Hello, friends. The Facebook Challenge is upon us. In fact it is in 4 days! I am very excited to see what God has for me in this adventure and for you as well. The more I have prayed about it, the more I am open to what the Lord will teach me through this Challenge.

The Challenge:

One designated 15 minute Facebook log on per day.

One status per week.

8 week Challenge (June 17th through Aug 11th).

The Goal:

A purposeful season spent with the Lord and in the Word—a season of growth and adventure with Heavenly Father.

I would also like to add a couple things. One, be Spirit led. If you need to make adjustments, make them. This is between you and the Lord, NOT ME. If you need to break the Challenge or you need to alter it (Pinterest, etc), do as the Lord instructs. The point, after all, is to be listening to His Voice.

A couple of you have asked me about uploading pictures. I do not see a problem with uploading pics to share with your family and friends. Pics can be uploaded without a log on to Facebook’s Newsfeed. Use caution though with being tempted to check for comments. Keep your designated log in times. Obeying God will bless you with self control (Galatians 5:22-24).

My desire is to focus intently on the Lord and the Lord’s voice. He is ruler over my life. I want desperately to see what He has in store for me this summer (John 14:25-26).

I will be praying for you too dear friends. I will be posting periodically so check in and let me know what awesome things God is doing in your lives.

P31Wife

“A wife of noble character who can find?” Proverbs 31:10

Here is the previous post about the challenge.
Posted May 24, 2012:

I want more of God.

I want more quality and quantity.

I want a God driven adventure.

Summer is approaching at warp speed. I feel the gentle nudging of the Holy Spirit that several opportunities are coming. I do not want to miss any of these opportunities with God. Divine opportunities are just not to be missed.

This summer I am going to clear my head. I would like to experience this season with clarity and purpose, and recharge my batteries for the upcoming fall. I have decided that one of the things I am going to do is to unplug a bit from Facebook, television, and other sources that jam up my mind and start to affect my ability to hear God’s voice.

Summer has always felt like a season for growth. I remember learning to ride my bike in the summer, learning to swim, and I remember learning some not-so-great habits as well. I want my summer to be special, as well as my kids’ summer. The only clear way I know how to do that is to plug in to the Heavenly Father and listen and obey. He does not disappoint. His Word does not return void. I want a clear head to hear Him with.

I have prayed about how unplugging will look like for me. Bringing before God the issue of deactivating for a period of time did not feel exactly appropriate. There are many, many things I appreciate about Facebook, but none more than how it bridges the gap of distance between family and friends. What I don’t love is how it can drain precious time if I am not careful.

Submission will alleviate the temptation to use Facebook as a filler and time waster. Temptation neglects and altogether ignores the Holy Spirit. By submitting myself to God, the fruit of my submission will be self control. The reward will be a deepened relationship with Heavenly Father.

Jesus said,”If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” (Matthew 16:24). Again, this verse keeps coming back to the forefront of my mind. While this is often the beginning of our walk with Christ, sometimes we need to start over. Sometimes, daily. God has an adventure waiting! Submitting and obeying what God asks is the first step of any adventure with Christ.

Here are a few questions I asked myself before committing to this challenge. I would love it if you would prayerfully consider joining me.

1. Set a timer and track the amount of time that you spend on Facebook, television, Pinterest, or perhaps even just online. (For perspective, set a timer for 5 minutes and see how quickly time can pass.)
2. Do you spend too much time thinking about negativity (self pity, complaints, bad language, rude behavior in general) from Facebook?
3. Does Facebook affect your productivity whether that be emotionally (something you read influenced you) or physically (you ran out of time to accomplish something because you were on Facebook)?
4. Whose voice (God’s or your friend of a friend of a friend) are you hearing throughout the day?
5. How many times do you log on to Facebook in a day, via your smart-phone, just to see what’s going on or who has commented on your status (literally, tally how many times)? Compare that to how many times you thank God or pray in a day.

Be aware.

Be intentional.

The Challenge:

One designated 15 minute Facebook log on per day.

One status per week.

8 week Challenge (June 17th through Aug 11th).

The Goal:

A purposeful season spent with the Lord and in the Word—a season of growth and adventure with Heavenly Father.

My family will be filling our time with intentional living and not passively watching our summer go by. We intend to draw even nearer to Jesus. Jesus said,”If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” (Matthew 16:24). I want to clear my mind of distractions (deny himself). Intentionally removing temptation and concentrating on what God (take up his cross) has for me this summer is right where I want to be. I am going on an adventure (follow me) that God is leading.

How about you, friend? You in?

P31Wife

“A wife of noble character who can find?” Proverbs 31:10