Photo Credit: shok via Compfight cc

• This past weekend my wife and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary. To help celebrate my wife and son purchased a Cheesecake to share with me on this special day. If you fail to find the humor in this, you may want to check out this post.

• My family was up to all sorts of no good this past weekend. I learned that my son had made plans to hijack this website on Sunday in celebration of Father’s Day. Fortunately, I posted a very rare Sunday post so he decided that pulling his prank was probably not a good idea. I am still scared to ask him what he was planning to write.

• In the devotion that I wrote this past Sunday I mentioned that collect calls were becoming extinct like the dinosaurs. It occurred to me that due to cell phones many of today’s callers have probably never heard of a collect phone call.  

• Cell phones have changed our telephone habits in other ways as well. When my future wife and I were attending different colleges, I was able to call her one night a week. This was always done on Wednesdays and always after 11 pm. Do you know why I would call after 11 pm?

• If you are interested in Audio or Video production in your ministry for either a podcast or just for distribution to shut-ins, you should head over to TrinityDigitalMedia and check out all of the great tutorials and info that Paul has assembled. Not only is Paul’s website one of the ChurchMag Top 30 Church Tech Blogs but he is also hosting the Summer of Giveaways. There is free stuff up for grabs for everyone. I would also recommend subscribing to his podcast Tech No Babel where Paul discusses the uses of technology within the church. In addition to being an A/V master, Paul is also an author. I am currently enjoying one of his books right now and will post a review in the next week or so.

iPhone App

• I am taking it upon myself here today to inform the marketing geniuses that every product does NOT need their very own mobile application. Just because everyone else has one does not mean that you have to create one to. There are just too many mobile applications for consumer products that make absolutely no sense.

• Did you know that Tic Tac has their very own mobile app. You can now shake the virtual Tic Tac inside you phone and watch them wiggle around as you listen to the rattle.

• If you do marketing for breath mints, please let me know and I will give you a list of charities that will be a better use of your money than virtual candy.

• As I get older I find that more things irritate me than ever before. For instance, it really gets on my nerves when people shuffle their feet while walking. Why can’t they just pick up their feet? Is there an insignificant thing that gets on your nerves?

• As we close in on the end of the month, Feedly is preparing for the demise of Google Reader. If you are using Feedly to view your RSS feeds then you should make sure that you are using the most current version of their software on all of your devices. For more information visit the Feedly Blog.

• Digg has announced that they too are readying their new RSS Reader. The Digg Reader will begin beta testing in the next couple of days and will be available to everyone by June 26th. You can learn more about the efforts of the Digg team at the Digg Blog.

• Speaking of syndicated feeds, our friends over at ChurchLink have started publishing ChurchLinkMag online. This online magazine is featuring stories and articles that will be of interest to any ministry and its members. I am happy to announce that ChristianDroid has agreed to contribute to this endeavor by syndicating all of our articles on their site as well. In addition to my content, they will be adding unique content as well. I might just pop over from time to time and share some stories that are exclusive to ChurchLinkMag, so be sure to check them out.

A long way to Califonia

• Finally, as you may already know, my son is going to be attending Graduate School this fall in California. So sometime in August, we will be loading up his car and the two of us will be making the drive from Eastern North Carolina to Claremont, California. The drive will take us across the country following Interstate 40. If you know of some great places to eat or things to see along the way be sure to let me know. And if you live along I-40, be sure to let me know that as well and we’ll give you a shout out as we pass by.

Whew, it feels much better to have all of this off my mind now.

What’s been on your mind lately?

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Yesterday was not only Father’s Day, it was also Nursing Home Sunday for my Sunday school class. Each month a different church in our town takes turns going to the local nursing home and has a short devotion for the residents. June is the month that my church takes it turn. During the month, we split up the month with a different adult Sunday school class taking turns each week. Yesterday was the Sunday that had been assigned to my class.

Since this week was a holiday I had a small number of people in my class. Most of our members were either on vacation, visiting their own fathers, or working. In addition to my group being small, the children’s class that was supposed to accompany us to the nursing home was not going because they were having a Father’s Day breakfast for the children and their Dads.

Even though we were few in numbers we jumped in the car and headed to the nursing home to spend some time with the residents. When we arrived I decided that I did not have enough people with me to follow our normal routine of singing a few hymns and then having a short devotion. So I announced that we would just spend some time visiting with each other until we gathered a larger group.

As I sat and talked to one of the residents that we knew, I realized that I really should get up and spread some love and cheer to the others in the room. I didn’t know at the time that cheer was indeed going to be spread, but that it was to come from the residents themselves.

I wandered around the room and spoke to several of the residents before I finally chose to sit at a table with one of my students who was talking to two of the residents.

As I sat down, I spoke to both of the women at the table and then I turned my attention to the woman sitting on my right. As I sat there I looked at her and asked, “How are you doing this morning?” I don’t think I will ever forget the conversation that ensued.

This wonderful woman threw her hands up in the air and said, “I’m wonderful.” Smiling back at me she then asked, “How are you?”

I suppose that my response was not enthusiastic enough because when I replied that I was fine, she became concerned.

“Why aren’t you wonderful?” she asked.

I replied that I was good, but probably just a little bit tired. After she explained to me that what I needed was to get some rest and then I would be feeling wonderful, I decided to ask her, “Why are you so wonderful today?”

It was then that I heard the words, softly at first, but getting louder with every note. She was singing.

Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong. They are weak but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. …

I immediately started softly singing right along with her. As we sang together, the others at the table joined in and it didn’t take long before others were singing along as well.

This elderly woman, relegated to spend the rest of her life in the nursing home and confined to a wheel chair was WONDERFUL! And it is all because that she knew that Jesus loved her.

Wow! I went to the nursing home hoping to shine a little light in the lives of the residents there. Little did I know that one little lady would brighten my day in such a huge way.

Re-energized by this blessing and with backup arriving in the form of another of the adult classes from our church coming in to help out our small group, we continued with the traditional singing of hymns and my devotion that I had prepared.

These devotions are usually met with blank faces just staring back at me as I talk but this Sunday was different. This Sunday the spirits of the entire group of residents were lifted by a little song from one of their own and they were involved with the message. Asking questions, laughing, speaking to those from our church scattered among them. These residents made this devotion, one of the most meaningful devotions that I have ever delivered at this nursing home over the past 15 years.

Because I know that Jesus loves me, I too am Wonderful! That is a lesson that I will never forget. A lesson that was taught to me that Sunday morning as I sat at the table and heard this elderly lady start singing. A lesson that was shared by all as we joined in the simple song that says so much about why we truly are wonderful. We are wonderful because we are created in His image. We are wonderful because of the gift of grace that God has given us. And we are wonderful because Jesus loves me. And He loves you too.

I am looking forward to our next Nursing Home Sunday.

Are you wonderful today?

Photo © ShutterSparks via Flickr

I don’t usually post anything on Sundays, however, as I sit here Saturday night working on my lesson for tomorrow’s Sunday School class I can not help but think of Father’s Day and my father.  I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a Happy Father’s Day and to share with you a little about my father.

My father was a mechanic.  He worked on farm equipment and as far as I knew he could fix anything that had an engine.  He tried to teach me everything he knew about working on engines and equipment but God didn’t bless me with the same gifts that he gave my father.  I thought about this earlier today as I was doing some routine maintenance on my John Deere mower (the closest I will ever get to a tractor.)  Even though I should have this ability coursing through my veins, I don’t.  I had a friend come over to help me and make sure that I didn’t hurt myself or the mower.

I did, however, learn some things from him.  He taught me how to fish, even though I don’t have time to go fishing anymore.  He taught me how to garden or as I thought at the time, punished me by forcing me to work in the garden.  But there isn’t time for that these days either, so I purchase my vegetables at the market like the rest of you city folks.  He also taught me to love the Lord, and thankfully I paid attention.

One of the memories that I have of my father while I was growing up was him preparing for his Sunday School lesson every Saturday night.  As we would try to watch television he would be sitting in his chair reading his lesson and his Bible.  Reading, studying, preparing to teach the adults at church the following Sunday morning.  In fact for as long as I can remember my father taught Sunday School at church.  Maybe that is why I volunteered to teach our class at church when the need arose.  I remembered my father teaching and I wanted to do that as well.

I realized last week that I have now been teaching this same class since 1998.  Someone told me that it had been 14 years but they had to have been doing the math wrong.  It really hit home with me when I started thinking that I have been teaching this class for 2/3 of my children’s lives.  They probably don’t remember a time when I didn’t teach my Sunday School class.  In fact, if you will ask them what their father does on Saturday nights they would probably tell you that he reads his Sunday School lesson, studies his Bible, and prepares to teach the adults at church the following Sunday morning.

I guess there were some things that my dad taught me that didn’t go over my head.  Or as he would have said, “in one ear and out the other.”  I was paying attention those Saturday nights when he was focused on his reading.  I was watching as he drove us to church each Sunday.  And I was proud of the fact that my father taught the other adults about Jesus.  I wanted to be just like him.

Thanks Dad!

Be sure to thank your Dad today!

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It was hot and muggy as I stood on the stage staring up at the theater lights watching the crowd filling up the outdoor theater. However, this year was different from those before. The stage was the same, the costumes were the same, the characters were familiar and the mosquitoes were ever present, but as I watched the crowd, I could not help but notice that there was a young lady ushering in the patrons and showing them to their seats that I had not seen before. Instantly I knew that I wanted to find out more.

Each night as the play went through the summer, I would sneak a glance up into the crowd to see if I could spot the young girl that had grabbed my attention from the moment she first entered the theater. The year was 1980 and I was performing in a historical outdoor drama in Halifax, NC, First For Freedom. It was something that I had been doing for several years but this year was going to be special. This would be the year that I would meet my wife.

Later that same summer, during a production of “My Three Angels,” I was finally introduced to the girl that I had been secretly pining over all summer. All through the remainder of our high school days and throughout college, she remained the focus of all of my attention. I was smitten.

Six years later, on June 15, 1986 we made it official and I married the woman who had stolen my heart across a crowded theater in the hot North Carolina summer. For the past 27 years, we have been by each other’s side and have become even closer to each other with each passing day.

Through the years we have made many memories together. We have endured many difficulties but the moments of joy that we have shared together have been priceless. Of course, some of the difficulties that seemed so great many years ago are remembered fondly today as we reminisce about the past. There were conflicts that seemed so significant at the time but today we can share a laugh together, like the time when my wife decided to try out a wok for the first time and we ended up with raw chicken. And who can ever forget the cheese cake debacle that followed about a year later.

Now before you think I am disparaging my wife’s cooking let me set the record straight. The wok was funny and the lesson learned was that if we wanted Chinese food it was much safer to order take-out. But the cheesecake debacle was all mine.

Early in our marriage on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided that I should be able to reproduce the homemade, from scratch, cheesecake that Julia Child was preparing on public television. I took copious notes, watched and listened as the chef stirred up a wonderful looking cheesecake and then I promptly headed out to the grocery store to purchase the ingredients. After spending $30 (almost a whole week’s worth of grocery money) I came home and became the Cheesecake Gourmet in our kitchen. Several hours later, with nothing to show for my efforts except a dirty kitchen and a pan full of uneatable mush, my lovely wife could not control her laughter any longer. It didn’t seem very funny to me at the time but today I still chuckle thinking about what I must have looked like covered with flour and staring at my botched dessert.

Of course, many of the great memories that we share can be attributed to the births of our two children. They have brought joy and laughter into our home and into our lives. They have taught me the importance of being a man of God. They have inspired me to be a better husband, a better father, and a better person. And I can see the love and generosity of my wife has showing through in their lives as well.

Raising these two children was not always easy and I have always worked many long hours so my wife has had the majority of this burden placed on her. I have been fortunate enough to share in the joys of the children and relish in their accomplishments while she provided most of the parenting. She has done a great job and both of my children have grown up to become adults that I am very proud of and for this she deserves all of the credit.

I have heard many people complain over the years about the empty nest syndrome, the problems that arise when the children leave the house and a couple is faced with spending time together. I have never quite understood why this should be a problem. While I love my children and will certainly miss them when they are not living under my roof, I know that my best friend will still be there for me.

So in our household, there will be no empty nest. No syndrome. No loneliness. There will only be a couple. The love that those two teenagers felt for each other 33 years ago is stronger than ever. The excitement of spending time together has never faded. The need to be there for each other has never left. I love my wife today more than I did 27 years ago when I mumbled the words, “I do”, in front of my friend from college who was performing his first marriage ceremony.

Thirty-three years ago, God introduced me to the woman that He had chosen for me. Twenty-seven years ago, I stood in front of His alter and accepted this gift, making her my wife. Today, I wish she was sitting here beside me so that I could tell her in person….

Happy Anniversary, Jeanean. Thank you for the past 33 years that you have blessed my life. I love you more today than yesterday, as my love for you grows each and every day. I look forward to you being beside me for the next 27 years and beyond. And I promise that if you stay away from the wok, I’ll stay away from the cheesecake.

I love you!

I hope you have a great weekend and Happy Father’s Day to everyone!

I suppose that it is easy to laugh at the President, however there are many of us who have much less to deal with in life that would be horrified to discover that our notes were missing just as we were supposed to begin talking to a group of people. I know that no matter how much I study for my weekly Sunday School lessons, I still insist on having my notes in front of me when teaching. I just don’t feel confident enough to go it alone.

Even though having notes or a pre-written speech is certainly acceptable in these situations, there are times when it just bothers me when I see someone reading from notes. This past Sunday I settled down in my recliner to watch a sporting event on television. I’m not going to specify which one, other than to say that there were lots of brightly painted cars and they were all turning left.

Before the start of this sporting event there are several things that always takes place. First there is the singing of the national anthem. I usually get upset when I notice someone flub a line or read the lyrics, but since I forgot a line in the chorus of the song I was singing this same Sunday, my wife now tells me that I can’t get upset at that anymore. So I suppose that having the National Anthem lyrics in front of you while singing on television is now considered appropriate in my house.

However, at these events there is a second tradition that takes place. This tradition is the prayer before the event starts. At this point in the opening ceremonies, a local pastor is called upon to stand in front of the crowd in the stands and at home on the television and thank God for the weather, the race, the drivers, the fans, and ask for safety of all. Of course, there is the occasional preacher who is a big race fan and he gets carried away and thanks God for things such as Sunoco fuel, Goodyear, and of course, the preacher’s “smoking hot wife.”

Then there are those ministers who decide that they must read their pre-written prayer to God. I suppose it is out of nervousness or fear of saying something stupid; such as “thank you God for my smoking hot wife.” But it bothers me that anyone, much less a minister would have to read a prayer written in advance when asked to pray to God.

Before you start casting your stones, I will admit that I am not an eloquent speaker nor do I pray aloud with zeal and flourish. But I don’t think that God cares about that. I think that He would rather that I just talk to Him like I would talk to anyone that I am close to and care for deeply. If your public prayers are filled with so much flowery speech and hyperbole that you have to read it from a piece of paper, then maybe it is time to step back and just talk to God like you would talk to a friend.

This problem doesn’t just exist when preachers are praying in front of television cameras either. I have been to many church services when the preacher may not have been reading his morning prayer but that was probably because it would take too long to write all of that stuff down. Have you ever been to a church and wondered if the pastor would ever say Amen? You know the ones that I am talking about. He is the one that uses every adjective, every title, and every term of endearment for God all in the same prayer.

I call these Energizer Bunny Prayers. You know the ones, they just keep going and going and going.

When it comes to our prayer life, why do we insist on using ten words when just one will do? Are we trying to make God think that we are holier than we actually are? If so, we need to go back to the Bible and read some more because I think He already knows what is in our hearts.

Or do we insist on using those twelve letter words to impress those that are listening? I think that this might be case. This is a very dangerous road to travel, the Bible is very clear on this.

⁵ ”And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  Matthew 6:5-6 NIV

So the next time that you have to talk before a group (or sing in my case) then by all means, take your notes with you. Just be sure that your “people” have put them where you have access to them. But the next time that you pray, regardless or whether you are in public or private, just talk to God. You can’t impress Him with your language skills and you certainly don’t need to be worrying about impressing anyone else.

Speak from the heart. That is what He really wants to hear.

As a special bonus, here is the video of the minister thanking God for his “smoking hot wife.”

Do you know anyone who has to perform their prayers?

Photo Credit: Connor Tarter via Compfight cc

Photo Credit: Ѕolo via Compfight cc

The results are in and ChurchMag’s list of top church tech blogs for 2013 has been released. This year there was more competition than ever before and the result is an expanded resource of 30 great websites which combined technology and faith.

ChristianDroid is proud once again to have made the list of the top 30 church tech blogs as determined by ChurchMag. Congratulations to all the sites that make up this years top 30.

ChurchMag’s Top 30 Church Tech Sites

1. churchstagedesignideas.com
2. vickybeeching.com/blog
3. churchm.ag
4. churchmarketingsucks.com
5. churchjuice.com/blog
6. dustn.tv
7. youthministrymedia.ca
8. 78p.tv
9. communicatejesus.com
10. churchtechtoday.com
11. donteatthefruit.com
12. christiandroid.com
13. churchtecharts.org
14. chipdizard.com
15. mattmckee.me  
16. roar.pro/news
17. faithengineer.com
18. trinitydigitalmedia.com/blog
19. nilssmith.com
20. techgeekministries.com
21. votivepraise.com
22. socialmediachurch.net
23. churchtechy.com
24. godvertiser.com
25. tecnoiglesia.com
26. ichurchmethod.com
27. churchwebstrategies.org
28. jonedmiston.com
29. geekrev.com
30. joshburns.net/blog

I encourage you to take some time and visit some, or all, of these sites. They are full of great information and are all run by people who love combining their faith and technology.

A special thanks to our friends at ChurchMag who take the time each year to develop this list for all of us to explore and enjoy.

via ChurchMag

What is a Chromebook?

According to Wikipedia:

A Chromebook is a personal computer running Google Chrome OS as its operating system. The devices are designed to be used while connected to the Internet and support applications that reside on the Web, rather than traditional PC applications like Microsoft Office and Photoshop that reside on the machine itself.

In other words, the Chromebook is a laptop. The difference between this operating system and Windows or OSX is that everything runs using the chrome browser. What this means for the user is that you can not install normal desktop programs on this machine but rather you have to install Chrome browser apps or extensions.

The Chromebook is meant to be used online. A couple of years ago, when the laptop was first introduced this caused some concern. However, with the emergence of cloud computing into the mainstream, this has become less of a factor than ever before. In fact, before considering a Chromebook take a moment to consider how much of your computing is actually done online in a web browser. If you are like most, then the answer will be 85-90% and a Chromebook could be just what you need.

Chromebook Pros

• Price – This is one of the major advantages of the Chromebook. Prices start at just $199 for a Chromebook and since the device leverages the cloud for your computing needs there is really no need for a machine of any more horsepower. Any of the offerings in the $199-$249 price points will serve you well. (Of course there is the $1299 Chromebook Pixel but this is not considered a starter device for most Chromebook users.)

• Portability – Chromebooks are made to be portable. Think of them as tablets on steroids. As such, they are light and portable. With 11 inch screens and weighing less than 3.5 lbs. a Chromebook is meant to be mobile.

• Google Integration – If you are a user of the multitude of services that Google has to offer then you will love the fact that the Chromebook integrates with your Google account. Log in to the computer and you are immediately connected to all of your Google accounts. This also makes sharing Chrome apps and extensions between computers easy. Install a Chrome app on one machine and it appears on all of your others.

• Google Drive – Since Chromebooks are built with minimal hard drive space, they are intended to be used with Google Drive. As such, Google offers 100 gb. of storage on Drive for two years. This is a $120 value, so now the cost of the Chromebook is just $79! (In fact, if you are looking to upgrade your Google Drive space already this is a great way to do that and pick up a new laptop for under $100.

• Automatic Updates – Another benefit of online computing is that your Chromebook will remain free of viruses and stay constantly updated since updates to the system are automatically pushed and installed by Google.

• Fast Access To Internet – With the little amount of operating system overhead and a fast SSD hard drive, you can go from a completely off machine to surfing the web in just about 15 seconds. Average boot time for a SSD Chromebook is only about 9 seconds. You can’t even get a windows laptop to wake up from sleep in that amount of time.

• Ease of Use – If you have ever surfed the internet you can use the Chromebook without any instructions from anyone. It really is very intuitive and easy to use.

Chromebook Cons

• Cloud Computing – Working in the cloud is not for everyone. There are times when you might need access to documents and files offline. Although the Chromebook does have offline access to some files it is not as ideal as working with the files on a normal laptop. However, I really doubt that this is an issue for many. As I said earlier, decide how much computing you really do online and then make your decision.

• No Desktop Apps – If you must work with some specific Windows or Mac programs that do not have an online equivalent then the Chromebook may not be for you. However, there are ways around this as well. By using Chrome Remote Desktop I can access my work desktop and run all programs right on the Chromebook.

• Google Integration – If you do not currently use a Google account, you might not be as impressed with the Chromebook as other Google users. The Google account integration is important to this device and adds to its functionality. If you don’t already have a Google account I would suggest signing up for a free account and see what they have to offer. I’m not quite sure how you have functioned without one for any length of time but you might just be amazed at some of the things you are missing.

• Plastic Body Construction – I’ve seen some complaints about the plastic build of these devices but all of the ones that I have seen and used are well built solid machines regardless of the plastic casing. After all, a computer is about what is on the inside and not the outer shell anyway.

Toy Or Tool

There is no doubt about the fact that the Chromebook is a tool. The Chromebook can handle 90% of the computing jobs that people can throw at it and do it with speed. I have been using mine for a couple of weeks and have not had to turn on my MacBook Air at any time since purchasing the Chromebook.

Is it the perfect laptop? Not by any means, but it was meant to fill a niche and it does that quite well. A Chromebook is a great tool for someone who wants the convenience of a laptop combined with the portability of a tablet.

I have used the Chromebook to edit and publish this website for the past 10 days and have prepared and presented my last two Sunday School lessons using the Chromebook. And since I needed to upgrade my Google Drive space anyway, the ability to pick up a laptop in the process that is such a pleasure to use for under $100 is an amazing deal.

Chromebook Users

You may have seen the advertisements for the Google Chromebook on television over the last couple of weeks. Google is targeting families looking for the perfect Father’s Day gift. And I must admit that Google is spot on with this one. What Dad would not love to get a new computer for Dad’s day.

But the Chromebook is much more than a replacement for the traditional ugly tie. The Chromebook has uses in all segments of the population. From students to teachers, toddlers to moms, grandparents to parents the Chromebook makes a great laptop for most users. With its ease of use, online integration, and Google support you really can’t go wrong with the Chromebook.

Personally I think the Chromebook is an especially great device for bloggers. We are online constantly already, so the Google Chromebook is a nice alternative to the more expensive and bulkier laptops. It is portable so you can take it anywhere. And if you have ever tried to publish a blog post on your tablet you will certainly enjoy the Chromebook keyboard. With so much computing being done in the cloud today the Chromebook makes more sense today than ever before.

If you are in the market for a new computing device, do yourself a favor and take a look at what the Chromebook has to offer. You may find it is the only computer you will need.

What computer do you currently use?

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About a year ago I wrote a post about what the world would be like without Google. We have become so dependent upon the computer giant for our daily needs that we would have to adjust the way that we live if we awoke one morning to find that Google no longer existed. Fortunately my post was just a figment of my strange imagination and we still depend on Google for many of our computing needs daily.

However, I did arrive at work this morning to a situation that reminded me of this post. Some of you may know that I make my living by working in a car dealership. When I arrived at work this morning, the first words that I heard were, “the computers are down.” We are in the process of upgrading our computer systems here and have encountered some glitches in the system. In an effort to repair these problems our store’s mainframe has been experiencing some downtime. This is computer speak for “when you press the button nothing happens.”

This has been a common occurrence over the past couple of weeks, however, the system went down last night and still had not been repaired when we arrived at work this morning. In addition to the server problems, our phone system is also digital and tied into the same company, so when the computer goes down so does the phones, no in bound calls. no outbound calls. no interoffice calls. no fax lines. no voice mail, and did I mention, no computers.

My point to this whole story is that I was amazed at how lost everyone seemed to be at work this morning. No one knew what to do. It wasn’t that no one really knew what to do, rather, it was that everyone was instantly thrown out of their comfort zone as soon as the system crashed. Sure there were some that did not have a clue how to continue to work. But mainly everyone was just inconvenienced by the fact that there was no computers to assist them in their jobs. Of course, there were some things that could not be done without the computers working, but with some imagination and some ink pens, most of the business could continue to work through the day.

Fortunately, the computer issues were mainly resolved prior to lunch and everyone could get back into their normal routines. However, the events of this morning have led me to two realizations.

Don’t Place All Your Faith In Technology

This may sound strange coming from a geek, like me. However, today we do place too much importance on technology. If you don’t believe me, take my little quiz.

1. Recite the phone numbers of the 10 people you have on your speed dial in your cell phone.
2. Complete this problem without the aid of a calculator or computer.  $3861.22 x 1484 / 16 = ?

Did you recite more than 2 numbers? (Most of us have our spouse and our work numbers programmed, so two should be the least you should be able to name) Did you come up with $358,128.16?

If the answer to either of these two questions was no, then you might want to spend some time working on living without your computer or cell phone.

Technology is man made. No matter how great it gets, it is not going to be perfect. A product created by an imperfect creator is going to have occasional problems. Unfortunately, in today’s society we have become so dependent upon this technology that we have trouble functioning without it.

Next time you need to add two numbers together, grab a pencil and a piece of paper instead of the calculator or adding machine. You just might be surprised that the computer that rests between your ears still has some life left in it.

Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Many of us become too comfortable with our routines in life. We get up at the same time. Do the same tasks throughout the day. Return home and go to be at the same time. Day in and day out, our lives are a matter of routine. And if our lives aren’t routine, then our jobs certainly have become routine for many of us. Snap out of it.

Try something different. Step outside of your comfort zone. As the experts would say, “think outside the box.”

As humans, we don’t like it when we have to do things differently than we are used to. After all, we are creatures of habit. Just think about your morning routine. I will bet that it is the same day in and day out. It might change slightly on the weekends but even those become routine to us after a while. I know in my case, you can just about set your watch by the things that I do in the morning. I do the same things at the same time each and every day.

Change it up a little bit tomorrow. Instead of putting on your left sock first (or the right if that is your normal routine) try doing the opposite tomorrow morning. It will feel strange because it is not what you are used to doing. Vary your routine, get out of your comfort zone and the next time you are forced out of the box, it won’t feel quite so strange as it did before.

As the events of today have clearly shown, I do sincerely hope that my Google nightmare created in my imagination a year ago never becomes reality. I just don’t think that I can take all of the whining and complaining that will accompany such a catastrophic event.

I apologize for the lateness of this post today. Of course, I do have a good excuse. My computer was down!