Reclaiming Family Time – Unplugged

This weekend our family completely unplugged!

We spent two whole days in the wilderness with NO tv; my phone was on Do Not Disturb, and we just existed together! And it was glorious!

Our family LOVES camping.  We try to go at least twice a year. Sometimes it’s more. Sometimes we only go once.  But every year, the importance of these weekends is impressed upon me more and more.

We are on the GO 24/7, much the same as you are I am sure. I know most of my followers are busy mamas and grandmamas.  And some of you are currently DREAMING of starting your own families, so I wanna share my experiences with you as well!

I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are given our little people not just for our glory or to play dress up and look at how beautiful they are (but I mean, really!  Aren’t they gorgeous).  But we are given these families of ours to steward well. To teach them about Jesus. To love them hard and point them to the only One who can define them.  To teach them to seek Him and tell others about Him as they grow!

And we can’t do ANY of those things if our noses are buried in social media or _______ (insert current game most popular in your child’s world).

Don’t get me wrong! I LOVE social media. God is allowing me to build a beautiful faith-based business here. But I cannot honor Him with it if it controls me.  I cannot encourage my children to limit screen time if mine is always on.

I also appreciate technology and gaming. I believe the opportunities to learn and grow and develop skills are exciting. Technology is the way of the future.  But I want my boys to respect it and not worship it.

So we unplugged. 

We played card games

We chased each other down the road.

We fished.

We threw the football.

We all talked and we all listened.

We hiked.

We built fires and roasted s’mores and listened to Matt’s hilarious “scary” stories.

We laughed A LOT!

And we grew closer as a family.

In no way was it perfect. We had to break up arguments and teach them some manners and remind them to be respectful. But just having the uninterrupted opportunity to do so was GLORIOUS for this mama.

And hearing my boys say over and over that this was the most “amazing weekend” was music to this mamas ears.  I pray they remember these days with JOY in their hearts as they grow older and they realize just HOW MUCH we loved them and enjoyed being with them!!

Reclaiming More Family Time

And I’m on a mission to reclaim more family time. Not just a weekend or two a year, but more family dinners together sitting around the table. More exploring on the weekends. More intentional unplugged time!

I realize it won’t always be perfect. But I will choose to fight for my family!  Because dear friend, we are in a BATTLE for their attention and their futures against an enemy that seeks to destroy them at every turn!

May we be women who stand in the middle of our fields and FIGHT for what God has given us!

 

“But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.”

2 Samuel 23:12