Strava photo showing 7471ft elev gain in 7h 4m, Picture behind shows Doug, Don, Jamie in heavy falling snow next to the Pikes Peak visitor center sign

This summer I trained for and climbed Pikes Peak with my brother and his wife. It took a lot of work, but I used AI to help me build a training plan, and it worked. 27 years after my first failed attempt I made it! A few days later I had a fresh reminder of my age, after spending some time throwing the kids around in the pool, I woke up the next morning, bent over, and immediately threw out my back, a new, and painful experience for me.

What happened next concerned and convicted me. Instead of reaching for my Father in prayer, I turned to my magic rectangle and asked it for help to solve my problem. It wasn't so much that I used a tool when I encountered a problem, but instead it was that I defaulted to the tool instead of seeking the One who created me and has a plan for me.

AI is a powerful tool that I use daily to accomplish various tasks in my job and day-to-day life, but it shocked me how easily the technology had supplanted what was supposed to be the most important relationship in my life.

The question for me is am I using the tools around me to bring glory to God, or am I using it merely to make life more comfortable and ease the effects of sin?

I pray I will remember like David in Psalm 121:

I look up to the mountains — does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!