Many years of my life were spent on the internet... Most of that time, if not all, was spent on websites devoted to my favorite video games; Zelda, Mario, Metroid, etc. It used to be my life, pretty much. I loved to play video games and aspired so greatly to run my own Zelda website complete with guides, walkthroughs, resources for fangames, etc; I didn't care if there was no profit being drawn from it (or even that it cost money to have websites on the internet, about $70 a year if I recall correctly), because I loved it. I was always working towards the goal of completing a website and furnishing it with anything that a Zelda fan might find useful, and then having the happy existence of continuing to update it when new games were released.

Hours of my life was spent staring at a text file loaded with code, working on an efficient website system for which to achieve my goal. Honestly, my life was spent at a table doing nothing but that. At least, I would spend eight hours a day on a computer and the remainder on video games or something else probably related; at worst, I would spend more than 16 hours on it, and sleep way into the afternoon the next morning, only to get up and get back on (although I'd usually wait a little while to appease my conscience; I knew my dad hated that I practically lived at the table). I happened to take online homeschool too, but of the time spent on my computer, very, very little of it was spent doing my work, which is why I'm behind a year today (I usually tell people it's because I failed 7th grade, which I did and which is why I did homeschool, but I was actually moved right up into 8th grade anyway, so it's all due to my homeschool laziness now). I was pretty much set up to be wrecked in life; if my computer obsession wouldn't have done it, then certainly the obsession I had next to it would have, but I'd rather not disclose what that was.

But then, there came a ray of hope into my life. Something worth more than a computer ever was. Something useful, something that actually profited when I gave my all to it.

I found Jesus. He forgave my sin, and made me a new person. There was this huge burden lifted off of me; all the lies I had lived, all the bitterness I had in me, all the things that I knew were right yet didn't abide by, it's gone... Guilt? Don't need it. Excuses for why I don't live right? Don't need 'em. Twelve-step programs? Nope. Jesus helps me, and it's as easy as asking.

Before, I had the understanding that, yes, sinners go to Hell. Yes, "...all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Yes, things that I have done plenty of times are sin (lying, stealing, adultery (for which lust counts), etc). But doesn't everybody do these things? Surely they're not all going to Hell... so I figured, "well there must be a sin limit, or something... nobody really knows if they're going to Heaven or not, why worry..." So, I'd go on living my life.

But, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? ..." (1 Corinthians 6:9) Everyone's a sinner, so like we are we're not going to Heaven; not one of us. However... "...God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). While that, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (1 John 1:8), the very next verse says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).

So, though we're all undeserving, we have a free gift; though none of us can earn Heaven, we've been given a free ticket there. If we believe in Him (John 3:16), and forsake the things of this world for the world to come ("He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." - Matthew 10:39), we'll recieve what He died to give us.

Thank you very much for reading this all.

So you are a devout Christian like me eh? Welcome to the forum.

Absolutely... They're not very common on the internet, I didn't expect to run into one! Thanks

I am too - although I don't talk about it very much. Similarly, I wonder if I ever mentioned on MFGG that I too was home-schooled when I was younger.

Anyway, I totally understand what you're saying. I've never spent that much "plugged in" time in a given day (even during the final days before ROTW's release!), but I'm aware that this sort of thing can consume your life if you're not careful. Skills like Web design and database management have real-life applications, but if this (or any other) hobby is pushing your life out of balance, I understand why you might consider it best to give it up.

Here's wishing you the best in your future endeavors. I'd love it if you could stop by every once in a while, but if not, then farewell.