Welcome to this week’s meeting of Readers Anonymous.
Hi. My name is Lindsey. And I’m addicted to reading.
“Hi Lindsey.”
I love to read. Books, the newspaper, the vast expanse of words available through the Internet, etc. I guess you could say I’m an Internet-aholic, too. There are emails to read and write, blogs to visit, articles to read, new things to learn. Oh, the Internet is a beautiful place! And when there’s no computer, there’s always a good book.
For a couple weeks now, I’ve been praying daily that God would help me figure out how to better organize myself so I can better organize my family and our home. On the days I tried harder to meet all the needs of my three boys, the state of the house plummeted. On the days when I tried harder to keep the house in a presentable and organized condition, I would get aggravated that the boys were always needing something and interrupting me. On those days the house ended up a mess AND the kids were unhappy. I couldn’t figure out how to jive both boys and house. And so I prayed over and over and over again. There must be a way to create the best in both worlds.
Last night- prayers were answered. And as is usually the case, I wasn’t initially keen on what needs to be done. What does my Heavenly Father say will put me in the right direction?
“Give up the Internet for one week.”
Automatically, I started coming up with excuses. But then I paused. Maybe that’s not such a bad idea. Maybe I should take it a step further- no reading whatsoever (except of course, scripture study. Taking that out would have the opposite effect of the one I am seeking.). No Internet, no newspaper, no books.
Am I going to miss relaxing with some reading? Most definitely. But, for me, this is a matter of instant gratification versus more lasting happiness. The funny thing about happiness is that it often follows sacrificing a good thing for a better thing. Opportunity cost, if you will. If I stop all this reading for a week and see what I can accomplish and set up for the long-term, I believe I’ll be happier. Granted, I’m not positive of what the future week holds. Perhaps this will all backfire in my face. But I think it’s a good step to be taking.
And so, I choose happiness. Good-bye Internet. Good-bye books. Good-bye newspapers. I’ll see you all next Friday and much less often from then on.
The content of this post originated from divine inspiration:) The post itself was inspired by MamaBlogga’s January Group Writing Project. Come join in the fun.
Hi. My name is Lindsey. And I’m addicted to reading.
“Hi Lindsey.”
I love to read. Books, the newspaper, the vast expanse of words available through the Internet, etc. I guess you could say I’m an Internet-aholic, too. There are emails to read and write, blogs to visit, articles to read, new things to learn. Oh, the Internet is a beautiful place! And when there’s no computer, there’s always a good book.
For a couple weeks now, I’ve been praying daily that God would help me figure out how to better organize myself so I can better organize my family and our home. On the days I tried harder to meet all the needs of my three boys, the state of the house plummeted. On the days when I tried harder to keep the house in a presentable and organized condition, I would get aggravated that the boys were always needing something and interrupting me. On those days the house ended up a mess AND the kids were unhappy. I couldn’t figure out how to jive both boys and house. And so I prayed over and over and over again. There must be a way to create the best in both worlds.
Last night- prayers were answered. And as is usually the case, I wasn’t initially keen on what needs to be done. What does my Heavenly Father say will put me in the right direction?
“Give up the Internet for one week.”
Automatically, I started coming up with excuses. But then I paused. Maybe that’s not such a bad idea. Maybe I should take it a step further- no reading whatsoever (except of course, scripture study. Taking that out would have the opposite effect of the one I am seeking.). No Internet, no newspaper, no books.
Am I going to miss relaxing with some reading? Most definitely. But, for me, this is a matter of instant gratification versus more lasting happiness. The funny thing about happiness is that it often follows sacrificing a good thing for a better thing. Opportunity cost, if you will. If I stop all this reading for a week and see what I can accomplish and set up for the long-term, I believe I’ll be happier. Granted, I’m not positive of what the future week holds. Perhaps this will all backfire in my face. But I think it’s a good step to be taking.
And so, I choose happiness. Good-bye Internet. Good-bye books. Good-bye newspapers. I’ll see you all next Friday and much less often from then on.
The content of this post originated from divine inspiration:) The post itself was inspired by MamaBlogga’s January Group Writing Project. Come join in the fun.
