Seeing The World As A Non Facebooker

People claiming not having Facebook keeps others out of their business.

This makes me chuckle.

Facebook isn't how non Facebookers perceive it. 

There are boundaries. 

Every ounce of your personal business isn't poured out. 

Manage how openly you share. 

Choose what not to share.
Friend who you wish.

A few weeks ago, my Bible study class started a new study called Breathe by Priscilla Shirer. My precious Bible study leaders followed their heart in the direction the Lord called them in choosing what study to do next. The Breathe study is base off the Sabbath, not necessarily on Sunday but allowing yourself margins and boundaries daily to create tranquility for our soul. 

One of the first exercises suggest writing anything that holds too much control over your current season of life. I wrote, social media. Out beside social media, I continued writing, "I really don't like writing social media. I feel God uses me through social media." One of my natural strengths is balance and boundaries. When the study kicked off I wasn't sure it would be worth much.

The month prior, I held an online art auction. The money raised I donated for liver cancer research. My heart was bulging out of my chest claiming a break from facebook, social media. When we openly talked in class about the first exercise. I spoke up about social media. Most of the class could relate. We all agreed to challenge each others limit of social media intake. 

The first week went well for me. The second week one of my leaders suggest deleting the apps from our phone. It's been nice breaking free. The world through non-Facebookers eyes is amazing. I can sit peaceful at a red light. Usually, my thoughts race knowing what status to post next. Don't get me wrong. Facebook is a great outlet/platform geared towards being a writer, blogger, artist and photographer. The time away God is using to speak to my soul. 

He is realigning my time. 

How my time is freeing:

carpool is not spent scrolling FB/IG

I don't wake up scrolling social media

my mind is not constant spining for the next status or the next picture I will post

how many people liked my post/picture

Things I've done instead:

deleted old emails

deleted old pictures

deleted apps

organized apps

conversed with God deeper

take fewer pictures

relaxed my mind

enjoyed a day tailgating with friends/football game

My Bible study has a prayer wall. Once a day from my desktop I check in, then scroll through my home page and share blog post. Outside of this I am enjoying the freedom from Facebook.

Things God conversed with me:

stop taking so many pictures

a steadily check on social media is exhausting

listen to the season of your life
foucus on your writing
organize your writing skills

you've grown as a writer

the time will come for the final edits on you second book, even if it's after the first of the year when you mentioned to your audience/readers/platform it would be ready late fall

He used exhaustion from the online art auction to pull me in closer to Him. "Listen to what I have to say." Facebook is reminding you of everything you don't have. The walk closer to Him is reminding me of everything I already have-own, blessed with, growth, enjoy, born with, acquire etc. 

Discovering a social media break was worth the study to me.

When I wait you strengthen my heart. Psalm 27:14

How to know if you maybe in need of a social media break:
tired of seeing everyone's pictures
check it first thing every morning
look at it throughout lunch and dinner
don't hear what others are saying around you
sudden urge to take pictures of your every move
urge to show off only your highlight moments in life
urge to show off material possessions

My encouragement is to take a break.

Delete the apps from your phone.

Be free.

See.

Character Test

Aiming to humble oneself before the Lord grows Christ-like character. 

Yesterday, the Lord placed a verse on my heart. A verse, I wrote on a notecard 2 years ago. Deuteronomy 8:2 It says, "Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness, humbling you and testing you to prove your character..."

At the time of originally writing the verse, I was walking through some things to me just didn't seem right, seem fair. Who can relate? Walking through that time frame, I wrote verses on notecards. No certain verse just verses I came across. A stack of versed notecards accumulated. 

Over the Thanksgiving break this year, I pinned the notecards with clothes pins to a decorative piece in my dining room. Yesterday, while serving my family doing things around my home, I stopped at the verses. The first and only one I read was the Deuteronomy 8:2. A rush of refreshment washed over my body enlighting my soul. 

My thoughts then transferred over to a friend. Whom I know is walking through something that "just doesn't seem right". I've been praying for her while walking alongside her. 

It was in those moments, reading His words on the notecard, I put two and two together. Thinking about what I walked through and thinking about what she is walking through. He answered me in ways back then I couldn't see. I shared all of this with her. Cultivating her struggle was helping me with something I struggled with almost 2 years ago. God is good if we listen. If we anticipate His goodness.

I know he was growing my character. At the time walking through it, I knew it was happening but was like "God, I am grown. How could you grow me anymore? Just please let me be, let me be the obedient child of yours and do what you have called me to do." Let me say, "we are always growing." Isn't that awesome? I want to grow more. I want to help others grow too. 

I grew spiritually. He bumped me up a notch. Knowing I had some junk inside me, only He and I knew about (stupid pity stuff-darkness-self doubt-etc.). Stuff you just don't sit around talking to people about for reasons you just don't know how to say it, people will think your crazy, admitting it to others just isn't happening, because we don't even want to admit it to ourselves or know how to or that we need to. I know now all those funky feeling was Him awakening my soul to a deeper relationship with Him. 

So think back over the verse again. I see two major words: wilderness and humble. 

Wilderness is an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region. Think of boondocks, boonies, desert, bushland and the wilds. When I think of wilderness, I think of very unfamiliar places. Unfamiliar places can show up as a hard time: conflict, disappointment, difficulty, temptation, times of dryness, and delays. 

Humbling is to have or to show modest of one's importance. Humbling ourselves before the Lord is releasing pride, arrogance and understand our flesh is inadequate. It's a form of truly worshiping Him. Think of submissive and respectful among being strong in the Lord. This doesn't mean we are wimps or we shouldn't say things to others in those hard time because in fact we should. He could be using the time to grow others around us in the same setting on different levels. It's understanding humility in the Bible and putting it to practice; you are a winner even if you don't win. Joy and pleasure wash over us out of acts in a godly manner making for our influence greater in situations. 

Bumping those two words, wilderness and humble, together grows character. 

Understanding this allows us to response quick in God's way during character building situations. We have the choice to be more like Christ by our simple reactions. 

He wants us to be like Him.

He wants us to grow in character.

He wants to test us. 

How has He grown you?
Do you know His character?

The Room is Empty

I am aware of the space surrounding me.

Thanksgiving day passed. Everyone returned to school and work. The blind next to me raised halfway allows sunlight to shine on my face. I sit at my writing place. The Christmas tree lights shine across the room into the dark of the tree branches. I ponder finding joy in the loneliness of writing. 

A soul longs for quiet moments, but how quiet? How do you find the balance blocking out the chatter of the world, the chatter of the enemy, self-doubt, the lonely?

I am encouraged to ask myself first "did you pray" before starting a day of writing.  

Praying I know brings peace. 

The peace embraces the silence of loneliness. 

Communicating this to our souls as a writer brings the importance of writing to a higher understand. It's beyond us. It's an act of obedience reminding us to whom we belong, that we are loved, we are truly important, and we are secure in Him. 

So I ask you-the-writer, "Did you think to pray?" before starting a day of writing. 

View the time of writing as your time with God.

Focus on the need for Him.

Let Him fill you up.

He will equip you reminding you, you are His. You are secure. There's no room for lonely thoughts of doubt when the room is full of Him. We must not allow loneliness to consume our soul. Loneliness is known as a lack of purpose. As an obedient child of God's, we have all the purpose in the world of writing.  

Allowing the lonely time to strengthen our prayer life is refreshing. I am reminded of this in Isaiah 66:9, a time of loneliness (suffering) is also a time of something new being born. Writing is a form of birth. Laboring those lonely pains births a new writing, a new prayer life.

Shall I bring to the point of birth and then not deliver? asks the Lord your God. No! Never! Isaiah 66:9 TLB

Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God. Isaiah 66:9 NIV

In the same way I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born,” says the Lord. “If I cause you the pain, I will not stop you from giving birth to your new nation,” says your God. Isaiah 66:9 NCV

Let the lonely be a launching pad to your greatest calling.

You are called to write.

I finished it…

Well it happen not long after our return trip from New York. I finished reading A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman. Emily has inspired me pushing me forward many of days by just reading her words. As someone myself who is working on writing her second book, becoming a better blogger, ready to record her second online art class and create more art for her etsy shop reading A Million Little  Ways has been just what my soul needed at this season in my life.   

I have carried this book to

the orthodonist office 

the soccer field

on an airplane

and 

sat many of days on my couch in the morning drinking my coffee after my devotion and daily reading helping me jump start my days of writing. I give a true A+ to this book and thank Emily for writing it. 

I love on page 33 her last words for the chapter "Let's follow the arrows to your soul." Those words did something inside me that sparked the little doodle, see above. I enjoy keeping a black pen with me while reading to underline, mark and doodle. That way when I finish reading a book, I can flip back through at times I might be looking for something or I am needing a moment to be inspired. Seeing my notes, underlining and doodles triggers and encourages my soul. My prayer is of thanks for all who go the extra mile daily to make art whether it be in your home daily, cooking, making a home, homeschooling, singing, writing, painting or your daily job outside the home. What you're doing matters and we need you! Push forward each day all smiles… #weallmakeart

Additional reading on my thoughts about this book can be read here.

And see just when I got it here.

Have you read A Million Little Ways?

Have you read another books by Emily P. Freeman?

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In honor of Emily and her blog, Chatting At The Sky, I am going to share what I've learned this summer. Each month she share's what she has learned for the month. She took some time off from blogging so she combined the summer months together. Enjoy! 

It's extremely hot and humid in Mississippi.

My 87 year old grandfather is pretty good at texting.

Living with a high school graduate feels like such a relief.

I have better blog skills than I allow myself.

Cleaning the turtles bowl taking longer when you take pictures of each step.

Bats fly here at dark.

The Beef Jerky Outlet sales way more than just jerky.

My oldest daughter doesn't do well flying.

There's to many people in Times Square on a Saturday night for my comfort.

Watching your kids cook okra with their dad is really fun.

Painting sticks is really cool.

Summers almost over.

My youngest daughter looks cute with out her braces.

Rearranging your kids bedroom furniture can be a really cozy move, fresh, fun.

She Reads Truth is an amazing online Bible study.

Going through old pictures from 10 years ago can be fun, rewarding.

You can make place mates out of brown paper bags .

If you keep reading you will finish a book.

It's not to late to give/receive a graduation gift.

My dog does not like thunder.

It's okay to be told no.

My mailman's grandkids go to my kids school.

A walk from the Brooklyn Bridge to Empire State Building is a long walk.

Free fire works brings in all types of people.

You get home sooner than your postcards reach their sending destination. 

Wednesday Words

Here's a peek at my words flowing on to paper…

(there's no order, rim or reason, I write when feeling inspired to release)

keep your head up

keep your heart strong

some people have to walk through things in life to feel, experience Gods presence in their life. Going, doing, being, being around people pumps His spirit inside them allowing them to fully come alive in Him to bring full glory to Him for the works in their life…

there comes a point and time in your life you have to listen to the talk between you and God and let others voices of disaster fade to a non existence sound way in the background while you walk bold, loud holding a very confident heart knowing all the places He has had you walk over the course of your life this far… #bebrave #washthenegativetalkout

looking back at pictures from a fast pace event holds so many precious moments still in that unforgettable moment for a life time #takepictures

there was appoint in my life when I saw every ones art, life, better than mine until the day many of roads later He revealed to me the beauty He had and was placing in my life preparing me to release it to the world bringing me fully alive in Him #clapclap