Serve by Design

How many times recently have you heard someone disparage technology? Parents, schools, and employers regularly monitor the use of cell phones. Even our smartphones are programmed to calculate daily screen time and post the results on our home pages. The government is also concerned that certain platforms are being used to steal personal identities or track citizen movement. Some of this caution is justified because there are innumerable “bad actors” out there who are engaged in nefarious activities and disruptions. Daily, we read or hear about security breaches! Image credit: clipart-library.com Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing industries today. A recent study revealed that there are 3.4 million cybersecurity jobs in the workforce. The number of college bachelor students seeking a degree in cyber engineering doubled from 3500 to over 7000 between 2018 and 2022! It is understandable that we should exercise some vigilance in the use of technology and avoid bad screen time. T...

When I think I am through writing about technology, then another “new thingy,” (at least to me!), comes along! Our middle-aged son, Marc, was recently in an Austin area Apple Store when he captured a moment that had him thinking about his own future. Apple does an excellent job of supporting their customers by giving new iPhone users a hands-on tutorial. The presentation involved a group of mostly senior adult newbies who were learning skills, like how to enlarge a text font, as well as where   to locate the “magnifier app” in utilities. The latter app was of interest to me because the fine print of grocery item labels is getting finer these days! It is another level of “shrink inflation!” "What's this thingy?" iPhone 101 - Marc K . Monique continues to teach as a substitute and often struggles using technology in the classroom. The younger students are more than happy to help guide her! 😊 At the end of this year, our local elementary school will have transitioned to us...

Thanks to a recent invitation from the pastor of my local faith community, I was able to turn our home into a recording studio for three devotional talks that were accessible through Facebook. These 10-minute “mini-seminars” were recorded the week before viewing, uploaded during the week and then viewed "on demand" by individuals whenever their schedules permitted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the assigned week. It was fun for me and I hope a blessing to others! The equipment required included: an iPhone with camera, a telescopic stand with camera adapter, a “say so” stand and prop pillow for notes, good lighting, an interesting setting, and of course, a presenter. In essence, three rooms of our home became a studio for each presentation. It was gratifying to have several hundred "tune in!" "French Room Studio" Since my retirement 2 years ago from the pastorate, I know by experience that my blog audience has made it possible to connect with many mor...