Signing Off???

Aloha!
I cannot believe I have not written in 3 months! These past few months have flown by! But now that the semester is winding down, and many of the students have left, we are officially on Christmas break here at International Ministries. My sister is coming into town tomorrow, and I could not be more excited!!! As I am preparing for her to come, I started thinking of my expectations of her time here in Hawaii. 
One of the things that struck me was (and I wanted to avoid), in past years my sister and I have fought over...drum-roll... cell phones! Yes, that little piece of technology we carry around with us everywhere we go, has caused more fights with my sister and I over the past 5 years than probably any other thing. Are we sharing one? No. Do we want the one the other has? No. We fight because one of us (both of us equally) will be on her phone and the other is irritated that she is not engaged in what is going on. Sound familiar? 
Over the past few years I have started fasting technology (or at least Social Media)  for days/weeks at a time and I usually try to fast from it over my winter vacation. Now for those of you who know me, probably are thinking "wow, big deal Christie, you could step back to the time before cell phones and be content" And you would be correct in saying that. I have developed this love/hate relationship with cell phones and social media. As a curious individual and someone who lives far away from family and friends, I love the conveniences of technology. I love being able to Google something I do not know, right there on the spot. I love the GPS on my phone so I can go to new exciting places, and above all else I love being able to stay connected with my friends and family who are currently all over the world. Here is where the hate part of the relationship comes in. My generation being consumed by it! When I am with a group of people my own age and every single person is on his/her cell phone instead of engaged in conversation; I hate that as a society we only feel adequate in our decisions or self by the number of likes we get on a post/picture ect. And I hate that we become so engulfed by technology we forget to just live in the moment. Maybe I should just watch the beautiful sunrise, instead of taking a picture of it for Instagram??? (that was my own reflection, just last week I posted pictures of a sunrise hike) So just in case you are wondering I fail at this daily, and am not merely pointing the finger.
Nonetheless I too, even with this love/hate relationship, find it extremely hard to fast social media. So a few years ago I did not use my cell phone for an entire week, turned it off and put it away. Yes, that did make me pull out the old alarm clock and set it to wake up on time. Yes, it was difficult if someone wanted to get in contact with me. After all that is the #1 excuse we always give, isn't it- "but what about if people need to reach me?" But you see THAT IS THE POINT! Maybe we need to make ourselves a little less available to other people and focus on the important things. Take your vacation time and make it an actual vacation. If you are home for the holidays, be fully engaged with your family; the rest of life with be waiting for you when you get back, trust me. 
So I challenge you, if only for a 24 hour period, sign off social media and be social with those around you. The holiday season is the greatest time of the year and I do not want you to miss any of it! I will be spending Christmas with my sister and focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of Jesus Christ, for He is the reason for the season! 
From the Far Side of the Sea, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Mele Kalikimaka!

Christie

"For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace"     Isiah 9:6