I have a [LOT] of thoughts...

Having been a Christian for "my whole life" many things have been observed and many conclusions have been drawn. I'm not claiming that my conclusions are always accurate, or even that my observations should be put under a microscope to be analyzed...but, I'm just saying; I think a lot, I watch people's words and actions a lot, and I try to read my Bible a lot and find the pure gold by which I should run after in my heart in order to live a life reflecting Jesus.

When the rubber meets the road--I realize that most of us make mistakes, judgment calls that aren't Godly or accurate, we all put certain people in a box and assume their hearts aren't right with God based off of a few interactions---the list could go on and on. After seeing this over and over though, I know I want to be that one who looks past the outside, past the façade that people put up to defend themselves from hurt and rejection, I want to be the one who learns how to love purely and without reserve. It isn't my job to decide who needs a touch from the love of God. It isn't my job to convict a heart, or to even feel like I understand others perfectly. It isn't my job. I want to love. I want to be a true friend. I want to hug someone when they need a hug. Be there to support someone when no one else is around. I want a life that impacts deeply even if it's only a small number of people. I want to make a difference in the sphere of influence that God has given me. And by His grace, I hope I am, and will continue to do so.

Are we becoming [Zombies]?

I am going to preface this post with the fact that I literally cannot stand the whole "zombie" fad happening right now. I just can't get into it. However, it was the only word that I could come up with to accurately convey the point I am trying to get across.

Our culture [from my perspective] has become so saturated, infatuated, consumed, perhaps even toxic- with social media, electronics--and just a lifestyle lived in front of a screen of some sorts. And I know it seems incongruent with what I'm saying considering the fact I am composing this little diatribe from my laptop...but hey! Whatever.

I am among the ones I am referring to; perhaps the only difference is I am realizing that and intend to live differently henceforth.
You (or I) could walk into any building- a classroom, church, restaurant or store (wherever really)- and notice the overwhelming majority of people with their faces to a screen. What they're doing on that screen is irrelevant...however it is something that is beginning to make me sad. I miss how it was when I was growing up.

This technology saturation is something that I feel has occurred literally just in my lifetime, and I see it only getting worse. I didn't even have a phone till I was 16 or 17, and I most likely was given one simply because I got my drivers license and my parents wanted to make sure I could get help if I needed it. And that phone wasn't a phone like all these 9 year olds are receiving from their parents today!

<<<  I mean this is literally the phone I had!! And, honestly when I look at it in this moment, I kind of want the exact same one again. Even thought I somewhat doubt it is even being produced any longer.

So why am I ranting about all this??? Okay, I will attempt to make my point... I remember a time when friends actually CALLED other friends to catch up, make plans and talk about life. When people actually had solid, meaningful conversations at a local coffee shop uninterrupted by facebook notifications, instagram updates, or any other app on your phone that alerts you when anything at all has happened in the world.

Again, I say, these are all things I have become accustomed to in my own life. I'm just seeing it's such a distracted way to live. I hate that I wake up and one of the first actions of my day is to scroll through my news feed, and to check who posted on instagram over the night. It's not that those things are inherently wrong or bad in themselves; but I do believe it's wrong to be consumed by anything that has no eternal value.

I feel that relationships have been strongly diluted with time, as we all depend on these forms of social media to connect with people and actually convince ourselves it's something meaningful. I want real friendships, meaningful connection with people that has nothing to do with whether we are friends or not on facebook.

I know life can get busy, and sometimes shooting a text is really the easiest way to say hello, or ask how someone is doing, that is fine! But I miss people's voices. I don't want to lose the ability to have a real conversation with a person, and engage with them as we talk about life, and what God is doing. And while there are a lot of really useful things on my iPhone, part of me does just want to smash it and buy a $30 flip phone again so that I don't spend all my idle time on it.

I don't want a world like this for my future kids either. I had an amazing childhood, and basically only a tiny fraction of it was spent in front of any kind of screen (thanks to my parents!!). It was spent playing outside, being creative with my siblings and neighborhood friends, pretending the swing-set was a pirate ship, digging holes in the prairie and coving it up with sticks so that random hikers would fall in (haha, terrible, I know--but true!! don't worry tho, the holes weren't all that big!). We make forts in the house underneath the coffee table, played football in the boys room and using stuffed animals as the padding! Playing school and house, and all sorts of fun things that kids today might be like (???? WHAT!?)...and when we did sit down to watch a movie, it was something like The Sound of Music, and it was a really special, fun family event! And it was meaningful!

Anyhow, I think I'm done ranting. I am just committed to making some changes in my lifestyle. I don't want to live life in front of a screen, and miss out on real life. Any maybe this post seems true to you, and will cause you to think things over also. Either way, I know there's this amazing, beautiful world that God has created, and it's filled with wonderful people and places. I don't want to miss out!

I don't want you to miss out either :)