give thanks with a grateful heart!
gray november, I've been down since july! I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone, tryin to find the one where I went wrong, writing letters. hey, december! (evermore - taylor swift)
hey there & happy tuesday morning! I hope you had a very happy week full of love & memories. thank you for being here! if you enjoy my content, please make sure that you are subscribed to get weekly updates straight to your inbox:
the week recap! week of: 11/19/24 - 11/25/24
⛅️ something to celebrate: stepping away from the screen! earlier this week, after we watched the first episode of The Chosen for the first time (as detailed in last week’s blog post), Elyse & I decided we had a real issue: our screen time! I’ve touched on this topic on the blog previously, but it’s become prevalent in my life again since going to college. social media is an addiction! Elyse & I had a long, deep conversation that night about how our screen time was practically severing our relationships with the Lord, with each other, & with those around us. it was even getting in the way of our favorite activities & our school work. we were too busy scrolling for hours instead of working, sending each other funny videos instead of talking, & rotting in bed on our phones instead of being active. we had ceased in noticing God’s goodness around us. I felt guilty - guilty that I had let my addiction go unnoticed & take over my person.
one of my mentors, Katie Ginn, said it best in her October Editor’s Letter for MS Christian Living Magazine: “ironically, it’s hard to have a gospel conversation when you’re too busy watching snippets of Christian podcasts on Instagram. my phone is nearly always my biggest distraction from whatever God wants me doing.” her title of this letter is “my struggle to leave the phone alone,” & I happen to agree with every word! my phone is truly my biggest distraction - I really wish it wasn’t.
so, here’s what Elyse & I decided to do:
put a 30 minute total timer on our Instagram & TikTok apps
cease using Snapchat as our main form of communication - call or text if we aren’t together & talk if we are
I put a 20 minute timer on my app because I couldn’t seem to step away from it
stop using our phones at mealtimes - especially when we are with one another
we usually compare screen times before bed
here’s what we noticed happened after a week of these rules:
we stopped using Instagram & TikTok to send each other funny videos as a form of talking. we both agree that our self-esteem has improved & we feel more productive without constant scrolling. we started caring more about our hobbies & watch TV/read together!
our communication has improved! we truly care about conversing face to face with one another (& others). we stopped just assuming the other would understand what we felt or said over Snapchat.
we actually talk when we eat, & tend to pray together before meals (which we realized we never actually did while we were glued to the screen)! the deep questions come up, & sometimes we just talk about the weather, but it all matters because we’re enjoying the other’s company over a meal.
lastly, comparing screen times makes me want to do even better the next day. Elyse & I tend to talk about the success or the failure we had with our screen time that day or the things we’ve noticed/gotten done without being on our phones. feelings of accomplishment & discipline have improved drastically!
I want to you leave you with one more piece of encouragement if you also feel burdened by the screen - a Bible verse! in 1st Corinthians 7:35 Paul states, “I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.” being addicted to the screen lays restraint on you & subconsciously opens your heart/eyes up to sin. what is the Lord trying to show you that you can’t see because your phone is in the way?! give Him your secure & undivided devotion because He deserves it & you deserve to live a healthier lifestyle! lastly, Elyse & I noticed (even in the very first 24 hours of this challenge) that we felt more grateful than usual because we were finally noticing our own blessings & not other peoples! being away from distractions sets your heart in a posture of gratitude. give thanks with a grateful heart!
oh! no Instagram post for this blog post - obviously because I’m trying to limit my activity on the app! thanks for understanding!
⛅️ something out of my comfort zone: pondering the meaning of creativity! since I haven’t been using my social media apps as often, I’ve been stuck in a slight rut when it comes to feeling creative; I started feeling bored & boring. sometimes I’ll read, then I’ll watch a few episodes on TV, maybe I’ll write a little or read my Bible, then I’ll nap because I’m bored, & then go to the gym for an hour - none of my daily activities were making me feel full of wonder & creativity anymore; I felt burntout. I was under the impression that I was creative all the time - in reality, I was just consuming/absorbing the content & creativity of other people. I had lost the time to be creative because I stopped thinking of ideas & drawing true inspiration! that got me thinking - (a) what does it mean to be creative? &, (b) man, I need to learn another creative hobby! let me know - does anyone have any fun, no-screen, hobby suggestions?
the definition of creativity is the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work. did you catch that? an original idea! consume less to create more!
true inspiration comes from the Creator of creativity Himself, the Lord! Psalm 104:24 reveals His grand creativity, “o Lord, how manifold are your works! in wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.” from the sunsets to the flowers to you, He made it all so unique. I just want to sit in His presence, see from His eyes, & learn from Him. there is also joy in the mundane! I’m constantly trying to understand that I need to draw nearer to the Lord when I feel uncreative/boring. also, I don’t have to be perfect at something to feel creative or want to learn a new hobby just to be perfect at it. how can you invite the Lord into your creativity today, friend?
this quote from Carl Jung sums up human creativity quite well: “what did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? herein lies the key to your earthy pursuits.”
⛅️ something I’ve learned: eternal wedding bells! my mom & I attended a wedding of some dear friends this previous weekend - it was such a beautiful event that drenched me in reminders of the love of Christ. I just adore a wedding! in an essence, looking past the sweet couple getting married as one, a wedding is the symbol in the Scriptures of the love between Christ & His church. He has lovingly chosen us! & this marriage is a symbol of His Second Coming!
“let us rejoice and exult & give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, & His Bride has made herself ready.” says Revelation 19:7.
His Bride has made herself ready! one day, this time will come maybe in our lifetimes or maybe not (for even the Son does not know when). we must live each day ready for our Bridegroom to come back for us because it is certain that He will, & we are all invited to the wedding feast. are you ready for that day - is your heart?
I used to wish for Jesus to come back as soon as possible, but I would pray for Him to return after I got married to my earthly spouse. now, I wish for Jesus to come back as soon as possible because my heart & soul know that He is the One that I love for eternity. He is the true example of love, & no human love could ever come close to the love that He holds for His Bride.
⛅️ something I’ve read: Covet by Tracy Wolff & Court by Tracy Wolff! these are the third & fourth books in a YA supernatural romance series that I’m kinda getting sick of! the plot isn’t really there & the fantasy part of this fantasy book is hard to keep up with, but I still have a longing to complete this series for some odd reason. each book is also way too long - like by 500 pages too long. I gave the third book (865 pages) a 3 out of 5, & I gave the fourth book (939 pages) the same rating. to take a break from this six book series, I started reading The Awakening by L.J. Smith - the first book in “The Vampire Diaries” series. I have to say, the TV series is a thousand times better than the book; it was 303 pages, I read it in a day, & I gave it a 2 out of 5 stars for poor quality. this is one of the only times I will ever say this, but just watch the TV show! make sure to check out my goodreads (linked on the blog’s homepage)!
we have constantly been over my love of Taylor Swift’s music, so it should come as no surprise to you that I chose “Evermore” as the song of this post; I really only chose it because it mentions both November & December - this week we end November & start December! perfect for the transition from fall to winter, “gray november, I've been down since july! I replay my footsteps on each stepping stone, tryin to find the one where I went wrong, writing letters. hey, december!”
this week, I challenge you to limit your screen time if you feel called & start a new screen-free hobby! thank you for being here & I hope to see you again soon! 🕊️
make sure to check out the blog’s Instagram & TikTok page (@tuesdaymorningsblog — linked on the blog’s homepage)!
“therefore, encourage one another & build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11
This is SO good ac!!!! Working on limiting my screen time as well. so very encouraged by you
Such a great reminder of limiting our screen time! Something I definitely struggle with! Our time could be spent on something more productive for sure!