My Love/Hate Relationship with Pinterest

So, Pinterest is basically amazing. I can get ideas for what to do with our old windows from our house on Lafayette, how to display my kids artwork, and what I want Jamy to cook next all in one place.  I was born to an artist/creative genius but sadly didn't inherit these genes from my mother. But who needs creative DNA? I just go to Pinterest where I can steal benefit from other people's creatively. It's genius.  

Jamy and I made this to hang over our bed.
(You should have seen the look on the scrap owners face
when we told him what we were doing with the pallet...)

And what better way to see what my friends are up to? I know who's planning on getting pregnant (come on, who are you really surprising by pinning the cute baby announcement?), planning a surprise party for grandma, or new ways they're decorating their classroom this year. (Seriously considering "unfollowing" all of my friends who are teachers, at least for the fall...ya'll are clogging up my boards!)

What I go through for a Pinterest project...

Recording memories 365 days to add to every year

BUT, it has it's drawbacks and quirks. Some things people find absolutely adorable I find absolutely creepy. And if you forget to recaption the thing you end up sounding creepy yourself sometimes. The time you can spend waste can be like a time warp. There's no limitations to what people can post. And I really do not need more half-naked women showing me how to get the flattest abs or great jeans for my tush.

Jamy and I made a huge chalkboard for the kids in the backyard.
However, Pinterest did not tell us we would be spackling the paint on.

The real issue is that I can find my heart leaning towards discontentment and longing at times while browsing on Pinterest. Oooooh, if I could only have the dream house with a 3 story library (then people can call me Belle) or the ability to make 3,437 different scarves or redo my entire wedding.  Comparison almost always equals discontentment for me. Instead of looking to Jesus for my hope and peace, I look to stuff. I'm at a Starbucks at the mall writing this right now. I can't take more than two steps without ads screaming for my attention or people at kiosks trying to catch me. 

So it's not just Pinterest: it's LIFE. This world clamors to tell me I need things, or relationships, or projects, or careers, or acclaim, to fill the huge gap in my heart that we're all born with. But only Jesus can lead to that kind of peace and contentment. Satisfaction isn't in completing a Pinterest project. The work has all been done and I can stop striving.

Includes friends, family, world issues, and
fruits of the spirit we pray for as a family at meal times.

The other day I stumbled across this article pinned by a friend: Are You Pinning to the Glory of God by Trisha Wilkerson. Intriguing I thought. And then I read this "When our hearts are content, we can enjoy creating beauty, appreciating new and fun ideas, and undertaking creative projects without them taking over our lives. A heart like this can enjoy Pinterest with joy and without the pressure to keep up. We can save that new project I idea for the right time, and in the meantime feel satisfied." 

So I will continue to enjoy Pinterest (I have a 7th birthday party to plan). But I'll be careful to find satisfaction in things that truly bring contentment. The cute kittens will just have to take a back burner.