Lessons from Beautiful Boy

Last night my husband and I went to see the movie Beautiful Boy. It's a story about drug addiction and the affects on both the user, and those who love them. It caused me to think of those I know personally who have passed away from their drug use. I thought of their parents. I had the realization of the emotions and things they experienced prior to their child's death as they watched their beautiful boy (or girl) turn into another person. 

The film also shows how a father will go to great lengths to find the son he once knew. This film is not intended to be a Christian film, but it definitely had spiritual parallels. I thought of how Jesus looks for us while we are lost in our sin. As the father told the son, "This is not who you are!" I recalled all the times God has spoken those words to me. Steve Carell did a wonderful job portraying the anguish a parent goes through as their child makes decisions that are not in their best interest. It was a small glimpse into how God must feel as we disobey Him and the things He has told us are good for us. We seek out things other than Him to fill the hole in our hearts. We strive to get the next "high" when nothing but His presence will truly satisfy. 

Many of us know the story of the prodigal son in the bible. I wonder if the father searched for his son. I wonder if he lost sleep due to his anxiety over where his son was and what he was doing. This film is the modern day prodigal son story, as told by the father. It's also a reminder of where our seemingly innocent choices can lead us to choices with far more dangerous consequences. Where are you in your walk today? Are you running from God in an attempt to get your next high? Do you feel a void inside that you just can't seem to fill? There is only one way to find true peace and happiness. Stop running and come home to Jesus. He's been watching and waiting for you. 

I Broke Up With Social Media

I have been active on social media for years. Most of my activity has been through Facebook, but I've dabbled in the worlds of Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. They have provided me with a way to stay connected to many people. Or at least they have given the illusion of staying connected. The reality is, I'm less connected to people than I've ever been. It was only through disconnected that I realized how much time social media has been stealing from me.

A couple weeks ago my husband attended a week long men's retreat. Part of the retreat involved him not having access to his phone, computers, or any connections to anyone outside of the retreat. I decided to log off my Facebook for the time he was gone as a way to join him in this experience. I learned several things about myself during that week away from Facebook. The first realization occurred on the first day of my disconnection. It was the revelation of how many times a day I pick up my phone to scroll through my feed. I had logged out in order to not get notifications and also to stop myself from simply hitting the icon on my phone and seeing what was happening in the "world." I wish I could tell you it only happened once or twice that I picked up my phone and clicked that app. A more accurate number is closer to ten. That's ten times of attempting to open an app I had decided I was not using that week. If I did it that many times in a day when I was NOT using it, how many times a day did I do that when I WAS using it?

The second realization is how much more peaceful my world is without the constant barrage of bad news, bickering opinions, negative attitudes, and the overall gloom and doom of what people discuss online. Yes, I realize not everything is negative, however I have found an overwhelming majority of it is quite depressing.

The third discovery I've made is how much more time I have to do other things I enjoy. Since ending my affair with Facebook, I've read three books. I'm averaging about one a week. Previously I was averaging about one a month. I've cooked more dinners and spent more time with my family. Not only am I spending more time with them, but I'm more present in those moments. I've also realized I spend far more time in worship and prayer. I start my day with Jesus rather than with my newsfeed.

I am not completely disconnected from social media, but what I've learned over the last few weeks is that I don't NEED it as much as I previously thought. I was shown today how bad the addiction to social media can be. We took our daughters to see the latest version of The Grinch movie and while in the theater I witnessed a woman sitting near us on her phone browsing through her Facebook feed. She did this through almost the entire movie. Her addiction was so bad she could not even put it away long enough to watch an animated movie with her children. I can't say I've ever felt the need to read status updates while in a theater, but how many other moments have I not been present because of my attention on things that don't really matter?

I challenge you, yes YOU reading this, to take a break from social media. Sign off the app on your phone so that way you don't accidentally find yourself logging in and catching yourself ten minutes (or more!) later. I started this for just a week, but after a week found it is something I simply don't really need in my life. I would love to hear what you find time to do again without the distraction of social media in your life. I encourage you to ask God to show you what other time stealers are in your life. What is Satan using to distract you from what really matters?

Your Money, Your Marriage by Cherie and Brian Lowe

I have to admit a book tying together how improving your handling of money can increase your sex life in marriage had me feeling a little skeptical. However, the authors do a great job explaining how the two seemingly unrelated issues impact each other greatly.  The Lowe's give examples of ways they saw their marriage improve as they improved their communication over finances. The book provides very practical ways to initiate conversations about money and how you can show your spouse you care about their opinions, even when they differ. 

I found this book very helpful as the conversations about money are often very uncomfortable. The strategies given have proven very beneficial to my marriage. The authors have challenged me to examine my own spending habits and the ways I am working against the goals we have set as a couple. The wisdom given is not just good advice, it is also Bible based and Godly. I found this selection easy to follow along with and enjoyable to read! 

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”