Wednesday, June 22, 2016

It's Just Stuff, Right?

I saw a news story recently...and let me just clarify, it was the real ABC news, not TMZ or Steve Harvey, where I normally get my information from...anyway, the story was about a former "Mommy Blogger."  She left her successful blog, where she apparently was getting paid up to $1,500 for posts and had over 50,000 unique views each month because she got caught up in living the "picture perfect" blog life.  She said she felt she couldn't live "in" the moment because she was trying too hard to get perfect pictures for her upcoming blog posts.  We can all relate to that right, whether you have a blog, Facebook, or just an avid scrapbooker.  We have all ruined happy moments trying to get everyone to look at the camera..at the same time.  We have all taken and deleted selfies over and over, because we don't like the way our chin looks in a certain picture.

In fact, this was our Christmas card picture this year, and not because we were trying to be cute and creative with an upside down child, we were just trying to get a picture of everyone cooperating.  You gotta do what you gotta do, right?


When I listened to the former blogger's story, my heart broke for her.  I wrote a post a few months ago with the help of a few of my friends called, Count Your Blessings.  It's all about being thankful in life's messy situations.  If there's anything I am good at in life; it's not being perfect.  In fact, that's where the title of my blog came from.  I need a rough draft for most things in life; everything is a work in progress around here.  Like you, I read people's blogs and Facebook and feel intimidated that my life isn't what their's appear to be.  Where's the messy hair...where's the stacks of mail in the background of the pictures?  It's all I can do to coordinated everyone's clothes for annual family pictures...why are their kids coordinated...on a random Thursday?

As I mentioned in my Count Your Blessings post, my Facebookless husband calls social media the "devil," and I think he may be onto something a little.  Satan works hard to steal your joy by complicating your life.  It's easy to look at other people's vacations, homes, marriages, families, and compare yours to theirs, but remember most people only post their best days on Facebook.  We're human, we want stuff.  Stuff make us feel important.  We work hard and save up to buy stuff.  We even pray that God will help us get the desires (stuff) of our hearts.  But, when we tell God, we need stuff to feel secure in life, in a way we're telling God he doesn't complete us.  We need more!  It was easy for me as a six year old preacher's daughter living in the Bible Belt to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior.  I knew all the right words, I knew a few memory verses, but I am here to say truly making him the Lord of my life is something I struggle with daily.  Stuff just gets in the way.

I'm a work in progress, and I am working on being in the moment with my friends and family and breathing it in.  Wanting less and just being simple.  I am thankful for a God that sees me and all my stuff, and grants me new mercies everyday.  This life I'm living is simply a rough draft...

Thanks for stopping by!

Emily

P.S. I'm linking up with Michelle for Party at My Place.

25 comments:

  1. I love you even more for writing this post. I still think your husband and mine are kindred spirits. Russ HATES social media which is why it is so hard for him that I am a blogger and those moments you describe of taking the perfect photo make him so mad. This post is such a great reminder to be real friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Beth! I pretty much lose my husband the minute he sees me get out my phone or the "real" camera for pictures. He lives in the moment and doesn't see the need to document it. I'm afraid if we don't document it we won't have any memories to look back on. I guess it's true...opposites attract! I'm thankful he balances me out.

      Delete
  2. What a great post! I have to work on this too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's hard! Especially as a blogger when your practically drafting posts in your head constantly!

      Delete
  3. Hello sweet Emily... what a beautiful, thoughtful post. I have found that you will never be happy if you are always envious of people's stuff. One question though... TMZ isn't real news? Have a good Thursday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Katie! Very true! Our human instinct is to want more. Being content is hard in this day! TMZ is very real! So is our pal Andy Cohen! ;)

      Delete
  4. I don't like facebook for this reason either. Recently my husband and I have been going through a realization where we know we have WAY too much stuff and just want to get rid of it all. It's also another reason why I don't share much online and I'm not very active on social media.. I hateeeee the pressure to get the perfect picture and I hate spending 10 minutes staging inanimate objects for an Instagram photo lol. It's probably why I'll never have such a "successful" blog but I don't care, it's more worth it to me to live in the moment than viewing it behind a screen.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great thought, Jacquelyn! I love your blog & your insight. One of the reasons I don't participate in the weekend recaps so many bloggers do, is because I know it would ruin my weekend trying to do something blog worthy. If it happens, great, but I know personally I would put too much pressure on myself. I love living in a small town because there's no hustle and bustle. Things are just simple here. I hope that's something my kids embrace as they grow up, too.

      Delete
  5. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with social media. Sometimes you can fall into the rabbit hole of comparison, and then sometimes it's great to be able to connect with so many different people!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're exactly right. I love keeping up with friends from high school and college through Facebook.

      Delete
  6. I spent the majority of my adult life in search of something else...something bigger, better, more money, fancier cars, bigger house, better vacations. I don't even know who I was at times because I was so caught up in trying to be someone I honestly wouldn't even like. Hitting my 40's was a huge turning point for me and I really don't know why. Maybe thinking about my life being "half over" or something just made me stop and realize I was missing out on living the life I have. Any time that comparison thief starts creeping in again I remind myself of Roman's 12:6-8...living the best I can with the gifts God gave me...not the gifts he gave someone else...is my job. Great job on sharing your thoughts here!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great insight, Shelly! Thanks for sharing. I feel the older I get, the more secure I am with what I have, too.

      Delete
  7. Absolutely wonderful post...the truth in photos is mostly skewed...when I think back to the days of film and developing a photo "you got what you got" warts and all. I have mostly stopped searching for life's perfections, although a beach place would be a nice addition. I won't hold my breath, but dreaming is fun and the people around me make that dream so much better. Your insights are spot on!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're exactly right. I was just looking through old scrapbooks from my childhood recently and the photo quality is not very good...at all. I think "back then" people weren't as worried in capturing the perfect picture, but in just capturing the memory.

      Delete
  8. My husband hates social media, too. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with it. Blogging has definitely changed since I started almost 8 years ago. It used to be just about community. Thank you for writing this post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh wow, eight years! Congratulations to you! I've been reading blogs for about that long and I can totally see a difference, too, but I have been shocked with the wonderful bloggers I have "met" since January. I am thankful for my many blog pals...like you! :)

      Delete
  9. That is so sad! It's so easy to get wrapped up in the comparison game.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Exactly! I hope I can always take a step back and realize how blessed I am!

      Delete
  10. Head nodding all the way through this post! When I started blogging, there were so many things I wanted my site to be, and really it was about comparison to other great blogs I had been reading at the time. Now, I blog and write when I want to. The pressure of trying to gain viewers and connect to every linkup you see out there is often too much to keep up with especially when I could be spending that time with my husband, friends or family. The desire is still there to write and share, but the pressure is gone. You have given some great advice to anyone who might be thinking about starting a blog. The best posts are the "real" posts like this. I want to relate to someone, not compare myself to their publicized life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind words, Erica! I hope to be genuine...whether it's in blogging, or just in regular life. I really enjoy reading your posts, too! :)

      Delete
  11. I went on a day trip today with a girlfriend and there were so many opportunities to take pictures, record our day on social media and I chose not to do any of it. Except one picture on Instagram so I could prove to my daughter I actually arrived at the place I've been trying to go for years. It is easy to forget the time we are together with friends and family to capture the perfect moments and then come back to our computers to share with strangers in the world. Yet, in the midst of it all, it is the people that matter the most that really could care less about any of it. They just want our time and attention. Thank you for reminding many of what is important. Even as a blogger.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's great, Michelle! There are times when I think, "this would make a great blog post," but I know it will totally alter the moment if I get out my camera and try to capture the moment. Some moments are meant just to be lived in, not documented.

      Delete
    2. Your post was MOST VIEWED on last week's Party at My Place. I'll be featuring it. Sounds like many were able to relate to this.

      Delete
  12. Found this through another blog. Thanks for this.

    I really needed to hear this. People are always critical of me because I tend not to look perfect all the time. They know I can care less about fancy cars (I do have a car but tend to travel via public transportation because I want to), fancy this and fancy that and they make fun of me. Even people who are supposed to be close to me.

    I take a lot of pictures of the things I do and always have. Yes, I do post them on my blog but I do my blog for the love it and have never gotten a dime for it. I do it as my way of being creative because I am trying to develop my creative side. Also, it is a big stress relief for me. When I am doing my blog (usually at work after being verbally attacked for being a "rough draft" as you say)I can look at the pics I have taken and it fills me up with joy. The funny thing is that no one I work with or who is supposedly close to me knows I have a blog which I find is a kick.

    Again, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Emily...how in the world did I not get this post?!?! I was over to get a link from your blog and I saw this and was like - why didn't I read this?!?!?! Can I just say this post is one of your best! I have a couple people in my life who base their lives on "stuff" and if something doesn't work out they don't take time to heal or evaluate or look for direction - they immediately find a "replacement" - and the circle continues. It took some hefty events in my life but I learned very quickly things and stuff will never fill the voids. My walk, not by sight, is what carries me and keeps me smiling and knowing that the best things I can have right here and right now are the people in my life and the love of Christ. xo sweetness!

    ReplyDelete

Blogger template designed By The Sunday Studio.