To go along with Chris's message on Sunday about "quietening" down (that's my takeaway) our lives in order to be able to hear God better, I have a personal story that relates to that. About a year ago or so, Chris preached a message similar to this past Sunday's. I remember him saying to examine our lives and see where we need to, perhaps, eliminate some outside noise, technical stuff that takes up our time on unimportant things, etc. Things like the TV, internet, computer games. What came to my mind right away was the TV in my life. Basically, all my life, I had turned on the TV in the morning and just kept it on all day. Of course, I was a teacher and now work in a pediatrician's office, but on my days off I kept the TV on. It's in my bedroom and I'd step in there to catch whatever was on or to change the channel for something more interesting. It was a constant background noise of useless stuff! I couldn't hear God if He shouted!

So I turned off the TV - just started not turning it on in the morning - and I loved it! I discovered I love the quiet! Absolutely not having that background noise was instrumental in me being able to go back and forth to a Bible study, prayer, meditating on something God was teaching me during various times of the day more easily. Whenever I had a few minutes, I'd sit down and pick up where I left off with God - I wasn't tied to checking in with the TV show left on. I found it carried over into my evenings. I figured I'd just turn the TV on after dinner, but that didn't happen either. Now I finish dinner and still have more quiet time until something I intend to watch comes on. Believe it or not, it has even made me more discerning with what I watch during that time - I used to watch some pretty insipid shows with no value at all - just mushing my brain - I actually choose what I want to watch and just go to that channel rather than channel surfing.

My challenge from this past Sunday's message is to stay away from the internet more. I do check FB because that's the way our Romanian orphans communicate with us, but I'm only going to check my emails once a day or even every other day. Getting on the internet is a habit that takes away from my Jesus time! I don't ever want to look back on my life and think I wasted too much time on things with no value - technology is a wonderful invention, but it can't replace "hearing" from the Only One who can really fill our lives with meaningful purpose and Holy Spirit wisdom!