Narcissism, Needs and Nothing New

"Isn't it all pretty egotistical!?!!"

This is how my mom sees the uber-popular FACEBOOK and other assorted social networking and blogging sites. I love my mom. Granted, she is not into using the internet for much more than email or the occasional COLDWATER CREEK clearance sale, but her point is taken. Her sentiment reflects also that she does not need or desire to know these details about people in her life (past&present) that the sites provide. I think we all naturally gravitate toward the habits that fill our greatest needs.

For certain, there are some who use these to make much of themselves, yet there are also those who use them simply to connect and be a small part of (as Matt Chandler would put it) "doing life together." As a friend put it to me yesterday: "Blogging can be as much about what God teaches you in the writing process as it is about whomever chooses to read it." That hits the nail on the head for me. I want to get better @ writing (practice, practice, practice!!), I want to process and share what is going on in my life (which is synonymous with what God is doing), and it is gravy if people choose to read and start a dialogue about any of it.

I fully get that, as the book of Ecclesiastes puts it, there is "nothing new under the sun." I know the lessons I have learned or am learning are not earth-shattering or any sort of modern enlightenment, but they had enough meaning that I wanted to put them on paper (so to speak). There is nothing here that God doesn't cover much more eloquently in the Bible, but, hey, knowing doesn't equal doing- now does it! ;) So, in all their (lack of) glory, here is a short list:

*Do not assume people know what you mean.
*Sometimes it is better to be quiet, than to offer an opinion.
*Forgive daily and move on.
*Choose to laugh.
*Don't say anything you wouldn't say to the person about which you are speaking.
*Seek resolution. Say your peace. Let it go.
*Don't put things on FACEBOOK (or in email,etc) that could be misunderstood.
*You do not need to be right or have the answer for everything.
*Consider other people's interests first.
*Don't stay mad. It is a waste of time.
*Do the harder thing.
*Connect with God constantly.
*Retreat and pray when emotions overtake me.
*Limit technology.
*Lead by example.
*Don't put trust in those who have shown themselves untrustworthy.
*Use manners all of the time.
*Take every opportunity to talk about God with anyone, especially my kids.
*Open your ears daily to the needs around you.
*Don't get worked up about much of anything.

**Listening to Pandora while I am writing this and the SHANE & SHANE song "Over The Sun" came on. How funny! It talks about how, in the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon looks for meaning and satisfaction in EVERYTHING under the sun and He discovered that it is all found on the other side. This song is a letter from Solomon telling us to stop looking here, and start looking over the sun, where our source of life is hidden. Chandler was doing an incredible series on Ecclesiastes when we first moved to Dallas in 2007-I need to download it onto my Ipod and listen to it again from the beginning!!**