My oldest daughter frequently reminds me that I once said these words:

Cell phones are the D-e-v-i-l.

Bag phones in the car were different. They could be used in an emergency, for crying out loud. It made me a little more comfortable when carting my kids back and forth on country roads – just knowing that I could plug that hefty cord into the cigarette lighter and call someone – IF we needed them. We couldn’t really use a bag phone for much more than quick emergency-type calls, because just using it at all was expensive.

I think I will forever have this nervous tick – it happens every time I hear the word roaming. My eyes kind of dart right to left, and my heart skips a stressful beat just thinking about it!

And then along came the amazing technology of a cell phone with a family plan.

For a while, I couldn’t stand the dang thangs.  But what was a parent to do? Our kids needed them. Just in case they had to wait five minutes in the pick-up line at school, we didn’t want them to get scared, start walking, and hold us responsible for the embarrassment they endured as the upperclassmen drove by. That might scar the poor child for life!

There was just so much pressure and perceived necessity. But – once she had a cell phone and was glued to it 24/7, I routinely threw myself onto the floor in something that looked like a two year-old’s Walmart fit and wailed to her Daddy, “What have we done? What have we done??”

But she grew up fine – and along came the Iphone. MY IPHONE. My Iphone with apps. The Iphone that allowed me to read email, text friends, check the weather, take beautiful pictures…..and use Snap Chat.

If you haven’t downloaded and aren’t regularly using Snap Chat, here are 3 great reasons why you should start.

1.  It saves time. 

Snap Chat allows you to take a photo and add text in one application. No more taking a picture and copying it to the body of a text. Also, one “Snap” can be quickly sent to several people – think group text, only way faster.

When Keagon needed to select new frames, he could get the opinion of the whole family in seconds. Of course, I thought he was cute in any and all of them. 

 2.  The filters.

Your kids and grandkids LOVE Snap Chat’s filters.  They’re easy as pie to use. You can point the camera at your face, apply all kinds of crazy filters, press a button, and you’re instantly a white-haired senior citizen reading the newspaper. (Oh, wait, that’s us without the filter.) 

Notice that the quality of the photos isn’t that great – but that’s not the point. The point was that I called my granddaughter after getting this photo and laughed with her that she looked OLD. 

  3.  The videos.

Snap chat videos are short, easily saved, tell a story with or without added text – and can be used with filters, which is the B-O-M-B.

I’m not above telling the whole world that Mike and I laughed uncontrollably at ourselves one night when we learned how to create these crazy videos. We made at least 20 of them, different ways, saying different stuff, and sending them to the kids.

We cracked ourselves up, I’m telling you. 

They laughed with us (mostly), but only one responded: “Who showed Mom and Dad how to use Snap Chat???)

Next time you need some good clean entertainment after a crazy day at the office, video yourself singing your favorite song, giving words of advice or just declaring your love, send it to your family and friends and then laugh yourself silly as you replay it – over and over. I promise you’ll thank me for this one.

These friends were so appreciative that we showed them how to use Snap Chat on a recent trip to Fredericksburg.  At least they were. 

(Video used by permission – just barely.) 

Encouraging intentional adventure and a whole lot of laughing at our OverFiftySelves,

PS – Now that I’ve convinced you that Snap Chat is a good thing, you can find a great step-by-step tutorial here.  Or just get an 8-yr old to show you. They know how.