New Techonolgy Today

Today I have begun learning how to operate Facebook and establish a blog as daughter Emily wanted me to. Yesterday was special at Lafayette Baptist. Peggy and I made our presentation regarding our trip to Tanzania and my trip to Costa Rica. Peggy worked our new projector and I talked about the pictures. The 50 (almost twice our usual number) people present seemed to enjoy seeing these pictures. We are hoping for a few invitations to make the presentation in other churches at evening services, since we would not leave our church in the mornings.
Several changes have come to me since these two trips. I did without TV, radio, or newspaper in Costa Rica and Tanzania. My mind cleared, as a result. I have realized that I was wasting time watching News Talk Shows on TV. The benefits were negative--simply causing me to be confused, distressed, and depressed about the condition of our world and particularly of our beloved America. My time is now being spent reading and other more worthwhile endeavors. In Tanzania I read four excellent books. Reading, I am told, keeps the mind sharper than watching TV. Mine needs much sharpening.

I read for the second time about 2/3 of Randy Alchorn's classic book Heaven. I finished it after getting back home. Even though it is almost 500 pages every Christian needs to read it. Another excellent book that I recommed is, Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, one of Emily's books that she sent home by us. My beloved friend, Hughlan Richey loaned me a soul-shaking book that I just started today, Revolution in World Missions by K. P. Yahannan.

I am hoping to get our picket fence around the back yard all painted before winter. It is an astronomical job since it requires much scraping. I have only worked on it a few hours since getting back from world travels. I worked about an hour and half this morning, getting four panels. I will wait until the heat moderates or get up earlier than usual to hit it.

Today I was called to go to the hospital to visit a man near our church who doesn't appear to have long to live. I was glad I visited him in his home last week. I don't think he is saved
though he says he is. I talked to him very forthrightly today and used the 51st Psalm explaining that we are all sinners and that we must repent. God loves us and wants to save us, if we will turn to him. I pray a sinner's prayer with him though I didn't have him pray aloud, I did ask him to pray the prayer if he needed to. When I finished he said he did pray it. Tomorrow I hope to visit him again. Several months ago I conducted the funeral of one of his sisters. There were 12 brothers and sisters in his family. Almost none of them are church folks. How sad!