Obedience

Simplify.  That's what Jonathan and I decided we wanted the theme to be for our family as we entered 2014.  While we have already started the process over the past year, we want to continue to simplify our diet, our schedule, our home organization, and just our lives in general.  One of the ways we had decided to do this was to put our phones away more often.  For me especially, being connected to the world 100% of the time can be overwhelming and makes my life feel anything but simple.  Knowing this, you may not be surprised by my frustration and confusion, nearly to the point of tears, when over the last few days I have really been convicted to blog again.  I'm talking about a very obvious conviction.  You may be wondering why I haven't written in a while.  Blogging requires you to be vulnerable.  This is something that at one time I could do with ease.  I could share what was on my heart and mind with anyone and everyone without a second thought.  For some reason this is not the case anymore.  I have a constant battle in my heart and mind between wanting to keep our lives private and wanting to share it with the world.  In case you didn't know, people can be mean.  People don't always think before they speak.  Sharing any part of yourself opens up the door for a lot of criticism and it's not always done in the most constructive way.  This scares me.  I don't like confrontation and I don't like the thought of feeling the need to defend everything I say or do.  Another thing that makes blogging difficult for me is living in a world where everything has to be politically correct all of the time and we have to be "sensitive to everyone's feelings."  I am the last person that would ever want to hurt anyone's feelings so I tend to over think every single thing I write.  I am always afraid that I'm going to appear  to be bragging about this, or complaining about that.  Right now I have no idea what I'm going to write about, I just know it's what I'm supposed to do.  So you see, to me this is not simple.  Not at all.  It is obedient though...  Maybe obedience should be the theme for 2014.  What do you think?