While I was away....

Life without Facebook has been awesome so far! I haven't missed it much. The downfall would be the embarrassing pictures/videos my lovely friends have posted of me, with the knowledge I will not sign on to remove them.

This may be considered cheating, but this is a few potential statuses/tweets that would have occurred this week if possible:

• is it just me, or do frat boys shorts seem to be getting shorter everyday?
• What is going on with this weather? I never know what to wear? #layering
• Tried to rent a tiger.....bad idea. #fail
• "Become the person you would want to date, would want to date.".... some great PCM encouragement
• JASMINES.... best lunch EVER!
• Brittany Hall is awesome!!!
• GO PACK!
• My favorite part of a wolfpack win is dancing to "jump on it"
• Lord give me rest...... because I have no time to give it to myself!
• I miss my pillow!
• One test down, two to go!
• Officially a Mary kay consultant!!! So excited!!!
• Ordered business cards!!! Is this real life?

Hasta La Vista Facebook and Twitter!

Social media has been such a wonderful addition to our modern world. I once was on my way to class and realized I forgot a essay that was due. On my blackberry I pulled my essay up through google docs, emailed to my friend, and she printed it in time to bring it to class. Wow...couldn't do that 10 years ago.

Social Media has also allowed me to know what all of my "friends" are doing every second of the day. I quote friends because there is no way I actually have 981 friends. At the same time I am reading play by plays of my pretend friends lifes, I can let everyone else know what I am doing every second of my day via facebook and twitter.

It has recently come aware to me what a negative role social media has been playing in my life:

1. There has been a LOT of mornings I have not to had enough time to read my bible....so I made myself think! Did I have time to check my facebook? YES

2. Through Facebook and Twitter I have time to "invest" in peoples lives. By "invest" I mean look at their pictures, read their favorite quotes, watch their homemade videos....you know....all that "I'm not a stalker even though I act like it" stuff. All this time could have been used actually investing in peoples lives with solid conversations.

3. I am at college for a education in interpersonal and public communications and non-profit studies. I am NOT in college to spend ridiculous amounts of time uploading pictures to facebook or tweeting Scotty McCreery in hopes he will tweet me back.

In the 10 commandments the very first command was "do not have any other gods before Me." If I am having time to chat away on facebook but yet not enough time to chat it up with God. Or If I have time to read all 1,543 of Kellie Picklers tweets, but yet not enough time to read Gods Word..... I am putting another god before Him.

John 4:23 says...."But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him." I want to be the kind of women of God that He is looking for. I want to worship Him in all aspects of my life. I mean...how sad would it be if we were on facebook when the Lord returned?? As much as I am logged in...there is a huge possibility it would happen!

So to help me grow closer to the Lord and lean less on social media... I will be facebook and twitter fasting for a while. Though it is my conviction and not anyone elses.... I still would love it if this started a pattern..... try it out!      

Surprise Us God!!

One of my absolute favorite things about having believing friends is praying together; it has been a huge encouragement in my life, especially in the last few weeks.

 Often when we pray, we pray that God fix something, prevent something, or stop something. We assume in our head bad things are going to happen, but why do we do that? For example...a few weeks ago the weather men predicted that a monstrous hurricane would hit the eastern coast. Scared, we all prayed, "God protect my family, protect my house, keep us safe." When did God say He was going to hurt anything? We took a possible situation and ran with it, creating fear in our heads and hearts.

The other night a group of my favorite people got on our knees together to pray. I think this night may  have possibly transformed the way I talk to God. We were going around the circle chatting away to God and asking him for favors. We likewise were dueling on a possible bad situation that was causing us to be fearful.  Then one of my sweet friends began her prayer with..."SURPRISE US GOD!"

These words put a huge smile on my face. We serve such a amazing God, who has everything under control. We don't need to try to take over his job and figure it out our self, nor do we need to create problems for Him to fix. We should pray, "surprise me God." He is so much more wiser than we are....what a great thing to rest on. When we surrender to Him like my friend did, and acknowledge He has bigger and better things in store for us, He proves Himself to us over and over again.

That night God surprised us!!! He gave us peace, and patience. He took total control of the situation, and we all know He was right there with us.

"But He said "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."" -Luke 18:27