Nomophobia – do you have it?

I learned a new phrase this weekend – nomophobia.  It stands for no-mobile-phobia – the fear of going without your phone.

Just tonight before our small groups started, one of our guys got out his phone, accidentally dropped it and cracked his screen. He was upset because he just had his phone fixed a few weeks ago.  I’ve seen phones that have multiple cracks throughout the screen (kind of looks like a bunch of spider webs).  Rather than get the phone fixed, people continue to use them because they don’t want to be without it.

Last week one of our junior high girls was stressing out a little bit – her iPhone was on 4% battery.  She was afraid she wouldn’t make it home before it died.

I have to admit I have had a touch of nomophobia.  My son dropped my phone at the doctor’s office and cracked the case enough where the SIM card wouldn’t read. So, I couldn’t send texts or receive phone calls for a while.  I have to admit I was a little concerned.  I mean, what important call or text might I miss out on that afternoon?  Scary stuff!

That’s what the infograph shows below, based on a study done in the UK. Check to see if someone you know (or maybe even you) suffer from nomophobia.  Interesting stats.

This infograph was posted on the Youth Ministry Media website.

 

Water Walker Series @TedDekker

I’m always on the lookout for free books. Since I obtained a Kindle reader, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many free ebooks are available. I’m on a few email lists and follow links on Twitter to places that offer free and discounted books.

A couple of weeks ago I saw that NoiseTrade was offering the second book in Ted Dekker’s Water Walker for free. It intrigued me so I downloaded both the first and the second.

Then I was hooked.

Dekker wrote the series in four parts to be read as an episodic story. While you can download the entire book at once, he also makes it available in several parts, much like a weekly TV series. Once I read parts 1 & 2, I had to go to Amazon to get the last two parts of the series.

Water Walker is about a young girl named Alice who is an orphan and has no memory of her past beyond six months ago. She is kidnapped by a man who claims to be her father and says he is finally taking her home. The story shifts perspectives from time to time. One chapter will be written in Alice’s voice as she shares what she is thinking and feeling as she tries to sort out what is true. Another chapter will come from the perspective of another character in the book.

While the book is not overtly Christian, there are many Biblical principles that present themselves as the story goes. The couple that kidnaps Alice lives a very religious life, but it is a religion based on fear. Alice has to learn the power of forgiveness as the four parts unfold.

Water Walker was an excellent read. Dekker’s goal was to present an addictive, high-octane story that would bring the reader back for each episode. Not only did I finish this series, I picked up the first book in the Eyes Wide Open series, which is set up the same way as Water Walker. It’s proving to be just as engaging.

Hunger Games Trilogy

I mentioned in a previous post that I finally got around to read the Hunger Games – the first of the trilogy. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve had some time to read and finished the trilogy. I thought Collins put together a good series of books that kept me curious as to what might happen next.

Since several people I know read them, I had heard that the first one was the best, the second was pretty good and the third wasn’t as good. While the third was different from the first two, it built well on the story line presented in the first two and had a few twists and turns I wasn’t expecting.

As I mentioned in my post of the first book, the premise of the book is somewhat disturbing when you realize that kids are playing a game that requires them to kill each other. As you read the books and understand the backdrop, it makes sense and paints a picture of a very sinister government trying to control its people through fear and domination.

It was a good series, very well-written and now I can say I’ve read The Hunger Games.

Bob Goff at National Community Church

I’m in the process of reading Bob Goff’s book Love Does. Still have a few more chapters to go, but it is an excellent read (more on that in a later post.)

One of the podcasts I subscribe to is National Community Church, led by Mark Batterson. They recently had Bob Goff as a guest speaker. His message is full of such energy, great stories and challenge, you should take a look at it.