Media Monday: God vs. Media

So each week I'm going to focus on one area of my life that I think the media is affecting me. I started with the topic that I think should come first.

God VS. Media

Before I started my blog and reading other blogs the media I used most was TV (not cable but Netflix) and Facebook. I know that about 1 1/2 years ago that Facebook was where I spent the majority of my time. Farmville, Farm Town, Cafe World. I was struggling to get use to the fact of having a little one around and being home all day without adult interaction. Then there was TV. I could just turn it on and find a movie or TV series that I wanted to watch and I could sit there for hours. At this point in my life Media was winning without a doubt and my life showed it. 

I was down (not really depressed just not really sure what to do with myself and my day). Rex was a great baby and would just entertain himself for hours without needing me except for eating and diaper changes. He really didn't seem to care whether mommy played with him or not. I started to feel more and more convicted about the time that I was wasting on nothing. 

I still didn't invest time with God but I started to do other things. I started enjoying more time with Rex. I found different mom's groups and tried them out and ended up starting my own group that is faith based because that's what God wanted me to do (I was trying to get out of it by finding another group but that wasn't going to happen). In this new group I started feeling that I needed to strengthen my relationship with God and started a Bible study with the other moms and tried to include alone time with God daily that wasn't included in my Bible study (I'm still struggling to make this work). I started praying more, by myself, over my husband (although he doesn't know it), and out loud with other women (which is something I'm not comfortable doing at all). 

I went to a Women At the Cross weekend and healed some deep hurts from my past thanks to God and His amazing power. More and more God was winning over my Media. I still was watching to much TV but I was at least getting better and having some time with God. Then I started this blog and felt the urge to get it up and running and find other blogs to follow and try and get more people to follow my blog. I wanted to write about things that were interesting to people but I wanted to make sure to be real. I'm not on to put on a fake mask, to put on a "show" to be liked. What you see is what you get. And slowly the media started to pull me in again. I started struggling with staying at home all the time and it got worse when we became a one car family because now I'm really confined to my house unless I walk or have a friend willing to pick Rex and I up. I kept getting lost in reading other peoples blogs and enjoying what I was reading but I have to say that I found so many great blogs that are full of God's love and Word that I started to feel inspired. I started wanting more alone time with God and I wanted to read more from these wonderful ladies and I wanted to inspire other women like these ladies were for me!

Then Media Monday's came along and I decided that this was a great time to see who is winning and I'm have to say that GOD is winning (most days)! If I'm spending to much time on the computer than someone's post convicts me and I get off and get other things done. God has taken my favorite channel from the little bit of cable channels we have so that way I won't be sucked into watching TV in the afternoon (I will admit I was pretty mad and almost called the cable company but then I remembered that I had been praying to God to help me not want to watch TV so I just thanked God and moved on). 

I have done pretty good this week with my media and I'm getting less and less time here and investing the time I do take to read what I find important and I share what I think is important and what will help myself and others.

Next week I will be talking about Media and My Marriage and the struggles that are wrapped all around that. I'm going to set some personal goals and work to achieve them and I will let you know how I do.

I would suggest taking a serious look at how much media is taking away from you and your relationship with God. It was interesting for me to look back and see the amazing changes He has made in my life.


This weeks GOALS on Media and Marriage

1. Go to bed when the hubs goes to bed (or no later than 9pm)
2. Get up with him in the morning and make him breakfast (even if its just toast) and make sure he gets out the door on time and with everything he needs. 
3. This extra morning time with be my time. I can choose to work out or read blogs or clean. 
4. I'm going to ask my hubby to take over bedtime. I'm going to take this time to go for a walk and get some exercise and I'm going to invite friends along with me.
5. I'm going to get Rex up every morning by 8 so that when 8 pm comes around he is ready for bed.

So there they are. I will let you know next Monday how I do! Wish me luck!