Monday Morning Encouragement…
Hi Everyone!
It’s been a while since I’ve been on here, and a lot has been on my heart… so I wanted to send out a quick little “Monday Morning Encouragement” and say HI to everyone.
Here’s why I’ve been a little quiet lately…
Social Media is hard.
I don't know about you, but I feel like there’s a built in “pressure gauge” the social media giants are squeezing us with, and it’s getting harder and harder to be on it without feeling the stress build to a “pressure cooker” level as I’m scrolling. Not that I don’t love seeing all the beauty and creativity on IG and FB, but I don’t think our brains were wired for the constant bombardment before our eyes.
The Pressure of the Scroll…
Do you have feelings of being overwhelmed by the scroll too? The pressure to preform, the anxiety or stress that builds as we see “all the things” out there? Do you start playing the comparing game and think your life/art/vacations/home/etc. don’t measure up? Maybe you go on for a few minutes and then you feel guilty b/c you’ve wasted an hour or more being distracted, just scrolling on your phone?
Well, that’s why I was feeling frozen lately. Don’t get me wrong… I still LOVE connecting with all of you, I love seeing your lives in my scroll, where you’re going, what your doing… but when I go on IG for more than a few minutes my brain is overwhelmed by it all. Then I don’t even know what to share or talk about or post, and I end up so confused and unmotivated to do anything.
So what are we to do?
This morning on the way to the chiropractor I was thinking about this and realized it’s all about the balance between focus and distraction. Not that we need to bring everything into the spiritual realm, but I think for me, it’s about the choice to focus on the Lord or be distracted by the world. Every year I write the devotional on a specific theme, I feel like I’m really tested in that area in my personal life. This year is no different. It hit me today that my focus is off.
Here’s Some Encouragement for All of us:
These come straight out of my devotional, but I think I need to hear them this week, and maybe you do to:
~ How can we be the “light of the world” when we’re distracted by all this dark world is bombarding us with?
~ How can we use our artistic gifts as a form of worship & witness if we’re comparing ourselves to others?
~ How can we see the needs of others when we’re so focused on ourselves?
~ How can we share the light of Jesus in this dark world when we’re not living in the amazing grace, hope and life of our salvation in Jesus on a daily basis?
I know this is a LOT to ponder, but remember this…
God is not a God of confusion, but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
Friends, I pray this week will be a week of encouragement for you. I hope you’ll find the balance that works in your daily life. I hope I encouraged you to run to Jesus first, focus on Him as you start your day and ask Him to direct your steps this week. It will bring peace, I promise!
That’s where I’m starting this week, and I’d love to pray for you if this is something you need to do as well.
Let’s reconnect this week with the source of our creativity.. our Creator God!
Hugs to all,
Laura
P.S. I’ll be sharing lots more on the blog this week. I have some fun updates on next years retreats, the Scholarship Fund and MORE! And, that cute tote is in my shop, along with the devotional and new colors of our Traveler’s Notebooks too!
