My New App

Hear, O Israel (O Derek, O Reader, O Listener): The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

(Here’s today’s video – forgot to post earlier) A few days ago I downloaded a new walking App on my iPhone. I’ve had inconsistent results with my clip-on pedometer, so thought I’d see what new miracle my smart-phone could conjure up.

First off I was amazed at the available choices, but it helped some that my go-to requirement for an App is it has to be “free.”

I finally settled on something that I thought simply counted steps. However, at the end of the first day it presented me with a time-line of my activities from the moment I got up in the morning.

• “Walk 46 minutes…”
• “Home, two hours two minutes…”
• “Transport 24 minutes…”
• “Unknown Place in Valrico…”
• Walk 12 minutes…”

INSTANT FEEDBACK: The thing even knew when I was driving rather than actually walking!

I have to admit it’s fascinating to scroll back through the past few days and see exactly what I’ve been doing in terms of movement, and patterns of movement, where I’ve been (yes, there are maps involved) and where I need to pay special attention because – as a writer – I tend to be sedentary for sometimes hours at a time.

We’ve talked about the power of timely feedback before. I can easily manipulate my pulse, for example, when given a real-time accurate display. Being constantly aware of my step count invariably means I walk more. Information is power; ignorance is an indirect but very real form of bondage; education increases freedom of choice; knowledge experienced in real-time is one of the most powerful learning tools and agents of change available.

HEADS-UP DEVOTIONAL DISPLAY? I’m wondering this morning (especially in light of the content of my The Upper Room Devotional scripture for the day) about how might I increase my real-time awareness of my spiritual walk… growth… path… direction…? Listen to these words from Deuteronomy:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

“Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

I’m wondering, if I had an App for that, what the little “line and bubble” graph might look like?

Peace – DEREK