What, and Where, Are Your Resources
Growing up, and I do not remember how hold I was, mom and dad bought a set of encyclopedias, which included a two-volume dictionary, a set of Childcraft how-to style science and mechanical books, and finally, a set of books that told all the bible stories in colorful and easier to read language. I know that for several years they would buy the additional World Book volumes to add to the encyclopedia. Why? Because life kept happening, even after the books were printed. New data to enhance or change what was previously printed.
I know there were literally hours spent with these book sets, some simply for the joy of research for our own little minds, and others because schoolwork demanded a resource for some report we were working on.
Where were our resources? Well. Growing up, mine were right there at home on the old black stained personal bookcase sitting in the living room. Or the school library. Or the local public library crammed into about 800 square feet.
When we wanted particular music, we went to the record store. Long before the digital format of today, you actually bought vinyl records with songs recorded in the groove on each side. And physically loaded it on a record player machine that set in the a nice cabinet. Again. In the living room. And when the 8-track became popular, my cousin had access to an 8-track RECORDER and we would convert our vinyl albums onto 8-tracks and PLAY them in the car! On an 8-track player wired into the radio, and it hung UNDERNEATH the dash board! Wow!!! We may not have FM radio, but we enjoyed an 8-track player!
Of course, by the 7o’s, the 8-track is replaced by the smaller cassette, and then CD’s, and now it’s all streamed digitally from our personal devices or with Sirius XM… Just like vinyl albums of my youth, the 8-track, cassette, and CD’s have all taken the back seat to newer technology.
I remember when we would all gather around the TV (black and white, we never owned a color set) to watch a specific show, and then the TV was turned off. Where? In the living room. Who would have guessed the ability of the mobile world that allows you to watch what you want, when you want, and wherever you happen to be! No longer are we confined to that living room experience.
A side note, I never knew The Wizard of Oz was in color until I was married!
In my youth, it seems that most of our school work, study time, and family fun, was spent in the living room. This is where we received our foundation of family dynamics, how to play games together, how to be entertained when needed, and how to read and study together… In the living room.
With the dynamics of technology driving us into solo experiences, it seems that the living room is no longer the center of the family. Kids rooms are full of more technology than you can shake a stick at! I know when we have company over I am more comfortable sitting around the dining table where a game of Crying Rummy can be enjoyed in the midst of conversation. Our living room is small and there’s no room to sprawl out and enjoy anything other than conversation with more than 5 or 6 people. And, of course, our family sizes have shrunk!
When computers were first sweeping the nation, we would buy encyclopedias and dictionaries applications. I know I still have one of these from my Windows 3.1 and DOS 5.0 days! Now, you simply Google it and you freely get an answer. We google it and never think it strange what the word itself is… Google is a noun (person, place or thing) and it is a verb (action item)…
In fact, I was very leary of wireless internet. I could not imagine the day that I would take the internet world with me in the form of a small calculator sized device we call the mobile phone. I mean, it’s been over 40 years since the first brick mobile phone showed up and I could not imagine owning one, nor what it would become. Now we are constantly looking for that WIFI signal and wondering if we need a password!
So. Our world has changed dramatically. No longer are we bound to a physical library of material. We have our computing and internet dominated research at the tips of our fingers. You can even vocalize what you want and Siri will respond with answers, or the location where you might find the answer to your question.
Still, the big problem with the internet is the source of material you reference to get what it is you need for the moment. We’ve learned the lesson that not everything found is factual. You must weed out the bad, keep the good, and hope it produces edible fruit! This is also true with news reports. We must fact check everything before we can believe anything. I’ve taught for years that there are 40 sides to a story, and with the internet, I think that number has grown into the thousands.
Just because you see it…doesn’t mean it’s truth.
So. Find a good set of resources that you trust. Keep watch over them to see if they slip into dangerous territory of not speaking complete truth.
Just saying….We’ve learned that we can no longer simply trust the individuals reporting the news, now can we simply trust the source of the news and information being presented to us on an moment by moment bases… Find a truthful resource… Stick with ’em!
If the Apostle Paul can deal with the same issues in that older world of scrolls and slow travel, how much more do we have to watch for it today?
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. (2 Timothy 4:1-4 NKJV)