What if…
we drastically cut down on our internet time?
I’ve been contemplating the ways of the Amish. They take seriously these verses:
Proverbs 31:27
She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Ecclesiastes 10:18
If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.
Ecclesiastes 11:6
Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.
1 Thessalonians 5:14
And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
2 Thessalonians 3:6
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
2 Thessalonians 3:7
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you,
Every time I am around Anna the Amish lady she is moving, moving, moving. Her house is immaculate and her children charming. The Amish don’t seem to mind hard work. They are always working with family and friends and really are in no hurry. Working is a social event. Nothing is put off for another day.
Then as I was pondering all of this Gina went and posted pictures of her master garden and then another post saying "Hey, I’m 34 weeks pregnant and I LOVE carrying around big bags of mulch." And I started to feel really inferior. Apparently Gina is not a procrastinator and doesn’t fear manual labor.
And since these things always happen in threes dootsy sent me an article just today that said in part:
American culture – the blend of media, government, family expectations, community values, and behavioral norms – send our children a steady stream of “signals” as to what we as adults value in life. Those signals are decidedly NOT academic or intellectual achievement. When it comes to school, America is a sports and extracurricular culture and our kids get that message.
And she posed the question "How do we teach our kids to appreciate work?"
I just don’t know. I’m not quite sure. I’m hoping that by my example (and it is a poor example right now) they’ll learn the value of a job well done. They’ll appreciate the benefit of doing a job today and not putting it off until tomorrow. I’m going to try this. I’m going to take my job as a parent a little more seriously. Starting next Monday I’ll write all of my posts for the week and set them up to post each day but I’ll be gone from the internet. I’ll need to check my email because I have business to attend to but all the blogs, social networking sites and extra entertainment I partake of online will be put on hold. How much will I get done? What will be the greater impact on my family? I’ll let you know.
Related posts:
Katie, we were without internet for about eight months, and I actually loved it. I was much more productive, I was a better wife, a more attentive mom, and I think my whole family was happier when I wasn’t online all the time. We have it back now and I spend limited time on it, but I’ve made some strict rules for myself–like no message boards, since they were my biggest time waster. That’s why I’m not on the WS anymore. I spent way too much time “learning” how to have a more godly family, at the expense of my family. Something was wrong with that picture!
I needed to hear that. The internet sucks me in for hours at a time some days. Think I’ll sign off for the day…
thanks Katie.
needed that today but still ouch…so hard when we are rebuked by the Lord
That’s the great thing about the phone. You can talk and still get work done. :) My friend Tiffany calls me and will say “Oh, I just needed to clean the bathroom so I called to chat with you.” LOL
But yes, what you say is totally true. Even after leaving boards and being really good about not posting constantly I still find plenty that keeps me stuck in the computer chair. It’s a constant battle. Sometimes I wish we would get rid of the internet again. Life was simpler then.
Ah Katie dear, I’ve been contemplating this EXACT thing lately!!!!! The Lord’s working in us :) He’s been showing me verses, sent me on my bi monthly trip to the Amish where I stood with these women and their children thinking the exact same thing as you. I’m actually laughing under my breath at your post because I’m in the exact same place with some of the same experiences. THEN while my husband was praying the other day with the family out of the blue he prayed that we all not eat of the bread of idleness that day. Then a few days later did the Proverbs 31 woman for our devotions where I heard it again. Might be a great idea for an official challenge. I’d love to post in a week how my week went with no internet. Might be a fun challenge for loads of ladies who NNNEEEEDDDD to step away eh? What will I do without you and Robyn both in internetland?
What I’ve noticed over the years of being online, is younger (under 45 or 50) godly women who are “doing it right”, get burned out after a stretch of time trying to share all they can with others who aren’t “there” yet. These women were either raised/taught to be wonderful wives/mothers/homemakers, or figured it out for themselves pretty early on. It gets to the point that they cannot continue to live the life they write about because they are trying to regularly share about it with women who are hungry to learn.
I believe that a big part of the solution is for the older women to be teaching the younger women, but they are becoming fewer and farther between.
I hope your week off goes well…but not so well that you don’t come back!!! *Ü*
Beth
My parents did a good job of instilling responsibility in me by giving me chores from an early age, required me to either work in the family business or start my own; I chose both. We were also never given an allowance; we had to earn any money we wanted for trips or the movies or whatever. I woke at 5:30 to complete the farm work (collect eggs, feed the birds, check the bees, water or weed the garden, etc.) and went to bed at 11 every night. I was eventually homeschoooled and learned more than I ever did when I was in regular school. I sold my produce, honey and eggs to pay for what I needed and got my first “real”job at 14. We weren’t allowed video games, tv was limited to one hour per week per person, with exceptions made for nature programs and the like. We read scriptures and prayed together each evening. I had a great upbringing.
I have tried to pass this along to my children as much as possible. Although we live in the middle of the city, we have a large garden which we all work in, raise chickens next door with a neighbor, have daily chores, eat dinner together every night, and have a family business. My oldest just turned 14 and will be getting her first “real” job this summer. My 13 year old just started his own business walking neighborhood dogs, and my 10 year old has been hired as his “assistant”. We are planning on having two more children and they will be raised in the same way.
And I love them and give them the freedom to make mistakes and learn from them.
Thank you for this post. I come from a long line of Mennonites and work is what you do. Finding a balance between not being idle and working out of obligation or just to do something is a challenge for me. I want my kids to enjoy the fruit of their labor and not do it just because we should be working. But working with our children is an important key. It seemed that working together in the Mennonite culture is a way of having relationship. It’s my favorite thing each summer to can veggies with other relatives and my kids and they are beginning to look forward to it also. I hope it continues.
Thanks, Katie. You gave me a lot to think about.
Well, I guess the Lord is telling me the same thing. I was laying in bed after I awoke, planning the day, and thinking about not frittering the day away on the computer. I get on and find this confirmation.
I am going to plan on checking e-mails/blogs/CLboard in the early mornings and after the kids go to bed, and have it off the rest of the day.
We’ll see how that goes.
Over the past few weeks, I have just started leaving the computer off until later in the day…at least till after lunch. I get so much more done becuase I am not just checking something “really quickly.” If I think of something I need to look up or someone I must write, I try to keep a running list and do it all after lunch while the kids do something quiet.
Kim, I like the idea of a challenge where we check in. I just know I’m going to get alot done. I’d love to hear what other people get accomplished as well. I’ll open it up the Monday after this one. :)
Oh, Katie. You have no idea. I wish I could stand up as an example of industriousness, but that might interfere with my nap. I dug exactly ONE of the 46 garden beds. I did spread the mulch, but I had the kids haul them to where I was and then I opened and spread. I have a lot of help around here and a family that entertains my dreams and works to put them in motion. In reality, I struggle with getting off my bottom as much as the next person.
Frankly, I’ve been convicted as well about the amount of time I spend online. I pop in throughout the day to see what’s new. I enjoy it and I learn so much. But, the good is the enemy of the best, right? And I simply cannot devote myself to the best if I’m caught up in the other less important things. Thank you for the challenge!
I am with you..I will check emails in am and after kiddos in bed. Then I will check at the end of the week to see how much we all were able to get done. I can see idle in ME…Have a great week!
Katie, how ironic you have referred to the Amish way of life. I am currently reading Plain and Simple: A Woman’s Journey to the Amish by Sue Bender. It’s a great, quick read.
I live near an Amish community and am in awe of their way of life. Their dedication to the Lord, their family, and their history.
Until our adoption is complete I work full-time and on the computer daily. I can promise I won’t be able to avoid the internet at this time. However, my husband and I just assume we will get the internet at home once I quit my job. This post has made me pause and reconsider. If I want to live a “simple life,” maybe the internet shouldn’t be a part of it. I wish all of you luck on your break from the computer.
As always, thanks for the post. Have a wonderfully productive week!
Alright starting tomorrow for me. I’ll post each day for ya Katiedoodle.
Very interesting to find this post of yours today! I am just finishing up 2 weeks with no internet, due to a move. It was GREAT! I will be drastically reducing my online time now. Today I have enjoyed logging back on and catching up. And I’ve REALLY enjoyed how productive I was during those 2 weeks. So, I will use my computer time as an incentive. I will enjoy it AFTER I am productive.