This morning I am testing out a trial version of MacJournal, a journaling software program that allows you to do your journal electronically. If I want, I can post my journal entry to my blog. The most useful personal feature is I can index my entries and quickly find topics that I journaled about.

I had heard about the software from my friend Steve Sjogren who is an Apple evangelist on the side. Steve has about fifty websites (actually, I think six) and is extremely tech savvy for a pastor. Most pastors I know need to move into the 21st century and get rid of those awful Windows machines and start using a machine that makes the work easy and enjoyable for them – an Apple Mac! When you buy a Mac nowadays, you get software that you can really use in your personal life and in your ministry: iLife. Garage Band allows you to podcast a daily audio blog every day, iMovie allows you to make some great videos, iWeb allows you to build blogs or full blown websites. this software is not an after thought, but is part of Apple’s strategic software for consumers.

Technology has a place in ministry and much has been written about it and there are publications and articles galore about using technology in ministry, but if we are not careful we can rely too heavily on technology in ministry, if that makes sense. People are visual and we can use visual aids to touch their hearts, but when it is done over and over and over, it becomes expectant and less effective.

I consider myself tech savvy. My daughter Emily considers me a geek. I have a Mac, a smartphone, high speed wireless, wireless printing etc… I am always looking for technology that will help me reach people for Christ and do the best I can do. Technology is a wonderful thing, just don’t get hooked on it.

Anyway, If I happen to like MacJournal I will probably wind up buying the software.