Social Media Sabbatical – Day Four

Today marks the fourth day of my vacation from all social media.  It truly can be said you don’t know how many hours of your day are spent doing something until you’re not doing it any more.  There are many times during the past four days that I’ve had to ask myself “What am I going to do now?”

Wednesday was the beginning of the Lenten season and my hiatus was designated for its start on this day.  The early morning hours upon waking suddenly had a lot more time available than I might have imagined.  I started a guided meditation “Encounter” to fill some of the time and continued to do that on Thursday and Friday.  I did feel like I got good results from the time spent, even if meditating is still a struggle for me.  I would imagine it will get easier with time.  I also attended the Ash Wednesday service at my church and actually did some real socializing.

Thursday was a busy day with my job as a free-lance photographer. I had agreed to take pictures for a local groups “Women’s History Month” award ceremony and reception.  Once again, it afforded me the opportunity to actually get out and meet and talk with people instead of spending an inordinate amount of time on social media.

Friday I was once again on the prowl taking pictures for the local newspaper taking pictures for their weekly feature.  I attended the opening night of a play at a local theatre and went by a nearby restaurant to fill my quota of shots.  At both places I saw acquaintances and interacted with them.  While uploading my pictures at the newspaper office, I heard a call on the police scanner for an automobile accident and went to get some pictures on the scene.  One of those pictures can be viewed at the end of this entry.

Today, Saturday, I went to eat breakfast with a high school friend and attended a recovery meeting.  Once again, getting out and about and actually doing things instead of cruising social media was the end result.  I’m most likely going to attend another recovery meeting this evening to support a friend who will be sharing his story.

There are definitely those parts of browsing social media that I miss. I’ve missed posting occasional pictures of interesting things I find on my daily journey.  I am keeping track of the pics I would usually share and will be sharing those when I return to the social media scene.  Some of the pictures I’ve taken I’ve chosen to share here.

Discipline is a key part of the sabbatical I’ve taken from social media.  I know there’s good reason why I’ve chosen this as what I’m doing without this season.  I had contemplated doing much the same before the season of Lent actually started.  I’m sure this will be easier as time goes on and then there’s that day, Easter Sunday, when I’m going to be making a decision whether or not to return at all.

David Lee

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Daily Readings for Saturday, March 9th

24 Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day

It is the quality of my life that determines its value. In order to judge the value of a person’s life, we must set up a standard. The most valuable life is one of honesty, purity, unselfishness, and love. All people’s lives ought to be judged by this standard in determining their value to the world. By this standard, most of the so-called heroes of history were not great men. “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, if he loseth his own soul?”

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be honest, pure, unselfish, and loving. I pray that I may make the quality of my life good by these standards.

Language of Letting Go

 

Taking Care of Ourselves

We cannot simultaneously set a boundary and take care of another person’s feelings. It’s impossible; the two acts contradict.

What a tremendous asset to have compassion for others! How difficult that same quality can make it to set boundaries!

It’s good to care about other people and their feelings; it’s essential to care about ourselves too. Sometimes, to take good care of ourselves, we need to make a choice.

Some of us live with a deeply ingrained message from our family, or from church, about never hurting other people’s feelings. We can replace that message with a new one; one that says it’s not okay to hurt ourselves. Sometimes, when we take care of ourselves, others will react with hurt feelings.

That’s okay. We will learn, grow, and benefit by the experience; they will too. The most powerful and positive impact we can have on other people is accomplished by taking responsibility for ourselves, and allows others to be responsible for themselves.

Caring works. Caretaking doesnt. We can learn to walk the line between the two.

Today, I will set the limits I need to set. I will let go of my need to take care of other peoples feelings and instead take care of my own. I will give myself permission to take care of myself, knowing its the best thing I can do for others and myself.

Daily Meditation – Life is all about Relationships…

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV).

Contentment does not come naturally to human beings. By nature, we are restless sheep. Yet we can learn contentment. Learning contentment means we stop incessantly grabbing for more.

Philippians 4:12-13 says, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (NIV).

The greatest things in life aren’t things.

In America it’s considered a tragedy to “die penniless.” But what better time to go? If you were out of here the moment you spent your last cent, I’d call that wise, not foolish. That’s just a brilliant way to live and die!

 Nobody ever asks for things in the final moments of life. They always ask for people, because eventually everybody learns that life is all about relationships. Why not learn that sooner? It sure would relieve a lot of stress.

Life is not about achievements. It’s not about accomplishments.

Devotional image from Rick Warren

 

Click hear to listen to Rick Warren’s Thoughts on Relationships

 

Readings for Friday, March 8

24 Hours a Day

Meditation for the Day

The joy of true fellowship shall be mine in full measure. I will revel in the joy of real fellowship. There will come back a wonderful joy, if I share in fellowship now. Fellowship among spiritually minded people is the embodiment of God’s purpose for this world. To realize this will bring me a new life joy. If I share in humanity’s joy and travail, a great blessing will be mine. I can truly live a life not of earth, but a heaven life here and now.

Prayer for the Day

I pray that I may be helped and healed by true spiritual fellowship. I pray that I may sense His presence in spiritual fellowship with His children.

Language of Letting Go

Surrender

Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.
—Step Three of Al-Anon

Surrendering to a Power greater than ourselves is how we become empowered.

We become empowered in a new, better, more effective way than we believed possible.

Doors open. Windows open. Possibilities occur. Our energy becomes channeled, at last, in areas and ways that work for us. We become in tune with the Plan for our life and our place in the Universe.

And there is a Plan and Place for us. We shall see that. We shall know that. The Universe will open up and make a special place for us, with all that we need provided.

It will be good. Understand that it is good, now.

Learning to own our power will come, if we are open to it. We do not need to stop at powerlessness and helplessness. That is a temporary place where we re-evaluate where we have been trying to have power when we have none.

Once we surrender, it is time to become empowered.

Let the power come, naturally. It is there. It is ours.

Today, I will be open to understanding what it means to own my power. I will accept powerlessness where I have no power; I will also accept the power that is mine to receive.

Big Wave Dave’s “Spin of the Day” for Thursday, March 7

 

Lovely Day
Bill Withers
When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind
Then I look at you
And the world’s alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it’s gonna be
A lovely day
A lovely day
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you
And the world’s alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it’s gonna be
A lovely day
A lovely day
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you
And the world’s alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it’s gonna be
A lovely day
A lovely day
Songwriters: William Harrison Withers Jr. / Skip Scarborough
Lovely Day lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Golden Withers Music