Faith and Tech Bytes with Amy Lynn

I grew up programming and now I do just about anything you can think of on a computer. I've been very blessed with those gifts. Today I want to share something I feel some people may relate to. A heart transplant, a triple bypass, surgeries that can change ones life and or even end it. Psalm 51:10-12: says "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit."

People don't realize that all these browser extensions are actually slowing down the computer and browsing. Think of Browser Extension like stones - they are pulling you down. You may have people in your life doing that very same thing. Cast away the stones pulling you down both on your computer and real life. Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad. Psalm 38:4.

I have come to realize that Hotmail, Outlook, Live, MSN spam filter it a lot like being taught the Bible, faith, God, good and evil. Teaching it what's not junk/bad what is good/right is hard. There are limitations to understanding and acceptance and this doesn't just apply to children. Psalms 68:19-20 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

As Christians, we need to be careful what we say and how we say it. Should you smite someone or point blank curse them this could cause a lot of damage. Not just to the person you are cursing or smiting but yourself in the end. Many call it Karma. Be kind to support agents, they are humans too and don't deserve abuse because something may not be working. It's not personally their fault. "Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Don't let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness. Don't let me share in the delicacies of those who do wrong." - Psalm 141:3-4.

Social media has become a wasteland full of abuse. If it was a movie, it would be MadMax. Online trolls, bullying, attacking anyone for an opinion they don't agree with or understand. People are quick to use the keyboard to vent. Often times not in a healthy or safe manner. Please, I ask you, if you have been a victim of a romance scam, a stalker, a con artist, a bully, or any other kind of abuse please report it. Romans 12:19-21.

When you carry a life inside, you start to second guess what you are eating, drinking, and all around doing. If we all treated our bodies as though there was another life inside what would happen? We carry the Holy Spirit inside of us and our bodies are a temple that we abuse nearly daily. Overworking, overeating, oversleeping. These overages over time add up. Overweight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stress, anxiety, overuse of drugs, depression just to name a few. Science already shows us that working out releases endorphins that make us feel better similar to those of morphine. Change may be easier for women to adapt to in this situation as carrying a life inside is in our nature. But after you got saved, how many times have you paused at the thought while eating that hamburger "is this the best meal choice for me?" 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

'Nothing to lose' is a state of absolute surrender to God. It's recognizing that your life is no longer yours, but belongs to God. Everything you have, are and will be, are now His. It's saying, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20). If a person has nothing to lose or believes they have nothing to lose, what holds them to their moral code? What stops them from inflicting pain towards others? What prevents them from breaking the law? Is it the law itself? Is it their moral code, or belief in a higher body or power? I personally have felt this way many times. And having done so I understand why people do what they do and then the media blames mental illness. What about Tech?

You know your relationship has gotten closer when you start to discover "triggers" ON BOTH SIDES. It's a terrible thing to be triggered and even more to trigger someone else. But I have to say, that this I don't think would of ever happened if you didn't really love the person and they didn't really love you back. The key is to discuss this, not hold it inside and grow resentment. You need to keep your computer in working order to avoid "bad triggers." Get yourself a virus scanner, and or firewall today to keep things running smoothly. There are some really good free versions out there. I've used KasperSky, Trend Micro, and Malware bytes to name a few. Philippians 1:4.

The art of distraction is Satan's most powerful tool. If Satan cannot have your heart, he'll do his best to distract you. Are you busy? Are you looking left when you should be looking right? Are you carrying a platter of things to do instead of a plate? This can be considered by design. Romans 8:1. People who struggle with distraction should not feel condemned, and good stewardship for them may look like fighting distraction as best they can.

Sometimes asking for help can be hard. I've always researched things on a search engine before reaching out to any kind of support or to friends. Everyone's time has worth and value. Time is something you can't get back. This is something that should be considered when reaching out for help. Is it something you can find the answer yourself or do you indeed need that helping hand? Please don't misunderstand me. You should never feel embarrassed when reaching out for help. You can also always find instructional videos on YouTube. We are really blessed that so many share their knowledge often times free of charge online. "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:16.

You know how shadows are scary in the dark? The darkness can make anything look scary. It can play on your paranoia creating things that aren't there. Children and adults alike can be afraid of the dark. If you've gone through a traumatic event it can cause you to fear the dark. When you turn on the light, the darkness and shadows disappear. Don't let your tech problems leave you in the dark. When you have computer or phone glitches, errors, blue screen of death you may feel like you too are in the dark. You may be wondering how to fix whatever the computer issue. Sometimes just shutting the device down and leaving it alone for a bit helps. "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." - Psalms 119:105.

Episode 12 is a combination of all the shows. I wanted to do something special since the number 12 is so important in the Bible. While I realize that the podcast isn't fully centered around either faith or tech it is a combination of both. Jesus's apostles: Jesus chose 12 apostles, each representing one of Israel's 12 tribes. The book of Revelations: The number 12 is referenced in many ways, including 12 gates and 12 angels.Jesus's disciples: The 12 disciples of Jesus symbolize the perfection and completeness of his teachings. The number 1212 can be seen as a reflection of this biblical meaning, representing completion, perfection, and divine authority.

Everything is going to let you down in some way shape or form. This not a curse, it's the likelihood of life. No human is perfect. Each of us have our own responsibilities in life and our own burdens. Computers too can let us down. Phones can get damaged as well as lost and if you didn't backup data then again your system or devices have let you down. If you have important content on your phone or computers you need to back it up, save it somewhere safe so it's there when you need it. Print things out before they get lost or damaged. Uploading everything to the cloud also isn't secure. Even online storage like Google Drive or Dropbox aren't 100% safe. There is no format online or off that offers 100% secure backups. Psalms 118:8.

Have you ever noticed how older people will always make comments like "Oh that's back in style now?" This trend of everything is old is new again flows through life not just in style of clothing but also in faith. Example some things that were considered cults or cult like in the 60's or 70's is now considered mainstream. Things considered radical are normal. Technology is the same way. Often times you may do updates or upgrades on your computer and regret it. I been there done that tons of times. But thankfully there is a website out there called Old Version. Because newer isn't always better. 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness"

You may have noticed after sharing some good news you feel as though you got slapped back down into place. Online it seems the more attention you bring to yourself the greater the target you are for mockery, hacking attempts, slander, spam, and more. You are stronger than you think and so is your electronic devices. Deuteronomy 20:4 "For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."

Being a people pleaser can really weigh on a person. Being forced to be the person who always has to apologize even when you aren't wrong is a sign you are in a unhealthy relationship. If the other party can't humble themselves and apologize for possibly hurting you, it's a toxic relationship. Respect should flow both ways. I bet you are curious how this applies to tech. Simple, did you know you can have your electronic device custom made? You don't have to accept the templates you see for sale on the show room floors. Galatians 1:10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

No one is perfect and nothing we do is perfect. The bible teaches us that perfection is rooted in pride. In our daily lives and jobs we may try to strive for perfection. But even computers aren't perfect. The news shares almost daily how AI has done something wrong. Or how an update caused a device to be unusable. My road to perfection ended when doing DIY. I was devastated that the new drywall I installed got busted. I grabbed my mud bucket filled both my hands and slapped it on the wall. Plow, plop, squish, mush, bang, boom, bop went the sounds as I covered the whole wall and textured it with my bare hands. And now the wall is done and I am happy. Perfectly imperfect. Your computer or smartphone may not feel perfect either. You can adjust just about everything. From font size to make it easier to read, to brightness to make it easier to see.

Have you ever had a friend who spoke to you more about their friends than sharing anything about themselves? The simple fact is if they are talking about someone else, they are most certainty talking about YOU. And what does this have to do with tech? Well it's called privacy and cyber security. What are your devices telling about you? Also if you want to keep track of your personal information you can set up free Google Alerts or Talk Walker alerts. Take control of your privacy today before someone exposes you in a way you don't want. I'll link to several resources in the about section of this podcast. 2 Corinthians 12:20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.

Chrome browser recently did an update and I wrote about how to fix it in my blog. Adjusting after all these years to a strange icon can be very hard to do. Change is hard but it doesn't have to be and it doesn't have to be done alone. The same thing can happen when you discover faith, salvation, or religion of any kind. Adjusting to let's call it "terms of service." Adjusting your behavior or outlook can be quite a difficult task. It can feel daunting or overwhelming. It takes time and focus. Don't give up, there is help out there. Isaiah 43:19 says "See, I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

Some places seem to think people don't have lives, a family, or a business that they maintain. Let's just drop more on your "to do list." This is about boundaries. This is about respecting those boundaries and setting up them if you don't have them. It's about saying the word NO. You need to decide what is important to you. What on your "to do" list can wait and what can't. In regards to tech, you may have to say the word "No" to yourself from time to time, or your kids. Example social media time, no cellphones at the dinner table, timeouts, and family time. Like when you go to the theater and it asks you to silence your phone. The Bible says a lot about respect and boundaries.

Many feel that technology slows them down. This could be because they are allowing tech to become a distraction, instead of them controlling the technology. No one has to answer the phone or the texts when they come in and the same with emails. While it's okay to take control over our lives when it comes to technology, the Bible teaches us to be careful of a controlling spirit. The manipulators in our lives. Controlling people will often use emotional trickery to get their victims to do what they want. This podcast goes hand in hand with my last episode titled "Boundaries."

Long before we had caller ID on our phones we had to take our chances that the person calling was who they said they were. And long before we had email, everyone use to snail mail. We would have to take our chances then as well that the mail we got was from a legitimate source. Now with AI, we are once again left wondering if that person we are hearing is who we think they are. The Bible actually has a lot to say about scams, liars, tricksters and the like. There have been many false witnesses and false prophets. This is why we need to pray for wisdom, truth and understanding.