Tag: peace

A photo of candles in the dark with the words December 2022 'Finding Quiet' + Less, But Better

December 2022: ‘Finding Quiet’ + Less, But Better

Posted on by Kelvey Vander Hart in L I F E

Happy new year! As we step into 2023, here’s a recap of the last month of 2022: 

Best Book I Read This Month 

I’ve struggled with anxiety my whole life. While I’m now much better than I was as a kid, my thyroid condition directly impacts anxiety, among other things. Finding Quiet: My Story of Overcoming Anxiety and the Practices That Brought Peace by J.P. Moreland has been a huge gift in this season. Read more about it here. 

Best Article I Read This Month

“The irony is that the approach to politics outlined by these new, militant conservatives is flatly at odds with authentic Christian virtue. The New Right implies that religious traditionalists have a choice: They can either be the ones inside the gulag, or they can make sure their enemies are. Jesus never would have accepted that bargain.”

Read more from Reason’s Stephanie Slade here. 

Tip + Trick of the Month

Not an original Kelvey Vander Hart tip, but a great one nonetheless. Want to get rid of something but not sure if it’s something you should remove from your home? Try hiding it out of sight for 30 days and see if there’s a need to use it. 

My sister and I have been trying to cut down on the number of coffeemakers we have after combining our kitchens. We prefer French press or pourovers, so we just practiced this idea with a drip maker. That drip maker now belongs to a friend. 

Quote of the Month

“Don’t just declutter, de-own.” -Joshua Becker

Kelvey’s Thought for the Month

Going into 2023, I’m valuing less over more. 

Less stuff. More space, time, and money. 

Less on my task list. More time for priorities. 

Less on my calendar. More time for what matters. 

The key isn’t less for the sake of less. It’s less for something better. 

Where are you needing less this year? 

Have a great start to 2023. I’ll catch you next month.

The 5 Stages of a Social Media Detox

Posted on by Kelvey Vander Hart in L I F E

Social media impacts the mind the same way a slow I.V. of poison impacts the body. 

At least, it does for me. 

Whether social media has such an obvious negative influence on you or not, I think everyone benefits from a social media detox. I regularly try to step away from social media for a day or two a week for my own sanity, but my brain and soul need a longer detox at least once or twice a year. 

If this isn’t something you’ve done before, let me walk you through the five stages that come with a social media detox: 

RELIEF

After the buzzing happening on Facebook and the fighting happening on the dumb bird site and the overhyped and overfilted life posted on Insta, deleting apps from your phone will feel like RELIEF. Suddenly, the political conversations you have will happen in person (and hopefully with a lot more civility). You can live in a moment instead of taking photos of it. People will just have to compliment your new look IN PERSON. Anonymous trolls would have to do a lot more to get your attention. The relief feels good. 

ANXIETY + EXCUSES

This is the most difficult part of a social media detox, and it highlights the very reason why you start one. The timeline is different for everyone, but it sets in at some point: A slight buzzing anxiety that you’re missing something, which leads to ridiculous reasons why you should log back on. Power through, it gets better. 

TWEETING IN YOUR MIND

If anxiety and excuses are the most difficult part of a social media detox, this is probably the most humorous part. This is the point where your brain starts coming up with incredible social media content. Seriously – I have come up with my best tweets before remembering that I couldn’t post them. I have taken amazing photos that didn’t end up on Insta. This too shall pass. 

SURPRISE

I love the moment when you realize that you’ve been off social media for a while and for the last few days…you HAVEN’T MISSED IT. It takes a while, but that surprising realization feels good. You recognize that you don’t need it, and it doesn’t need to dictate your day. 

PEACE

And finally, the best stage of a social media detox: peace. When the notifications stop coming, when you’re not constantly reaching for your phone, when the anxious twitching and longing for false connectivity fades away. The goal of a social media detox is not to simply step away – it is to reset. To reset with less dependency on your devices; with a clearer head; with a calmer heart; and with a better focus on Jesus. 

Let this be your encouragement to step away from social media for a bit – it’ll feel weird, but it’ll be great in the end.

“Therefore, We Will Not Fear”

Posted on by Kelvey Vander Hart in S P I R I T U A L

God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging. Continue reading ““Therefore, We Will Not Fear”” →