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We are nearing the end of the “culling” project at the Eston College library.  Around 3,000 items will be discontinued in the library collection – making it much easier to move to Regina over the summer.

Have you noticed a shift in reading materials and format?  With the digital age, we now have amazing access to the world’s books (some good, some not so much – of the making of books there is no end!).  Of course, this comes at a price and right now subscription is a strong one vying for our dollars.  You can buy ebooks but the next big thing will be storage wars (which have slowly happened but when we are talking terrabytes of data somehow we get lost in the “small numbers” of monthly storage fees).

Some libraries have gone totally digital.  As I work in an academic environment, this is noticeable.  Libraries have been turned into internet searching areas along with lounge capabilities.  Students enjoy the cut and paste of digital approaches and AI is giving us a whole new look at search capabilities. 

But I still like a book in hand, an actual turn of a page and the enjoyable feeling of falling asleep as my book tumbles to the floor.

I have loved computers since I was in high school in the late 1960’s.  I took a course on programming in Fortran IV and have never looked back.

Until I have to look back because they are crashing in front of me.  Back in the old days you could fix a program with just a few lines of code.  Much like fixing old cars. 

Nowadays we deal with myriad lines of code, and an expert is needed.  Or at least someone who will keep updating the program! 

My latest experience?  I’m using a free word processing software.  I’ve got the formatting of a 120 page document in front of me.  My computer is gaming compatible.  And the program crashes.  Not once, but multiple times.  At that point I take the advice of many computer technicians.  Reinstall the program.

That works better.  At least I can save a document.  But, the small changes I have made with each draft are not getting saved.  I have almost become paranoid.  What next?

My wife has taken the attitude that if a computer program is going to crash, Ron can make it happen.  I don’t think she’s far off!!

Just reading Carey Nieuwhof, one of those current Canadian entrepreneurs who is attached to the pastoral thing here in Canada.  He made a suggestion that might just need time to stick to and with me.  But the idea is something I have come to see in this subscription based age.

Why not have newcomers (and old-comers) become subscribers to the church?  Instead of asked for a tithe, they could subscribe a certain amount each month.  This could push them to be sacrificial in their giving or at least regular in their giving.  This wouldn’t preclude projects that would be above and beyond the subscription.

A thought . . .

Purpose in pen, paths in pencil.  Live with a whirlwind.  Love with no limit. 

Just some thoughts I have encountered these last few days.  And yes, there are specific examples in my mind, and probably in yours as well!