remembering to unplug (#16)

It is amazing to me how times have changed since I was a little girl.  I can remember when my Mom first got her 'car phone'.  That bag phone was huge.  It simply stayed in the car and was rarely used- it truly was for emergencies.

Similar to what my Mom used to have.

I got my first phone when I was 16 (I think) and it was used to make calls.  There wasn't this thing called texting and we sure didn't have internet on our phones.  Even my first summer at Carolina Cross Connection (2004) my phone wasn't that important.  I served at a camp and that had ZERO service within the county.  I rarely left that county and didn't use my phone much.

Fast forward to the present day- my phone is on me at all times.  I'm able to be reached at all times whether through phone call, text, email, Facebook, FaceTime, etc.  It is crazy.  

A sweet reminder from our Church Retreat this past year. 

And now, more than ever, I think it is important for me (and all of us) to remember to unplug.  I rarely do it but when I do, it feels great.

This past weekend the Setliff camping trip was a time to unplug.  When Drew and I got close to our campsite we put our phones on airplane mode and to be honest, I felt relieved.  I needed those 40 hours without my phone attached to me.  I used my phone to take pictures but other than that, it stayed off.  

As I begin this next year, I hope I will take more time to unplug from my phone and more time to plug into those around me.  I hereby challenge myself and you too.