So on my journey of focus I find myself being continually convicted to “Rejoice in the Lord always, Again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).  I have the choice to be healthy – praise God. I have the choice to forgive and encourage in my relationships – praise God. I have the ability to place all my sorrows at the foot of the cross – praise God. I rejoice in my own redemption. I rejoice in the salvation of loved ones. I rejoice in the Word of God. And I rejoice in the HOPE that we all have in Jesus!

That paragraph was the last paragraph from my last post six months ago….

Since that post, my friend’s mom that I spoke of has gone home to Jesus. My grandma is still with us and she prays everyday that she could just go to sleep and wake up in the presence of God. Both kids with upcoming weddings have had their weddings and they were such beautiful, blessed events. Another child of mine in the military will be soon deployed. The headlines have gotten crazier and scarier. My health seems to be the same (or slightly worse) when I base it on how I feel daily, however, the tests and diagnosis’ have not been encouraging. This update (as brief as it is) is a look at how life continues and we all need a daily reminder that we need to focus…and rejoice.  Psalm 118:24 says, “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 119:15 ~ “I will meditate on Your precepts, I will contemplate Your ways”. Another reminder of how to stay focused. Staying focused on the Word and applying it to our daily lives helps us to see beyond the ups and downs of our emotional and physical lives. It’s not always easy. Some days it feels impossible… but it’s not. I think one of my challenges isn’t necessarily my own focus (although it is a constant struggle and conscious effort), it’s convincing others to do the same…or to help them understand that I am focused and have complete confidence in God. I am an emotional person… I cry when I’m sad, when I’m angry, when I’m happy, even when I laugh, and pray, and sing…you get the picture. Sometimes, I don’t show emotion…like I can be fascinated by something yet my facial expression won’t change. Knowing this about myself, I understand why it may be hard for people to read me, so therefore, I will typically try to explain things…excessively (which isn’t always helpful). I want to set an example for others since it’s not up to me to tell them to focus or even to trust God but I want them to see me focus on the Word and trust God so that they can understand and desire the peace that comes with it. I’m not always sure how to do this…to be the example we are all called to be as Christians, but I know that if I ask God then He will tell me. If I seek, I will find. The answer is in His Word so I will study and seek and when I stumble or fail as I know will happen at times, then I will accept His GRACE.

Now my prayer is this… “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13  and “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.” Ephesians 6:24