Being thankful.

it's beginning to look a bit like Christmas...

I have a feeling many family photos from here on out will look a bit like this one.

another songwriter...

I hope Taylor Swift reads my blog and decides to pick Annabel's Nash song up for her next heartbreak hit.

Only in the Carolinas...

... can you enjoy a late summer-like weekend at the beach...








... and TWO weekends later see beautiful fall leaves and snow!

a song writer.

Bradd's been making me listen to this... (White Dress in particular). I kinda like it and thought I would share with my many readers around the world, here in the USA, in Cost Rica, and beyond. Well, I think I have at least one reader in each so it isn't exactly a false statement, right?

Are pictures really worth 1,000 words?

I ran into a friend today.  She casually mentioned my turning off Facebook. I explained a little further my reasons I personally needed to turn it off for a while, if not permanently.  One of the several reasons being - I would check up on people, the way any caring introverted friend would when they have access to your information with out having to consult you.  A friend would cross my mind, or my newsfeed, so I would go to their homepage and take a quick look to see how they are doing.  Somehow I had convinced myself that even though I don't have time to call, visit or make personal contact in some way or another, this quick glance at their Facebook page or instagram photos would suffice. I was "connecting" to friends that had no idea that I had connected.  I was updating myself on other peoples lives, "keeping up with them" and they didn't have a clue.  These aren't real relationships.

For anyone that happens to stumble across this, my problem is not against Facebook or Instagram. I am not suggesting everyone needs to log off permanently. There are many great aspects of it. And maybe, hopefully, most of you aren't wired the way I am and can use it as a facet of your friendships and your life that solely benefits you in your relationships.  Having 500+ "friends" in my life just straight up overwhelms me.  For me personally, for the way I am wired, I need a smaller circle that I connect deeper with. 

Anyway, after a brief discussion about Facebook, and in light of it, I asked my friend how she was doing.  I assumed she was well... she has beautiful children, a good husband who loves her well... I know because I saw their sweet pictures on instagram, and all of those things are true. But that wasn't the answer she gave me.  When I asked her face to face, her eyes swelled with tears and she went on to tell me about some significant struggles her family is facing.  

How many friends have I "liked" photos of sweet smiling kids, or even briefly walked by quickly commenting on their latest social media update and felt connected to? I felt like, since I know such and such about them, we are close. I know their business... I liked ALL the pictures of their babies for crying out loud.  We might as well be best friends. What if I just took the time to slow down and ask how they were really doing- in person or on the phone, in real time?  Would I get a totally different insight into their lives? Not necessarily a more honest insight, because my friend has some honestly beautiful children, she has a great, hard working, loving husband. I loved seeing their sweet little faces pop up my instagram feed.  But, unfortunately, for relationships that rely mostly on social media to connect, it usually falls short of the whole story.  

I am still processing all of this.  It is weird not to have Facebook.  I sort of feel like I moved away from a town.  But I want to bring more than just pictures of my friends with me...  I want to hear the stories going on behind the pictures.  

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

How exactly can someone like me, who, more times that I would like to admit, relied on Facebook status and photo updates to "connect" with dearly loved family and friends, genuinely care for and love as deeply and wholly as Jesus asks of me?

Rubbish

"Before the Spirit of God can bring peace of mind He has to clear out the rubbish, and before He can do that He has to give us an idea of what rubbish there is." --Oswald Chambers, in The Servant As His Lord from the Quotable Oswald Chambers.

This was on my news feed as I was shutting down my Facebook account.  I in no way mean that the sweet updates and photos of my friends and family are rubbish, but the times I get stuck on the rabbit trails or the many times I turn my phone on just to see whats going on while playing with my children are.  I have so many things going on in my life. So many things running through my thoughts.  I am just trying to quiet down the incoming news feed a bit and listen.  That's all.  

Sam is 6 months old!

Somehow this happy, happy boy is just over 6 months old! As of today, he is 18lbs 15oz. (74%), 27" tall (62%), and his noggin is 18" around (97%)... He needs lots of room for that brain!

He's almost sitting by himself, pushing his chest all the way off the floor, and rolling over all the time. When he is mad or hungry his leg starts kicking and just doesn't stop.  He loves paper and squeals like a mad little pig when you take it away from him.  But other than that, he is usually just smiling away.  No teeth in that sweet little grin yet. 

• img_8032, a photo by Lisa Corinne on Flickr.

Shutting down.

My Facebook and Instagram are going dark for the time being.  Because I have family and friends spread around the world, I will definitely continue to post photos. You can see them here http://www.flickr.com/photos/mudpuddler/, or click on the slideshow on the right this screen. If there are any videos to share, they will be on the left of the blog screen under "in motion..." 

When I have time and if there is any news to share, I may actually post a note on the blog! So, if you want possible Johnson family updates, follow the blog and my Flickr feed if you have a feed reader of some sort.

I am not trying to disconnect, but to better manage my time by connecting more intentionally.  So, if you have found yourself here and you want to call or write to me personally, my email address is lisacorinne at gmail dot com and I will send you all my current contact info.