Month: March 2025

“You remember Jake and Sally? They both love to party and don’t have a designated driver. So, they drove the forty-five minutes home, on the freeway, using their self-driving mode.”

“Wow, so their car was the designated driver?”

“Yup! So this is how they could do it without worrying about the consequences.”

My sister was sharing a story of her friends. While the idea of a driverless car was nothing new, it was the first time I heard of it being used as a designated driver. Assuming complete trust in the car’s technology, there should be no problems. However, as every driver knows, there are always unexpected situations for which even experienced drivers may be unprepared. As in life, will we ever be completely willing to give up control for our decisions? Driverless technology. AI driven solutions. The possibilities of technology seem endless but in reality, will it ever be perfected so that we will relinquish control or replace our own actions?

And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

Exodus 13:21 (ESV)

The Israelites learned to depend upon God to lead them through the wilderness of the desert for forty years. Did they doubt? Yes. Did they rebel? Many times. Ultimately, they learned to trust in God because they saw He was not susceptible to the failings of mankind. He was their Creator and knew every path and every pitfall that lay before them because He created everything. They could relinquish control and allow their own actions to be guided by Him.

The technological achievements of man will never be perfect because they are created by imperfect creatures. Let God be your designated driver. Allow God to be your guiding pillar. 

Amen!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

“A retentive memory may be a good thing, but the ability to forget is the true token of greatness.”

American humorist Elbert Hubbard

I had a classmate in college who had a photographic memory. While I labored to memorize countless facts, he breezed through the same assignments. The night before the final exam, he pulled an all-nighter, memorized the textbook, and aced the final exam. He could also remember everything others said or did to him, particularly when he felt slighted. His life was often consumed with exacting revenge upon those who hurt him. The proverb quoted above was an accurate depiction of him.

I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 43:25 (ESV)

We have all been wronged by others and it is difficult to forgive and forget. I know. Even when I read God’s commands in the Bible, I often fail. I am attempting to do it through my power and it cannot be done. Only God can truly forgive sins, blotting them out and choosing not to remember them. Thanks be to God, that He gives us this ability by confessing and repenting of our sins and accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we do this, God sends His Holy Spirit to indwell within us. God, the Creator of the Universe, lives within us, transforming us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. On the Cross, Jesus forgave the sins of the world, taking the punishment upon His own body. I do not have the power to forgive. Only through the supernatural power of Jesus Christ can I forgive another. 

Praise God for His grace and mercy!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

“Too bad you don’t have the AC adapter for this, I could have given you a lot better price.”

I shrugged and smiled, “Well, who would buy this anyway?”

The salesperson grinned. “You’d be surprised! So many GenZers and Millennials are buying these old analog camcorders and CD players. They like this retro look.”

“Really?”

I was downsizing my possessions and found this stash and a local camera shop that advertised they would buy old analog cameras and video equipment. I did not expect much and was surprised by the amount I received and the salesperson’s enthusiasm. It seems old becomes new again. The term nostalgia cycle describes the recurrence of social trends after several years. The current fascination with electronic equipment from the 1980s suggests a nostalgia cycle of 40 years. Perhaps 40 years from now, popular devices will see a resurgence of interest. Hold on to your current cell phones and laptops! Trends come and go. They are impossible to predict or even to stay abreast. What is state-of-the-art will soon become retro. Is there anything that will remain timeless?

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end.

Psalms 102:25-27 (ESV)

Once again, God gives us His answer. He is the Creator of the universe. Everything will eventually pass away but He will always remain relevant. 

Retro? Nostalgia cycle?

God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever!

Amen!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.