Eiffel Tower reflections

On Monday our whole family was treated to a visit to the top of the Eiffel Tower by our friends Rita & Ranita (a former Wheaton classmate from the 80s). They were a huge help and encouragement to us during their visit to Paris from Florida & Georgia. They helped knock off a large stack of mending that my wife was dreading doing. It's amazing what seems daunting for one person seems quite easy for another who knows how to do it. This could be taxes, car work, drafting documents in French, plumbing, cabinet installing, getting WIFI working, etc. Living today involves a plethora of tasks that one can't be an expert in everything. This is where members of a church can serve and be served mutually.

Anyway, the summit of the Eiffel Tower was where I proposed to my wife just over 12 years ago. We rarely get up there nowadays. But it's a place where our lives were indelibly changed. Our 3 children have been wanting to go there for awhile and were not disappointed. The weather was sunny and warm and the view all around was clear for miles/kilometers. It is one of those priceless views of the world.

Earlier that day, my father-in-law finished reinstalling a kitchen cabinet that had begun to sag down to the weight of things inside it. As this wall is concrete, it involved some arduous drilling. It sounds like the old dental drills. For me, this project entailed several trips to Castorama, a large hardware store in Paris. While not a natural handyman, I can conceptualize solutions if I have the time and energy. While sometimes frustrated during the course of this project, I am happy with the final result, which is a stronger support for the cabinet.

When I was in my 20s, I felt like I had the time and energy to pretty much get anything done. Now in my 40s and being a husband and father of 3, there is always more that feels like needs to be done. There are always more e-mails to answer, books to read, homework to help the kids with, dishes to wash and put away, etc. As time is money, devices like dishwashers, washing machines, and microwaves that help gain time are worth their price. Computers can be helpful, although can also be time wasters as well.

As our cell phone died last week, I ended up purchasing a new IPhone. We had lots of points earned over the years, so the actual purchase price was just a fraction of what one normally pays. For me, I was primarily looking for a telephone and it does that well, although I'm having to reload my address book. It has some other useful features, like GPS, a camera with a flash, and IPod (for music, podcasts, and even watching videos). It also is a camera. My wife was able to check the weather. I was even able to send and receive e-mails with it yesterday, although accidentally hitting a wrong key and deleting an e-mail that I needed.

I'm curious to find what applications of the IPhone are helpful for ministry. I don't want to be a slave to technology, but rather a master of it. Perhaps being able to send e-mails from many places in Paris (and without a computer) will be helpful. Perhaps I'll get used to using its camera and video taking features, rather than bringing these along.

In all of this, the bottom line is relationship. Will the IPhone make it easier or harder to connect with God? With my family? With my neighbors locally and globally? With artists in Paris? Ask me in 6-12 months. Or in 4 years (when it will probably die and I'll need to consider the next generation or 2 of communication devices, former known as phones).