Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World - Dr. David Jeremiah

Living with Confidence in a Chaotic World by Dr. David Jeremiah
Published by Thomas Nelson

Do we live in a Chaotic world?

Every day the news gets worse. Major industries are laying off emplyees by the thousands. Manufacturing plants are closing. People who bought houses are defaulting on their mortgauges. Each week 7000 people loose their unemployment benefits and find themselves without work and without money to pay their bills and buy their groceries.
These are people, many of whom, have worked hard all their lives and planned to retire only to find their retirement savings disappear literally overnight. The jobs they trusted in to bring
them into retirement just diappeared in the wake of the Global Recession. Banks have gotten their bailout money, but are reluctant to issue loans to businesses.
Terrorism is uppermost on everyone's mind after 9/11. Two wars have been fought for years with no tangible results. The threat of terrorism is still a worldwide concern.

Where is God in all of this?

With plentiful illustrations and skill Dr. Jeremiah tells us how to be Confident in a Chaotic world. He takes the age old truths of God's Word and applies them with skill to the situations we are facing in the world and particualy in America today.
As I read this book I asked myself, "What are you trusting in?" The Govenment, the Military, the Economy, my bank account, my job? The answer is that all these things can and will fail. And with that failure my Trust and security fail with them. Or am I trusting in the Eternal God who has all things under control? The Eternal God who gave His only Son Jesus Christ to a lost and dying and indeed Chaotic world?

God is Eternal. He has no beginning and He has no end. God has given us tremendous promises through His Written Word and through His Living Word - Jesus Christ. God has given us His own Holy Spirit to live and dwell within us and to teach us all things.
How can we have Confidence in a Chaotic world? By trusting in the Living God and the Living Christ.

Using a Series of 10 words that begin with the letter "C" Dr. Jeremiah shows us from both the pages of today's headlines and from God's Eternal Word how to Stay Calm, Compassionate, Constructive, Challenged, Connected, Centered, Confident, Consistant,Committed and Convinced. The main theme of this book is the same theme that has resounded for over 2000 years - Trust in the Lord. Only in the Lord. Only in His Word. The Christian can have peace when the world around him is in Chaos.

How?

Because God in still in control although Atheists are getting bold in their message that God does not exist - putting slogans on busses and billboards. Jesus promised that He is going to prepair a place for us. In His Father's house are many mansions (or rooms as some new translations put it). And Jesus promises that if He goes to prepair a place for us - He will come back to take us to
Himself. The promise of the Return of Jesus Christ to the earth is closer today than it was yesterday. Dr. Jeremiah asks the question - are you ready for Jesus to come back? What will you be doing when He returns. We know that no man knows the day or the hour , so we are to be ready, and we are to be busy about the Lord's work. So that when Jesus comes back He will
find us working.

By applying the truths of God's Word to ourselves. We can be Confident in a world of Chaos. We can be busy doing the Lord's Work when Jesus returns. Dr. Jeremiah brings up the question of what the Church is doing? Is is asleep? How can God's People help the hurting and homeless and destitute today? Dr. Jeremiah speaks about a few men who had all the wealth this world has to offer. They were not hurting for money or family or fame or anything that people work so hard to obtain in this world - but it was not enough and they died either by disease or by suicide. We hear of fathers killing their families today because they lost their jobs or lost their savings. money was their god and money failed them!

What are you trusting in today? Is is total surrender to the Creator of the Universe and His Son Jesus Christ , or is it an idol this world has produced? We are so smart in America. We don't bow down to stone or wood or silver or gold idols.
We bow down to Corporations and Financial Institutions. We bow down to government leaders. They are our saviours.
But they have all failed. Our confidence in them has been destroyed. We bow down to the technology that we have created.
That technology will fail. Everthing not of God will fail. God Himself is our Confidence in a Chaotic world. Jesus with His promise to return is our assurance than this world will be judged and wrongs will be righted. And only God's Word - the Bible holds the truths that we can claim and live and receive Confidence from.
The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most awesome power ever given to mankind. It can turn a Palastinian killer into a man who loves Jews. It can transform ordinary men and women into loving, caring, giving people who know the formula for JOY - Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last. This is how we can be confident in a chaotic world.

I recommend you read Dr. Jeremiah's book. It contains the truth of God's Word applied to the modern world.

The book is a signpost that points you in the right direction for Peace, Safety and Security even when everything around you is failing and everyone around you turns against you.

The world will continue in its state of Chaos until Jesus returns.

In the mean time Christians can keep spreading he Gospel to a lost and dying and chaotic world.

Christians are called to be the Lights and the Salt.
Let the light of Christ shine through you and keep the meat of the world from rotting by your saltiness in Christ.

A Video everyone should see!

Dustin , a friend of mine posted this on Facebook. Its a Video everyone should see!
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1109188780391

Bible Search Bar

Verse:
John 3:16; Jn 3:16; John 3

Keyword:
Salvation, Jesus, Gospel

With Operators:
AND, OR, NOT, “ ”

Online Bible by Logos

Add this to your site!

Logos Bible Giveaway

Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

The Popularity of the New King James Version

It seems that the New King James Version of the Bible is very popular in many churches and with alot of people. It's advertised as replacing he "Thees and Thous" and archaic words of the King James Authorized Version. However, it goes beyond the simple Thees and Thous. Hell, for example is a reference to the Valley of the sons on Hinnom. It was in this place while the Israelites were taken into captivity that human sacrifices were made and so when the Jews returned they made it a DUMP or Refuse Heap. All the litter and waste of Israel was dumped into the Valley of the sons of Hinnom. It is referred to in the Greek as Gehenna. The NKJV translates Hell into Gehenna. Can you imagine what would have happened if the NKJV preceeded the KVJ Bible? We would be saying
"Go to Gehenna!" or "What the Gehenna is going on here?" or "Gehenna's Bells!" It would certainly change language a bit. However, even more disturbing is the fact that the Old Testament manuscript differs from the KJV Old Testament document, and it has changes in it. Compare Zechariah 13:6 between the various translations. Some say hands (KJV) some say Chest, some say between your arms (NKJV) some even say back. Quite a difference there between the translations! everything but legs. This should be a reference to the nail pierced hands of Jesus from the cross, but NKJV says between your arms! Quite a difference indeed! So, even though the NKJV is popular I ask, is it trustworthy? Is the HCSB, or NIV, or NASV, or NIV or TNIV, or RSV, or NRSV, or The Message, or the Net or any one of dozens of others trustworthy? This is a question we must ask ourselves and ask God. Which does God's Holy Spirit prefer? Which is the English translation God's Spirit has used and uses the most for all English speaking people. Yes the NKJV may be popular, but is it reliable?

Some thoughts on New Bible English Translations.

Putting schoarship aside in the area of Bible Translations I would simply ask the question, “Does this translation of God’s Holy Word produce better Christians? Does this translation move the reader closer to Jesus Christ and God the Father? Does it make “our hearts burn within us?” Luke 24:32. To me these are the tests of a Bible translation. Does it move us closer to the God who in whom we “live and move and have our being?” Is the Bible translation saturated with prayer and fasting and thanksgiving? We are talking about the foundation of the Christian faith here, not some tranlation of the Illiad or Odyssey. But I think most scholars approach Bible translation as if it were an intellectual exercise – like translating Homer’s books, rather than the Word of God. I belive that God has the power to Preserve His Word throught the ages, no matter what language the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek is translated into. So again I ask “Do these modern translations make better Christians than the KJV which has produced Christians for over 400 years? I like the idea of an English translation. I think that the Koine Greek New Testament books and letters were written in the language of the people. The common language of the people. And any modern English translation should be true to the origional texts and intents. I think a modern translation should be as readable as today’s newspaper, yet at the same time avoid crass language (like preganant and sex) and elevate the reader into the very Throne Room of Heaven. We don’t need a McDonalds fast food Bible, but Bible translations that contain the meat of the Word. Does the ESV and HCSB contain the meat of the Word. I have to ask, “Where’s the Beef?” I would be more interested in hearing about the prayer meetings that were held before the translation commitees meetings than about the results of the meetings. I would be more interested in hearding about the conversion experiences and God at work in the daily lives of the translators than about their scholarly achievements and titles. I am hopeful that the HCSB will meet or exceed my expections. I pray that it does, and I will buy the HCSB Second Edition when it is available. I also pray that my comments will be taken to heart by the Bible Translators.

I blog for Thomas Nelson Publishers

A bit about me

I was born in Philadelphia on August 17th, 1951. I went to Catholic school at Holy Name Church and school for grades 1-8. Then I went to Veterans Memorial Junior High School for 9th grade and grades 10-12 at Riverside High School in Riverside, New Jersey from which I graduated in 1969. I went into the Navy while still 17 years old in 1969 on July 10th and left the service with an honorable discharge on July 10th, 1973. I went to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville from 1973 to 1977 and graduated with a B.A. in English and Philosophy in 1977. Then we moved to Van Buren, Arkansas and I started work in 1973 at Guard Tronic, a burglar and fire alarm company in Fort Smith, Arkansas until 1997. After leaving Guard Tronic I began working at D-Best computer center (a local small computer store) as a PC Technician in 1997 and I am still working there now. I started at D-Best October 1997.
As stated before I was a Catholic. My parents sent me to mass although they did not go themselves. My parents divorced when I was 12 or 13, can't remember. Just me and my mom was my family after that, and my mom worked and went to bingo so I stayed at home by myself until I went into the Navy.
Whenever someone talked to me about Jesus and being saved I told them "I'm a Catholic. Leave me alone." But the Christians in the Navy I knew kept on me to get me saved. When I went home on leave August 1972 I went to the pastor's office of the Oak Grove Baptist Church and the pastor Wayne Davis read me the plan of salvation from a white card - like a criminal being read his rights. I said to myself, "Might as well have all the bases covered", so I knelt down in his office and asked Jesus to be my Saviour. I felt a tingling sensation in my head when I was saved and the pathway to heaven was open above my head. I don't know how to describe it otherwise, except one time when I changed my major in college for 2 weeks the pathway was closed. I know it was closed. When I prayed my prayers hit a wall 2 inches above my head. When I realized what was happening and I changed my major back the wall was taken down and has not appeared since.
Also, in that last year of the Navy the Lord started dealing with me about preaching. I attended the Zion Baptist Church with pastor Owen Herndon. Zion, Illinois was a city with every denomination represented so I got into my car on Sunday morning and asked the Holy Spirit to show me where He wanted me to go. I parked across from a church, sat there and decided to go someone else. I pulled into the parking lot of the First Baptist Church and sat on the back pew. The preacher was preaching directly at me, it was like there was no one else there in the church. As soon as the service was over I went home to Waukegan and told my wife, Kathy, I found where the Lord wanted us to go to church. I stayed at the First Baptist Church in Zion until I left the Navy and moved to Fayetteville to go to the University of Arkansas. I lived on campus in married apartments until my wife Kathy was discharged 6 months later and she joined me there.
While in Fayetteville I attended the First Baptist Church for awhile, then went to the Immanual Baptist Church. The Pastor of 1st Church was Page Patterson and the pastor of Immanual was Brother Terrel Gordon. I began preaching the month I was discharged from the Navy at the Oak Grove Baptist Church where I was saved a year after. Then I preached several times at the Immanual Baptist Church and was licensed to preach there. In 1979 I was ordained as a Southern Baptist Minister at the Kibler Baptist Church while working at Guard Tronic. I pastored the Batson Baptist Church for 4 years, then several years later I pastored the Rudy Baptist Church for nearly 4 more years. I have been a Sunday School director and Sunday School Teacher as well as Vacation Bible School director in different Southern Baptist churches in our area.
At the present time I do not reguarly attend church. My wife is disabled and I have been staying home with her when I am not working. In case she needs me.

I am reading "The Hole in our Gospel." by Richard Stearns who is the US President of World Vision. About half way through today.
After the first few chapters which also contain Mr. Stearns' testimony about how a man who had everything in this life gave it up to follow the call of God to become US President and CEO of World Vision. He went from a luxurious office at Lenox to the squalor of the poorest places on earth because thats where the Lord wanted him to go!
The first few chapters are about Discipleship, and reading them lights fire in the soul to follow Christ without reservation and to do whatever God wants us to do without question. I found these chapters to be one of the most striking and convicting pieces on Discipleship that I have read in a long time. After the first few chapters Mr. Stearns goes on to show by statistics and undeniable facts the present state of the world in regards to Hunger and Disease. The book asks and answers the question "What would God have me do?" The answer is God has given us dominion over the earth and we are to be obedient to Jesus when He said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all you mind, and all your strength and to LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF" This is the Law and all the Prophets. These are the commands of Jesus to Israel and to every Christian.
Mr. Stearns also answers the question - Why am I here? The answer I received was in the Baltimore Catecism " To Know, Love and Serve God in the world" That is the reason we are all here and to Glorify God.
Mr. Stearns makes it clear that Poverty, Hunger and Disease are our problems and we must provide the resources to alleviate them in this world right now. He makes it clear that Hunger is a complicated problem. Many times supplies are sent, but diverted by criminals and the people that need them do not get them (Africa for example).
He speaks of meetings with former president Jimmy Carter and past president Bill Clinton as well as Bono of the Rock group U2 who has taken the plight of those in need around the world to heart, even though he does not profess to being a Christian!
As I read "The Hole in our Gospel" I got an inside look into why Jimmy Carter went to the Gaza Strip to the Palestinians. These are people living in poverty and hunger. Mr. Carter is following the commands of Jesus to Love your neighbor as yourself. We live in America, the richest country in the world. We like like KINGS and QUEENS compared to the rest of the world's population
The issues of Food - we have grocery stores, they do not.
Water - we have water readily available, they do NOT but must travel great distances in some cases just to get some water for drinking and washing and other human necessities. Reading about these simple luxuries that we take for granted are a real eye opener, and very convicting to the soul. We hear about refugees, nations torn apart by war and famine and drought and earhquakes and other acts of nature and man placing humanity in the worst possible conditions. These are our neighbors whether they live down the street or across the world.
I admit I got this book for free to blog about it, but I wanted to read it anyway and would have bought it. Every Christian as well as non-Christian should read this book and take its message to heart.
I plan on finish my reading of "The Hole in our Gospel" tomorrow, but the message this book gives will undoubtedly stay with me long after the book is closed. Children are dying. Children are orphaned by AIDS and earthquakes and political uprisings. How can I continue to turn a deaf ear when the cries of these precious souls can be heard on the wind? This book will remove you from your comfort zone and cause you to stare into the eyes of starving, diseased, orphaned, dying men and women and children. If you read one book this year, please make it "The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns published by Thomas Nelson Publishing.

Another Easter Miracle

It was 1973. Kathy, my wife and I met and were married in the US Navy at Great Lakes, Ill. We were married on September 10th, 1971 - we were both 20 years old. So, now we have been married 37 years and have 3 children and 3 grandchildren. While we were in the Navy Kathy contracted Viral Arthritis in her knees just before Easter of 1973. We lived in Waukegan Illinois in an upstairs "utility" apartment (actually some guys attic he rented out). The stairs going up to the apartment were very steep. Just before Easter Kathy was released from the hospital where she was an inpatient. The doctors said she would never have full range of motion in her knees again due to the Arthritis. I had been saved the previous August at her home in Van Buren Arkansas. So, the night before Easter Sunday I was at the hospital on duty - supernumerary which meant I had to be on base in case someone did not show up or could not take their duty I was to work it for them. At that time I was an EMG Technician - the first in the country actually. Only doctors did the EMG. In fact, I started a new job classification in the Navy - Electroneuromylographic Technician. It did not exist before I went in the Navy. I was in my office and that night a terrible storm was in the area. I prayed that on this Easter Sunday no one would die! I asked God for one day without a death in the world. Then I went to sleep on my exam table.
The next morning I came home and Kathy ran down the stairs and said "I bet you thought that you would never see me do that again!" The Lord had restored her range of motion in her knees. She could climb the stairs and come down them. Although today she still has knee trouble, the Lord healed my wif'e's knees that Easter morning. Praise the Lord. I listened to the news the next hoping not to hear that anyone had died. I guess they did. But, in a round about way the Lord heard and granted my prayer after all.

Some supernatural events in my life

I became a Christian in August 1971. My wife wanted to see her pastor - Brother Davis and I went along. Instead of her talking with the pastor I knelt down in his office after hearing the 3 great truths - #1 I am a sinner and separated from God. #2 Jesus died for me and #3 Jesus will save me and bring me to God. Now, I was raised a Catholic. My mother and father sent me to Catholic school for 8 years (Holy Name Church and School 5th and Vine in Camden, New Jersey). I had my First Communion and Confirmation. I always used that as an excuse whenever someone would try and tell me I was lost and going to Hell when I died because I was separated from God. I believed in God, always. But He seemed so far away. I tried to be a good Catholic. I went to confession and Mass - sometimes. But the truth was in that pastor's office I thought (in my mind full of pride - "I might as well have all the bases covered"). So, I knelt down and prayed the sinners prayer confessing my sins to God (He already knew everything) and asking Jesus to save me and give me the free gift of Eternal Life. ("By grace are ye saved, through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast"). I immediately felt a tingling in my head and I knew that something had happened. I had a personal sensory experience. I know that everyone's conversion experience is different - like a snowflake. That was mine. After that the Holy Spirit became my daily companion. He would talk to me. What I remember distinctly was He said, "Now that your sins are fogiven, you are clean inside, what are you going to fill that space up with now? The lies, immorality, anger, pride - all the things that filled my life before , or something else. So, I chose something else. I'm not perfect. I still sin, but when I do I can confess the sin and and have Jesus wash it away with His Blood. ("If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness")
So, I read Christian related books and went to church. I did not want to miss anything that God had for me.
But i digress. This is supposed to be about some supernatural events in my life so far.
The first event happened while I was going to school at the University of Arkansas. I was playing my guitar and singing "Lord God" a song I wrote and my vision went black and I had a vision of the a face. I know that Bible says that no man has ever seen the face of God at any time and lived. All I can say is I had a vision and saw a face.
The next event happened when I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I had a friend who was a Charismatic Catholic and I sought him out and he laid hands on me and prayed and I had a vision after that. Also I had a tingling sensation in my skin that lasted for quite some time.
The next event happened while I was working at City Hospital and Geriatric Center. I was on the Geriatric ward and a Doctor Herbert Boyer whose mind was gone, all he did was lay in bed with a catheter in. The staff told me when he was first admitted that they would ask him to define medical terms and he could tell them, but when I started working there - no conversation was possible.
A little background. God called me to preach. My first church was the Elkins Community Church which I took after Doctor Alexander Best was unable to be their Baptist Preacher. So, I took his place. After Elkins I took a 'vacation' from the church and the Lord. One night I was draining Dr. Boyer's catheter bag to measure his urinary output and he said "Preacher, have you prayed lately?" I confessed to him and to God, "No sir, I have not prayed as I should" That was the only time that Dr. Boyer said anything the entire time I worked at the hospital - over a year. I think God spoke to me through Dr. Boyer. Maybe I'm wrong.
I have some other events to tell about. But I'll save them for another post.
Since no one is following this blog I guess it won't matter when.

Loaves and Fishes

The economic news seems to be more depressing everyday. People loosing their jobs and families loosing their homes (which are worth alot less than when they first bought them). Corruption in the finance industry. Billion dollar scams bilking people out of their money. Government bailouts in the billions of dollars. The president is looking for the best financial advisers he can find to get the US, and indeed the world out of the present financial crisis.
But one day on a hill in Israel they had a similar crisis. Over 5000 people to feed and only five loaves of bread and a few little fishes. Jesus took the bread and fishes, gave Thanks to God for them and fed over 5000 people with them.
Our money has "In God we Trust" printed on it. Why don't we look to God and trust Him now? Where has the Fear of the Lord gone in America? Although each town has numerous churches, to look at the way the typical American lives, one would come to the conclusion that this is an atheistic country. We pay lip service to God, but our heart is far from Him.
Only one power can save us from the financial crisis. The Lord of Heaven and Earth. And, to show the Lord that we mean business I would urge everyone who loves the Lord to not shop on Sundays. Not go out to eat on Sunday. That always gets to me. After church everyone goes to the local eating restaurants and gives them the business. These are people that should have been in church worshiping the Lord Sunday morning, not making you lunch! If the real Christians in America would stand up and refuse to go to the Wal Marts and Targets and other retail stores and restaurants on Sunday they would have to close down their business because as we all know they are open for one reason - Money. If the money on Sundays dries up the stores will have to close. I also urge all shop owners to close on Sunday. I remember, not so very long ago - maybe 10 years or less everywhere was closed on Sunday. People honored the Lord and gave their employees a day off to Worship the Lord in Church and spend a day with the family. One day a week Monetary gain was set aside and the Lord was honored - NOT ANYMORE! So, as Jesus was able to feed over 5000 more than once, we must look to the Lord of Heaven and Earth to help us in this time of financial crisis. He can make things right again, but only if this country (you and me) repent and turn to the Lord with our whole heart and soul and Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind and all your strength.

The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Understanding. Let's fear the Lord again and worship Him. If not, every civilization that forgot God - God in turn forgot and they are but dust on the pages of history. Can the same thing happen to the USA? Yes it can and it will if we don't repent and do the first works again.

Drugs and Alcohol

Many years ago drug related songs were banned from the radio because of the destructive force of drugs on the younger generation, but nothing was done about alcohol abuse. Today many country songs sing the praises of Alcohol drink from Beer to Jose Quavo. Why don't they ban the use of alcohol from country music as well? I know its not illegal like drugs (Marijuana, Meth, Heroin etc), but its just a addictive to drink alcoholic beverages as drugs are. In fact AA and NA are interchangable. Each follow the 12 steps to recovery. Al-Anon and Nar-Anon are also similar as they are meetings to help the family members of addicts (both Alcohol and Drugs). The teen movies have a habit of portraying drug use as common without consequences. But there are consequences. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Every action has a consequence. And for many that consequence is Drug and Alcohol addiction. Also, we read and hear in the news about some college kid that died from alcohol poisioning due to chugging drinks. Why is the movie and TV industry so blind to the danger that these addictions cause? At one time it was illegal to show anyone on TV drinking an alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, whiskey), now its common to see everyone bellying up the bar in a social setting. Clearly beer labels are seen on the dark glass bottles.
Shame on the media for promoting drinking and drugs. People's lives are being destroyed in the name of entertainment! It's time people realize the danger that drugs and alcohol present to society and do something about it.

The High Price of Technology

I've been buying technological products for years. (Pocket PC 2002, PSP, Zune MP3 players etc.) I've spent alot of money on these tech toys. 250.00 is what they usually cost. So, I thought I would look into a smartphone that would replace all my other tech toys (MP3 player, Digital Camera, Web Browser, Email and Phone as well as a game machine). So, I ordered a LG Vu CU930 for free (ha ha). The activation fee was 59.00. My first AT&T bill was over 150.00. And on top of that its a 2 year contract to pay off the phone. This really bothered me. A single 400.00 device was going to cost me well over 2400.00 (12 X 2 and then some). So, I sent the phone back and I am waiting to have my AT&T account closed. Most all the smartphones today are about the same. Touch screen or itty bitty keys for a full sized keyboard. Most all have 4 Gig MicroSD slots for more memory to store pictures and music. Most have a 1.5 to 5 Megapixel camera. Most link to a computer with Bluetooth or USB. Most will do all these things, yet the price is outrageous! So, I have a 16.00 tracfone I bought at K-Mart and it came with 110 minutes of airtime (the web browsing is non - existant and just wastes minutes). It has a few little games, but no MP3, No camera, no Bluetooth. Basically, its just a phone. Thats all. Very low tech for a technophile like me, but the cost - 20.00 for 60 minutes. Service expires in July. More sensible and cost effective, yet I miss the LG Vu I had with voice dialing and email and web browsing. I could even watch YouTube videos on it (on a very small screen). But the question is Do I Need It? Of course not! I did not need the Pocket PC, or the Zune or the PSP or the DS. I did not need any of these tech toys. I just wanted them, but after the initial price paid for the device I did buy PSP games and DS games and Zune music and Pocket PC programs. But they are no where near as costly as a 2 year service contract for a smartphone. Ok, so the phone is smart but is the smartphone owner DUMB? Over 2400.00 for a 2 year contract at 60-90 a month plus taxes (117.00 on average). 117 X 24 - you do the math. Thats alot of money. More than a new notebook computer of SLR Digital camera or MP3 player. In fact, you could buy all those several times over for the price on one device with a 2 year contract. Several years ago I bought my daughter a Motorola Razor phone with a 1 year service contract from Alltel. After the year was over the phone was paid off. And, as the phone did not last 2 years (cracked faceplate, sticky keys - she said it was "ghettoed") I cancelled the service. I just cant see a 2 year contract when the device will probably not last that long and in 6 months or less something newer and better will come along. When I sent the phone back and called to cancel my AT&T account the words "Buyers Remorse" came up. Yes, I was remourseful to send the phone back, but I was more remourseful to have to keep a contract for a device that would not last as long as the contract. I enjoyed the phone while I had it, but there was always that doubt. Life has a tendency to throw things at you that are unplanned and unexpected. I could not see paying 150.00 a month for a tech toy. The money would be more useful elsewhere. So. That's my story about my brief excoursion into the cell phone life. I've got another bill posted to pay - another 150.00 by the 21st. Hopefully the account will be closed and I wont have pay 300.00 for a FREE PHONE!

A sad Sunday Morning

Just the other day I was talking to someone about Paul Harvey. How he had a very unique style in reporting "The rest of the story".
It was always amusing and enlightening at the same time.
But in the news this morning I read that he died in Arizona at 90 years of age.
Surely, its a sad day when one of America's most beloved radio news commentators die.
It seems that alot of irreplacable people that made a major impact on American life have died or about to die.
What a tragic loss for America.
The worse loss is that no one is coming forward to replace them.
The prominent people today are no match for the movie or TV stars of days gone by.
No Red Skelton, no Gilligan's Island, no George Gobel or Three Stooges.
They made us laugh! Where are the good, clean comedians today?
The only one I can think of is Bill Cosby.
Instead we have trash mouthed, unclean, raunchy comedians that keep their jokes below the belt most all the time.
The movies today also leave alot to be desired.

It's a very Sad day in American today.