Saturday, December 31, 2011

My final farewell to Facebook & Confessions of a FB addict!

This past summer I took a one month sabbatical from Facebook. Oh how I missed it for a few days. I quickly realized how much I had come to rely on Facebook to satisfy my longing for time with good friends. I was deeply moved to tears and realized I had better change my need for deeper friendships. 

I met with friends for lunch and coffee and filled my calendar for the next week. I had such a good time catching up face to face with my good friends.

Over the course of the following weeks I did not miss Facebook at all. My time was filled with many other things that I needed to focus on. I could not believe that I did not miss it at all.

After about 6 weeks of being OFF facebook, I decided to log back on. My husband travels a lot and I got lonely and decided to give it a go again. I loved it. 

I love seeing photos of my niece and nephew.
I love stalking people. 
I love commenting 2 times in a row. 
I love getting ideas from friends.
I love emailing photos from my iphone. 
I love posting a new status every few hours. 

Let's face it. Facebook is FUN! My good friend was back and I was having fun.

I quickly realized that I was indeed a Facebook junkie. I made a few comments that should have never been made and had a few fights with family members on private messages. I realized that life without Facebook had been refreshing and nice. I did not miss it at all (except for the first week). I made the final decision and promise to my husband that I would permanently delete my Facebook account at Midnight at the turn of the New Year.

So here I am!

In less than 2 hours it will be 2012 in Dallas. I am frantically saving and downloading all my Facebook history. I am posting farewells and gathering addresses and phone numbers from friends I re-connected with. 

Goodbye Facebook. It is an emotional moment for me and I seriously think that when I hit that final "DELETE" forever button I will shed a few tears. 

With the ushering in of 2012, I am finishing my second reading of The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge; "What is the Scent of Water? Renewal. The goodness of God coming down like dew". 

This past weekend my husband I cut down 2 trees in our yard. This book, The Scent of Water, is taken from the scripture in the book of Job that says:

"There is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughts like a plant."

I look forward to a year of Spiritual Renewal in 2012 and I do not think it an accident that I just read this quote from Goudge's book at the close of 2011 and I just cut down 2 trees this past weekend and I had committed to God and my family to delete my Facebook account. 

Here's a toast to "Renewal" in 2012.