Filtering Your Life
In the process of cleaning up my emails, I realized I cleaned up too much and had actually gotten rid of my starred emails that I may regret later deleting. I frequently purchase insurance for items I buy and save the email with a star to be able to reference the paperwork at a later date. I guess I'll have to start saving things like that in a folder on my computer rather than my phone email. However, after all was said and done, all my categories were emptied. It feels great!!
As I was going through all my emails, I felt so violated. There is so much email from vendors and organizations I had never done any business with or have any idea why they would email me their stuff. I know one of the email addresses I use was allegedly part of a data breach and around the time I got that post card notifying of the breach I had a lot happening with my email that I just ignored. Maybe, I should have been on alert. I had never had an issue with my bank in the all the years I have belonged to it. I belong to a school's credit union. My credit card had to be reissued three times due to fraudulent charges in the last two years and yesterday, I had to close down my debit card that I had forever due to me being scammed. My bank thought one of the two business I patroned possibly had a scanner in order to pick up my card information. It's crazy how sneaky these infiltrators are getting. I was advised that rather than inserting the card to read the chip, to only use the tap method as it give another layer of protection due to the scanners and chips that are being planted on our everyday card readers.
I'm hoping now that my email is more manageable, I'll be able to unsubscribe to some of the emails I am getting and denying access to most. It's ridiculous how much clutter starts building up, especially over a period of a few years. As I was cleaning up my email, I was reminded of the book I just read regarding taming my thoughts. In the introduction Max Lucado talks about how he tried to do some personal research as he was writing his book by counting the number of thoughts he might have in one day. He started with each thought and as each item he listed, he kept thinking of other thoughts and realized his ambitious feat was impossible to track. To me counting one's thoughts would be like counting the stars or the number of hairs on our head. Completely impossible. If I had written each thought for each email I passed as I was massively deleting, I would have never gotten through it all within a six hour period. I'm learning to filter my thoughts after reading Max Lucado's book. I hadn't realized how the thought process can really impact your life and give you a false perspective into your principles and belief system. He gives examples on how to filter out negative thinking. I've been putting his ideas into practice.
I was telling my companion that I'm glad I had the time and opportunity to clean up my emails. If anyone had to do it on their own due to me being incapacitated or something (death), I would think they might have a warped perspective as to the type of person I am based on the emails that were in my two accounts. I write this blog as a disclaimer, if you find anything suspicious in my email, it more than likely put itself there without my knowledge. As I was deleting, I kept asking myself what the heck was this propaganda that I was receiving and how dare they send me this!! There were some emails from people I don't even know nor did I recognize their names. It was very disturbing.
This brings me to another topic with regard to my Facebook and X accounts. Prior to my deleting both accounts and reestablishing new ones entirely, my Facebook used to thread all kinds of garbage that I would sometimes find downright offensive -- the same with my Twitter, now X account. My son and I had a conversation about how threads are developed on social media and he told me that I needed to be proactive in only allowing people to post comments that represented my opinions and if I found them offensive in their response to me that I needed to delete the comments and only allow what my intent and perspective is on the subject I'm addressing. I don't know why I felt I had to respect rudeness. It wasn't until my son gave me permission to filter and screen my threads that I actually started taking that to heart. Since cleaning up both accounts and reestablishing new ones, I'm wanting to keep my posts positive -- of course sometimes making a statement about something I believe strongly about without trying to be offensive about it. I personally think my accounts are pretty pathetic with only 51 friends on one and 62 followers on another. Also, I only follow positive people on my X account. Some might be deemed controversial (don't judge), but they actually have done something that has touched my heartstrings and I'm seeing them through Jesus Eyes.
My Facebook and X recommendations are mostly positive, inspirational, music or art related. I LOVE THE NUMBER OF SCRIPTURES AND DEVOTIONALS I GET NOW!!! If I find a posting that I don't agree with, I just pass it without making a remark. I thoroughly love living vicariously through my friends who are going on vacation and having amazing adventures and share them through their pictures. I love seeing the children growing up and the things that are happening in their lives.
This blog is public and so far, no one has really trolled me or made any derogatory remarks about it. I was hoping it would be realized that it is in fact my story and testimony. I'm just wanting to inspire other individuals who might read it to see how my life has had it's ups and down, but because of my faith -- I keep running the race and enduring my purpose. God has restored me a number of times and has gotten me through some pretty touch situations.
I'll share this, my filters on my social media are much more tame than when I was much younger and had the name TwoSteppinTequilaShooterTwist!! In closing today's blog, I just want to encourage you to filter your life in the different areas that affect your daily living. It gets too easy to get caught up in the noise of the world. Be aware that there may be some information that is making its way into your life that you aren't alert to and always protect those things you want to preserve and/or protect.
Matthew 7:15 -- "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves."
Romans 12:2 -- "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."
Philippians 4:8 -- "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Psalm 101:3 -- "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me."
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