Its Sunday. I'm sitting at Starbucks after a morning of leading worship and then hanging out with good friends. And I really have two thoughts on my heart. 

The first is that Satan is a tricky tricky horrible being.  And im not saying that because my life sucks, because it absolutely does not. I am saying that because this morning was very difficult for me as a led worship.  And that has kindof been a running them the past few Sundays. Its not for lack of want, or lack of preparation, or lack of care.  I just feel like I get attacked Sunday mornings. And usually its not until after practice, although some mornings it has been from the first note.  But heres how it usually goes.... I get up and get to church and I'm feeling great and ready to sing and we get through practice and everything is still good and then about 10 minutes before we go on stage my mind cannot focus. I start thinking about the most RANDOM stuff. For example, this morning AS I was singing, I started thinking about laundry. And then it was basketball. Who does that? laundry and basketball and we were singing about the eternal glory of God. It's so frustrating. I want to worship well and then laundry pops into my head. Its been i think 4 Sundays now that this has happened.  I have tried getting away, being still for a moment, and nothing seems to be a quick fix. Oh, and it all goes away after the service is over. of course. I'm just irritated.

The second thought is one much more universal, and I have been thinking about it a lot lately. But this morning I was catching up with an old friend and Facebook came up in conversation, and she said she didn't have a Facebook because it was overwhelming her in an unhealthy way.  It pretty much nailed a point into the ground that I have been considering. Not that I am going to delete my FB account, but here it is...  I think its great that facebook, and other internet/phone technologies have made it so easy to connect and share things. BUT it definitely does not come without its cons. We have become way too available. Its really not natural to be able to find out so much about people without actually talking to them, or being around them, or even living in the same state. It's made us both lazy and impatient.  It has brought expectations on us that I think are unnaturally straining. And its made us a rude culture.  

I think that it makes it too easy to avoid people.  I am a pretty shy person when it comes down to it.  Sure, I'm open with people I know well, but it takes a lot of effort for me to initiate a conversation with someone.  Some of you have heard me say that my very favorite thing in this whole world to do is sit with people and just be there, listening, sitting in silence, whatever. SO i say that to say I don't need an excuse to not call someone up and see how they are doing, cause i'll take it.  And thats what things like facebook, myspace, blogging (HA! irony...) and the like do. I think about someone, and instead of giving them a call, I "facebook stalk" them. And 99% of the time it ends there. Now, if someone is engaged, moving, getting a new job, etc I'll probably leave them a message. Then in maybe 0.001% of the cases I'll call someone. Scratch that. I'll text them. Less commitment there... I don't have to know if they would rather not talk. And I think that stems from a fear that is just a whole other can of worms not opened here.  So there is that point... it keeps us (me) lazy.

Another thing is it hikes up our expectations. And this is the reason why when I worked a desk job, blackberrys were my LEAST favorite thing.  It used to be that you called someone and they would call you back when you had a moment to talk to them.  Or you would send a letter and receive a response in 4-7 days. And that was totally fine. However, now with texting and emailing the response time is expected to be immediate. And when it's not the first reaction is something like anger, frustration, fear, rejection... depending on the situation. Maybe I'm speaking in extremes, but i am trying to make a point so its ok. I am not the kind of person that likes to be available 24 hours a day to 100% of the population that has my contact information. Now, I do love my friends and spending time with them, so I am very thankful for this technology when it comes to being available for them. But sometimes I miss the freedom of leaving all contact at home.  Yes, I could just leave my cell phone, but realistically we all know that wont happen. Plus the expectation for me to be available is still there and I can't help that. So that is point number two, it makes people too available.

Another thought I had is linked to my very strongest, most irritating pet-peeve.  Now, if you know me well, I would bet that you already know what I am going to say.  I HATE interrupting. I absolutely hate it. And it does not have to be interrupting me. I hate hearing other people getting interrupted. It just makes my skin crawl because it is so stinking disrespectful.  There are kinds of interrupting, mind you... there is the natural interruption in conversation that everyone does (totally ok), and then there is straight up im-not-listening-to-you-and-i-dont-care-what-you-have-to-say interruption.  Now this point is linked to this pet-peeve because people tend to forget that taking a call/text during a conversation is just as bad. Let me be the first to say that I am so guilty of this and i know it and I'm not here to point fingers, I'm just rambling on a thought. But I really really don't like it when I am hanging out with someone, especially one-on-one and they are consistently texting other people, or talking to other people on the phone, etc.  There are always exceptions to the rules, and calls/texts you have to take. and then when you are with a friend you are ultra comfortable with sometimes its mutually ok. But I think everyone can relate to that person that just seems like they would rather be somewhere else with someone else.  And the worst is when someone MAKES a call that they really don't need to make while you are hanging out with them.  I have gone shopping with someone before and they were literally calling other people entire time. ENTIRE time. really? thats just not cool. If you absolutely need to make a call, you let the other person know that you need to make a phone call and you keep it brief.  It seems like common sense.  And then there's the classic talking on the cell phone at the cash register.  Thats bad too.  People are so disconnected to their surroundings sometimes, I swear.  So there is point number three... it gives rude people and opportunity to carry out their rudeness, and makes otherwise polite people rude because its just accepted now. 

So there is my rambling. I love my mac :) haha! But like I said... there is no particular situation that made me want to write about this. I am not harboring any anger against anyone, so dont think that. I just like to write.  

Happy day to you.