What I Have Learned From 'Puters

Thus far(I began "using" 10-10-04)I have learned that most people do not give a rip for "how" it works, "why" it works, only that it works the way they expect it to and keeps on doing it day after day after day. Dependability, that is the key to success in the computer industry of the 21st century! I guess I had already learned this lesson during my early years, but some things evolve over time, and the lessons, although appearing to be new, really aren't. I suspect that the very first time the wheel was brought into focus as a means of transportation there were folks who were concerned about how to make it more useful, and overall, "better!" Now we get to the other side of the coin. There have always been those in our midst, for whom, no matter how "good" it gets, it's just not good enough. These can be subdivided into the ones who are working on it and the ones who are whining on it. We probably need both, but, personally, I could do with fewer of the latter. That's just me, though, and is not indicative of any general attitudes that others may share.
Now, if we place this type of thinking at the forefront of our perceptions of God, we come to a realization, that the lessons of life repeat themselves consistently. And isn't that what everyone wants, consistency? They do, and they don't, and that is perhaps why we spend so much time trying to "pigeon hole" our Creator in such a way that He becomes subject to our pleas(whinings). Have you ever wondered why God hasn't stepped forth the past couple thousand years to let us know how we're doing? The truth is, He has, He does, and He is, every day, but we aren't always tuned to the same frequency. It's a little like my favorite rock station on FM, there are some places where reception is just terrible. That's one of the small prices we pay for living on the Great American Desert. So with the advent of this new tool we have for the sharing of images and instantaneous communication across the face of the globe we end up so focused on what's out there, that we find it hard to turn about and look within ourselves for answers to the qusetions of life. God is busy about the continuance of creation just as surely as I'm tapping this out for publication on the blog thing(I haven't go a clue how that all works), and you and I need only take a deep breath and look "within" ourselves to perceive the presence of God in our lives. The next time you notice that the wheels aren't turning as well as you think they should(ie a flat tire), try pumping up the flat side of life with the spritual side of life, and learn just how nicely things can "roll" along. God bless, Preacher!

"I think that I'm going to put one of these on the front of the house." Not the Cornpalace, A Web Cam! 

I Tend To Appreciate Most The Things That Are Real! 

Planning For The Big Day That's Coming?

It really looks quite nice, and I'll bet it would be a lot of fun to go for a ride in this replica of the Morgan family of race cars. I don't know if it would feel like the original, but then, nothing ever does! We live in a world of enhancement. Black and white movies deemed by some to be "classics" become colored films, and music that was recorded 50 years ago is digitally remastered to make it sound and feel better. Everywhere you look we have the new and improved version of everything, and in the midst of upgrading we sometimes go to a lot of effort to make the new look like the old, at least on the outside. Some of the circles I travel in are all about the retro thing, and that's cool, as long as we remember that somethings are great just the way they are, and that is another reason why you and I have to keep our wits about us if we're going to shine the bright light of understanding on the "new" ideas that are attaining some measure of religious acceptance. There is nothing new under the sun, and everything that we are going through today, someone has gone through before us. My personal adventure into the land of technological advances began last October, and continues to this very moment, but I have to admit, even with all of the stuff we've managed to learn, we're still using the same tools to learn it! Our minds are as they have always been, and we as a people are prone to being fooled. There are times when it seems that is what we desire most, to be lied to. Maybe it takes some of the responsibility away from you and me personally when we can say, "I guess I was fooled." This is putting it in simple language, but I do believe that is probably what Adam told God when asked about the apple, and Eve too, for that matter! Now, for the part where it gets really sticky. We just may be raising up a whole generation that is so used to being fooled everywhere they look that they never do find anything that is real and tangible in life. That would be a sad occurrence, indeed, but it may be happening right now where you live. Surely if this, "Living in the virtual world" is out here on the plains of Dakota, it is happening everywhere else in the country and has been for some time. I'm not attempting to put a bone in anyone's ice cream here, I just thought that you might like to know that the kids aren't playing outdoors like they used to, and the number of bicycles on the streets are down every year from what they were previously. I guess that's because you can actually ride one on the video screen and pedal anywhere in the world without leaving the comfort of your couch, or working up a sweat. I know, that's the way it is these days, but I fear where it is taking us. Not for myself, mind you, but for where things are going to be in another 50 years if they continue to change as rapidly as the last 50. I guess I'm just thinking on screen, again. I actually suggested we put together a softball team and challenge one of the other churches to play a game on Sunday. Many thought it might be nice, as long as it did not interfere with the televised sports event they had planned to watch, and then there was the interruption in life for practice. Well, needless to say, everyone agreed it was a "nice" idea and that maybe "someday" we could do "something" like that, maybe a movie together.
God bless, Preacher.

In South Dakota We Have Lots Of Auto Shows