How Much is Too Much?

      The other day I decided to sit down and re-read  Women Living Well, Finding Your Joy in God, Your Man, Your Kids, and Your Home by Courtney Joseph.   As I was reading,  I had to stop and read chapter 7 again.   I wanted to glean all I could from those words on the pages.  I never want to put social media over my family or husband.  It is hard in the age of smart phones, laptops, tablets and computers, not to get sucked in.   We all want to know what is going on don't we?  We want to read our friends posts on Facebook, we giggle at Tweets, we have to answer that email right away.  So how much is too much?

      If you find your children staring at you with eyes that long for you play with them, or you look up and glance at your husband and he is gazing at you with that look of  "Will she ever get off that device?"   Those are your red flags that enough is enough.  You must put down your electronic devices and spend quality time playing and reading with your kids.  Your husband has needs that you are responsible for meeting.  They need you.... unplugged from the world... and ready to listen to them.

      It can be difficult to set times to work on our blogs, or to put down our phones when we get 20 notifications, but we have got to be intentional about putting limits on our use of devices.  I can't tell you how many times I have had to ask my children to repeat what they have said, or to wait one minute while mommy read this, due to my overuse of social media.  It is addicting.  I am not proud of myself.  I have to tell myself that I will never get these moments back with my children.  They will only be this age once, and oh my it goes by so quickly.  You blink and they are grown.

     For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.  ~ Titus 2:11-12

     We must have self-control when it comes to using our devices.   We have to think... is this beneficial to my family?  Is this pleasing to the Lord?  Am I addicted to these things and are they causing me to lose sight of my priorities?  

       Our priorities must be GOD first and OUR FAMILIES second.  If the internet or social media applications are taking their places in our lives, we have to stop using them right away.   We have to get our lives back on track.  One way to accomplish this is to fast.  I don't mean food... I mean our phones and computers.   We need to turn them off and reconnect with our Father and families.  This will not be easy, but it will be worth it.  

     I have done this a few times in the last year.  Before doing this I hadn't realized how many times I picked up my phone in a day or how many times I sat down at the computer.  I was suddenly very aware that these things were taking over my days and nights.  It was an eye opener for sure!  Now I have time set aside to write and get posts ready for my pages and groups on Facebook.  I allow myself to use my phone for 5 minutes every hour during the waking hours of the day, but the rest of time, I put my devices on the desk and only use it for emergencies or contact with my family who are not here in the home with me.  When talking with my children or husband, I look into their eyes and let them know I am really listening.  I won't be missing anything in their lives in order to keep up with things that don't really matter in the big scheme of things.  I will be present for them!   

      What will you do today to ensure your family has your presence?