12 Days to reconnect
A holiday challenge: Put down the phone…Pick up your life
In a few days time, we are going to have something that is becoming increasingly rare in the modern world…12 whole days without school!
- Geen Huiswerk
- Geen toetse
- Geen klokke wat lui
- Geen onderwysers wat sê: “Sit jou foon weg nie”
Miskien mag jou ouers dalk die laaste ene nog steeds doen tydens die vakansie.
There is a very real danger that you could spend the entire holiday doing this…
- Breakfast
- Scroll
- Go to the bathroom
- Scroll
- Lie on the coach
- Scroll
- Someone says: “Come outside”
- You say: “I am outside”
- But you are actually sitting next to the swimming pool…looking at a video of somebody else swimming.
Exodus 33:14 “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Looking back at this term, we have done very well! It was 10 weeks of consistently being busy. Part of the 10 weeks were 4 very busy weeks that ended in the Inter Schools 2026. Then to add some flavour to the term there were ongoing tests that did exactly that…it tested us! Reports are going out today! Those who worked hard, were rewarded, those who didn’t, probably got what they deserved.
Ons almal verdien ‘n welverdiende ruskansie en selfs in die bybel is die konsep van ‘n tydperk van rus na harde werk baie bekend. God het die wereld geskep in 6 dae en toe die 7de dag geRUS. Kom ons doen dan dieselfde. Dis ook ‘n goeie tyd om so bietjie “mental filing” te doen en te beplan vir die baie kort 4de kwartaal wat voorlê.
Go and do some activities with your family and get off the devices! Physical activities are good for the soul and the body! I watched the Matrics at the Matric Dance last night…many of them can’t dance without making a video of themselves and singing and pointing at the camera…it’s as if…if you didn’t capture it, it didn’t happen!
When resting this coming week, try to restrict your screen time and have authentic and some real experiences without taking a photo of it, without sending a video of what you just saw or have experienced…but only savour the moments and appreciate the moment…hopefully with a sense of gratitude and a thankful heart of how lucky we are with all the blessing in our lives.
Mother nature doesn’t need a charger or WiFi
…and maybe that is exactly what we need.
- No notifications
- No likes
- No streaks
- No algorithm deciding what you’re going to watch next.
Just…YOU!
- And the people around you
- And the world around you
- You don’t need an expensive holiday
- You don’t to fly somewhere
- You don’t need fancy activities
- You live in one of the most beautiful parts of South Africa
So hier is a paar, heel waarskynlik baie onpopulere, voorselle:
- Gaan stap langs die see
- Gaan strand toe
- Gaan stap in die berge
- Gaan ry jou fiets wat net daar staan
- Speel touch rugby
- Gaan vang vis
- Gaan stap met die hond
- Gaan kamp
- Gaan hou ‘n picnic
- Gaan kyk die sonsondergang
- Gaan swem
…of doen dalk net iets crazy soos…sit BUITE en doen net NIKS.
You might just discover that your brain survives without TikTok for three consecutive hours!
So here is your 12-day challenge for the upcoming holiday…
For the next 12 days, don’t try to eliminate you phone completely. Instead, change the balance. Every day, try to spend:
- At least ONE hour outside
And every day, try to have ONE period where you phone is completely out of reach.
- Not face down beside you
- Not in you pocket
- Not “I’m just checking one thing”
- Actually away
Because here is what happens when you put your phone down:
- You start noticing things
- You notice the people around you
- You notice the sky
- You notice the ocean
- You notice that your little brother or sister is actually quite funny
- You may even notice that your parents aren’t completely boring.
- And lastly, you may even just start noticing yourself!
So HERMIES, deel van die 12-dag uitdaging aan julle is:
Moenie vra: “Wat gaan ek vandag KYK nie”
Vra eerder: “Wat gaan ek vandag DOEN”
Moenie vra: “Hoeveel likes het ek vandag gekry nie”
Vra eerder: “Saam met WIE het ek vandag tyd spandeer”
Moenie vra: “Hoe lank kan ek online spandeer nie”
Vra eerder: “Hoeveel van die wereld rondom my, kan ek ervaar”
So, when you can…
- Put the phone down
- Get outside
- Get moving
- Get dirty
- Get tired
- Laugh with people
- Enjoy your family
- Explore
And make some memories that don’t need a WiFi connection.
I hope you are all going to have a FANTASTIC holiday!
PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, Thank you for guiding us through this very busy term and being with us, every step of the way. Thank you for providing the energy to be fully involved in this great school with all of its opportunities.
As you provide the energy and the drive to be able to do all these activities, please also provide the well-deserved rest that we so dearly need and restore us to be ready to finish strong during the 4th term. Please be with us and protect us during this holiday and bring us all safely back to school after the holidays.
AMEN