MODERN TECH
- Jason Bonnicksen
- Feb 21
- 3 min read
February 21, 2026
Jason Bonnicksen
MODERN TECH
365 DAYS OF THANKSLIVING — DAY 83
Let me tell you something about being a bona fide child of the 70s and 80s—a proud Gen-X’er. We grew up in a world where if you wanted to talk to a friend, you stretched the curly yellow phone cord across the kitchen, hoping your brother or sister wasn't listening in from the other room.
We survived on hair metal, punk rock, and the pure, unadulterated cinematic genius of movies like Better Off Dead. Now? People complain if their video stream buffers for a microsecond while they're sitting in the drive-thru picking up their morning coffee.
Welcome to another daily dose of thoughts from your favorite fat and sassy pastor. Today, we're talking about modern tech. And honestly? Instead of complaining about it, I’m putting it right at the top of my gratitude list for my 365 Days of Thanksliving.
Here in the quiet little town of Comfrey, Minnesota, it’s easy to feel isolated when the winter weather rolls in. But we had a great conversation this morning with our oldest daughter who lives on the East Coast. She's probably going to get nailed with a blizzard this coming few days. Yet, there we were, perfectly connected, getting to see our grandson in the background.
The kid is only a little over a year and a half. He's seen us more from a distance than in person, but he knows who Grandma and Grandpa are. He sees grandma on the phone or grandpa on the phone and he knows who we are. He might not understand the wizardry of cellular data and Wi-Fi yet, but he knows that he can see Grandma and Grandpa on that phone and we can see him. We have these video chats with our middle daughter who lives halfway around the world, too. We just tap a piece of glass, and boom—instant family reunion.
It hit me hard this morning because I remember a time when things were drastically different. When my oldest daughter was the same age as her son is now, and we lived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, we couldn't just pick up the phone and call my mom and dad or my wife's folks anytime we wanted. There was certainly no video chat back then.
Worse yet, for 13 months of her life, I didn't even get to watch her grow up. Every single day I had to watch a girl up through a videotape. I would get those videotapes once a month from my wife and I was so Grateful for those videotapes. They were the highlight of my week and I would watch them every day of the month until I got a brand new one. Why? Because it was a reminder of my wife's love.
That kind of separation does something to a sailor. It makes you fiercely appreciate the little things.
Fast forward to today. That technology just didn't exist too long ago and now it does. And that is a total blessing. I have the privilege of being able to talk with my daughter anytime I want via video call. I'm grateful for my daughter, Hallie, and her husband, Miles, and for my grandson, Bishop. Whether we are talking about serious things or just absolute nonsense, getting to have that connection is a profound honor, a privilege, and without a doubt, a gift from God.
We spend way too much time grumbling about the petty annoyances of the 21st century. But today, I’m thanking the Lord for microchips, cell towers, and the simple joy of a screen that connects me to my family.
So, I’ve got a question for you to chew on today. Are you being thankful enough for every little gift that God gives you?. Or you may be complaining bit too much. Let me know what you're thankful for today in the comments.
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