Unplugged

 It’s been awhile!  Our church was fasting for a week and so we decided to participate, but not with fasting from food.  I can’t do that right now because I’m nursing the baby so we decided to fast from electronics.  We stayed away from texts, emails, internet, television, and Alexa (ha ha) for a week.  Embarrassingly enough, I struggled with it at times.  I thought I would struggle most with not texting, but in fact I struggled with not being able to laze about after the kids are theoretically done for the night and veg in front of the television.  My husband and I are going through all the seasons of Heartland on Pure Flix so that’s our guilty pleasure in the evenings at the moment. I was also missing looking at sports scores.  

On the positive side, we learned a lot!  When it’s quiet, I can hear God better.  I decided to spend my time doing other things like coloring and reading instead of watching TV. I felt more present as a wife and mother and I felt Sean was also more present.  Finally, the kids said it was nice to spend time with us and that we paid attention to them instead of always being on our phones.  EEKS!   

So the fast is over, but we are trying to be more purposeful about how we spend our time and how much screen time we allow for the family.  It really is freeing to not be so attached to my phone, but I know it’s such a habit and I can easily fall into the trap again.  By Sunday, Sean and I had close to 300 texts and emails combined and we were not super excited to go through them.  It was awesome that most of the text messages were praise reports and good news.  :) 

And really I am just reminded to be purposeful in everything. Whether it be devices and screen time or parenting or my marriage or friendships, thoughts, actions, words, emotions, all of it.  God has been reminding me too about His greatest commandment to love Him with all of my heart and soul, mind, body, and strength.  AND to not dwell negatively and have my thoughts consumed with the past.  God loves us unconditionally!  No matter what we do.  We can find forgiveness.  Over and over.  Praise the Lord!  

And I had to share this sky we saw yesterday!!!!  WOW!

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