Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Extremes

What a difference just a few days can make. Earlier this week it was so nice outside. We were riding bikes and taking walks. It almost felt like spring.

I didn't think to take a picture then. (Credit: http://fogllama.deviantart.com/art/Like-a-Spring-Day-In-February-661876407)

Even as we enjoyed the beautiful weather, we knew it couldn't last. We heard the forecasts and shared the bad news with everyone we talked to. "We're supposed to get some snow on Friday." Hardly anyone was happy to hear that.

Our local school cancelled on Thursday evening when the forecasts ramped up to a blizzard warning. We went to bed on Thursday night wondering what we would wake up to this morning. We were all surprised to hear thunder, lots of rain, and some light hail late Thursday night, but during the night it did turn to snow and we woke up to a world of white.

I didn't think to take a pic today, either, so this is not Allison, Iowa.
(Credit: http://fineartamerica.com/featured/snowy-day-on-main-street-sag-harbor-barbara-barber.html)

A couple of days ago Gary was grilling brats for lunch and today we were without power for a couple of hours. Amazing. 

Our weather extremes got me thinking about the extremes we can experience in other areas of our lives.

The joy of a new birth. The sorrow of the death of a loved one.

The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat.

The excitement of a new adventure. The monotony of daily life.

The fun emotions of new love. The pain of a broken relationship.

The pride of accomplishment. The shame of failure.

We can swing between extremes, sometimes on a daily basis.

There is only one person who can keep us steady and get us through the ups and downs of life. God. He knows us completely and He cares about what is happening to us. 

He'll help us keep a clear head and humble heart during the highs of life. He'll carry us and keep loving us during the low times.

That should help us experience the extremes of life with grace and hope.

I know spring will be here for real in a couple of months, winter can't last forever. Neither can life's wintery seasons. Spring will come again as we hold onto hope.

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." 

                                                 (Philippians 4:12-13 NIV)

Do you get thrown off by the extremes of life? How can focusing on God help you to remain stable and hold onto hope, especially in the low times? 

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Why You Aren't Dead

I'm at the Cedar Falls Christian Writers Conference today. My brain is overloaded with inspiration and info for my writing, but I'm taking a few minutes to write this week's blog post.

My friend Mary Potter Kenyon led a workshop this morning called: Love What You Do, Write What You Love. It was excellent, but one thing she shared has stuck with me all day. She referred to an online article by Michael Hyatt:  Why You Aren't Dead Yet 

Isn't that a morbid title? It's hard to think about our own mortality.

Most people take life for granted. They assume that they will live to a ripe old age and die peacefully in their sleep.

When we watch the news we realize that life is not guaranteed. There are car accidents and cancers and mass shootings that cut life short. Sometimes mental illness strikes and someone decides that they can't take any more. They choose to end their life.

There is a thirty-year-old woman here at the conference with a heart condition. She has outlived others with the same condition and so, understandably, she worries. She doesn't know what the future holds, but she's trying to live fully and trust God with her days.

Michael Hyatt's article reminds us that there is some reason that each of us is still alive. God has something in store for us. A quote from Andy Andrews reminds us: "If you are still alive, then you haven't completed what you were put on earth to do."

As I consider life, this helps me. My life isn't over. God has things for me to do. I don't know if that includes writing, or speaking, or simply taking care of my family and friends. How exciting to wonder about what lies ahead.

I'm not dead yet, and neither are you.

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while, and then vanishes." (James 4:14 NIV)

"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16 NIV)

Do you wonder what life has in store for you? Does it seem like all of your good days are behind you? How can focusing on God help you to realize that He has wonderful things ahead for you?

Sorry Saturday: Let's Focus on Spinning

     This has been a busy summer. I missed Focus Friday last week because we were vacationing in Tennessee with my family. We had a great time celebrating my parents' 50th anniversary and taking in some of the fun activities in the Pigeon Forge area. 

     On Friday we went to an amusement park together. Dollywood had lots of rides, shows, and attractions. Some of our group left midway through the day due to the sweltering heat, but our family and my nephew toughed it out until the park closed. We found lots of rides we wanted to go on and we wanted to see the fireworks at the end of the day.

     We went on all of the roller coasters and big rides early in the day. In the middle of the afternoon we figured out that we hadn't visited a section of the park that had lots of smaller rides like the scrambler. We headed over there and my husband found something really fun...the teacup ride.

     Now, that may not sound very fun to you. Pretty tame, right? Not for my thrill seeking husband. Gary rode it first with our daughter Erin. He got that teacup spinning as soon as the ride started and it didn't quit spinning until it stopped with a jerk when the attendant stopped the ride. It was fun to see Gary laughing and Erin trying to keep her head from going back from the force of the spinning.

     Next, he got right back on with Dylan and Allison. It was a little harder to spin it as fast with three people, but he still got it spinning like crazy.

     We rode a few other rides, then came back to do it again. This time I videotaped as Gary rode "Lemon Twist" with Allison. My son Blake and nephew Phillip were in another car, spinning like mad as well. We laughed from the side as we watched because Allison could not keep her head from flying back. They got off and I decided that I would be missing out on something if I didn't experience this ride. I knew I couldn't ride with my husband or I might throw up (I had almost lost it on the dizzy disk a little earlier). I grabbed my son and we ran to get in line. He got it spinning right away and we laughed as the world began to spin. Pretty soon it wasn't funny anymore. I started to feel a little sick but I hung in there. The whole world was a blur around us. I could not see one single thing outside of our little teacup. The only thing I could see clearly was my son, sitting right across from me. We endured the ride and I laughed as I walked shakily back to the rest of our family. I'm glad I tried it. 

     In the week since then, I've been thinking about spinning. Sometimes our lives seem to spin out of control, just like the "Lemon Twist" ride. Broken relationships, illness, frustrations, financial difficulties, and all sorts of other problems can leave us reeling. We hang on for dear life and try not to throw up as everything around us seems to be a blur. The only thing not moving, the only thing we actually can focus on, is God. He's the only constant in our lives, especially when circumstances seem unsure. We can fix our eyes on His loving face and trust that the rest of the world will still be there when we stop spinning out of control. He'll steady us as we move on, even if we're still dizzy and shaken. 

     Life can be a wild ride, but I wouldn't want to miss a moment of it, especially with my Savior right there with me. 

"Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways." (Proverbs 4:25-26 NIV)

Does your life seem to spin out of control at times? How can keeping your focus on God help you to get through those times and keep moving on?

                      

Focus Friday: Let's Focus on Life

Earlier this evening Gary and I went up to the fairgrounds and spent some time at the Butler County Relay for Life event. It was wonderful to see so many people come out to celebrate surviving cancer, or remember someone they lost to cancer, and mostly, to raise money for research so that many people in the future can be cured of cancer.

It seems like almost everyone's life has been touched by cancer in some way. What a terrible disease! Family members have had scares with it, Gary's dad died of prostate cancer, my aunt is finishing up radiation treatments for breast cancer, and I can think of so many friends and community members who have had to go through a long struggle with cancer and all of the rough stuff that comes with it.

As I write, I'm not even sure what to say. I guess I just want to acknowledge that there are many people who are doing so much good for cancer research and it really is making a difference. Many people are getting screened for different types of cancers, and when it is found early it can often be cured.

Walking around the track at Relay for Life was very sobering for me. I recognized names on many of the luminaries. Some were "In Honor of" someone, but so many more were "In Memory of" someone. I knew some of those names, too, and it was sad to remember losing them.

Back home again, I've been thinking of friends who have lost a loved one to cancer and my heart hurts for them. I want to do better at reaching out while someone is going through a terrible time like that, instead of just thinking about them and saying a little prayer. I want to be better about sending cards and offering to help in some way.

Even more than that, I want to appreciate life more. Seeing lots of people at Relay for Life wearing purple "Survivor" shirts was inspiring. They took a lap around the track together and there was something special about the fact that they are still here. I take my life for granted so often and, to be honest, I whine about how hard it is. Truth is, it's not that hard. I make it hard when I focus on the piddly little problems I have. I make it hard when I choose to not be thankful for my family, my health, and all of the blessings I have in life. I make it hard when my focus is all on me, instead of on the God who is right beside me through each and every thing going on in my life.

Let's focus on Him, and be grateful for life today.

"...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10b NIV)

Do you ever take life for granted? How can you change your focus so that you can once again realize how precious life really is?