mean he is prying into our lives, pulling the strings and deciding our fates.
Nuh-uh.
I bet you my left foot the Big Guy is sitting on a lounge of clouds, a beer in one hand and a bowl of popcorn in the other, with planet Earth playing right in front of him. The Catholic bible says we were given free will right? I think he is just watching us, letting us do our thing. He wouldn't have to worry about swaying us to do good to end up there with him-there are too many good people out there to worry about that.

So I can conclude that I believe in a god, but not a higher power per se.