Tuesday, September 29, 2015

A Moment with Rebecca: Technology & Connecting with God

Who would've thought that the potential new member I met on the first day of sorority recruitment would someday become one of my closest friends? (And gosh, I'm so thankful she did!) Though I was a year older when we first met, Rebecca and I were both from nearby small towns with younger brothers, teacher parents, and a desire to live out our faith in college. We immediately clicked. Seven years later, we've been roommates, phone dates, and bridesmaids in each other's wedding. I admire Rebecca's commitment to her faith, and am so excited and honored to have her share a moment today on the blog! Check it out.

Let's be honest; technology is one of the leading culprits for distracting us from time with the Lord. I’ll find just about anything to distract me from the Word.  Today, for example, I was home all day and somehow am just now getting to my time in the Word and prayer; it’s quite late.  However, technology allows us to have the Word with us at all times.  That’s pretty cool, right?


A little about myself:  I have been a self-proclaimed disciple of Jesus Christ since I was six years old (probably used the wording “asked Jesus into my heart” back then).  I, of course, have transformed a lot since praying the Sinner’s Prayer back in ’96 and I’m glad that Jesus has more work to do in me as I have far from grasped all who He is.  Jesus saves me from my flesh every day as I grow to surrender each moment, each decision, to him.  But the schedules we maintain which rule much of our attention make constant awareness of Him difficult, do they not?  So, what do you do?  Here’s what I’m doing now.  The point is that I feed the longing that I have for Him, and not just during one 30 minute session per day.

Lately, my husband and I have made a point to get up early, EARLY, to spend time in prayer and reading the Bible (quiet time); it’s the best.  Honestly, we just started last week and have already missed a few days, but it’s been great.  In order to stay awake during our quiet time, we get up even EARLIER to workout in order to take care of our bodies and to get the blood pumping. Guess what time…3:45 a.m.!  I don’t know if I recommend this time yet, but I’m thrilled about putting my quiet time first.  I just want to start my day off talking to God; this seems to shape my day into a constant conversation with Him.

So, what technological tools would I recommend?  I’m listening to a book called “Reshaping It All” by Candace Cameron Bure during my workouts; please put this on your booklist.  Candace, in case you’re thinking she looks familiar, played DJ Tanner on Full House.  Candace does a beautiful job of connecting health and fitness to her relationship with God.  She is encouraging and challenging, humble and bold, truthful and gracious, and she attributes it all to Jesus Christ. 


 
I’m also listening to a podcast called “Sons & Doubters” by Luke Brawner and Aaron Hale.  Luke and Aaron describe the podcast as “honest conversations about the times when faith is difficult and doubt is easy.”  Luke happens to be the Worship Pastor at my church, Grace Bible Church http://www.gbchouston.org/.  Oh, this podcast is refreshing.  Luke and Aaron are honest and humble here.  I have really enjoyed learning from their life experiences, studies, and even guest speakers.  The weekly podcast was just released in September 2015, so you’re not too far behind!  Give it a try, especially those of you who spend endless hours commuting in Houston (where I live currently)!

My Bible reading plan is from the “She Reads Truth” app; my particular plan is for reading the entire Bible in a year.  I like how the app keeps track of the reader’s progress and sections out text such that each day includes a chapter or two from the Old Testament and a chapter or two from the New Testament.  Psalms and Proverbs are sprinkled in there, too.  Oh and the app provides free adorable backgrounds containing scripture for phone screens.  Yes please! 



Having these tools with me throughout the day helps me to not get so sucked into the task at hand that I forget about God.  Sometimes, I take my 10 minutes “smoke break” to sneak away to an empty room at the office for some prayer and scripture reading using one of a few iPhone apps.  I tell you what, this surely beats turning to a soda or candy bar for that break and pick me up come mid-afternoon.

So, why go to all this trouble?  Because the Lord’s number one commandment is to love him and love others.  How do you suppose we are to love someone whom we don’t know?  How do you get to know a person such that you can love them?  Ah there it is!  You’ve got to spend time together.  And you’ve got to write it in your planner a lot of times.   Look, Jesus is it.  He’s what you’re looking for whether you’ve known him your whole life or are just hearing his name for the first time.  Pursue him!  I hope that some of this post has encouraged or informed you!  If you want to chat about my post or just shoot the breeze, email teamhill315@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading,
Rebecca Hill

There is so much truth in Rebecca's words, and I'm finding them as a great challenge for myself. I love her and her husband's hearts for the Lord, and the way in which they seek after Him, even if it means sacrificing sleep, lunch time, or other tasks. I'm thankful for their friendship, and excited to put some of Rebecca's tips into practice (though I may miss out on the 3:45 am workouts!). Do you have any great tips on using technology to connect with God? Feel free to comment below!

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Currently,
Kelsie

6 comments:

  1. I have the Bible app Youversion on my phone and iPad and love having it with me during the day. Last year I did the Bible read in a year program, and got so much out of it! - Trish at View from the Birdhouse

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    1. The Bible App is definitely great. I love Bible reading plans! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I absolutely love this post!! I just downloaded She Reads Truth because of the blog post. I also saw a He Reads Truth app and told my husband about it. I use technology (iPhone/iPad) for my bible studies/devotion already, so I am excited to use the She Reads Truth app now! Thanks for the recommendation! :)

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    1. Isn't it great, Lizzy? I'm taking Rebecca's great advice and getting started with the She Reads Truth App as well. Thanks for stopping by!

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  3. Thanks for this great post. I keep hearing about "She Reads Truth" so I'm going to have to check it out!

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    1. Me too, Fatima! I'm thankful I get to share Rebecca's wise words. Thanks for reading!

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