Tucking in your grandchildren, electronically

It has been far too long since I posted my last blog update, so here I am to try to get back into the swing of things.

Not that I have not been busy; there have been all kinds of things that have been chipping away at the time I have each and every week. There have been funerals, weddings, sermon preparations, Sunday School Class preparation, Nursing Home Ministry, Media Ministry, having dinner (rare occasion) with the wife, lunch with my two daughters and my grandchildren. Well you see; the list goes on.

I think that all of us live lives that are so busy, that the time we have becomes even more precious.

 Many years ago, I remember one of the ads from one of the big phone companies, telling us to “Reach out and touch someone.” This add aired on TV, with a grandparent calling up their grandchild and talking to them as they were getting ready to go to bed for the night. The grandparent, at times, could be seen and heard reading that child a bedtime story over the phone. But; my friend, we have come a long way….

Like most, if not all of you, my life if very busy, and it would be busier still if I would let it. But about a week ago, as a grandparent, I had a great experience. Due to the demands of my ministry (I don’t call it a job) I have had a smart phone for almost two years and it has been a great tool to assist me in keeping track of my sheep (our congregation) and it is a great tool indeed. Well; recently, my oldest daughter bought one and she has been enjoying it, with all the neat features that it has.

I had called her up for whatever the reason was and as I was talking to her, she mentioned that she has just put her three little ones to bed, and asked me if I wanted to say goodnight to them; (insert old commercial from above here). She took her phone upstairs with her as I was watching her climb the stairs. That’s right; she had the Skype Mobile App on her phone. She walked into their bedrooms and I was able to talk to them as well as see them, and in turn, they could speak to me as well as see me. I called my wife in from the other room to join in the fun as well.

The thing that struck me the most was the fact that we have all this technology and we can use it to perform the simplest of tasks, like tucking your grandchildren in electronically. It was a blast, and can’t wait to do it again. I admit that I only live five miles from their house, but it was still a great joy to be able to do that. I believe that the grandchildren got as much of a kick out of it as the wife and I did.

Thank you Smart Phone and thank you Skype:

What do we write about next time? Stay Tuned.