Social Media Blackout and the Future...

HAPPY 2019!!!!

Yes, I know, I’m a month late. 

If you know me, and/or follow me on social media, you know that on December 17, 2018, I signed out of all my personal social media accounts across the board. My last post on each account contained a letter with a brief explanation and a time frame for my return: February 1, 2019.

Well, its officially February 1, 2019. 

I’m back ya’ll! 

Miss me?

Well, I missed ya’ll and I have a lot to say. So this is the first in a series of blogs you will see coming hard and fast about a variety of different topics so stay tuned. This one is going to be a little more serious as I discuss a question I have been asked a lot over the last month and half. It will be a long one so please, bear with me. <insert bear growling noise here>

I did get a few emails in my absence from the digital world and to those who wrote me and kept in touch, thank you!

A common question I have gotten from friends, family, and acquaintances alike is why did you do this? Why cut the cord, per-say, on social media? 

Well, the answer is very simple: God told me to.

Why, Aaron, what ever do you mean?

I’ll tell you.

Those of you who know me know that my faith has always been apart of me. Yes, I have made my mistakes and am FAR from perfect, but that is what makes me who I am. I’m not perfect, never claimed to be. By grace I make it through each day and grow to better myself each day.

I’m not going to bore you with the details of my family’s struggles over the last 3 years. Those of you that know us, know what we have been through and have supported us along the way. It was a very tough time and a time, as I addressed in previous post, a time I was very depressed. Again, I won’t bore you with the details, you can read the previous blog if you choose to if you want to know more. Anyway, I digress, last year when God slapped me upside the head with a memory verse we had on the wall of our bedroom, everything began changing for me. We didn’t even put the verse up there, it was there when we moved in and we just left it. It was Psalms 46:10 “Be Still and know that I am God.” There is more to this verse but this first line is what was there. From that moment, I began to sit still and listen. It was quite an adjustment from someone who was always on the go, needing something to do to just “be still”. 

One of the things I felt lead to do was to turn off social media. Honestly, I ignored that nudge. I have a lot a friends I never get to talk to if it wasn’t for Facebook or Twitter. I couldn’t just walk away. 

Then in the midst of the chaos of this past Christmas season, both my wife and youngest daughter both had surgeries, we had moved a couple months before into a home we rented after having to leave our home due to its irreparable damages and funds were getting tighter than anticipated, and out of the blue, while sitting in the waiting room during Shannon’s surgery, I felt that nudge again: turn off social media. 

Again, I sat there and tried to reason with the Spirit, I can’t simply turn it off. It’s the holidays, I won’t be able to get a hold of people. How would I keep up with my out of state friends and family? I’ll miss out on the latest news and events. I can’t just turn it off.

Let me tell you something now, you will never win a discussion or argument with God. 

I continued over the next several days to lay out my case again as to why I couldn’t do it, so confident in the arguments I was making.

God’s reply was simple: “Just turn it off already.”

So, December 17, 2018, I gave in and signed out of every personal account I had. I even went as far as deleting the apps from my phone so wouldn’t be tempted to sign back in. 

Now for clarification, this was just my personal social media accounts. For those of you who know, I do also mange the social media for the podcast I co-host, so I didn’t sign out of that due to business need, but I minimized my exposure there by posting via 3rd party apps and avoiding, as much as possible, timeline surfing.

So what was it like being separated from the digital world like that, you ask. What did you do?

Well, it was quite liberating! I honestly never realized how much time I was spending checking notifications, scrolling through timelines, reading articles that I never would have cared about reading if it hadn’t popped up on the screen. I actually got to spend time with my family. I got to read 2 whole books and start a third one. (This is the most I have read in years, btw.) 

More importantly, I got to jump start the new year growing closer to my Savior. I have jump started a dead devotional life and am a full month into a read the Bible in a year plan. I’m trying to grow my prayer life and working on increasing my already stretched faith even further. 

The result is simple, I haven’t been happier. Yes, we still have our issues we have to deal with, some quite stressful to be honest, but as I panic I simply remember Psalms 46:10. I remember who already has the resolution in place and has His hand holding mine. 

And because of Him, I smile. 

Now that my social media fast is over, what does that mean for me now?

Good question. I will be signing back on but in a very limited capacity. I will not be adding Facebook back to my phone. As of right now, I will be using an app to post directly to my personal social accounts directly. So you will see posts from me during the day. I will only be opening the Facebook app on my iPad at home in the evening after everyone has gone to bed. I will reply to any and all notifications then. If you need me during the day, the best way to do that is to call, text or email me. My Twitter will be active on my phone once more since I need the app to respond for the show account. All of this is subject to change depending on need and how it all works out. I will say I won’t be as active as I was before after experiencing life without it. 

As I said earlier, this is the first of several blogs you’ll see popping up. I hope to start writing more frequently on everything and anything. Most of the time, I’m not this serious but I wanted to be honest and open for this return blog. Hope ya’ll understand. I’m looking forward to catching up with everyone!

Live long and prosper,

May the Force be with you,

and most importantly, may God richly bless you.