Facebook: From Feasting to Fasting

I've given up Facebook for Lent - me and apparently lots of other people according to a news blurb I recently heard. (If you're reading this from my Facebook page, I haven't cheated. It automatically posts to my profile :-). )

To be honest, I'm a bit of a Facebook junkie. OK, maybe junkie is a bit strong but you get the idea. My family still gets fed, clothes still get washed, crumbs vacuumed, etc. Theoretically, no one suffers from my addiction but myself. At least that's what I've been telling myself.

But over the last several months, if not longer, I've experienced lots of frustration over never having enough time to do things beyond my normal day-to-day activities, i.e., things I enjoy or find more meaningful like blogging, crafting, in-depth Bible study, reading, just to name a few. This has started making me more cranky than I like to be (and we all know the saying, "When momma isn't happy, nobody's happy").

I've found plenty of ways to rationalize my elevated levels of crankiness. Number one being the mental and physical demands of keeping up with the Princess day in and day out. She is an absolute joy but she has got to be the busiest and chattiest two-year old I have ever encountered. (I am not exaggerating!) Number two being the mental and physical demands of keeping up with two middle school boys and the whirlwind of homework, sports schedules and the like that surround them. By the end of the day my brain is mush which makes it very easy to veg with mindless entertainment, like Facebook, after the kids are in bed (or even during moments of downtime, no matter how brief, during the day). But the reality is, I am the cause of my own frustration by wasting too much time on meaningless activities.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think Facebook is completely useless. It does have some merit. I've simply come to realize that for the most part I don't really use it for anything worthwhile. So for the next 40 days (at least), I'm going to take those Facebook moments and commit to using them for things that I really want to do - things that have a purpose, for me anyway. Who knows what exciting things might get done around our house over the next month and half!