Modern Devices and the Loss of Eye to Eye Contact

According to a 2011 New York Times article, there is an interesting trend among young people. If forced to make a choice teenagers would rather have the internet than a car. Staying connected to friends via a smart phone is a priority. "The iPhone is the Ford Mustang of today," according to Thilo Koslowski, an automotive analyst. "Mobile devices, gadgets and the Internet are becoming must-have lifestyle products that convey status."

What this study reveals confirms what I see on the streets. Everywhere I look someone either has their cell phone to their ear or is looking down at it. With their gaze fixed on their IPhone, they are checking social networks or looking for the nearest restaurant.

Recently a news report showed a man who nearly ran into a bear who had wandered into his neighborhood. The man did not see him until he nearly bumped into the bear. He had been texting on his cellphone.

Teenagers have even been caught texting in church - sitting next to each other!

Parents used to say, "Look at me when I am talking to you." With texting, Facebook and smart phone usage so common, this is even harder than it has ever been.

Before smart phones and the internet, people frequently stayed connected through personal visits - made possible by trips in those automobiles which are now rating second place among young people.

Technology has brought incredible advantages that do make our lives easier. I make use of many of them. There is nothing wrong with email, texting or smart phones. I travel a great deal and keep up with family and friends through those means - especially SKYPE which gives me an opportunity to see as well as talk to my grandchildren. However, the trend away from eye to eye contact and face to face conversation makes me uncomfortable.

Certainly there are many ways to communicate. Not all means of communication have to be face to face to be productive. God has used many methods to get His message across to His people - angels, prophets, a burning bush and even a donkey.

There is nothing like eye to eye contact and a personal encounter, however. God chose to meet us face to face through His Son, Jesus Christ. His eye contact was penetrating. So penetrating that people would rather avoid His gaze than be confronted with their own sinful nature. That's what happened to Adam and Eve after they sinned. They hid.

Standing face to face with Jesus not only causes us to confront our own sin, but to realize that His deliberate personal participation in an imperfect world was to redeem those who would believe in Him. Those who have seen Him are never the same.


He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him (Isaiah 53:3). But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." And immediately while he was still speaking, a cock crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter (Luke 22:60-61).

Marriage Partnerships

I am one of those lucky wives. My husband is the original handyman.  He can fix just about anything and with a little self-education, he can build most anything he needs. Over the years he has saved us countless dollars because he is a do-it-yourselfer.

We have a pretty good arrangement. I do what I can do. He does everything else - which is by far the larger part. When he asks for my help on a project, I know it is not because he needs me. In fact, he says, "Just do your best and don't worry about it if you mess up a little." Actually, I mess up a lot but I am happy to work alongside him. I may not be much of a help, but I am very touched that he wants me to be there with him. The fact that he enjoys my company means more than anything.

I often think if I go first, he will have very little adjustment. If he goes first - well, not only will I miss him terribly - but I will have to hire plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, call for outside tech support and much, much more. As I said, I am one of the lucky ones.

My husband is also a great gift giver. He often surprises me with something I never expected. He does things for me and gives things to me not because he has to. He wants to. Some things he does for me are fairly easy for him, like helping me with the dishes. Other things may require a sacrifice on his part. He may purchase something for me that prevents him from having something he wanted. In each case, whether easy or sacrificial, what he does is an expression of love.

Our marriage is a partnership - albeit a little lopsided.

Jesus relates to His followers in a variety of ways. As our Savior, He redeems us. As the Bread of Life, He supplies our needs. As the Light of the World, He brings us out of darkness. As our Shepherd, He guides us. As our Rock, He gives us strength. As our Foundation, He gives us stability. As our Advocate, He intercedes on our behalf. As the Truth, He brings integrity and clarity to life. As the Word of God, He speaks to us. As the True Vine, He gives us the ability to bear fruit.

One of the incredible revelations about our relationship with Jesus is that He relates to us as our bridegroom. He calls the redeemed His bride. He is planning an incredible wedding feast for us - the likes of which cannot even be imagined.

Jesus asks for our participation in His work - not because He needs it, but because He wants it. I sometimes think I hear Him saying, "Just do your best. Don't worry. I'll take care of the results."

He is the ultimate gift giver. Many gifts that He gives are easy for Him. Others cost him the ultimate sacrifice. In every case, what He does is an expression of the love of a bridegroom for His bride.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word..."Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints (Ephesians 5:25-26,  Revelation 19:7-8 NAS).

Blinders and Staying on the Path

I travel a lot. Occasionally I am in a country where horses and buggies or carts are still being used. In such cases, I notice the horses always have blinders on. That is obviously to prevent them from being distracted and veering off the path the owner has chosen for them. It seems to work. The horses appear calm and relaxed both while walking and while waiting for further instructions.

I guess if all you can see is straight ahead of you, then that's where you want to go. The horses have to trust their owners to keep them on a path with sure footing. Having blinders on lessens the possibility for the horse getting spooked. The blinders are most often used in public places where the horses could easily be scared by what is going around them.

The blinders also prevent the horse from being confused. There may be several different choices - more than one path - in front of them. In order for the horse to know where the owner wants to go, he needs to see the path intended for him. The blinders are for the protection of the horse as well as direction of the owner.

Ordinarily, when you hear someone talk about a person having blinders on, it is meant in a negative sense. It usually means that someone does not recognize what is going on around him. He may refuse to accept what is happening. The origin of this idiom comes from the very thing I have observed in my travels - blinders on horses.

However, there is another way to think about blinders. If you are to intentionally stay focused on the path God has assigned for you, having blinders on can be a good thing.

Most of the horses wearing blinders have probably learned to trust that their owners will lead them down a good road and know that they will eventually settle in at night with nourishment and a place to sleep. As Christians, we may not need blinders, but the distractions of the world and our own desires can easily trip us up or lead us down the wrong path. We do need God to steer us in the right direction. We can totally trust Him to do so. 

Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left; remove your foot from evil (Proverbs 4:25-27).

The Rhythm of a Writing Style

Writing styles have certainly changed over time. Recently I reread the original Robinson Crusoe. I was shocked at how hard it was for me to get into the rhythm of Daniel DeFoe's writing style. It was a bit like reading a legato book in a staccato world. Many of his sentences are longer than my paragraphs!

I have several books on writing in my library. Write Tight: Say Exactly What You Mean with Precision and Power by William Brohaugh was highly recommended. I have found it to be quite useful.

Attention span is not what it used to be. In cultures where television is prevalent, people have become accustomed to finishing an entire story in thirty minutes. With the advance of technological devices such as laptops, IPads, IPhones etc., instantaneous information is the norm. I know few people who have patience for a slow internet connection. Practically everyone feels any price they have to pay for a fast connection is worth it.

The popularity of Twitter confirms this trend. 140 characters is enough to get your point across. Blogs longer than five hundred words are seldom read all the way through. Surveys indicate most people scan all online material instead of reading articles word for word.

In writing fiction, rambling dialogue is discouraged. Leave out cliches. Nonfiction writers are especially encouraged to write tight. You seldom need a "the" or a "that." Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Say it concisely or don't say it at all!

Writing styles also differ in translations of the Bible.  I try to sample all translations and paraphrases. It occurs to me that I don't have a problem with lengthy sentence translations (such as the King James or New King James). I suppose it is because, unlike novels like Robinson Crusoe, I read from these versions frequently.

Some people stick with one translation and swear that it is the only accurate translation there is. Funny thing, they seem to forget the original manuscripts were written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. I only know one person who routinely reads from a Hebrew Bible. The rest of us have to rely on the translators to get the message across.

I am grateful for those scholars who have given us various translations and even paraphrases. Occasionally I catch something in the NIV or NAS I missed in the NKJ. I sometimes enjoy a paraphrase in my devotional reading. For deep study, the multiple word equivalents to Hebrew and Greek words in the Amplified Bible prove to be very beneficial. With all the difficulties that occur with translating one language to another, God's message comes through loud and clear to those who want to know Him.


All Scripture is inspired by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 2:16-17).

Accidental Useful Knowledge

I recently read two books back to back - just for fun. One was A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith and the other was Marley and Me by John Grogan. On the surface these two books had nothing in common. One was a historical novel following a family for several generations (1863 to 1968) as they settled Florida. The other was about a family's life with an incredibly spirited dog named Marley.

Reading through A Land Remembered introduced me to Florida when it was practically undiscovered. Only a few Indian tribes dared to live in the swampy, seemingly uninhabitable land; however even the good land was free range at one time. Those that could weather the unforgiving terrain could travel all across Florida. No fences hindered them. Only bandits, disease or wild animals did that. Families could set up homesteads without much interference. Later as things changed, the land had to be purchased. It was owned and fenced making it impossible for others to travel through on their way to the other side of the state.

I considered this information interesting, but might not have dwelt on it had not it also been addressed in a totally unrelated true account about Marley. For much of his life, Marley and family lived in a neighborhood close to the Intracoastal Waterway separating West Palm Beach from Palm Beach. There were vivid descriptions of south Florida thunderstorms in both books. However, what connected the two books in my mind was John Grogan's description of Palm Beach County: "what is less widely known is that it is also home to huge farms that stretch across drained Everglades swamps for miles out of town." I was introduced to those huge farms and drained swamps in A Land Remembered.


Although I have visited Florida, I have never lived there. I had not sought to discover facts about Florida and its development but there may be a time in the future when this accidental information will be useful.

The same thing often happens to me while I am searching online for information. An innocent search about one subject somehow leads down intricate paths to another subject. The facts I discovered at the end of my search could possibly be unrelated to what I wanted to know at the beginning. Sometimes by the time I am through with my research, I forgot what I was looking for in the first place!

I believe that no knowledge is wasted. There have been times when I met someone or was in the middle of a teaching situation when all of a sudden I remembered something hidden in my mind's data bank that was now applicable to the present. I have a vivid memory of one retreat I was conducting where someone posed a question to me that I had never contemplated before. However, just the day previous to that, some unrelated research had supplied me with the knowledge I needed in order to answer the question. Those circumstances often surprise me, but I am confident that God is not surprised. What is accidental useful knowledge for me is part of His plan.

To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion - A wise man will hear and increase learning and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel (Proverbs 1:4-5).

Orphans No More

Have you ever noticed once something becomes part of your life that you start observing others with similar things or relationships?

When we had children, I started noticing other mothers with children, strollers and diaper bags - more than I had ever done before. Years ago we bought a black truck. As soon as we bought that truck, I started seeing black trucks everywhere - many of them just like mine. Now that I have an adopted granddaughter (who has just turned three), I keep discovering someone who has an adopted family member or someone who is considering adoption - or is involved in a ministry involving orphans.

Practically everyone has a soft spot for orphans. It is heart wrenching to imagine a child who has lost both parents or who has been abandoned by her parents. Orphans have a life, but not a home. They may live in an orphanage with other children, but they need a family to call their own.

The fortunate children in such a situation are adopted. A family who wants a child is matched with a child that needs a home. God did not ask my husband and me to adopt a child, but I praise Him that He did ask my son, his wife and their two sons to do so. All of our lives have been incredibly enriched.

God is the creator of all men and He gave them life. However, He created mankind with the ability to choose. Adam and Eve chose to sin. Death and separation from God was the result of their choice. We are no different. Our sin separates us from an intimate relationship with God.

The concept of adoption originated with God. Jesus Christ paid for our sin. Those who have accepted His gift of grace and have a relationship with Him are adopted by God the Father. He has provided an eternal home for His adopted children. We are orphans no more.

I have been adopted by God the Father. I am part of God's family. My granddaughter has been adopted by my son's family. She is part of my family. These facts have created in me a new understanding and urgency for evangelism.

I now see spiritual orphans everywhere - people who live but do not yet have an eternal home with God. Those who refuse the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ will forever be separated from Him. They will remain orphans - existing outside of God's family and His home.

I pray that as God gives me opportunity, I will pay the price to introduce those who do not yet know Christ as Savior - the orphans of the world - to my Father and my family. Will you join me?

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever- the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you. A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also" (John 14: 16-19).

Diagnosing Connection Problems

I travel a lot. In order to keep working while on the road, access to the internet is a necessity. Thankfully, most places it is no problem. However, there are times when a connection is very difficult. There are even occasions when the network diagnostic assures me my internet connection appears to be working properly but my email does not load nor can I access any website. The message that appears while attempting to view a website states that I am not connected to the internet and network diagnostics can help solve my connection problems. I feel like I am going in circles. 

One thing I know about this problem is that I need help solving it. Usually the issue is not resolved until I ask for aid (usually from my husband). When I am unable to connect to a network because (as the network diagnostic indicates) I have entered an incorrect password or network name, chosen the wrong type of wireless security or am out of range of the base station, I need help in deciding how to correct the problem.

It is somewhat frustrating to be intelligently handicapped in this way since all of my work is done on my laptop. I would prefer to figure things out on my own and not have to disturb my husband, but I am seldom able to do so. I need his help. He understands the network diagnostic language.

There are times when Christians develop a problem communicating with the heavenly Father. Often, the problem is not apparent to others. Appearances may make it seem as if the connection has never been broken and everything is working properly, but there is an adjustment that needs to be made so that communication is unhindered.

When that happens, we need help in restoring our connection. The problem is never on God’s side. It is always on our side and our lack of paying attention to the issues that are so critical in keeping the communication flowing. We need the Holy Spirit’s help in diagnosing the problem.

Sometimes we are unable to connect because we are not using the proper name. God knows our thoughts and our hearts, but in order to reach Him, we must come through Jesus. Jesus told His disciples to come to the Father in His name. That has not changed.

Sometimes we are unable to connect because we are looking in the wrong place for security. Prayer is not simply meditation as the world defines it. Emptying our minds in meditation opens the door for Satan to fill our minds with his agenda. Prayer is always God focused -  through Jesus.

Sometimes we get out of range of the base station (God’s presence) by allowing sin to take control. When that happens, we are the ones who have moved out of range. 

Most of us resist asking for help. We want to control our own lives, not submit to God’s direction. In every case, however, that compounds the problem and delays open channels of communication. We need His help. He is readily available to diagnose any communication problems and leads us through steps to correct them.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven's Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT).