"Unplugged": My Journey on 7 Things to Simplicity

"So much to do. So little time," said the woman who didn't complete the to-do list again.

Why is it we have so much to do these days and not enough time? Our fore mothers were inundated with tasks around the home and had the same amount of time as we do today. Yet, at the end of the day, they seem to have accomplished more than I can only imagine.

What is different today than the days of old? My first guess would be technology. We are plugged in to so many sources that our eyes become crossed from reading the latest via blog, Facebook news feed, Twitter and you name it. I've lost count of how many times I have sat on Pinterest getting creative ideas to re-decorate a bedroom, but have not been able to do it because I continue to click that button at the bottom to fetch more pins...*sigh* It was then that I realized my life looked like this:

I needed to become unplugged!

I got confirmation when talking to a friend and she shared this book with me. 

Some women in our church are reading this book. The goal is to do an experiment of sorts. I've decided to do something in regards to social media first, but I feel this tug to do more than just media by the end of my experiment(s).

For those who know me IRL (in real life), know that I'm a very social person. Hey, I'm the girl that will dance with the waiters and waitress at Joe's Crab Shack. I'm the one who's so nosy that I will go up to a random person and want to know their life story. I will even go so far as to try and find out if we're cousins or not. That girl, me, is going to unplug herself.

I'm going to unplug myself. I'm going to unplug myself...*repeating it over and over until it sinks in*

I'm starting out slow. Real slow. I'm not sure what that's going to look like. All I know is that I will start on February 18th.

From February 18th-25th, I will unplug from all social media. Social Media for me includes Facebook (which I love), Twitter (my new found obsession), Pinterest (one word: addicting) and Instagram (*big sigh*). I won't even check my emails during the week. Remember, this is just the beginning. I will do other things to "unplug" myself as time goes on. First, I had to start with something I love, social media. I'll leave my greatest love for last. Chocolate! My flesh is already shaking just thinking about that one.

The goal of my personal journey of unplugging is to live out this verse:

Jeremiah 6:16, "Thus says the Lord: Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls."

To help me with this journey, I'm going to delete social media apps from my smart phone. *thump*
Did you hear that loud thump? My was my flesh! It's in the process of dying...

The only way He can increase in my life is if I decrease.

Clear Skies and Sunshine

Finally after months cold and wet weather, Spring is here. Where I live, it's not that unusual to have constant rain. The winter days and night are dreary and long. Someone mentioned to me last week that without the rain we wouldn't have the beautiful spring flowers and the pretty green trees.

As I was preparing my home for Spring and sorting through my stashes of fabric, I lifted my head. I'm smiled quickly as the glistening sun appeared through the evergreen greens.

From that point on I was motivated with excitement and my mind went there. My mind took me to a place where a perfect Spring for me would consist dresses, dresses and more dresses. Did I mention that I love dresses? Well, I do. Add to that, my "need" for just more Spring clothes in general. I can't leave out my obsession with aprons. Surely, I picture myself wearing the cutest floral printed aprons.

It doesn't take long for me to snap back to reality. Reality is where I live. Before I can do any of the things my mind took me, I need to do some Spring cleaning. I found a wonderful home management notebook that's free. All you have to do is download it.

I chuckled a bit as I turned to the first page.

Yep, before I start living out my fantasy of making multiple Spring dresses, I had to make sure my home was in order. You can find the link here at Proverbs 31 Mama. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for your free "Personal Home Diary".

I am happy to say that all of my Spring material is sorted and ready to glide through the steel plates of Pearl. Pearl is my sewing machine and she has quickly become my new "bff". So if you stopped by my house this Spring, you will find me at the table with Sarah doing homeschool work, Pearl and I at the other end trying to live out my fantasy of dresses and aprons galore.

Here's a peak into my Spring projects:

Solid Linen Fabrics

Floral Printed Linen and Rayon Fabrics

Cotton Fabrics: aprons for me, aprons as gifts and house-dresses. 

I'm going to make a few aprons for some Army moms that I've met on Facebook. Our children are in basic training together right now. I will meet these women as we gather together and watch our soldiers graduate from basic training. They don't read my blog so they will be surprised :)



I do have some other aprons I will be making for me. I found this material on sale at JoAnn's Fabric. I'm getting a little more bolder with my fabric selection as I age gracefully.

I also had to sort through my patterns as well. I would not dare show a photo of all my patterns. I'm afraid my friends and neighbors will report me for hoarding. Here are the patterns that I will use this Spring.

Aprons

Clothes

I know that's a lot of material and a lot of ideas. I can't help but to think of the fun that Pearl and I will have as we work together watching the beautiful Spring skies in my neck of the woods.

I Didn't Make the List

I shouldn't have been surprised that I didn't make the list, neither should you. The list I'm talking about is CNN's 50 Most Powerful Women. Out of curiosity, I skimmed through the list seeing if I recognized any of the women. Now I'm wondering where I've been because majority of those women I have never heard of.  Just because I've never heard of them, doesn't mean much. After all, they've never heard of me.

How can a woman such as me make a list like that? 

I feel that I'm qualified to some degree. I'm Vice-President of the one of the most powerful and influential companies there is. Maybe next year I can ask the President of the company I work for to nominate me to make the list. He can tell them how hard I work within the company and all the long hours I've spent training the newbies on staff. Just wait until they see the financial spread sheet from last year. They will be wowed by my accounting knowledge. They will marvel at how I kept the company above water without steady income for a whole year and did it without using the companies credit cards. Surely when they find out the company I work for didn't get a bailout, but I still remained loyal to my present employer that would count for something right?

I have no desire to make such a list as that. However, I do want to be powerful in the lives of those in my home and have influence in my community.

My husband constantly reminds me of how valuable I am in our home. I finally came to the realization that he's right. I am valuable. Valuable to my family. I may not have made CNN's list, but that doesn't mean my hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. According to this my annual salary is over $117,000.

But as my husband would say, "You're priceless Honey."

You too my friend are priceless. Don't let society and the mainstream media tell you that you are not valuable. You are. The things you do around your home don't go unnoticed by our Father in Heaven. When you serve your families, do it as unto the Lord.

Has Sandra Died Yet?

As I passed by the mirror today, I stopped for a moment to take a look at the reflection sharing back at me. It had been a while since I've taken inventory of what's really inside of me. Not sure why I felt a need to take inventory, but I did. It is not because things aren't going good in my life, but I wanted to see what others saw when they looked at me. It's obvious that others can not see the hidden man of the heart. Only God can. One thing I do know is what's in my heart will eventually come out of my mouth. Whether I want it to or not. The Scripture tells me that out of the abundance of my heart, my mouth will speak. That I will be justified by my words and condemned by them also.

How can I go day after day, doing the same routine over and over again without feeling like insanity is lurking around the corner waiting to attach itself to me the minute I turn my back?

As I pondered this question, I couldn't help but notice the words "I" and "me." Then it hit me. It's all about me. Not the Christ who dwells in me. Repentance must take place because I have not followed the plan laid out for me in the Word of God.

Have I died to self yet and realize that it's not about me, but Him? I thought I did, but with my own power I seem to somehow manage to resurrect my flesh and give into the god of "me"ism.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." -Galatians 2:20

In order for me to continue to do what God has called me to do, I have to crucify "me." There are times when my flesh does not want to serve my family, my church and the people around me. Why? Because it's an inconvenience for me, it doesn't fit into my schedule and the things I really want to do that day. Others may not know that I feel this way at times, but if I don't die to self on a daily basis they will. Eventually it will flow from my mouth. When it does, I won't be around to clean up the vomit that's just been spewed. I'll be busy taking care of "me."

As a mother and a wife, I want the words that flow from my mouth to be pleasing to my family. Words go into eternity and they can't be taken back. I don't want this to be about me because it's not. It's about Christ. He (Christ) must increase, but I must decrease.