I'm Baack!

Hello Readers!!

I’m baaaaack!!

I hope I was missed and not forgotten! I’ve been in Florida for the past month enjoying a time of rest, relaxation and refreshing.

Actually, when I came to Florida, I fully intended to continue writing my blog. I brought my laptop and necessary accessories with me. But, I guess God had other plans! I was not able to get internet connection!!

It was a crazy thing - some of the time I had internet access on my Kindle and my telephone, but it was spotty at best and it could die without a moment’s notice. And I was never able to get internet access on my laptop!!

I came to the conclusion that God was definitely in control of that, too!!

I have to say, it was refreshing not to be tied to my electronic devices. I found I was much more dependent upon them than I thought. Initially it was frustrating not to be able to check my emails or post comments on Facebook, but after a remarkably short period of time, I kind of enjoyed the freedom! I was able to post occasionally and thankfully, was able to make some necessary financial transfers when I needed to. I also had one afternoon that I was able to download some books on my Kindle so I had reading material for the beach, but then I wasn’t able to get a connection for days after!

My thoughts went back to the day when we didn’t have cell phones or laptops and Facebook was not a word yet in our vocabulary. If you were unreachable, you were unreachable and the world didn’t stop turning. When you went on vacation, you were really on vacation and anything that happened at home, happened without you or your knowledge of it until you returned home.

What a novel idea!

It occurred to me that in this day of modern technology, where we are never “out of reach,“ we might need to remind ourselves that we are not irreplaceable, indispensable, or so important that the world can’t go on without us. We might want to take a vacation from all our electronic devices!

With the dawn of the technological age, we have become always available by phone or text or eMail or Facebook or Twitter or whatever. The knowledge that someone is almost always informed of our “whereabouts” and “whatabouts” can cause us to sometimes become enamored of our own importance. The continual “ping, ping, ping” of our phones, the number of “likes” and comments can lull us into a false sense of importance and somehow seem to validate who we are and what we do. Like what we experience doesn’t really matter unless all of our “friends” know about it.

How many “friends” do you have?

Personally, the fewer friends I have the better I like it and the less people who know my cell phone number, the less I have to answer it!! I’m just old enough to still appreciate the “olden” ways of the “olden days!”

I do appreciate the modern technology, truly, but I was challenged by the Lord during this time away to be careful that I own it and it doesn’t own me.

So, some food for thought. I ended up feeling very blessed that I wasn’t tied to writing my blog and very much appreciated the full rest the Lord gave me.

 

Anyway, I did enjoy a very relaxing, restful vacation. I am home now, ready, I hope, to enter back into real life and responsibility.

There truly is no place like home. It’s always nice to go away and “unplug”, but it’s also really nice to come back home. Time away gives perspective and appreciation for your life and for the people in your life. It’s the people I miss the most when I go away. My family, friends and church family.

The thing I miss the least is the responsibilities of life. Can’t you identify with that? The biggest decision I had to make while I was away was - do I go to the pool today or the beach? Aaaah! It was wonderful!

 

But real life doesn’t work that way and I am reminded that all God calls me to, He provides abundant grace for. So, I plunge back in, trusting Him for the days ahead and thanking Him for the break He gave. His mercies are new every morning and His grace is truly amazing!!!

 

It's nice to be back!!

 

There's no place like home!!