Sunday, January 23, 2011

Where I’ll Be

I’ll admit, I’m not exactly sure how to begin this post. Maybe… “So the other day I decided to quit the Internet…” Hmm, no that’s not quite right. How about “So I’ve decided to give up technology…” Nope, that’s not it either.

Since I don’t know how to start, I’ll just tell you this: I won’t be around here for a little while. Or Facebook. Or Twitter.

I recently started Beth Moore’s ‘Daniel’ study. A suggestion from Beth was to “fast” from something for the first half of the study (6 weeks). She chose to give up “rich meats.” She told everyone taking the study that this was certainly NOT a requirement, and not for everyone, but that if we felt led – we could choose to give something up as well. To serve as a reminder, a symbol. That while we are free and not under the law of the Old Testament, there are things in this culture, this world, that while they’re ok in moderation – we can have too much of.   In this study, we are learning how to develop enduring integrity in an enticing world.

Well, I’ll admit that at first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do the “fast.” I thought of it in relation to food, and I didn’t think that would be a good choice for me. Not to say that I don’t have issues with food. You know I do. But I’m already working on controlling my bad food habits, and I thought if  I tried to give something up, it would turn into more of a “diet” for me, and I would end up missing the point.

But, after the second session, I felt like I was supposed to give SOMETHING up. Then a thought came into my head – but I quickly dismissed it. And then I tried to talk myself out of it: “No, He wouldn’t mean for me to give that up. That’d just be silly. It’s not that big a deal.” But that little thought wouldn’t go away. And the more it floated around in my head, the more I knew THAT was what I was supposed to give up. How did I know? I didn’t WANT to give it up.

I still held out. I didn’t tell anyone what I thought. Until a couple days ago – I finally mentioned it to my husband, and he agreed with me: This was probably what I should give up. (for the same reasons I mentioned already)

So, that brings me here. What did I choose (reluctantly) to give up? Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.

My reason: I spend a lot of time on all three. Not all at once, of course, but frequently and throughout the day. It’s amazing how easy it is to do with a phone these days. And when I realized how difficult it would be for me to give it up, I realized that means it’s become a problem. It shouldn’t be DIFFICULT to give up those kinds of things. But I’ve become so immersed in technology that I take it for granted – and when I’m without it, it’s almost like going through withdrawal. And I don’t think that’s where my head and heart should be.

So I’ll be taking a break for the next six weeks, and I’ll be refocusing my energies.

This isn’t going to be easy. That’s for sure. But I’ll be back, and I feel certain I’ll be better off.

Tomorrow (1/24/11) I begin my ‘hiatus.’ If you need to get in contact with me, I’ll still be available of course. I’ll still have my phone (w/o my FB & Twitter apps, of course!) and I’ll still have email.

You can reach me at kristyheilman (at) hotmail (dot) com. (or by phone – if you need my #, just email me)

Much love to you all and many blessings.

~Kristy~

1 comment:

  1. I took a fast from technology (mandatory - we didn't have internet for a year and a half) It's amazing how much time you have in your day!! Hopefully this time away will give you a healthy perspective on the use of technology in your life - I know I have a different perspective on it now. Good for you!!

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