After writing about saying goodbye to twenty five, I actually did it…for about a week. My birthday stretched for days with people I love from all different pockets of life. And with every message, outing and celebration, what kept coming back to me was I am so thankful… for these people and for this God that gave them to me, this God that is gracious beyond measure and just keeps giving. And now that I’ve sat with 26 for a few weeks, I know what I want this year to be about…
Trust…
that He is what is good.
that my lot is secure
that He has given me my portion and cup.
that my boundary lines are pleasant.
that I am a loved daughter.
that I am valued and wanted.
that I have things to give – things that only I can do and give.
serving…
my church.
my small group.
my people.
storytelling...
here in this place.
with the book God has given me
in new publications.
being brave...
with relationships.
with Truth.
with how I live and love.
remembering whose I am and therefore, who I am and the life I’ve been freed by Christ to live.
memorizing scripture.
But above everything, trust is what I’m pursuing, coming back to again and again, praying roots and blooms within me.
In a podcast a few weeks ago, I listened a woman share how throughout all 55 years of her marriage, trust is what she has had to fight for. And that she thinks that pattern of behavior stretches all the way back to the garden with Adam and Eve, to Eve not trusting her God. If it’s possible to feel any kind of emotion but joy and love when we stand before Jesus one day, the last thing I want to feel is regret. Finally standing face to face, finally in the moment my heart has been propelling me towards since its first beat, I don’t want to uncurl my fists to find them filled with things I didn’t trust him with. I don’t want to wish I had let him in on this issue or that dream. I don’t want any part of myself to be untouched by his grace and plan, his audacious freedom and outrageous love. I don’t want to look up and into his face and feel a single ounce of regret. So, for 26, above everything else I’m choosing trust.
And with that, the verses I hold in my heart this year:
I said to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing…’Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me, even at night, my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay…You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16: 2, 5-9, 11
I’ll gear this review to 2 types of people: current Zune owners who are considering an upgrade, and people trying to decide between a Zune and an iPod. (There are other players worth considering out there, like the Sony Walkman X, but I hope this gives you enough info to make an informed decision of the Zune vs players other than the iPod line as well.)
The Zune concentrates on being a Portable Media Player. Not a web browser. Not a game machine. Maybe in the future it’ll do even better in those areas, but for now it’s a fantastic way to organize and listen to your music and videos, and is without peer in that regard. The iPod’s strengths are its web browsing and apps. If those sound more compelling, perhaps it is your best choice.
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Zune and iPod: Most people compare the Zune to the Touch, but after seeing how slim and surprisingly small and light it is, I consider it to be a rather unique hybrid that combines qualities of both the Touch and the Nano. It’s very colorful and lovely OLED screen is slightly smaller than the touch screen, but the player itself feels quite a bit smaller and lighter. It weighs about 2/3 as much, and is noticeably smaller in width and height, while being just a hair thicker.
The new Zune browser is surprisingly good, but not as good as the iPod’s. It works well, but isn’t as fast as Safari, and has a clunkier interface. If you occasionally plan on using the web browser that’s not an issue, but if you’re planning to browse the web alot from your PMP then the iPod’s larger screen and better browser may be important.
Apple now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a great start, but it is currently hampered by the inability to store locally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this changes, then it will somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the 10 songs per month will still be a big plus in Zune Pass’ favor.
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Between me and my husband we’ve owned more MP3 players over the years than I can count, including Sansas, iRivers, iPods (classic & touch), the Ibiza Rhapsody, etc. But, the last few years I’ve settled down to one line of players. Why? Because I was happy to discover how well-designed and fun to use the underappreciated (and widely mocked) Zunes are.
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