Fine-Tuning Our Focus

From mid-June until now, I've been focused on VBS kiddos, then I hopped right into focus on 4-legged kiddos at my children’s place then to my 2-legged grand-kiddos at my home, back to focus on my children in Austin, and now back home to the two 4-legged furry kiddos of my Frisco family while they’re away. Whew! FOCUS – can sometimes be draining. Being responsible for the care and well-being of others and focusing on their needs keeps us from focusing on our own needs. I get it. We love focusing on our loved ones…..because, well…..we love them. We are wholly devoted to them. But, giving our full attention to something, somethings, and “someones” means taking the FOCUS off of ourselves.

Why is ME-focus important? I refer again to Jesus’ words in establishing “FOCUS” priorities: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39. Focus priorities look like this: Love God. Love yourself. Love others. The fact is – unless we care about WHO is most important, we can never love others to the capacity that God intended for us. We become better parents, employers, employees, friends, neighbors and leaders when our FOCUS starts with God and ourselves. So, I’ll admit I’m ready for some God and me-focus.

I have some friends who have asked me for some one-on-one time. I have had to put them off while I was focused on the care of others. And, now, before I can give them the quality and Spirit-led counsel they need – I MUST focus on “loving the Lord with all my heart, soul and mind” which means spending time with Him to get me loving me enough to love them enough to give them Godly wisdom for their lives.

I loved having those special times caring for others. It feels my “love tank” so full. I’ve heard of week-long get-away places where people will go to a health and fitness boot camp to FOCUS on a road to lifestyle and body transformation. Then there are couple boot camps where they go to FOCUS on each other to revitalize and renew their love and marriage. It’s important to stop the struggles and wandering and wondering to FOCUS on what’s most important in our lives.

So, now, I’m back to my little world of God and me – I get to FOCUS on what and WHO keeps me stable, unshakable, and centered. My relationship with God. With all the distractions that we are consumed by, can we possibly imagine how much God wants one-on-one “you and me” time with us – where He is the center of our attention? And when He’s the center of our attention, our FOCUS is fine-tuned on what’s good and lovely and the question about whether we do what He wants or not is easy because we will focus on what He focuses on.

This is fine-tuned FOCUS: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3). By fine-tuning our focus, we’ll always “focus on God first” Who is near to us, strengthens us, and gives us wisdom and Godly perspective to persevere through life. That FOCUS will help us focus on everything and everyone else with His perspective, His love, and His wisdom.

Hebrews 12:2 -- “We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith….”

Earth to Heaven -- Heaven to Earth

Yesterday, I posted about my Sweetheart's debut into heaven on the 16th of November, 2010. But today, November 17th, it’s all about heaven-on-earth!! My sweet Bryson James Wuerch made his debut into earth 10 years ago today and what a blessing and special joy that boy is to us! He’s the youngest – number 6 in the chain of our grandchildren. God put “icing on the cake” when he came along.
He lights up the room when he walks in. He's hilarious -- without trying, and best of all for this Nana – he’s still my lovey, cuddly boy and I'll hang onto that as long as I can. He's a unique, one-of-a-kind ORIGINAL!

I’m so happy I’m here in Austin today for the big celebration that starts this morning at breakfast and when he gets in from school, we’ll have our annual birthday treasure hunt where he'll get clues I’ve made up for the special treasure he’ll eventually find. It only happens once a year and for years that's how I've rolled. Honestly, it's not the treasure or the gift that my grandchildren remember. It is the feeling of excitement that Nana stirs up. I make every effort to fill my grandchildren's love tanks. It takes a lot of energy to undertake such audacious activities, but it's so worth it. In the grand scheme of things, they'll remember how much they are extremely loved and how special they are to me.

While I'm celebrating my sweet boy's birthday today, I'm thinking about the most important thing we can do for others is to celebrate them and help them to know THEY MATTER. Why does it matter? Because it matters to our Creator. He specifically planned each of us individually and uniquely with the funny little quirky smile we might have, the color of our hair and eyes, the freckles on our nose. We are so special that His eyes are on us ALL the time. He knows everything about us. We're His special treasures......and He thinks about us ALL THE TIME....so shouldn't we think about others in a way that God uses our arms to hug them, our mouths to tell them how special and beautiful they are. After all, they're our sisters and our brothers in this royal family of God. I can't explain it in mere words, but God sure can! Just take a look at how He masterfully and lovingly planned us and created us! We are ALL so special to Him. I hope these words convince you of that!

Psalm 139:1-5; 13-18 "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit or stand. When far away, you know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. You both precede and follow me and place your hand of blessing on my head. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous—and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book! How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me!"