Where’s My Cell Phone? On Saturday afternoon Nikki and I took our six year-old grandson Dylan to see Ant-Man (a fun movie) at the Aliso Viejo theaters. I turned my cell phone completely off as I entered theater #5 and went straight to my seat where I did not move until the movie was over. When I stood up it dawned on me my cell phone was not in my pocket. Must be under the seat, I said to myself. Can’t be anywhere else. But after an extensive search with a flashlight, no cell phone. So I have no idea where it went. Nikki says it ended up in the popcorn box. Hmmm. Perhaps.
But now I am thinking about the pros and cons of a cell phone. And I am realizing that in the midst of a lot good things they provide, there are some big negatives. I confess that my cell phone has gobbled up valuable time as I perused text messages, Facebook, news and sports apps, videos, pictures, updates, etc., and it has definitely infringed on time with God as well as time in my Bible. I also confess my cell phone seems to have become a little bit of an addiction. Nikki says I am looking at it way more than I think, even when I am with her and when there’s company. So my cell phone has intruded even into important relationships. A lot of unhealthy stuff going on.
Mary Hurlbut sent me an article awhile back about how our cell phone is changing us. A very challenging article I would say. Mentioned was this – “We are becoming like what we behold.” What we spend our time beholding shapes our hearts and minds and molds us into the people we are. What we behold sets patterns in our lives. And one pattern of too much cell phone use is we become shallow in our interactions with people.
Other issues mentioned in the article – we don’t have to know everything nor what our friends are doing. And it is not healthy to live in physical space and virtual space at the same time. Too much time on the cell phone absolutely releases increasing distractions. And God wants us to be single-minded but our cell phone pushes us into being all over the place at the same time. A cell phone often replaces real, personal communication with disembodied communication. And that can affect families and the church. Much more could be said about this issue.
So what now for me? I’m probably going to replace my cell phone while at the same time seeking to discipline myself, avoiding the pitfalls I have just mentioned. Won’t be easy.
And now read about some new additions to our church family…
From Maggie Culp: Wanted to let you know that Ruth Ann Culp arrived last Tuesday at 3:45pm. 7lbs 9oz. 20in. She and I are both doing well. As is Phil- changing diapers like a rock star despite his cast (which comes off a week from Friday). Thanks to everyone for their prayers! Please pray that she continues to feed well and grow strong. We look forward to bringing her to church to meet everyone as soon as we can.
Brian & Chanel Ulrich – are now proud parents of triplets, born last week, two girls and a boy – Zoe Kate, Malia Mae and William Nathan Tommy. All babies are very healthy with this wonderful testimony coming from Brian and Chanel, “Every day with them is magic.”
Prayer Focus This Week…
Steve & Marie Krantz and their son Johnny…
- Safe travel to and from Indonesia.
- Physical strength, good health, and good sleep at night, especially for Marie as the rigors of travel and the hot and humid climate can be a problem for people with MS. Also, this will be the first major test of my surgically repaired back. “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. . . He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights” (Psalm 18:28-29, 33).
- Holy Spirit unction as Marie, Johnny, and I minister together as a team to the students during the week and in churches on the weekends.
- In addition to teaching and preaching in churches on the weekends, we will be teaching a course on the Psalms at Silom School of Ministry, September 7-11.
Other Prayer Needs…
- The beginning of the school year for all the kids, teachers and administrators in Laguna’s schools.
- All the young adults in our church going back to college
- Christians and missionaries in Iraq, as well as all Islamic State enemies, who are suffering there from the terrible advancement of ISIS.
- Melissa, Kylie, Tim, Jennifer, Raewyn, – all from another ministry who need God’s healing
- Taffy, Dorrie, David K., Peggy, Beverly, Denise, Gary N., Kristine, Ken – all need supernatural healing also
Saturday Morning : Our facilitator in the western Thailand mountains, Rolyn Cadiz, teaches the kids and a few adults from Sanephong Village the Word of God. Our college missions team helped build the church in June.
Love This Quote: “On days when life is difficult and I feel overwhelmed, as I do fairly often, it helps to remember in my prayers that all God requires of me is to trust Him and be His friend. I find I can do that.” — Bruce Larson (1925-2008, American pastor, writer and visionary)
May God encourage every single one of you who is finding life a little difficult.
Pastor Jay