Dreadlock Girl
16Aug/102

A Journey In Simplicity: Moment of Truth

IMG_6237It is time for the moment of truth, the evaluation of  those questions probably none of us is dying to answer. I am about to answer the questions I asked you to consider answering as well in this season of your life. Again, you can comment here, write it in your journal and then send me an email- or keep it completely private, it is up to you. I just hope you considered taking this first step in learning how to live your life more simply, and more based on His priorities for you.

Evaluate time and Energy:

Top Priorities: God, Family, Spiritual Growth and health, homeschooling, Church, Friends, Physical health, quality of life.

Commitments: Wife, mom, homeschooling, church, house church, house keeping, book club, reading, painting, crafting, cooking, running, gardening, animal tending, blogging

Which commitments do I value the most: Wife, mom, church, homeschooling

Account for my time: It seems very little is used for my top priorities, but I spend a lot of time thinking of how to use time for those priorities. They get neglected easier than the immediate needs- which I know are important too...but if I spent less time fiddling around, I would have no problem spending time with greater focus on my top priorities.

What I am hearing from God:

-There is no excuse good enough to loose even a day to unproductivity.
-Running in the morning (with and every-once-in-a-while evening treat run) is the way to get your day started the way it should be. Waiting around all day to run, unshowered is just not working out, plus I need that push to get up in the morning to have time with God and to myself as well before the boys get up.
-I need to get organized, my day needs to be organized. I may not know how to do that yet, but I needs to learn.
-For the rest of the year (and maybe forever) I need to use a timer for all entertainment based Internet use (including, but not limited to Facebook, twitter, blog reading, book searching, online TV streaming, you tube...). I need to figure out a  daily allowance.

What to do during this week of media fast (or other type if you so choose). Yesterday at the end of this post I mentioned three different options for a media fast this week. I didn't want to leave you in the dark though, not knowing what to do with your time, besides reading the Bible, worshiping....you know :P

Once you choose an option (for your media fast), use the time normally spent on electronic media doing something completely different. For example, if you normally spend two hours watching television in the evening, use those two hours to take a walk with a friend, prayer-walk your neighborhood or pick up a long abandoned hobby.

Keep track of the time you reclaim from electronic media during your fast. I am always amazed at my options when I choose not to watch TV for an hour. Sometimes it is refreshing just to bask in the quiet for a little while. (The Rewards of Simplicity, p. 55)

I'd love to hear your thoughts, your struggles, your ideas, or what God is speaking to you during this fast.


If you are just tuning in now and are interested in joining us be sure and check out my first posts about this voyage:
A Journey in Simplicity: Starting Out
A Journey in Simplicity: Fasting for Simplification and Re-Sensitization

Comments (2) Trackbacks (0)
  1. We have tried to consciously fast from media on Sundays. Not out of legalism but as a way of making one day a week that is set apart, different….I’d like to say we use that quiet time for family Bible study but we very rarely have, and that is a goal of mine that seems to be thwarted by a million different things. Oftentimes we end up playing board/card games together, or we have a dedicated “quiet time” for about an hour after church when we each go to a separate room to read or do some other quiet activity. It was all very painful for me and the kids at first, but after a month or so most anything becomes a new habit. The beauty of kids is that now, when I am tempted to break my own non-electronics day, the kids will just assume we’re doing our quiet thing and I’ll be convicted into sticking to the better plan! The Lord has been after me for a long time about some kind of family Bible study. I even went out and bought a large print NIV Bible that they can all read more easily. It’s only been opened once, when I had them read the Proverb for that day at the breakfast table. There was fighting over who read what, and people who got bored and tried to leave them room….when I’m yelling at my kids to pay attention to God’s Word I don’t think I’m getting it right!! Have you had any success at teaching your kids to read God’s Word?

    • Media fasts on Sunday are a great idea. I just read something I am stewing over, about how we don’t obey the command to keep the Shabbat. It is interesting. Shabbat should be a celebration of so much, I have never thought of that and it has always seemed it should be a solemn day, but now I read that it should be a gathering, a feast and celebration- it completely changed my view on doing Shabbat!! I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned

      We actually have been doing bible reading with the kids, we just started and it is amazing how they love to do it. Jackson is a little older now and can read sections himself- a large print bible would be great for that!! More info to come.


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