FACEBOOKLESS FOR 365 DAYS

The beginning went something like this...

Both of my kids are actually napping at the same time. This rarely happens and when it does I know that the quietness I hear in my home is going to be very short lived. Most days I get so excited that I have this down time that I don't even know what to do with myself first. Laundry? Dishes? Call back a friend? Clean up the playroom? Or maybe actually make myself something to eat? So instead, I just hop on Facebook and see what everyone else is doing. Soon enough the monitor lights are flashing and my time to myself is over. I get so frustrated because the little time I had was now completely wasted. The house looks the same, I still haven't called back my friend, I haven't eaten except for the crust off the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I made for Addyson before her nap and now it's back to being mommy. A full-time job.

This is just one tiny example of what brings me to this blog.

I want to start by saying that no, I do not think Facebook is the devil and by no means am I judging anyone that uses it. In fact, I think it is an absolutely fascinating and amazing social tool and it has done wonders with getting my little "mommy hobby" turned business, Raving Tans, off the ground! I've used Facebook to connect with old friends, network, pray for people, find dogs new homes, ask other moms questions regarding potty training...sleepless nights...and even used Facebook to ask which blog site would be the best for me to begin this journey. I've found it's actually faster for me to post something on Facebook and get all kinds of responses that I trust rather than taking the time to google something! How funny is that?

My issue is completely personal, but I'm hoping maybe some of you out there can relate. I am starting out 2011 as a wife, a mother, a business owner, a disciple of the Lord, a house keeper (hopefully a better cook), a pet owner, a daughter, a sister and a friend. I feel like I am doing all of these things just okay. Well, good has always been the enemy of the best. I know that I want to strive to be better at all of these things and doing so means eliminating time wasters. Since I do not watch any T.V. programs my biggest time waster without a doubt is Facebook. I actually listened to a sermon online and the pastor stated that there are statistics out there showing that the demographic that uses Facebook the most to date is young moms. Oh how it struck me! I am one of them!

I am now publicly challenging myself to 365 days without a personal Facebook page. I will be keeping my business page up to keep my networking going, but that is it. I know this will be hard at first, but I think it will be very freeing as well. I will miss seeing what is going on with everyone and all the pictures of the adorable kids... but hey, that just means we actually have to get together for play dates and TALK in person! How exciting! I laugh at myself because sometimes I feel like I don't even need to get together with someone because I know everything that is going on with them already. I honestly am SO excited to actually get back being personal with people! I have a feeling that this 365 day challenge will turn into life without a Facebook page and I'm totally okay with that.

Some of you may say, well isn't blogging going to be just as much of a time waster? Certainly not. Sitting down to write an excerpt is far different than brainlessly scrolling through my Facebook app on my iPhone all throughout the day or getting online during naptime and reading through the morning's newsfeed. I've been known to scroll through Facebook at stop lights, in the Starbucks drive-thru, even while my kids are both playing together. Please someone tell me I'm not the only crazy person that has done this! lol. That is what HAS to stop. This will be a way for me to document milestones in my kids' lives and moments with our family and someone even told me it can be published into a book! Blogging will be so much different. Of course this is strictly my opinion and that's what blogging is all about.

I just want to thank the Lord for using my two sisters for actually stirring this revelation in me. They were the perfect tools to minister to me. It's funny and humbling that as the oldest of the three of us that I am learning such an incredible lesson through them.

I hope you all will enjoy reading my journey. I used to be a sports writer before motherhood hit, but it has been a while. So I apologize now for grammar mistakes and incomplete sentences. Writing from my heart is much different than recapping a high school football game.

So here goes.. I'm going to post this blog on Facebook as a way of telling my friends and family what I have decided to do, and starting January 7, 2011 I will be deactivating my personal Facebook page for 365 days... I can't wait to see how my life is about to change...

I thank each of you reading this and hope that in some way my little journey may be an inspiration to you to think about your own personal time wasters.

♥     ♥     ♥

After 284 days I had a major Facebook "aha moment." Oh God is good!

Facebook was the catalyst that made me jump into the blogging world, but this moment forever changed the meaning and direction my blog would take.
You can read my Facebook, "aha moment" here. Buckle up.

Now that is something to "like"


♥     ♥     ♥

Dec. 30th, 2011

I'm Going Back. {Prayers for Simon please!}

I'm writing this morning with a lot on my mind. I'm going to try to sift through the mountains of thoughts and try to get this post out as clear as possible. Bear with me.

A week from today I will hit my goal of going 365 days without Facebook. It has been quite a journey, and I've learned a lot. My heart has changed I can promise you that. If you haven't read my Facebook aha! moment, you can read that here.

Up until recently I have been torn on whether or not I want to go back on. I don't really miss it most of the time, but slowly I started feeling it on my heart that it's not about me. Why do I keep making this about me?  Ahh, because I'm human I suppose. :)

My decision at this point is about those that I truly care about. The ones that I have failed at staying in contact with this past year... 

The ones that I had no idea that their baby was born with critical conditions that needed prayer. 
The ones that came down with unique illnesses this year and I was one of the last to know. 
The ones that found out they were pregnant after a long time of trying and I wasn't able to offer my congrats.  

These are the people that I care about and just because I can't make a call to each of them every month to see how they are doing doesn't mean I don't want to know what is going on with them, pray for them, let them know I'm here for them.

At first I think I just expected everyone would get it that I was not on Facebook, therefore, if big events happened, well then text me of course! Guess what, in the heat of a moment when you are crying out for prayer you don't have time to make a second contact list of all the people that don't have social media. I remember this so clearly when we were on our knees asking for prayer on Facebook as I watched my father-in-law pass away within 72 hours of his diagnosis of cancer. This was only 2 years ago and I remember it as clear as day. I could barely get updates up on Facebook, never mind even think about anyone that I may not have reached in that way. But those posts and being surrounded by prayer on that site is what helped keep us going... I hope this is making sense.

Then something happened last night and it confirmed all the feelings I have been having. A friend of mine posted an image on Instagram of a family I know and her caption read: Praying for you Simon! My heart stopped for a moment. Wait a second.. I know them, Simon is only a few months younger than Sawyer. My husband knows her husband... what is going on with Simon!? I posted back on Instagram immediately asking what was going on, and my friend said to add her on Facebook so that I could get all the updates. I was instantly so annoyed at myself. I couldn't get the updates because I am not on Facebook. I had to have my husband add her and then he relayed all the information to me.


Little, sweet, Simon slipped and fell in the bath the night before and was taken to urgent care for what they thought was a concussion. They posted on a Facebook a picture of him in the waiting room and asked for prayer. Literally about 3 hours later they were posting saying that Simon was now fighting for his life. He was life-flighted to San Diego Children's Hospital for emergency brain surgery! Are you kidding me!? I could not believe what I was hearing. So now he went through surgery and is still in critical condition. They are trying to figure out how much brain function he has at this point, keep his temperature down and slowly get him off the sedation. I cannot even imagine the roller coaster this dear family is going through right now. I immediately started praying. I woke up about a million times last night, and every time I woke up I got out the words, Lord heal Simon. This little boy has consumed my thoughts, my prayers.


This incident confirmed what I had already been feeling. 
I'm going back.  

I can't pray, organize meals, help with fundraisers if I don't know what is going on.  

I don't take it personally that I have been the last to know about things, it's just life. Facebook and Twitter are by far the best way at reaching a lot of people in a short amount of time. I'm just thankful I had Instagram otherwise I have no idea how long it would have gone without me knowing about little Simon.

I considered getting back on Facebook a week early so that I could read the updates, but I am going to wait until the 365 are up. I'm having my husband check constantly and update me right now. We both have our hearts invested in his recovery.

Basically, at this point after dealing with my own issues of Facebook I've realized that the positive aspects of it far outweigh the negatives. And if negative feelings start to come back, well, then I should probably check my heart first.  
I'm eager to connect with those that I did lose contact with over the last year. I'm not afraid for a moment that it will consume my time because I've already dealt with that. I think at this point going back on Facebook will probably make me a better friend. If I see something going on, I can personally check in with them and get together. I'm ready to write lovey dove messages on my hubby's wall again.. LOL.

I probably will keep my blog name the same for now because, well, A Mom Without Facebook is where this blog started. It still holds special meaning to me. I think the Lord really taught me a lot during this time I spent away from Facebook. I'm glad I did it, and I'm proud of myself for committing to going the full 365 days without it. Just for the sake of discipline.

I'm still going to be blogging, because I love this way of sharing my thoughts. I love being able to look back at my blog posts this year alone and see where I have come, the different trials I have gone through, the happy moments I have shared and be able to read my exact emotion on that day. Something I will never relive. So although I may not be blogging daily, this momma isn't going anywhere.

I'm coming back to the lovely social networking site.... and if I had to choose one word to describe the feeling... humbled.

In the meantime, I do want to ask for prayer for sweet Simon. I will keep you all updated as his progress continues.

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♥Heather