Taking A Break

It's interesting what our children can teach us if we're open to learning.

Sam is a gamer, just like his dad. Anything he plays has been researched and tested by Ian. We are very careful about what types of games he plays, and not only do we monitor how much time is spent playing them, we are also on the lookout for any behavioural changes from the games.

He's a good kid. Truly.

Lately a new game has come out that he has been dying to have. Problem is, it's mature rated due to extreme violence and sexual content. Obviously he isn't allowed to play it. Ian has played the first version of this game and after a mere half hour of play, packaged it up to return to the store. It was way too violent.

Sam is not happy with us. He's had two runs against Ian trying to convince him. Then he made the mistake of trying to convince me. We ended up having a really deep conversation about what we expose ourselves to. If you surround yourself with good things and good choices, our behaviour will be good. If we expose ourselves to violence and negativity, our behaviour will not be that good.

Good in, good out.

Garbage in, garbage out.

Then I got to thinking.

Really thinking.

What am I putting in my head, and what is coming out?

Am I living a life that points people to Jesus, or do I just talk about wanting to?

I spend a lot of time on Twitter and Facebook. A lot.

I am up to date on all the celebrity gossip.

I read blogs that I shouldn't.

I watch shows with behaviour in them that I would never tolerate in real life.

Garbage in, garbage out.

I want to show Sam that I mean what I say. That we need to be careful of what we put in our minds because that deeply effects the state of our hearts.

And lately I've really felt God prompting me to take a good hard look at the state of my heart.

So, I've decided to take a break from Twitter and Facebook for one week. I want to unplug from those things, and plug into things that I truly enjoy and add to my life. To spend quality time with my husband and children rather than just being a presence in the room. To meet with girlfriends over coffee. To reconnect to those I've let slip away, and to delight in the new friendships God has prepared for me. To pack up what I need to pack up so we can get this house-selling thing on track. To get caught up on everyone's laundry. To chalk outside with my girls. To walk more and sit less. To read. To be still, and listen for His voice.

Will I accomplish all of that in one week? Nope! But I'll make a dent. And if I'm putting good things in, good will flow out.

And my son will see that I don't just talk the talk, but I walk the walk. And by doing so, maybe I'll become a little better version of myself than I was a week before.

I'll still be using my email and if time permits, I'll still blog. But no Twitter and Facebook.

I'll let you know how it goes :-)

~ Kate ~