I love lists, I love making them, I love checking things off, I love everything about them. Except when they seem to get longer not shorter and I don’t finish things I wanted to. I haven’t always been a list person, perhaps it’s my age, but this year lists have become a part of my every day life. If something pops into my mind that I want to do, research or buy, I put it on a list. Sometimes lists help me stay on task other times they overwhelm me and I just don’t look at them at all. My list for this “month” includes a bullet point for “Blog re: Sober October”. My list for today includes that as well as another bullet point for “Social Media/Simple Life blog”. Guess which one you are getting? Yep, the second one, because God said so.
Since 2019 a simpler life has been calling me. That is when I first began to learn about “homesteading”, it’s also a year that my life got crazier than I thought possible. It’s the year that my marriage of 20 years, and relationship of 25, almost came to an end; at a point when I thought we’d already been through everything there was to go through. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but God! Ironically I think that’s the year that I also started my love/hate relationship with social media. I’m currently on my 4th Facebook account. I’ve maintained the same Instagram account for years though I’ve deactivated/reactivated too many times to count. I’ve also taken all social media off my phone multiple times to ultimately just put it right back.
Each year the dreams change, the desires for the future grow and evolve, and I think that’s how it’s meant to be. Of course I’m also aging so I’m sure that plays a big part. As this year has gone by, at rapid speed I will add, the pull towards simple has been grasping my heart more and more. Every time I think it’s gone away I’m reminded again of how much peace just thinking about it brings to me. Imagine what it would feel like to actually live it. I personally think I’ve already simplified life and home a lot but where there is room to grow, well there is also room to simplify. Lately that feeling has been creeping in more and more.
This week as I thought about it, and felt the need to take yet another social media break, I pulled a book off the shelf that my daughter gave me a long time ago. Its title, “Who Are You Following?: Pursuing Jesus in a Social-Media Obsessed World” by Sadie Robertson Huff. I started it this morning and let’s just say I was convicted on page 2 of chapter 1. I felt seen, and not by Sadie, but by God. It was a moment where I realized why I hadn’t picked this book up before, because it was meant for me right now, where I am today.
We are in a time of year where the seasons are changing, not just outside, but holidays as well. I’ve written of seasons many times, usually about the seasons of life. I’m definitely very aware of and moved by those seasons. Last year I worked hard mentally to prepare for and embrace fall and winter, I succeeded pretty well. This year it’s been Christmas, I have never wanted to decorate and get into the Christmas spirit as early as I have this year. But let me quickly clarify what I mean by that, because it might not be what you think. I don’t want all the commercialism, consumerism, and Santa Claus with his bag of toys playing all over my house and mind. To me that is all too big, and too loud, and very overwhelming. I want that old world Christmas feel; slow, peaceful, simple, joyous. The word serene comes to mind. As does content, because contentment is something I’ve really been working on.
My husband often sends me songs that he hears that strike up certain memories, he sent one this morning. It was the third one this week, each of them songs from the 80’s. The timing the morning lined up as well as the lyrics did. Because I just finished writing in my journal about all the things I described in the last paragraph. I had also just read Chapter 1 in Sadie’s book. Okay God I hear you, loud and clear! I then had a conversation with my daughter along the same lines and let me just share something. When your daughter grows up and becomes a friend, and begins to share wisdom and guidance with you, it’s a wild and wonderful feeling.
So I started my day with this blog in mind, a fresh to do list ready, and a simple plan in mind. I figured I’d enjoy social media today, if you can even call it that. Then as with any new thing I’d start a bit of a sabbatical tomorrow with the turn of the calendar. Seemed like a good plan, but then social media annoyed me. Just like it always does. The sad part is, we think we curate our social media to be only the things we want to see/read. That we only follow the people who bring value to us. What a joke that is. I was annoyed by two different posts, on two very different topics, by two different people. Each of them I consider a friend. If you don’t think the devil will get to you in those places, well you don’t know the saying very well and you don’t understand the devil. This time I said, okay God I see you!
It’s not November yet but the apps are gone from my phone. I am certain I will check them from my Mac a few more times today. I’ll also be sure to post this blog there. And I really want to make sure I’m subscribed to the email list of some of those people who I do truly enjoy following for the knowledge they give me. But then, it’s time to pursue other things, or maybe to pursue nothing, we’ll see. To finally try to embrace all that has been picking away at my spirit for the better part of 6 years now.
I also hope to bring this blog back to life a bit more, I hope you will stick around for that. After all, this blog started back in 2019 when all of what I’ve written of began stirring in my heart. Maybe the blog about Sober October will make an appearance too, it was a good one and it’s worth sharing.
~Carla
Arise and Glow 