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My Car Radio Isn’t Delivering The Goods

At one time a car radio just played music. You had to rely on the DJ to inform you about the songs that were played.

My car radio Isn't delivering to goods

That’s not the case anymore. 

Now we have information screens that tell us a lot more details. 

Before display screen radios, if you had a bad DJ and he or she played a song you didn’t know, there was a good chance the DJ wouldn’t be forthcoming with that information. Sometimes you might not have paid attention to what the DJ said and you missed the introduction of the song and the band. 

Then there were times when the station would play three songs or more in a row and by that third song you couldn’t remember what they said the name of the band was. 

I always wished the DJs would give the name of the song and the band at the end. It was usually while the song was playing that my interest was pricked to know that information. 

But we don’t have that problem anymore … or do we?

I don’t have the most sophisticated display screen on my car radio, but there is a section of the screen that displays the name of the song being played and the group that it is by. 

… Sometimes.

When it is a popular song that everyone knows, the radio stations in Kingston are not too bad at getting the information to my display screen. But if it is a song I’m not sure of, or a song I’d like to know more info about, nada – no chance they are putting that on the display. 

It is incredibly frustrating! 

The other day a song came on my car radio and scrolling across the display was the name of the song followed by the group that sang it. I knew the song and the group. But the next song came on and I wasn’t positive on the particulars. 

I really wanted to see the song and band info. Instead, the information on the previous song continued to scroll for a good thirty seconds into this new song. 

I kept looking and finally they started with the first word of the title of the tune. But then it was like there was a glitch. That one word remained there like I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t remember the name of the song. 

When the display started moving again, only it displayed the name of the radio station I was tuned to. 

That’s great! I knew the name of the station; I didn’t need a reminder. 

For the rest of the song, I got the weather, which I could see out my window, the radio station name and a courtesy message to stay safe and shop local.

Why did I need that? I just wanted the name of the song that I was listening to. How could that be so difficult?

When the song ended, the next song began and I knew it very well. Promptly, the name of the song and the band that performs it scrolled across the display. 

Unbelievable!

Here’s the thing: When you pray and you don’t seem to be getting any answers from God, you need to ask why. Am I not getting an answer because I have some sin in my life? Am I paying attention to what God is saying? Am I looking for a specific answer which is not the answer God is giving me? Am I asking the wrong question when God wants to tell me something different? One thing is for certain, it’s not God who is not communicating.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How can you listen better to what God is telling you? Leave your comments and questions below.

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My Time with Screens Needs To Increase

Experts say we look at screens too much, but I’m realizing I’m not looking at them enough.

my time with screens needs to increase

I know mothers have complained about this since the invention of the television, but we’ve been staring at screens ever since.

And it has only gotten worse. 

With all the technology built into phones, people can have their eyes glued to a screen anywhere and all the time. 

There have been studies that show this is not good for us – not good for our brain development, our attention span, our eyesight and then, depending on how close we get to the screen, our health for the risk of cancer. 

But none of that worries most of us. We gravitate back to the screen after the slightest break. 

Have you ever stood in line waiting for something? How long do you study the back of the shirt of the guy in front of you before you pull out your phone and check your email, or scroll through some Instagram photos? 

The other day we had a rare occasion to have both our kids for dinner at the same time.  Everyone pulled up to the table and just before we were about to say grace, both our kids had their phones out and were looking at them.

There were no words exchanged, just a look and the phones were put away.

I guess what I’m saying is that we are always looking at screens. And with the coronavirus, we are probably spending even more time gazing into screens: TV screens, computer screens and the rest. 

But for me, I don’t think I’m looking at screens as much as I should be. 

With our new isolation reality, I’ve been doing much more online work. I preach my sermons online, lead a Bible study online, and give a once-a-week devotional online now.

This is all new to me. It’s also forcing me to look at screens more often, and specifically to look into cameras more. 

And what I’m realizing is, I’m not doing it as much as I should be. 

You see, I have notes that I use when I speak, and I have to look at my notes when I’m talking to a camera or I would be staring at the camera … but just staring and doing nothing else. 

Even when I’m preaching and the camera is way at the back of the sanctuary, it is really noticeable when I look down at my notes or look to the corner for some direction from our camera operator. 

When I do my devotionals, even though my notes are right beside the screen, you can tell when I look away. When I do that, I lose connection with the people who are watching on their own screens.

So the other day I found a cheap – actually free to me – way of making a teleprompter. 

It’s crude and a little makeshift, but it works. I’m going to use it for some of my onscreen appearances because I can look right into the camera and see my notes in front of me.

I can’t wait to have more screen time. 

Here’s the thing: Let me encourage you, during this time of virus isolation 2020, to keep yourself looking straight ahead. It is easy right now to get looking away from God and onto other things. But now, more than ever, we need to be staying focused on Christ and His Word. That’s how we can make the greatest connection with Him. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How could you connect with God more during this time? Leave your comments and questions below.

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I Want A New Deal With Bell Canada

Bell Canada has a good thing going, but it hasn’t been very good for me.

Bell Canada

Today I turned on my TV and I heard voices talking but the screen was as dark as it was before I turned it on.

I started hitting buttons, but the only buttons I could get to work were the volume and the power controls. 

My first thought was that I needed a new TV. We’ve had this one for many years and maybe it was just its time. But I turned on another device that was plugging into my TV and there was the picture.  

It seemed the problem lay with my Bell Canada Fibe TV box.

Immediately a whole load of thoughts flooded my brain. I remember sitting with a woman as she outlined the great deal that Bell had for us that would save us a ton of money. 

What she told us sounded so good we decided we would make the switch after 18 years with another TV provider and 22 years with another internet provider. 

We were given tons of promises, and everything worked pretty well. We were happy for the first month and a half. 

Then we noticed a price increase. As the months went on, the increases for varying amounts showed up about every two months. 

Then a year into the contract, we got hit with a huge increase. After less than two years, we are paying more than double what we had agreed upon when we got Bell’s service!

That is a sweet contract for them. We pay a penalty for leaving the contract early but they can raise their rates continuously throughout the contract. 

When I inquired as to why the increases, the answer was, “we are continually improving our service”.

I think that means I’m paying for Bell to dig up other streets so they can install Fibe TV in those neighbourhoods as well. 

I’ve seen no difference to my service. It’s not faster, not more reliable. I don’t even have more of the same stations to watch the same programs on!  

… Did that last sentence hypnotize you a little? Well, that’s just the reality of TV.

Every time I’ve called customer service, they refuse to honour what the original salesperson told us because they can’t verify what she said. Instead they offer to reduce my channels to reduce the impact of the increase to maybe half. They, however, always get an increase.

Just the other week I received a phone call from Bell. They said they had a great deal for me because they’ve upgraded the service in my area. 

I replied that I’m already paying more than twice what I started at a year and a half ago, and I wasn’t interested in paying more. I said I was just waiting for the end of the contract. The salesperson said they would have someone call me.  

No one has called.

I wonder … if I called and told them I’m only hearing voices, would they set me up with a psychiatrist or reduce my bill in half? Probably neither. 

Here’s the thing: In this life, institutions, businesses and people are looking out for their own interests above all else. Even God has His best interest in mind. However, God’s best interest is truly best and, because He loves you, His best interest is really your best interest as well. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you think God’s best interest for you is? Leave your comments and questions below.