Sunday, July 5, 2009
Saturday, July 4, 2009
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.
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.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, March 16, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, March 6, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
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!
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