Hello 2017

A storm came through today and knocked our electricity out until after eight o'clock tonight.  After coming back from the store with my Parents this evening. It was dark, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. I did not want to spent a lot of time on my cellphone because I did not know how long the electricity would be off and my cellphone battery would die in a few hours.  So I read a book on my Kindle until the battery died on it.  When I turned it on the battery was on 12%. It did not take long for the battery to die.  My laptop was charged. I thought about plugging my kindle up to my laptop to charge it, but I decided to wait so I could use it's charge to plug my cellphone to it to charge it in case my cellphone battery died before the electricity came back on.  My iPad was my next option, but guess what? If you guessed the battery was dead on it, you guessed correctly! 

With the electricity off that meant the wifi was off, but with the battery issues mentioned above, even if the wifi did work, there would not have been any use on being online. 

It was dark except for candles and flashlights. I know thousands of people before me in older days lived without electricity and some people still do today, and they do just fine without it.  During hurricane Katrina in 2005 the electricity went off for two-three weeks.  I enjoyed the adventure. 
I have to admit thought, in eleven years since then I have become very spoiled to the modern technological conveniences of our day.

Not knowing what to do with myself, I took a nap.

Maybe this year I should learn to withdraw from my Laptop, iPad, Kindle, Cellphone, and Television.  Not entirely.  I enjoy technology.  I need technology to run my businesses.  But maybe, I spend to much time on them. 

When I am unsure what to do with myself because electricity is off and my electronics do not work, that is not good.  To give myself some leeway it was dark, and it is hard to read a book or write without lights, on the other hand people have done it for years using candlelight and tonight in my room I had a touch light that is battery operated. My excuses for not reading or writing by that light was "I wear glasses,"  "It will be hard to see."    Excuses, excuses, excuses.

This year I want to get in touch with myself. I cringe at that thought. Why does that make me cringe? I am not sure, because I like myself.   I want to get back into the habit or writing like I use to when I was younger.  I want my hobbies to be more meaningful than spending time on social media when I am not working on my businesses or keeping in touch with friends.   I do not want to waste time being idle.   I want to live life walking in my purpose. Not merely getting by living day to day in a screen zone of technology.

I did not mean for this post to be a welcome into 2017, but here it is. Hello 2017. Let's make this year count for something more than merely getting by.  This year I choose to live my life with meaning. I want to make a difference in the lives of other's and I cannot do that by staring at a computer screen when I do not know what to do with myself.  

I am glad the electricity went off tonight. I needed this time to reflect and come to the realization that I spend to much time doing nothing when I was created to do something meaningful for Jesus.

Welcome to 2017.