Thoughts After a Long Hiatus

I knew it had been a while since I last blogged, but I didn’t realize it had been nearly two months!  The days seem to go by so fast, weeks into months, that before you know it, whole seasons have changed.  Hmmmm….there’s probably a sermon in that somewhere.  I can’t really put a finger on one thing that makes life crazy…it just is!

Life has been hectic, to say the least, since my boy Silas arrived early this year.  Adjusting to life with an infant again, and child #3 at that, has been a learning curve for us.  Sleep depravation is getting better, but…do you ever really get enough?  I don’t think so.

Many a night has ended with me out like a light on the couch, having to be roused up by Amanda to head upstairs to sleep, only to be shook awake by the incessant vibrating of our “hi-tech” baby monitor, letting me know that Silas requests my company.

One thing that the Lord seems to be working on Amanda and me about is our use of technology, specifically the wonderful electronic leash that is the cell phone.  The beeps, tweets, emails and calls beg for our constant attention to be drawn away from the truly needful things in our lives:  our kids and each other.

The goal for me is to lay my phone down when I get home, and not pick it back up until the morning.  I haven’t been fully successful, but I’m getting there.  I keep reminding myself that, before the cell, if someone really needed me, they could still find me.  I think that still holds true. I’ll keep you posted on that one.

We had the privilege of taking the kids to the beach for a few days at the beginning of May, and I unplugged almost completely during that time, and I must say it was great.  I resisted the urge to Instagram every moment of our kids as we enjoyed the waves and sand, and you know what? I have a boatload of pics in my head that are just as vivid and good as any Facebook feed.  Better, in fact.

I’m not knocking it, just saying that I think I sometimes think so much of taking a picture, editing it, titling it and waiting for comments than actually enjoying the moment and making real memories.  I don’t want to see my kids grow up through the screen on my iPhone.  God gave me two eyes with pretty good vision, and a mind to capture every moment (I haven’t maxed it out just yet), so I think I’ll stick with that.

Honestly, when I think about why I haven’t written in a while, two things come to mind. One, time in front of this screen, even if I’m sitting right beside Amanda, is just not the better choice…over pretty much anything.  I’ve spent more time reading (yes, with a Kindle, but still, it’s reading).  I’ve missed that.

Second, I’ve been going through a spot where I feel like I truly have nothing to say that hasn’t been said before, and instead of writing for writing’s sake (I know all you writers out there will bristle at this), I’ve chosen not to write.  Perhaps this has just been a season where I need to think more about what God is saying to me than my need to say something through this blog.  Hmmmm…I might be onto something there.

The funny thing is that I started this year off with a goal of blogging at least once a week.  HA!  I haven’t even hit once a month!  But you know what, I don’t regret that at all.  I’m pretty sure I never will.