Mobile Ministry Magazine

I confess, there was a good chunck of time in the recent past where no matter what the gadget was, I wanted it. If for no other reason but to have it to play with, I wanted the latest. It didnt matter how much it was either, I just wanted it. I would visit sites like Engadget, that talk all the time about new and weird gadgets, and some of them I just wanted.

Things really changed for me last fall when my Palm Zire71 got wet and became inoperable. I was no longer able to rely on it for phone numbers, meeting times, or anything else. I was without an appendage, and it made me feel like less of a person. Like I had nothing else to offer people. Unfortunately, or maybe a blessing in disguise, I was still writing for BargainPDA and had to come up with articles each week that were techie focused, even though my only techie tool was my phone.

For that two months, I had to come to realize that gadgets are not everything. Yes, tech has its place and it really is a nice tool to have. But I have coveted the functionality of it so much, that I had made it into an idol. That was not healthy, and sadly, there was no one who really spoke to me about it. Most people just took that as who I am, and didnt give any rebuke whatsoever.

When I got a refirb Tungsten E from my fiance after Thanksgiving, I made a promise to myself that I would not let tech be an idol again. I would be functional, but also know when to put it down. Items would have their place, but their place would not be everywhere. I learned to put down my PDA, and leave it down. I learnded to stay out of Circuit CIty and other places, and pick up the Word. It was and is a hard process to make sure that I have the right perspective about these devices and their abilities.

There are days that I do feel that even with MMM, that I need to slow down and let tech be tech. That is part of the reason why you will notice that some days there is only one post, and other days there are up to five. Sometimes, those days with one post is not for lack of news, but because I am disciplining myself to not get so tech speaking that I lose the purpose of this site to equip believers with the tech tools needed for ministry. By no means is this site necessary to reach the world for Chist. As talked about the if 'If Paul Had A Blog' series, Paul didnt need this to make the world change. He only needed the Spirit of God and a willing heart on his end. I would urge all of you that as you come to MMM and read the different postings, that you take inventory of your life and make sure that you are not making tech, or anything else an idol. Yes, it is hard to make that break, but I am proof, as well as PalmSolo, that devoting time to God and family are always more rewarding that bragging about the latest gadget or program.