One hour a day, one day a week, one week a year

Several years ago, a book called The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch crossed my husband's desk. After reading it he passed it on to me, and after the fifth (sixth?) time he invited me to read it, I finally did. In a nutshell (from the back of the book jacket), The Tech-Wise Family "moves beyond the typical questions a family has of what, where, and when to show us that in a world full of devices, there's a way to choose a better life than we've imagined."

(A note about devices: Andy Crouch has a whole section on rest vs. leisure. His point is that we should have rest on our days off, not leisure. He would argue that social media scrolling is leisure and reading a book via Kindle is rest. You can read more about his thoughts on this topic in The Tech-Wise Family. He covers it in chapter 3.)

When I read The Tech-Wise Family the first time, I patted myself on the back for a few things. I felt validated that (as Andy suggested) we had screen-free family dinner together almost every night.. (Go us!) And while we hadn't avoided TV for our kids before the age of 10, (Highest praise for the parents who have the stamina to do this!), we did (and still do) have just one TV in our entire house. The rest of the stuff Andy Crouch mentioned in the book? I chalked all of that up to "Well, that's great for him! I'll think about that next year."

The subheading of chapter three is: "We are designed for a rhythm of work and rest. So one hour a day, one day a week, and one week a year, we turn off our devices and worship, feast, play, and rest together." This chapter was one of those ideas that I put in the "Maybe next year" mental file folder.

Nope. Not happening. Too hard, I thought. The one hour a day? Easy. I was already doing that. But one day a week? One WEEK A YEAR?! Impossible. I knew my husband had done something along those lines, which I admired. But I had no interest. I told myself I had too many things to do. I could not possibly take that time away from my work. There was no way for me to completely disconnect.

Fast forward to 2021 and I am irritated that I didn't take this advice to heart much sooner.

While I have always been "present" for my kids, I also know they are as familiar with an Apple logo as my own face. I even remember a Cyber Monday when we were at Disneyland and I sat out a ride so I could squeeze in a little bit of work. I’ve even checked my inbox while on a trip of a lifetime in Hawaii.

It took me several years to come around to the idea for myself, but now I am fully on board with Andy Crouch's idea of a technology rest for one hour a day, one day a week, and one week a year. In 2020 I started treating each Sunday as my day of digital rest. Already in 2021 I have taken three weeks of technology rest that coincide with family vacations—the most recent being our family trip to Texas.

I have found peace in resting during these hours, days, and weeks. Without an inbox calling or a social media feed beckoning, I've found that I've been able to engage more with those I love while giving my heart and mind a much needed hour, day, week of rest.

The Tech-Wise Family: Recommended.

July Mix

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: smell is the human sense that activates the limbic system, which is the part of our brain that regulates emotion.

When it comes to picking what to diffuse, I tend to find a combination that I love, keep those oils right next to my diffuser and then diffuse the same combination for basically the entire month. Kind of like a good playlist. You too? Then this is the only recipe mix you need this month. It reminds me of summer days chilling at the pool!

These oils are considered “happy” or “balancing” oils—oils that are designed to elevate our mood which then causes us to relax. Smell is our only sense that activates the limbic system, which is the part of our brain that controls our emotions. If you are looking for a way to unwind at night and relax, give this one a try about twenty minutes before you turn in for the night.

Pop over here if you are new to Young Living and want to get started or, if you want a pretty version of my June Mix to share with a friend, download it here.

Snippets of My Week

Saturday morning hike above the clouds.

PJs and train tracks.

Fun on the 4th. Moonlight Amphitheater, Vista, CA.

Thanks for reading! What's something good that you’ve read and implemented in your routine recently? I'd love to hear about it. Just hit reply if you'd like to respond. (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.