It's me again. Back to the land of blogging after a long disappearance into the realm of life. Sometimes I feel like a princess captured from my kingdom of writing by the obnoxious dragon of work, bills, and the other drudging things associated with trying to make ends meet.
But I admit, another thing has captured my attention and time lately - PINTEREST. Whenever I get a spare moment, I pull out my phone and hit the app that immediately fills my mind with such interesting ideas. There's delicious entrees, sinfully addicting desserts, mind-blowing cake creations (which I tell myself that I will one day make), adorable photo ideas, great ways to use junk, cutesy secrets for crafting a lovely home, patterns for the perfect dress, motivation for the journey of weight management and control, fun projects to keep even the wildest child entertained, sayings and quotes that inspire, uplift, or just bring a smile to the day, and well, I could go on for hours.
It really isn't a bad thing- there is no sin with cooking, being thrifty, staying encouraged, and getting healthier.... but I had to stop and think.
What if I cut my time online and started actually using my pins to benefit others instead of spending countless hours collecting more that never become reality?
What if I made those enchiladas for the family tonight? What if I baked a delicious dessert for the church potluck? What if I made a cake for a cousin's birthday party? What if I did some photo shoots with a friend just for the fun of it? What if I focused more on filling my home with joy and happiness instead of worrying so much about the decorations? What if I valued and spent as much time on my internal beauty as I do on my external? What if I exercised instead of reading about it? What if I babysat for the neighbors so they could have the night off? What if I put those great quotes into action?
Basically, it comes down to living in the present and not in some make-believe world of pinterest. It comes down to not letting the internet take priority over my family, not letting hobbies take precedence over relationships with friends, not letting my dates with God be pushed off because I don't have time for Him after spending it all up on other interests.
Am I condemning anyone? Nope, only myself. Am I going to pronounce the internet, pinterest, facebook, twitter, linkedin, google+, and whatever else there may be as wrong and ban them from my life? No, but I need to be careful with how much those things control me. I am proud that I am not addicted to alcohol and drugs, but I need to remember that there are other addictions that can take time, money, and relationships away from me.
When I am an old woman and look back on my life, I will only then realize how precious time with God, family, and friends actually is. Things like pinterest will come and go, but the children whose tears I wiped, the single mother for whom I made meals, the people that I introduced to the Heavenly Father, the ones that I invested into with prayers, sweat, hard work, love, and tears will have left me with smiles and memories and an internal satisfaction that nothing else can bring!
