When I sit down to desk, with empty black hole called computer at arms length, time can escape me. My fingers type, and I often get trapped. I’ve seen in several places the parallel between the internet being a “net” and the world wide web capturing us like a spider would his prey.
I can also be tempted to believe the lie; the lie that the online world is reality. Sure, there are so many wonderful benefits, I know. Wonderful new friendships, new connections, opportunities to buy and sell, and so forth. But the subtle temptation comes when we think online living is really living. It’s not.
Every person is different. We all struggle with different things. Some questions you can ask yourself to see if you might be spending too much time online:
1) Has the Lord been convicting me about spending too much time online?
2) Is my house a mess?
3) Are my children crying out for my attention?
4) Am I overwhelmed and stressed?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be time to take a step back and evaluate some things. Get your life in order. Set some boundaries. Maybe put a timer by your computer and when it goes off, step away. Make lists the night before about what you would like to accomplish the next day. Be realistic. Ask the Lord to be in it. Everything. Otherwise, your day will be fleeting and empty.
Here’s the view from my front lawn these days.
I think it is pretty great!
Remember, you and I will be most fulfilled living the life God has blessed us with (right in front of us). Love your husband. Enjoy your children. Live. By doing this, you will shine for Christ brighter than anything else you do in this life!
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Thanks for visiting!
What a great reminder. I find that since I got a laptop and then entered the blog world, I spend WAY too much time on the computer. Of course it is either that or the TV, and both need some DOWN time.
Great convicting post! Don’t want life to slip by while I’m at the computer…
What a great post! I struggle with the internet time trap. I wrote a little about it on my blog as well, though it didn’t come out quite as eloquently. I enjoy your blog 🙂
Great questions! In the past few months my time online has been very limited.
I’m not on at all when my husband is on…unless we’re on at the same time. I’d rather look at his handsome face anyway!
I’m deliberately starting school by 9a.m. everyday. That means that I physically get up from the computer desk and sit down at the kitchen table with my children.
I haven’t gotten on the computer until after their work is done; which is about 1:00 or so.
It’s only the 3rd day of school, but I bask in the small accomplishments!
I’m so thankful that God has helped me control my appetite for computer time (just as He did where my appetite for food was concerned).
Love it!
Yes, the house is a mess, often. But your pictures make me want to have school lessons outside today. Blessings to you as I close the laptop.
Traci – this is such a great post! Time just slips away when I’m online. I don’t ever want my children to look back and remember me as sitting in front of a laptop while they played.
YES! This is something I have been dealing with latley, so I love this post. Thanks for the reminder, and I better get off this thing cause my baby boys are waking up!
Morning! Did you read my post on Hiding?
Just talked about the things we hide behind, and computer/media is one of mine, as well as coughcoughchocolatecoughcough.
I think sometimes the bigger issue i the thing we are trying to shut down, and hide from as well, as it just being a bad habit. Another question could be, “Ok, so I know I am neglecting my house, children, hubby, God…but I can’t break this pull and pattern of sitting in front of the computer….why?”
Sometimes I think there is much deeper reasons for it. What do you think, lovie? Do you agree with that? Would love your thoughts on that.
muah.. love you so!
What more can I say you are so right!!!!!!!!
Beautiful pictures. I have to hurry up here and go make ice cream with my kids 🙂
Great post! I often think of this in regards to relatiosnhips. Am I investing in face-to-face relationships or only via the computer screen? What is honoring to God in all this?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this too
What a wonderful post! Thank you for taking the time to write it out beautifully. I am bookmarking it for future reference.
May the LORD help us all to be discipined and wise with our time spent here…all time is valuable…where do we spend it?
Have a lovely day!
Blessings,
Camille
Thank you for stopping by my blog. I appreciate it. I also really liked this post. It is a great reminder to me. I need to be better at managing my time online. It is easy to let time get away from you and ignore the really important things in life.
Blessings!
LaVonne
Excellent and convicting post. Thank you for being bold and posting the truth.
Rachel
Awesome post! SO SO SO true.
Great post… You do have a great view. Hope you have the best day.
What a great reminder. It is sometimes so easy to get caught up in the online word we are in and ignore what is right in front of us.
Excellent post.
Good post! On a slightly different note, I have been feeling recently like our cable needs to go. I just have to convince my husband. I think it will remove temptaion to sit around, and sometimes even my daughter gets caught up in the passing and ends up watching too (just food network or whatnot), but I think it would be a great idea to help me at least get the priorities straight without distraction and save a little money each month!!
Thanks for the post!
You are sooo right! The computer – really the internet – just sucks away time if I’m not careful. I try to save online time for when my kids are in bed and hubby is working late. By the way, I love your shots of those trees! The cute kiddos are an added blessing,too! 😉
Great as always, Traci.
So true . . . I’m spending less time reading blogs and more time on what’s in front of me. I thought I’d miss it more, but I really don’t. Sometimes we need to be reminded of what our priorites should be!
I can totally get sucked into the computer too and before I know it I have been on the computer way too long. Thanks for reminding me to step away! Thanks too for sharing the GMG code with me!
I added this post to my Monday Morning Favorites today. Hope you don’t mind 🙂