Going Back to The Basics: Moving Away From the New Technology

 After last week's frustrating trial of trying to find a way to go back to legacy Blogger, I found out that there was no point in going back. All the algorithms that ran the legacy Blogger are gone. I decided that I am going to take a hiatus from Blogger and from Facebook for a little while. I may go to the WordPress blog I set up a while back to do some writing.

I do want to go back to the basics and move away from this new technology. I don't know if I'll be able to do it. The new technology practically runs everything and it is so damn easy to manipulate it. I feel sorry for my grand niece and nephew as they will never know a world without this intrusive technology. I know that their mother (my niece) has tried unsuccessfully to limit her time on social media and with the new technology. Yet it hasn't been easy. I know that she sometimes longs for a simple life with natural foods and no chemicals.

Her problem, and unfortunately it is many of her contemporaries' problem as well, is that she is more integrated with all the new technology than those of us that can remember when things were more manual. It really wasn't all that long ago, yet for people in the age bracket of between 30 and 40 years, this is their life. They would not be used to using a typewriter or a manual telephone. For her, the Smartphone is now her life. It is sad but true.

I do feel that I need to stick with the old school "stuff" like writing checks, using cash instead of using electronic means to transfer money. I also feel that I need to do what I can to make people aware that there are still people out there that don't go on the Internet, feel no need to keep up with celebrities and want nothing more than to live life as it should be lived.

Maybe I'm a fool for wanting to go back to the basics and move away from the new technology. Yet I really can't continue to put myself on the fence with one foot stuck in the beloved past and one foot in the scary and overpowering future. I tell myself that I'm fighting for those who don't have a voice. I stand in the gap of those who don't want to be sucked into a dystopian world. New technology can be good, but it also leaves a lot of people in the lurch.

The Change is Complete: No Way to Go Back to Normal

 I do hate this new format, but have no resource to not use it. I have had to zoom my screen to 80% just to see the whole screen. I do think that it won't be too long before Facebook will take the same stance. I hate having to zoom my screen.

I also believe that this means that I may no longer be comfortable enough to continue to write blogs. I have decided to take a hiatus from Facebook for two months. I'm waiting to see if after the hiatus I'll still be able to get back into Facebook.

At this time I really don't know what I'll do. I think a lot of what is going to happen will determine whether or not if I do have issues with Facebook, that I'll go back onto Facebook. The changes in both Blogger and Facebook are frustrating and unnecessary. I read that it isn't just me that hates the new formats. Everyone is getting frustrated.

Some may say that these changes are set to control what is being written. Some suggest that people that talk against the New World Order will automatically be blocked. The new changes make it easier to control data.

A Movement For Repentance-Two Big Events Happening in Washington DC

Way back in April while writing the "In The Midst of A Storm" blog series, one of my biggest concerns was the lack of repentance. I felt and in some ways still feel that the exclusion of physical services has changed the church's direction. For some churches more people have come in to the church, but they are receiving the wrong message. I know what some of you are going to say right now, and believe me I've heard it many times. The messengers mean well...yet I still get the impression that they just don't get my concern over having everything online.

I admittedly like the convenience of being able to pull up a sermon, sit in a comfy chair and listen to the message. I also admit that it is all too easy to remain complacent and ignore what's going on around you when you immersed yourself with soothing words. We have allowed our country and the world "go to pot" around us, because it is too "damn" easy to manipulate the message now. Some of us are starting to wake up and realize that we need to repent from our complacency. We are all seeing the ugly results of that complacency on our computer and television screens.

There are two events going on in Washington DC on September 26th. The first one aptly named "The Return" is what I call a preparation for the Lord's soon coming. The fasting and prayer event starts appropriately on what the Jewish faith celebrates as the "Feast of Trumpets" which is this Friday, September 18th and runs through to Monday, September 28th, which is the "Day of Atonement" on the Jewish calendar. I watched the video which you can see on The Return website. I recommend you listen to the whole video and make up your own mind. Their central day is Saturday, September 26th where they will meet at the National Mall in Washington DC. The second event is the "Prayer March 2020" which will be meeting at the Lincoln Memorial and marching to the US Capitol. You can see the route here: Prayer March 2020. Both events are emphasizing the need for us as a nation to repent. I won't be able to make either one, but will be praying anyway for our nation's repentance. 

Dealing With Changes: Seeking Light in a Dark World

Blogger did it again. They changed it to the new setting, but thankfully I was able to switch it back to the legacy setting. Facebook is doing the same thing. They seem to think that bigger screens are better, but since I work on a small screen those big screens really "mess" things up. Yes, I do know that some day soon I won't have the option to switch back to the legacy screens. It is really frustrating though because I can't get the whole screen and have to keep reducing resolution in order to get all the buttons I need to function...sigh.

I am doing better with accepting some changes. I have been working on a few ways to get some money in house without compromising my personal information. I haven't had much luck. Many of the ways I've researched require equipment I don't have or think that you are an internet shopaholic. Sigh... I am dealing with the changes I've been forced to make as best I can.

I am grateful for this platform. It helps me to seek light in a dark world when I can concentrate on God's word. It also helps me when I get rid of the "poor me" attitude that I've been dragging around for far too long. It isn't fair, and is probably a large part of why I'm still in the financial situation I've been in for a very long time. I have been blessed by family and friends who have helped me survive, but I'm looking to thrive and grow.

Changes can be good. This dark world tends to put a dark shadow on change. It distorts change when you really just want to see that light and the stability it brings. I admittedly have never really adapted to change well. There have only been a few times that I welcomed changes. I would gladly forfeit the radical changes that have taken place over this past five months. I long for stability. I find my stability in the Lord and in his word.

I think we are all still adjusting in some ways. I still pray every night that the masks will go away and everyone will pull off their masks. I also pray that God intervenes and the vaccine will go away...and that the President will forget that he ever suggested using the military to enforce the vaccine on people. Yes, I do remember hearing this, and his recent actions have sent a chill up my spine. I admit that I really don't know what I'm going to do. I am still seeking light in this dark world.

It is hard to trust God. I admit that. Yet he has proven time and time again that he is trustworthy. I don't have to worry as I deal with changes. He is the Light of the World.

Choosing Joy-Stepping Out of The Chaos

We've all experienced it. Some of us have experienced it in a stronger "dose" than others. We tell ourselves that real joy isn't possible. We start to believe the lies all around us. You know the ones I'm talking about here. The lies that tell you that you must embrace the chaos, that insist that you are the crazy one for not giving in to the fear and doubt, that tell you that you are unworthy and not important. Yes, joy is a choice...but it is also a realization that God has created you to honor him.

Joy doesn't come naturally. It is not automatic. It comes from knowing God and accepting him. The devil would have you believe that you can buy joy. He would have you grasp for the temporary while losing the eternal. Yes, I can relate a little bit to what many are feeling. We can't see the joy because we're focused on the temporary instead of the eternal. It is understandable. God is invisible in our physical world. Yet he lives.

You do choose because God grants us free will. You can choose to live in the chaos or embrace what God has in store for you. I know it's hard. Please believe me. Some days it feels like you've been through the wash cycle. Other days you may catch a tiny glimpse of the eternal joy you can have in Christ Jesus.

I chose to step out of the chaos. I don't want my life dictated by the actions of others, or to wallow in the pit of despair any longer. I am choosing joy. I want to serve the Lord in any way I can. Yes, it is scary to commit yourself to God. I admit that I've felt scared to move forward and commit to anything. It is foolish though to hang onto things or people. When we choose joy we choose to trust God in all things. The Lord is not the Lord of Chaos. He is perfect and eternally good. He creates order and completeness.