Last night I was having a conversation with a friend about how I want to be more present with the people I am currently physically with instead of always feeling the need to run to my phone to respond to text messages to people elsewhere (who are probably with other people as well).
I have noticed recently that I have become so accustomed to text messaging that I want to send a friendly txt or movie quote to a friend at random times of the day, whenever inspiration hits -whether or not I am with other friends at the time. The cell phone has created this phenomenon that I don't think I would otherwise have acquired. I've found that I'm walking along the paths at school with my head down and trying not to run into things, trees or other people.
As a result,this friend challenged me to go a day without texting or facebooking anyone who was not at school with me (with the exception of my family). I didn't want to accept the challenge but the competitiveness in me took over and I accepted the challenge.
Wow I learned a lot.
This morning on my way to breakfast, I had more focused conversation with my roommate who was walking beside me. Later in the day I noticed the trees and birds around me on the paths. I even was able to make eye contact with people and have short little conversations with them. I wasn't even distracted in class to answer text messages. Not that I don't normally notice the trees or talk to people on the path, but I didn't feel the urgency to use the "unstructured" time to be texting or calling people. It was so refreshing. I was able to enjoy my surroundings. I even heard something rather profound from God because I wasn't distracted by my phone. (I think I'm going to start putting my phone on silent when I have my time with God because no one is more important than God and text messages can wait. )
I'm so thankful for this exercise. It really made me think about how I am spending my time when I am with my friends. No, I'm not going to stop texting, but I am going to try to be more aware of what is going on around me and be more intentional with the people I am with - afterall, I won't be with them forever.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Actions speak louder than words...and you are contradicting yourself
This is something that I wrote for my church weekly email.
"Actions speak louder than words... and you are contradicting yourself."
That was my Facebook status earlier this week. It was provoked by thoughts recently of some of my friends, both back home and here at school. These friends have grown up in the church and profess to be Christians. They seem to be good people, but sadly they are in many ways just like my summer co-workers who want to have nothing to do with Jesus. There's little substance to their faith - no fruit, no works, no evidence that the Lord has gotten a hold of them.
James says "Faith without works is dead." (Jas 2:14) Jesus warned the church "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Rev 3: 15-16) I think we should take these warnings seriously.
It is so easy for us to get comfortable in our little bubbles, thinking that we are fine living on yesterday's religion, but in reality we are becoming lukewarm. I can see it in my friends. I can see it in my classmates. And I am concerned.
I am swimming against a lukewarm current and I need others around me, doing the same. Let's pray every day that people will get to know Jesus by watching our lives. I try to leave no question - is she really who she says she is? But I don't want my actions to be glorifying myself, no, instead I desire that the essence left behind by my life is that of the Latin phrase: Soli Deo Gloria - to God alone be glory.
Soli Deo Gloria,
kaitlin
"Actions speak louder than words... and you are contradicting yourself."
That was my Facebook status earlier this week. It was provoked by thoughts recently of some of my friends, both back home and here at school. These friends have grown up in the church and profess to be Christians. They seem to be good people, but sadly they are in many ways just like my summer co-workers who want to have nothing to do with Jesus. There's little substance to their faith - no fruit, no works, no evidence that the Lord has gotten a hold of them.
James says "Faith without works is dead." (Jas 2:14) Jesus warned the church "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Rev 3: 15-16) I think we should take these warnings seriously.
It is so easy for us to get comfortable in our little bubbles, thinking that we are fine living on yesterday's religion, but in reality we are becoming lukewarm. I can see it in my friends. I can see it in my classmates. And I am concerned.
I am swimming against a lukewarm current and I need others around me, doing the same. Let's pray every day that people will get to know Jesus by watching our lives. I try to leave no question - is she really who she says she is? But I don't want my actions to be glorifying myself, no, instead I desire that the essence left behind by my life is that of the Latin phrase: Soli Deo Gloria - to God alone be glory.
Soli Deo Gloria,
kaitlin
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