Tuesday, December 9, 2008

For The Record

Let it be known heretofore, I stole my "chipisthisguy" idea from Matt.  His original phrasing was "thisguyismatt" and I thought that was a great idea.  I didn't want to seem too obvious, so I reversed the order.  Anyway, if you have attributed any sort of genius to me because of my use of "chipisthisguy," you should really attribute mild plaigaristic tendencies.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The Opportunity Cost of Convenience

Would you have the guts (would I have the guts) to leave technology behind and "rough it?"  No laptop, no blackberry/Treo/PSP/PDA/GPS, iPod, iPhone - you name it.  I feel like my existence is being swallowed up by the need for immediacy.  It is becoming an addiction of American culture.  I want everything right now.  I am finding myself feeling impatient about how "long" shipments take to reach me.  These little gems of technological joy that I have had the misfortune to order online instead of purchase in-store.  "Snail Mail" takes too long.  Even UPS and FedEx take "too long."

You can post your minute-by minute activities to the Internet with a few keystrokes and high speed or 3G connectivity.  I almost feel nauseous with the online overload I've been experiencing lately.  I am afraid that humans are beginning to depend on the Internet for sanity and comfort.  It is like another member of the family.  We have built this machine, and it is slowly occupying every second of our time and every detail of our attentions.

This is all a pretty extreme view of technology and one I don't always think about - and I realize this is a personal thing that not everyone deals with... I think maybe I am beginning to lose my balance on the ledge of progress and this is my way to step back for a minute and take a breath, or to "Be still and know that I am God."









Thursday, October 23, 2008

Offensive

I am worried all the time – well, most of the time, about what friends and even strangers might think about me because of my beliefs.  I worry I will be mocked, discounted, and shunned if I give any inkling of an idea of what I believe or attempt to explain or defend my beliefs.  And then it occurred to me how ridiculous this is.  That is the point, really.  The things that get my attention and make me think are offensive and different.  Thought-provoking, some may say.

I have used my quiet personality as an excuse to remain silent about my faith in Christ.  God has made me aware of this recently – and there is no way to describe exactly what being convicted by God is like to someone who has never felt it personally.  It is an amazing thing, though.  It is a catalyst for salvation, even.

It is sad... In America we worry about our reputations being affected by our beliefs.  In other countries and areas of the world, people die every day for their beliefs.  I don't want to be worried anymore.