MEDIA MONDAY - WEEK THREE

THIS IS JUST A TYPICAL  STREET  HERE IN MY  HOMETOWN.  

Hi everyone,
How was your weekend ?   My weekend was pretty    good.  I'm behind on my crafting.  So I won't be  spending that much time on my blog or  on Facebook today.   
Today is Week Three in the "Media Monday" series over at the Women Living Well site. Click here to visit this week's link. It's about media and our spouses.

Now, I am NOT married. I'm still single, so I have absolutely no street credit when it  comes to talking about this subject. However, there is one point that  I can identify with and that is spending so much time with  technology, that you don't spend time wth your loved ones.  

As  most of you know, my dad and I share an apartment.  It saves on expenses. Plus, my dad and I get along, so at this season in my life, there is no reason to live in seperate places. Also, my dad and I very much have our own lives. That's  a good thing and very important.  Well, I was beginning to notice, that the computer was taking up a lot of time, in my life and my dad's life.  So  much so, that we'd cook breakfast,  and my dad would take his upstairs      while he was working on the computer. I'd be left to sit downstairs by myself . Sometimes I was the one who had breakfast upstairs.

Long story short, it was really starting to  get on my nerves and make me  sad. We are not so busy that we can't turn off the technology at least during mealtimes. We all have the same amount of time in the day.  If our loved ones  really are the most important, do we  show it? So my dad and I agreed that we would  eat together. No computers, no nothing. It's been working out great.   We talk more. Dad tells many more silly jokes. It's really nice :)  :)   

Again, as Courtney points out  in her post, technology is a-moral. It's what we do with it, that it could be used for good or bad.  I think anything that starts to detract too heavily from personal interactions with other people can be too much.  So at least for me and my little home, we'll not be using the computer during mealtimes ;) :)     

MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S OLD SHOP SCALE, WITH SOME ADDED LACE AND A VINTAGE-LOOKING PIGGY BANK : :) :)

 That's about it for today.  The weather has been really cloudy and in the 70s the last few days. It's been a welcome relief from the heat.  I know so many people need rain.  I'm praying for rain and lots of it.

I've got a lot on my mind today..or so it seems.   This post is shorter than usual.  Knitting and crocheting are on my list of things to do today.  Oh, I have this craving for a nice juicy cheeseburger, today. Not sure if I'll actually get one, but I still want to eat one :)  :)    Have a  really great  Monday everyone.   That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)                               

MEDIA MONDAY - WEEK TWO

FEEL FREE TO SHARE THIS SCRIPTURE PICTURE ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGES OR ON YOUR BLOGS. IF YOU DO, PLEASE LINK BACK TO MY BLOG. THANKS BUNCHES.

Hi everyone,
            How are you all today? Did you have a good weekend? I had a great weekend.  I discovered that rootbeer floats not only taste good with vanilla ice cream. It's also fantastic with coffee-flavored ice cream, too :) :) Oh, imagine a rootbeer float with  java chip coffee ice cream :) :) Yummy :) :)
            I didn't have any photos for today. So I'm just pulling out random photos for you to day, to enjoy.  Today is week two of the Media Monday series over at the Women Living Well site.  Feel free to visit that site. It's a wonderful place to visit.  You'll learn a lot, too and receive godly encouragement.  Even if you are a single lady like me, you can still participate. There's a lot we can learn from married ladies. Plus, there are certain things about our Christian lives that apply to all of us as women across the board.

           Week Two's post was entitled "iPad, iPad, iPhone or The Great I AM" It was a wonderful post.   Oen of the things I like is that it isn't preachy. It's one woman's heart to live a life pleasing to God and how that figures into our everyday lives, including the use of technology. Click on the above link or on the "Media Monday" button on my right sidebar to read the article for yourselves.
 

THE PLAZA IN DOWNTOWN ASHLAND, OREGON.  IF YOU EVER HAVE A CHANGE TO VISIT, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE CITY. ONE THING THAT STANDS OUT, IS HOW EASY IT IS TO GO FOR A WALK. IT'S SO PRETTY, YOU HAVE TO GO FOR A WALK TO ENJOY THE SUNSHINE.

              I'll share some of the points that I found especially interesting. I really found the whole article very interesting :) :)     When I was younger, the way I communicated with friends far away was to write a good old-fashioned letter - pen on paper ;) :)  Now with technology, I hardly ever do that any more. I really miss that and will work on getting back into real letter writing.   One really good point that Courtney makes in the opening paragraph is that technology is a-moral. It's neither good or bad. It's what we do with the technology, that really determines whether it's bad or good. Do you use it for good things, like reaching out to others, sharing Christ, sharing your tips on homemaking etc? Or do you use it to bring people down, gossip etc? Those are just a couple of things to think about.

PINK SAUCER MAGNOLIA TREE. THIS TREE BLOOMED VERY EARLY WHEN WE HAD A STREAK OF WARM WEATHER BACK AROUND MARCH. OH, YEAH, THIS IS OREGON WEATHER. IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY STATES WHERE YOU CAN EXPERIENCE ALL FOUR SEASONS IN ONE HOUR........LITERALLY :)

 I struggled with doing my devotions on a daily basis. There's so much to do. I want to get all the items on my list checked off and finished. So when I get so busy, I forgot to read my Bible.  For me at least, reading my Bible in the morning, really sets the tone for the entire day. It affects my mood and how I react to stuff. So with the pull of  my Facebook page or emails, there's a strong tendency to check that first. Remember, it's not bad in and of itself. However, I want my first thought to be spending time in reading my Bible and prayer.

 THE BUTCHER SHOP IN JACKSONVILLE, OREGON CIRCA 1854.  IT IS NOW A CLOTHING STORE. JACKSONVILLE IS LIKE A WILD WEST TOWN. NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED IN 150 YEARS.

I have been so extremely blessed to find some awesome Christian sites in blogland and on Facebook, plus other sites that are fun, informative, filled with craft projects etc. So for that, I'm so greatful. Courtney points out that technology can be a time stealer, I totally agree with that. As many of you now, I'm still unemployed looking for a job. So for someone in my position, it's especially tempting.  There were days when all I'd do the whole day was sit in front of the computer or sit in front of the tv. Then I'd complain that I got nothing done. It was making me miserable.   So I've worked hard to change that. I   have to make a  concerted effort to turn those things off after a certain time. 
            Courtney is going to be keeping a literal logbook everyday of how much time she spends using technology. So what I'll be doing for the next 7 weeks to record how much time I spend on the computer, Facebook, tv.  It will help me get a better picture of where I"m spending my time. Now I'll tell you something interesting, when I lived in Germany and Norway, I NEVER had a television.   What? Yes, it's true. No tv, no access to email, except very limited use at the  library.  I maybe watched tv when I'd visit friends, or if a friend when on vacation for a month, I'd  "babysit" their tv. You know what? I didn't miss it. I spent so much time doing things with friends. Every night was filled with something involving other people :) :) I might have to try another tv fast sometime.

THIS IS A PHOTO I TOOK OF MY FAVORITE FABRIC BAG. I WAS TRYING TO RECREATE A VINTAGE LOOK. IT CAME OUT A BIT DARK.

I would love to know what your thoughts are about this subject.  What do you do?  Is it a struggle to make a wise use of time when it comes to technology and your daily devotions?  How do you integrate the two together?

        Oh, welcome to the new followers. I've noticed you here. Thanks for joining my blog. You all make me smile big :) :) That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)

MEDIA MONDAY & HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

FEEL FREE TO BORROW THIS IMAGE. A FRIEND OF  MINE LET ME BORROW IT FROM HER PAGE. I LIKE HOW IT  REFLECTS  OUR COUNTRY AND VINTAGE STYLE ALL AT THE SAME TIME :)

Hi everyone,
To all of my fellow Americans at home and abroad, Happy 4th of July :) :) I hope you are all having a super fun day today :) :)  For the rest of you, I'm wishing you a great day as well, whatever you are doing :) :)

There's a website/blog that I have been following for awhile on Facebook and here called "Women Living Well".   It's a really interesting place to visit. It is primarily geared towards married women. I'm am definitely NOT married...but I still enjoy reading the things on this page. There are things here that are still applicable to even us single ladies.

In any case, there's an 8-week series that they'll be doing called "Media Mondays". Click here to visit the post from yesterday.  It really caught my attention in a big way.  There's also a blog button for their series at the top of the right sidebar here.  It is something that has been on my heart for awhile now.

I really do love modern technology. It has opened up things to us, that we might not otherwise have had access to. It has allowed me to forge new friendships with lovely people all over the world. I've learned new things, too. Blogging...I LOVE blogging...for sure. That's where I feel most comfortable right now.

However, lately, I've been really feeling something pressing on my heart.  For me personally it's Facebook. For others, it will be something different.  In any case, I was really feeling sad and do still feel sad a bit, about how much media has intruded into our lives. How do we use it to reach out, while not having it affect our literal day to day interactions with the people arounds us - at work, at home, at church. 

I'm just speaking for myself here.  Here was a response I'd written to my post on Facebook. It's "short"...well, short for me..you know how much I LOVE to talk...even on the computer:

‎"Women Living Well" is more geared towards married ladies..BUT I think there's a lot of application for us single gals, too :) :) I've been thinking a LOT about the role media plays in our lives. There's a lot of good that comes with it.... My only real concern is that when it becomes more important than actual human interaction, that's when it's gone too far. I think it's affecting peoples abilities to relate to other people. Oh, in the Christian church especially, I think it's so much easier for people to do a check-in on Facebook, than invest any of their time in someone else. That is something I'm going to try and avoid, because people are important. So I'm praying about that. Those are just some of my initial thoughts. I'm going to add this to my blog series tonight. In any case, thanks for leaving your comments ;) :) I really enjoyed reading what you have to write :) :) :)

 

So I've been praying about that.  People check in on Facebook or wherever, instead of actually calling up the person. Or we get irritated because someone needed us, while we were sitting in front of the screen. For me personally, it's come to the point, where I really need to take an active step. I just don't know what yet. Closing down my Facebook account completely is not the solution. It's great, because it lets me keep in contact with people  who live far away. However, with people who live here locally, we never call each other. We never spend time together during the week. It's easier to "like" a comment or "leave" a comment, because it doesn't force us to climb out of our comfort zones. It lets us be "social" while keeping our rears in our seats at home.   There's something wrong with that..I think...

 

In any case, those are just thoughts. I'm really looking forward to the topics during this series. I think a good portion of you are married, so this series would be especially applicable to you. If you're single, like me, I still think there's benefit for us, too. Start thinking about how we can make applications in our lives as women - married or single..and how media affects our everyday interactions with people.  I'd love to hear from all of you. I think there's something we can all learn from each other...and encourage each other, too :) :)

 

Okay, that was a bit of a more serious topic, but it's so pressing on my heart, I  just can't hold it in any longer. NO worries, I'll still have cool crafty stuff and vintage antique finds :) :) Not talking about that would be like asking the sun to stop shining. It just isn't gonna happen :) :)

 

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)