....words

 Consider these quotes from the past:

"This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo, 1876.

"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

"The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" - David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." - Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons." - Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949

"I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." - The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957

"But what ... is it good for?" - Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olson, President, Chairman and Founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977

"640K ought to be enough for anybody." - Bill Gates, 1981

It is amazing that we've accomplished so much technologically in this country considering the pessimistic views held by many (and even more amazing when you consider that some of the achievements eventually came from people who at one time held those pessimistic views themselves).

What is your vision for the future? What would you like to accomplish? More to the point, what would you like to see God accomplish through you? There will likely be someone around you ready to tell you that "it can't be done", or "we've tried that before with no success", or "it's too much trouble".

And they may be right. Or they may have a "grasshopper complex" like the ten spies in Numbers 13 who were unable to see what God could accomplish because they were looking so intently at the obstacles in their way.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

May the God who can do more than we can even imagine (and I can imagine a lot!) be with you this day.

-alan smith