Make sure to come back here and let me know which item is your favorite!
-Alison
Friday, November 26, 2010
A Treasure Trove
Since I wont be doing any Black Friday shopping, I have been scouring Etsy for some great gift ideas {for you AND for me!}. One of the best tools on that site is the Treasury, and I loved it so much that I made two treasuries of my very own:
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
{Real Life Is Better Than Fiction}
Contrary to popular belief, I currently have very little interest in reading books with a romantic storyline.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Major Announcement!
A major announcement was made over on www.exemplifyonline.com today!
Major changes, but GOOD changes. I will miss writing my monthly column, but what's coming in 2011 is so much more my heart for online ministry!
Make sure to visit Exemplify Online on facebook and leave some love for all of the writers and our editor, Kristen, as we say goodbye to the magazine portion of the website. This will also be where you can stay up to date on the developments of www.exemplifyonline.com.
Thank you for reading my columns each month over at Exemplify Online! It was an honor and a pleasure.
-Alison
Major changes, but GOOD changes. I will miss writing my monthly column, but what's coming in 2011 is so much more my heart for online ministry!
Make sure to visit Exemplify Online on facebook and leave some love for all of the writers and our editor, Kristen, as we say goodbye to the magazine portion of the website. This will also be where you can stay up to date on the developments of www.exemplifyonline.com.
Thank you for reading my columns each month over at Exemplify Online! It was an honor and a pleasure.
-Alison
Saturday, November 6, 2010
The Art of Discretion
The Art of Discretion
Lately I've been learning the art if discretion, and trying to find the balance between my personal and public/online life. It is one of the main reasons my blogging has been inconsistent, at best, over the years.
Discretion is the combination of discernment and wisdom...
The book of Proverbs in the Bible has so much to say about wisdom and discernment. Over and over it says to not let the words of wisdom depart from your sight, tie them around your neck, wear them as an adornment, and to keep them in the midst of your heart. {See Proverbs 3-5}
Discernment and wisdom are two of things I pray for the most. They are also the two things I am continually tested on...makes sense though, right? How will I know how much I've learned unless I've been tested?
How Much Is Too Much?
I love to use social media like twitter and facebook, but how much is too much information to put out there for all the world to access? At what point do life's details become cheapened when they are put in a status update for hundreds of people to see at the same time? What does it say to my friends about how I value them when they have to find out major life's details online and not from a personal contact?
These questions are not just limited to social media. They can be applied "real life" (aka, not my online life). For example, does everyone at church or work really need to know where I was last weekend or the details of my relationship? Probably not. Do my family and close friends get more details of my life? Most definitely! Accountability is a good part of life. It helps keep me from crossing over into the darkness of life.
It's Not Just About Me {re: selfishness is never a good look}
I tend to tell just about anything to anyone who asks because I get so excited about what is going on and what God is doing. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not just about me anymore. It never really has been, but even more so now that I have a boyfriend, I need to learn how to share without over-sharing. He has been the major catalyst for growing in discretion. There's something to be said for allowing myself to treasure the details and learning the right way to express my life. Journal = details; blog = broad strokes; facebook/twitter = random updates & a means for communication with friends.
More Questions Than Answers
The goal I am trying to accomplish is to honor all of my relationships by considering how they would feel about being a part of my online story sharing. Have you ever stopped to think about that before now? I sure haven't.
How do you remain honest with your life on your blog without over-sharing? Do you set boundaries about what is OK to write about? Do you talk with the people in your life about their privacy standards?
I do know that there are people on all sides of this issue and that I have very few answers to my questions. So, while I'm trying to figure this out for myself, feel free to comment with advice, wisdom and answers!
Lately I've been learning the art if discretion, and trying to find the balance between my personal and public/online life. It is one of the main reasons my blogging has been inconsistent, at best, over the years.
Discretion is the combination of discernment and wisdom...
The book of Proverbs in the Bible has so much to say about wisdom and discernment. Over and over it says to not let the words of wisdom depart from your sight, tie them around your neck, wear them as an adornment, and to keep them in the midst of your heart. {See Proverbs 3-5}
Discernment and wisdom are two of things I pray for the most. They are also the two things I am continually tested on...makes sense though, right? How will I know how much I've learned unless I've been tested?
How Much Is Too Much?
I love to use social media like twitter and facebook, but how much is too much information to put out there for all the world to access? At what point do life's details become cheapened when they are put in a status update for hundreds of people to see at the same time? What does it say to my friends about how I value them when they have to find out major life's details online and not from a personal contact?
These questions are not just limited to social media. They can be applied "real life" (aka, not my online life). For example, does everyone at church or work really need to know where I was last weekend or the details of my relationship? Probably not. Do my family and close friends get more details of my life? Most definitely! Accountability is a good part of life. It helps keep me from crossing over into the darkness of life.
It's Not Just About Me {re: selfishness is never a good look}
I tend to tell just about anything to anyone who asks because I get so excited about what is going on and what God is doing. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not just about me anymore. It never really has been, but even more so now that I have a boyfriend, I need to learn how to share without over-sharing. He has been the major catalyst for growing in discretion. There's something to be said for allowing myself to treasure the details and learning the right way to express my life. Journal = details; blog = broad strokes; facebook/twitter = random updates & a means for communication with friends.
More Questions Than Answers
The goal I am trying to accomplish is to honor all of my relationships by considering how they would feel about being a part of my online story sharing. Have you ever stopped to think about that before now? I sure haven't.
How do you remain honest with your life on your blog without over-sharing? Do you set boundaries about what is OK to write about? Do you talk with the people in your life about their privacy standards?
I do know that there are people on all sides of this issue and that I have very few answers to my questions. So, while I'm trying to figure this out for myself, feel free to comment with advice, wisdom and answers!
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