What Can We Live Without?

For the beginning of the new year I am fasting Facebook and Pinterest.  I didn't realize how much time I have been spending on these two forms of entertainment until now when I am purposefully abstaining from them.  In the place of the time spent on them I am praying, spending time with my family, reading, just doing other more productive things.  I didn't spend tons of time of Facebook, I would pop on, check out what was going on with everyone, like a few statuses, respond to a few messages, update my status, ooh and aah over a few pictures...yeah okay, I spent some time on there:).  Pinterest is a whole different ball of wax...Pinterest I could spend hours on, literally!  I had already curtailed the amount of time I was spending on it because I recognized it's addicting characteristics very early on but I am sure I was still spending a good amount of time on it.

So here I am with no electronic vices to enjoy...(perhaps a slight exaggeration as I sit here and write this blog on my computer)...and I am wondering what I am going to do with myself.  It got me thinking...what did we do before all these amusements divided our attention from what we really should be doing in our lives?  I read a novel about the Amish community and I was so impressed by the amount of work they did in a single day.  With no distractions such as TVs, phones, video games, computers, and text messages they are able to really get things done.  Of course the chores are divided among the men and women and the book that I was reading focused on the duties of the Amish women.  They had an entire day designated to laundry because they washed everything by hand, they stripped all their bedding, washed, hung, and folded or remade beds all in a day.  While doing this they managed to cook meals (from scratch), maintain their homes, attend to their children, manicure their gardens, tend to their livestock, and train their daughters in the duties of running their homes, and educated their children.  Their homes were their companies; they were the CEO's and they managed their responsibilities with a proficiency that would impress almost anyone.

In the hustle and bustle of my everyday life I sometimes find myself in a rare, very rare, moment of alone time; no kids calling my name, no hubby needing me to do something for him, no homework to do for class, no chores to be done at the house, no phone calls, emails, or texts to return...just quiet.  And frankly, in all honesty I love those times.  I purpose to carve out time each day to have quiet time with the Lord but aside from that time, my day is full of noise, duties, and people clamoring for my attention.  I love it that way...I like to be involved in my family's everyday lives, I like having this to do and that to do, I even like just sitting down and watching a movie with my daughters.  But when the rare time comes that I have my own time to do what I want I often times don't do much at all.  I will read, or pray, or watch a show no one else in my house finds entertaining.  I don't break out a heavy project or start organizing closets, I just sit in that moment and enjoy my time for the few minutes it lasts before the truly glorious parts of my life resume.

I guess what I have learned in this brief abstinence is I could never get on Facebook again and I would be just fine, I could never pin another adorable picture on Pinterest and my life would not be damaged in any way.  But if I didn't have my kids, my husband, my family, my friends, and my time with Jesus everyday than my life wouldn't be all it is supposed to be, it wouldn't be enjoyed and shared and blessed with the people who I truly cannot live without.  I will most likely get on Facebook again someday soon, I will even link this blog on my wall but I don't want social networking to encroach on real communication, conversation, and relationship.  I will pin on Pinterest again but I don't want to let what I am planning for to overshadow the magnificence of what I am experiencing everyday.  The goodness of my life deserves all the attention I can give it, so if other less important things fall by the wayside, I am determined to be just fine with that.

Everyone Likes A Fresh Start

I've never been one who went to New Year's Eve parties even when I didn't have kids and I could have gone I didn't really.  I have never bought hats, noise makers, snacks, and bottles of non-alcoholic bubbly stuff to ring in the new year.  I am usually celebrating the new year with the folks in Paris, so I can go to bed when the rest of the United States is celebrating, haha!  Really I never understood what the big hoopla is all about...so it's a new year what's the big celebration?  But as I thought about it this year I realized the big hoopla all boils down to the simple fact that everyone likes a fresh start and when better to start something new than at the beginning of a new year.

HAHAHA! So true!!

Always the optimist I can understand the allure of a nice, clean, fresh start.  There is a new year stretching out in front of us all, no mistakes made, no mishaps, no damage done, just possibilities- beautiful, hopeful, lovely possibilities.  Realistically we all know we are going to make mistakes, hurts are going happen, learning has to be done (often learning isn't comfortable), and growth achieved (again not always comfortable) but in the twinkling of a sparkler and with the excitement of a countdown and a ball drop those uncomfortable circumstances are far from our thoughts.  But on January 1st there they are, looking us straight in the face, the new year asking us all, "So...what are you going to do with me?"  I tend not to answer the new year:), maybe that is why I haven't ever celebrated its coming very often.  My personality tends to be about the right now, get through today, this week, this month...I have to work really hard for short term goals and long term ones are excruciating!  I don't like resolutions because inevitably I disappoint myself when I make them so I don't make them.  I don't think resolutions are where its at truly...I think vision is what we need to be planning for...His vision for our lives.

My Aunt and Uncle make yearly goals, they are led by the scripture in Luke 2:52 which says, "And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."  They make goals for their minds, for their bodies, for their spiritual lives, and for the relationships in their lives.  So I branched out this year and decided to make some goals too, to gain some vision in my life.  The Word of God instructs us in Habakkuk 2:2 to "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it."  While I don't have a tablet to inscribe on...the principle is still the same...write down the vision God has for me this year so that when I read it I can run with it!

This year is only 10 days old but all that God desires to do in and through our lives this year has been planned and ordained before the foundations of the Earth.  When God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus were discussing the plans for the world and divinely orchestrating our lives into those plans, 2012 and our part in 2012 was constructed.  So while we are all excited about a brand new year, God is all excited that we have  gotten to this part of His amazing plan for our lives.  Nothing is more exciting than living the life we were born to live!  Nothing is more fulfilling than being where we are supposed to be, doing what we are supposed to do, with the people we are supposed to do it with; it is exciting for us and extraordinary for the Lord!  Now all our lives aren't always in this perfect state but part of knowing our vision is to be working toward living the abundant life Jesus came to give us everyday.

In church on Saturday we sang a worship song that my family and I just loved!  It is Moving Forward by Free Chapel.  Here is a link to the song sung by Israel Houghton, http://youtu.be/eQBjXG2B-_I, if you want to take a listen.  We are moving forward, into a brand new year, fresh possibilities, renewed vision, and clear purpose.  I pray we fulfill His best for our lives this year, we won't miss the mark if we are living to serve Him to the utmost.  2012 is going to be an incredible year...we aren't promised an easy walk with Christ but we are promised His grace, His favor, His mercy, His peace, His ability, His sufficiency, His anointing, His love, His joy, His self-control, His healing, His patience, and His goodness each and everyday of our walk.  Let's get moving...forward!