It is July the seventh and Instagram has been off my phone for a week. It’s got me feeling like…
A couple of you mentioned wanting to go offline for the month of July, a dipping of toes into the waters of a true digital sabbatical. I’m curious - have any of you done it? If so, how are you feeling? Let me know in the comments!
A few books on digital mindfulness I’ve read and appreciated:
Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle
The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place by Andy Crouch
My Tech-Wise Life: Growing Up and Making Choices in a World of Devices by Andy and Amy Crouch
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport
I could say a lot about taking regular, prolonged breaks from the internet, but you’ve probably heard it all already. So here’s what I’ll say for today: being even a little bit less connected from my phone makes me more human, more available for loving interaction with the people around me. The internet, while it can be useful and beautiful, has a way of dehumanizing users (us). It’s good to feel a little more human this summer. My heart and soul needed this type of rest.
Speaking of rest - How about a retreat?!
I mentioned the idea of a retreat for women following Jesus on my Instagram and the response was so exciting. Nearly 50 of you are interested! And you don’t even know what the retreat would be about! You guys trust me too much. I promise not to exploit that trust! I’ve had a little time to hash out some ideas about what our time together would look like and I’m thrilled to let you in on the process. Here’s what I can guarantee you’ll experience:
Intentional delight and rest. Something I’m learning about myself in my 30s is that I really care about intentionality. I want everything I do/consume/purchase/participate to have a purpose — even (and especially) if that purpose is delight. My vision for our weekend together includes time for prayer, quiet reflection, and biblical teaching. It also includes long dinners around tables filled with good wine and beautiful food prepared with thoughtful care.
Soul Care. I’m still working this piece out, but I plan to provide a framework for our time together that allows you to untangle the knots in your brain and spirit to make room for deep healing and peace to settle in. I’m building a small team of women with professional training to guide this aspect. We’ll work hard to ensure you leave our time together more whole than you arrived.
The most beautiful property. The Cliffs at Hocking Hills is Instagram famous for a reason. Their 18-person Cantwell Lodge is gorgeous and boasts its very own, private swimming hole (with a waterfall). They’ve recently opened three 4-person bungalows with a swimming space of their own, too! Depending on the number of registrants, we could book the Lodge, the Bungalows, or the whole dang place.
The cost for the weekend (lodging, food, and programming) will be between $450-550, with a deposit of $150 due at registration. Here’s what I need to know:
I really hope we can pull this off!! I mean..can you imagine?!
I’ll be back next week with my first installment of Summer Goodness.
Our theme for the summer is weddings. We go to a lot of them, so I’ve had lots of time to observe, think, brood, repent, and build a 5-week writing series on them 🫠. Thank you for loving me just as I am.