Giving Up to Receive

I've had the nudge for some time to get off Instagram.

Not forever, but just for a little while.

More often than not, it consumes my day.  My mind.  

And sometimes can be a real source of aggravation as I try to 'keep up with the Jones's'.

You know, who's wearing what, who cooked what, who's kids are the best, who exercised today.

I find that more times than not, I leave ill because someone has one upped me and I feel defeated.

Not good enough.  Not skinny enough.  Not well dressed.  Not enough Jesus.

That last one is what leads me to dig deeper in these feelings.

Sunday at church I felt convicted to turn it off for Lent, but I ignored the calling.

Then Monday my best friend said she took it off her phone, that it was consuming her day.  

The Lord was yet working again.

But again, naah- I thought, I can just not look at it.  Good try Annie.  

So, today, I pulled up my email from my phone and pulled up the She Reads Truth reading plan. 

And again, that conviction hit me square between the eyes.

"We come to Lent for REFRESHMENT, we FAST- to RECEIVE."

That Bible hasn't been read enough, those books are begging to be underlined and dog eared.  The journal, longing for words of the heart to be written down, saved for years, for my kids to read. 

I want to gain more Jesus.

I want that refreshment.  That peace.  Jesus.

So, off it will go.  

It pains me to think about not having 40 (46) days of pictures not printed. But I've decided I'll just save the ones I would Instagram to a different folder on my phone and load them all up after Easter, so I can have them to print.  Problem solved.

And in the time that I'm off Instagram, I want to be more present.  More in the Word.  More Jesus.  

And that doesn't come from what folks wore, what others ate, who's kid did the next best thing, who has the cutest baby...yes, I love sharing all of the above, but not at the cost of time with my family.  

Not at the cost of a full mind.

My mind is busy and full enough without cluttering it with other peoples business.

My mind needs emptying.

So, from now until Holy Saturday, I will be Instagram-less.

I tried to justify things.

I'd post just at night.

I wouldn't check others.

I can't stand the thought of not posting my favorite things.

My weekly Saturday pictures of Emerson.

Emerson's monthly pictures.

Easton's 4 Birthday

Swim Lessons

First baseball practices, games, etc.

But I kept coming back to TURN IT OFF.  

And the fact is, THOSE THINGS WILL STILL HAPPEN EVEN IF THEY DON"T MAKE IT TO IG!

I'll still be updating the blog regularly.

But I plan to be much more disconnected with the 'strangers'{yet friends I've come to adore} I follow, and more connected to the one's that matter most.  

I want to always look in the eyes of my Easton, and take in every grunt and gurgle of Emerson as I nurse her.  I want to ride along side of Lance in the truck, and listen to his day or look out the window at the flowers that are about to pop up out of the ground.  I want to sit at night with Lance and actually BE together.  I want to play legos without wondering what the next person is doing.  I want to read books.  Practice writing.  Play outside.  Catch all of the 1st that I didn't get with Easton for having to work.  Read my Bible.  Read some books that have been collecting dust on my night stand.  

So, those things I will do.

And I hope to come back here, to my little spot on the internets, and tell you what I'm learning along the way.

Happy Lent Season Friends.

May you find REFRESHMENT in the days to come.