Yesterday, I saw our pastor at Starbuck's. We talked for a moment about facebook. I have come to the conclusion that there are more cons than pros about facebook. I actually discourage people from joining if they haven't already. My belief is that it's not wise to shift your conversation to facebook if it isn't already there. Facebook lives in the land of quasi-real relationships. The relationships aren't quite real, but aren't entirely fake either. It's a bit of a trap in my mind. The reason I don't withdraw from it altogether is that I now have relationships with family and friends far away that I don't hear about otherwise. It also allows me to keep in touch with people that I don't see regularly where I am.
My pastor made a comment about communication and the internet and how it was supposed to improve communication, but it often leads to more frustration--that you can't get ahold of everyone right away or that you have to call someone because they don't have email. I think that part of the reason why is that the internet has increased our amount of communication with one another rather than decreased it. We communicate more and squeeze even more into our days.
Food For Thought...
How many people do you "talk" to in a day on the internet?
How many people do you "talk" to via text or cell phone call?
And...
How many do you talk to via a landline or a phone while you are at home?
I was driving my children to their piano and voice lessons on Tuesday when I was stopped at a traffic signal. I looked over and saw a woman talking in her bluetooth through the entire stop. I listened to the sound in my car. It was quiet. None of us were talking. No cell phone talking. A little music from the radio. It was a good thing that gave us all a bit of peace amidst all that we had to do during the day.
Another day last week I noticed two people walking away from the store. One of them was talking. But, he wasn't talking to the person with him. He was talking on his bluetooth to someone else.
I also remember some time in the last month walking through a store and noticing a woman alone talking on a bluetooth. Of course I didn't see the bluetooth at first and I chuckled realizing how that woman would have appeared five years ago. She would have looked like she was talking to herself and people around her would have been concerned because of how animated her conversation was.
What a time we live in. When I read Distracted by Maggie Jackson last year, it made a huge impact on my thinking. The ideas from that book now haunt me. Do we have rest in our lives? Do we have peace? Are we tied to our cell phones or computers in a way that prevents us from settling our minds, hearts, and bodies down to rest?
This isn't the downside of Cell Phones and YouTube that I meant to talk about in this post. I actually had a frenetically busy day yesterday. The part that calmed me down was talking to a friend face to face at church in the evening. That conversation was such a blessing to me in a way that I can't quite explain. There was no rush to our conversation. I truly enjoy this woman's friendship and hearing her honest opinions.
Earlier in the day, I tried to squeeze in a car wash. My car was beyond filthy. After rushing around my car to quickly wash it, I pulled out and ran over a cub! Ay Ay AY! I simply didn't see it. Thankfully, no one had a cell phone to film my silly mistake. Unfortunately, an 18 year old girl near where I lived was not so lucky. She made a U-turn over a retaining wall and took a nose dive in the car. I heard the story at the Starbucks later that day. I went to church afterwards and mentioned the story to two gals. One had already heard about it--and seen it on a YouTube clip.
We all make mistakes but one of the downsides of Cell Phones and YouTube is that it makes even more of our mistakes.
Most things have upsides and downsides. The internet, cell phones, and YouTube are not exceptions to this. I can't help but be thankful 1) my driving over the curb wasn't filmed 2) the accident I was in when I was 16 wasn't filmed on a cell phone and 3) I have many friends who aren't on the internet or facebook much.
Showing posts with label distracted. Show all posts
Showing posts with label distracted. Show all posts
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wasting Time
I began writing another entry when I was struck that what it was really about was wasting time, which made me reflect back on my past few days.
Yesterday, I was sitting with another mom outside my daughter's ballet class talking about homeschooling and commitments. I have to admit this--at that moment I was having a great day and felt such peace about God helping me learn to cut things out and simplify. My husband's schedule has been crazy lately and instead of packing it fully like I have in the past, I chose to simplify and make our lives less stressful rather than more.
The beginning of her conversation began with her asking me how I seemed so calm and how I was able to juggle 3 young kids. I told her very humbly that I am in a good place right now. I was enjoying that moment in my life and the peace that God has given me amidst my husband's busy life. But, I said that very humbly as I explained to her that just the day before we'd gone on a field trip to Longwood Gardens. On the way home, we went for a free 45 minute tour of the Herr's Potato Chip factory (which was wonderful). We also needed to go buy grain. That was where it all started to break down. My younger two started getting a little more disobedient at the Amish store. Then, unfortunately, I made the choice (due to rising gas prices) to squeeze in one more errand. We made (what I thought was only going to be a half hour detour) to a store I'd been looking forward to visiting. It was a debacle! My choice... my poor choice led to 1 hour and 45 minutes of struggle. We only spent 20 disappointing minutes in the store, where I didn't find anything I was looking for, and then headed for home. As I drove home on Wednesday, I knew what I'd done wrong. My trip was fruitless. I had wasted time and stressed my kids (and myself!) out.
What should I have done? Not made that last errand. The visit to the Amish store wasn't great, but it was doable. The last errand, though, was over the top.
I don't think I'm alone in this. We look at our days and think to ourselves either "I can fit that in." or "I need to do this today." (when it's really a want, not a need) or "It will only take a minute."
Last week, I felt I needed to try and say "no" to myself more and "yes" to my family. I've done pretty well with cutting back on my computer time. But, I didn't do so well on Wednesday when I decided to make that one last errand. I know life is a work in progress. Sometimes we make the right choices and sometimes we don't.
When we pursue something that is more than we can handle, it is a blessing when God says simply "no". Sometimes that "no" looks like rejection. Sometimes it is simply a door that never opens.
I was just talking with a friend on the phone about our time. She reminded me of something she deeply appreciates about Wendell Berry's writings. She explained to me that he reminds her that she has a choice--she has a choice about what she is going to do. She isn't required to send an email. She can choose to send a written letter instead. I can choose to grow a garden and spend time outside each day. Or I can choose to stay inside and do my vegetable picking at the store. Both are viable options. But, one involves more life. One is more active. One will give me more satisfaction. The other will not.
Sometimes it's hard seeing ahead of time what is going to be a waste of our time. I think that making a checklist for our day can be helpful to setting priorities. Something else that I really need to do is to allow more time for an activity--rather than less when I am planning out our day. Invariably, I am rushing the kids out the door as we try to make it to an activity "just in time" and not be late.
Today, I probably shouldn't have spent my afternoon the way I did. I have spent far too long on this computer and on the internet. So, it is time for me to get off.
Yesterday, I was sitting with another mom outside my daughter's ballet class talking about homeschooling and commitments. I have to admit this--at that moment I was having a great day and felt such peace about God helping me learn to cut things out and simplify. My husband's schedule has been crazy lately and instead of packing it fully like I have in the past, I chose to simplify and make our lives less stressful rather than more.
The beginning of her conversation began with her asking me how I seemed so calm and how I was able to juggle 3 young kids. I told her very humbly that I am in a good place right now. I was enjoying that moment in my life and the peace that God has given me amidst my husband's busy life. But, I said that very humbly as I explained to her that just the day before we'd gone on a field trip to Longwood Gardens. On the way home, we went for a free 45 minute tour of the Herr's Potato Chip factory (which was wonderful). We also needed to go buy grain. That was where it all started to break down. My younger two started getting a little more disobedient at the Amish store. Then, unfortunately, I made the choice (due to rising gas prices) to squeeze in one more errand. We made (what I thought was only going to be a half hour detour) to a store I'd been looking forward to visiting. It was a debacle! My choice... my poor choice led to 1 hour and 45 minutes of struggle. We only spent 20 disappointing minutes in the store, where I didn't find anything I was looking for, and then headed for home. As I drove home on Wednesday, I knew what I'd done wrong. My trip was fruitless. I had wasted time and stressed my kids (and myself!) out.
What should I have done? Not made that last errand. The visit to the Amish store wasn't great, but it was doable. The last errand, though, was over the top.
I don't think I'm alone in this. We look at our days and think to ourselves either "I can fit that in." or "I need to do this today." (when it's really a want, not a need) or "It will only take a minute."
Last week, I felt I needed to try and say "no" to myself more and "yes" to my family. I've done pretty well with cutting back on my computer time. But, I didn't do so well on Wednesday when I decided to make that one last errand. I know life is a work in progress. Sometimes we make the right choices and sometimes we don't.
When we pursue something that is more than we can handle, it is a blessing when God says simply "no". Sometimes that "no" looks like rejection. Sometimes it is simply a door that never opens.
I was just talking with a friend on the phone about our time. She reminded me of something she deeply appreciates about Wendell Berry's writings. She explained to me that he reminds her that she has a choice--she has a choice about what she is going to do. She isn't required to send an email. She can choose to send a written letter instead. I can choose to grow a garden and spend time outside each day. Or I can choose to stay inside and do my vegetable picking at the store. Both are viable options. But, one involves more life. One is more active. One will give me more satisfaction. The other will not.
Sometimes it's hard seeing ahead of time what is going to be a waste of our time. I think that making a checklist for our day can be helpful to setting priorities. Something else that I really need to do is to allow more time for an activity--rather than less when I am planning out our day. Invariably, I am rushing the kids out the door as we try to make it to an activity "just in time" and not be late.
Today, I probably shouldn't have spent my afternoon the way I did. I have spent far too long on this computer and on the internet. So, it is time for me to get off.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Technology and Our lives
There are some things I know about myself. One is that I often struggle with self discipline. There are areas where I am disciplined and there are others where I am not. I want freedom--or what I think is the freedom to do what I want. But, often that isn't true freedom.
"Man's perennial efforts to take himself in hand, however he attempts it, lead to the greatest bondage in which man misses what he was meant to be. Man's true freedom does not consist of the unfettered power to direct his life, either in a political or in a Stoic sense. It lies in life with God, lived as it was originally intended by God for man. He only gains this as he denies himself. Paradoxically, the free man does not belong to himself. He belongs to him who has set him free." J. Blunck
Last year, I read the book Distracted by Maggie Jackson. I read about her ideas about the damage media is doing to our lives and minds. Our attention spans are decreasing as our multi- tasking increases. It is more and more difficult to find a sense of peace while the internet is constantly buzzing. And the artificial world of the world wide web is now seen as real. What was once artificial... is now considered real and true. I read the warnings in the book. I knew what the book was cautioning me about. I felt the caution and I heeded it--a little. I fasted for a short time from the internet and then went back to what I'd done before.
God let me go down that path again. I have felt this growing disconnect from my family. I have lost some of my desire to do things and my desire to "escape" and relax has grown some. I knew I was escaping to the computer, but I did it anyways. So, I am resolving to change this--because it is the best thing for me, and for my family. Now, this wasn't visible to anyone but me. I haven't constantly been on the computer. I actually don't text. I don't blog every day. But, what I realized was that I was losing, or rather using, a few minutes here and a few minutes there. Over the course of the day, those minutes add up.
Romans 7
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So, I am resolving to do this:
Sundays will be a day of rest: A day of rest from the computer
During the week, I can get on in the morning and in the afternoon if the kids have room time. But, I cannot check Facebook and email other than those 2 times.
I do not want to lose something I have like the frog in hot water loses his life. The best way I can describe what I think media can do to us is like the frog who is placed in water. As the water is heated up little by little, the frog doesn't notice. It doesn't notice---until it is too late and the water is boiling and the frog is dead.
Every day we make choices. We make them moment by moment. I do not want to sound fatalistic, but I think that our choices matter--to us and to the ones we love. We can choose to check facebook and lose 3 minutes or we can choose to sit down and listen when our child wants to tell us the story she or he just made up. We can choose to search the internet for music to listen to or we can listen to what we have and not feed our desire to purchase something else.
Speaking of which, it's time for me to get off the computer, so I need to go. Let me know if you decide to join me in this journey...
"Man's perennial efforts to take himself in hand, however he attempts it, lead to the greatest bondage in which man misses what he was meant to be. Man's true freedom does not consist of the unfettered power to direct his life, either in a political or in a Stoic sense. It lies in life with God, lived as it was originally intended by God for man. He only gains this as he denies himself. Paradoxically, the free man does not belong to himself. He belongs to him who has set him free." J. Blunck
Last year, I read the book Distracted by Maggie Jackson. I read about her ideas about the damage media is doing to our lives and minds. Our attention spans are decreasing as our multi- tasking increases. It is more and more difficult to find a sense of peace while the internet is constantly buzzing. And the artificial world of the world wide web is now seen as real. What was once artificial... is now considered real and true. I read the warnings in the book. I knew what the book was cautioning me about. I felt the caution and I heeded it--a little. I fasted for a short time from the internet and then went back to what I'd done before.
God let me go down that path again. I have felt this growing disconnect from my family. I have lost some of my desire to do things and my desire to "escape" and relax has grown some. I knew I was escaping to the computer, but I did it anyways. So, I am resolving to change this--because it is the best thing for me, and for my family. Now, this wasn't visible to anyone but me. I haven't constantly been on the computer. I actually don't text. I don't blog every day. But, what I realized was that I was losing, or rather using, a few minutes here and a few minutes there. Over the course of the day, those minutes add up.
Romans 7
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So, I am resolving to do this:
Sundays will be a day of rest: A day of rest from the computer
During the week, I can get on in the morning and in the afternoon if the kids have room time. But, I cannot check Facebook and email other than those 2 times.
I do not want to lose something I have like the frog in hot water loses his life. The best way I can describe what I think media can do to us is like the frog who is placed in water. As the water is heated up little by little, the frog doesn't notice. It doesn't notice---until it is too late and the water is boiling and the frog is dead.
Every day we make choices. We make them moment by moment. I do not want to sound fatalistic, but I think that our choices matter--to us and to the ones we love. We can choose to check facebook and lose 3 minutes or we can choose to sit down and listen when our child wants to tell us the story she or he just made up. We can choose to search the internet for music to listen to or we can listen to what we have and not feed our desire to purchase something else.
Speaking of which, it's time for me to get off the computer, so I need to go. Let me know if you decide to join me in this journey...
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