social sensation

if you're one of the handful of people -and i'm being generous here- who follow my instagram account [alibartelmay - shameless plug] then you've probably caught on to what a craft nerd i am. my days off usually consist of a mixture of vegging out and crafting. my husband would refer to me as a productivity-holic.

in all honesty, my first go-to for 'off-day fun' is cleaning house, but when i get all lysoled-out [which is anywhere between 10-15 min after 'go-time'], i then resort to wreath-making, crocheting, painting, wood-transferring, sewing, blanket-making, candle-making, vinyl pressing, furniture re-upholstering... and baking (that's a craft too.. right?). and i place total and complete blame on pinterest [can i get an 'amen!']. okay, so maybe not complete blame, but 97.3% nonetheless.

with one look at pinterest, there's really no mystery as to how it has the ability to suck us in [for hours upon hours at times.. or is that just me? surely not] as women, our minds are going 1,763 miles a minute and we are constantly entertaining the thought of meals, home-improvements, crafts, clothing...etc. so to be able to go to one site and be bombarded by an endless page of all the above.. it seems like the perfect time suck [and you don't have to feel guilty because you're being productive...  right?]- i must admit, it's kind of hypnotizing. [sitting, starring at screen, mouth open, possible drool accumulating, when's the last time you blinked?] sound familiar? yea.. not to me either :x

with all this said, if you are anything like me, you have a love/hate relationship with most social media sites. don't get me wrong, i love love LOVE the morgasport of new ideas i get on sites like pinterest, or staying in touch with far-away friends and family via Facebook. however, i think it's safe to say that it all comes with a cost. and most of the time, jealousy/envy, resentment, slander and boastfulness rule the roost.

truthfully, where my love/hate relationship comes to a climax with social media sites is when i step back and look at how many of us have bought, made, or changed something about ourselves, our jobs, our food or how we live due to what we have seen on our news-feeds. i know i have! and i don't like that. not one bit. i want to live in a way that enables me to be me (freely) and to glorify Christ wholly.

i don't want to take what this fleeting culture has to say about my hair, my weight, my home, my relationships, my makeup, my meals... to heart and overlook the blessings i so abundantly have already. I want to look at all these aspects of my life through the lens of Christ and change only that which would bring me closer to a likeness of Him.