Radio Silence

I used to love the show, Alias. Still do, really, but it went downhill in later seasons. But those first couple of seasons-- wow!-- they were incredible. Aside from the occasional racy outfit, the predicaments and feats of Sydney Bristow were cliff-hangingly delightful.

At certain points, when Sydney was facing a dangerous point in a mission, she'd go "radio silent". Maybe she didn't want to be detected by enemies, maybe she needed full concentration, or maybe the radio transmitter would interfere with the mission at hand. Whatever the case, for a period of time, she'd turn off her earpiece and her microphone and just do what she needed to do.

In my own effort to give full concentration to the job at hand, I'm sensing that I need to turn off the communications for a while and enter a time of "radio silence" with Making Home.

There's a lot I'm learning and growing in... and I want to learn and grow more. I'm 29, ya know? (Though, to be truthful, I only have about 4-5 more weeks I can say that.) :) There's this awesome man I get to hang out with and serve and love and grow with, and I don't want to be distracted by technology. There's raising, training, and schooling these four wild and wonderful kiddos... and I want to do that well. I have a funny little recently-weaned 18-month-old who needs some training and lovins. There are incredible books I want to read... most of all, the central book of my life: God's Word.

I don't want to get to the point where everything becomes related to an online world. I don't ever want my kiddos to think that computer interactions are the most significant in my life. And I just need to exercise some good ole' self-discipline. And I guess, to relate this all to Sydney & her crazy wigs, I don't want these optional (often even helpful) transmissions and communications to interfere with the task I've been given to do in this period of time.

Please don't take this as a judgment on anyone else, or on you, or even on me a year ago or me a year from now. For years, I've read other people's "I need to step away" blogposts and message board comments and seen that as a portion of their own personal journey. This is mine... for now.

I don't know how long this season will last, but I am certain that don't want to contribute to "noise" or just put more opinions out there. I don't want to be a resounding gong or spend time creating unnecessary yokes for others. If and when I write, I want the things I say to *last*-- to have meaningful, biblical, practical helps for the people who read them-- to hold up over the course of time and not just be a flash-in-the-pan perspective based on personal or cultural ideas-- and to communicate both love and truth. In recent days, I've gone back through old posts and deleted many. I've tried to whittle down Making Home to more of a central message/theme in hopes that those who continue to read here will be encouraged and challenged to follow Christ.

As Anton Ego says on "Ratatouille", "You know what I'm craving? A little perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective."

For this next "season", I need to shut off the communications, gain some perspective, and focus in on my task. I enjoy interacting with you all. I love being able to share what I'm learning or tips I've picked up along the way and encourage, challenge, and/or help others. I even enjoy getting gentle pushback when others have a different perspective. And it is truly joyful for me to point people towards Christ-honoring, valuable, and thought-provoking resources.

But for now, I need to give my focus and the "best" of who I am and what I have to the people who are right here in front of me. This summer has given me some perspective on that, and I'm gonna run with it for now. I have no idea how long it will last; I'm sure I'll still keep up with some of you via your own blogs... but for this portion of my "task", I'm flipping the switch and going radio silent. See you on the other side.