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Refreshment in Refuge

    by Gina Burgess

Some details to worry--er, think about
Date Posted: April 2, 2017

Today is a beautiful day, I am rejoicing... or was until my laptop that has my everything on it from Sunday School lessons to my entire work environment has suddenly become allergic to my browers--all of them. For some reason I can use my browser and then their connection to the Internet is broken. It isn't my modem, or wifi, or my Internet. Yes, I paid my bill LOL. It is something internal with my laptop that the diagnostics are recognizing. It happened to my ethernet card on my desk top and I'm thinking I'm about to lose my laptop card.

Technology is a wonderful thing. There's a graphic on the blog, Don't Eat the Fruit. That pyramid thing that Maslow did for the Hierarchy of Needs is the scaffolding for the Hierarchy of Innovation. So we have as the foundation the usual things such as food, shelter, clothing etc. The 2nd level we find the innovations such as farming, war-making, government, etc. as the required innovations for social organization. The 3level is prosperity, which includes financing, transportation, communication, education, etc. The 4th level is the technologies of leisure such as entertainment, atheletics, consumer stuff like goods, services, and travel. But the 5th level is where the technologies of the self reside such as identity management, self-expression, pharmacueticals, and personilization.

It was designed by Nicholas Carr of the "Is Google Making Us Stupid" essay.

I'm not thrilled that pharmaceuticals is in that top shelf reserved for selfish desires. I think aspirin is one of the greatest of all drugs invented or discovered. Sometimes just removing myself from a particularly annoying person will relieve my headache, but aspirin does that, too, with no discomforting need for explanations.

What do you think about this hierarchy? Is it on target? Out of touch? What are your must-haves?

So what are my must-have technologies? I'm so glad you asked!

Gina's Must-Have Technologies

I must have my cell phone in case I have car trouble (This is what my Mom makes sure of every time I step out the door. Gone is the question: Do you have clean underwear on?)

I must have a car because I really would die walking farther than the mail box in this heat here in the South.

I must have my computer. How else could I go to work? Study Scripture with all those fantastic online tools at Studylight.org? And how else will I pay bills which will keep my creditors happy which will keep me out of jail. I do not want to go to jail. People die in jail.

I must have my air conditioner. I would suffocate with out it.

I must have my big screen TV, which helps keep my eyes healthy.

Did I mention my air conditioner?

I think that does it for my must-haves for the foundation of survival. Did I mention my a/c?

Thank you, God, for these wonderful gifts! Thank you, God, for my a/c.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Ouch! Rereading my list, and it looks rather selfish. Sigh...

Here's hoping my browsers stay connected long enough for this to post .

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Biography Information:

Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.

She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.

If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon