Set our Focus

I realize as a photographer there are still a lot of things I need to learn about my camera. But whether you know a lot about cameras or not one thing is fairly obvious to all…A camera takes better pictures when it’s in focus. Focus: the center of attention or interest.

If the focus is off when taking a picture you can miss some amazing opportunities and end up with a blurry, unsatisfactory result. Much in the same way of our life I think.

I’ll start by asking this.Where is your focus right now? Is it on what you see going on around you or is it on God? Many of us would be quick to say "of course it’s on God!" As Christians, it's the right answer, the expected answer, isn't it?
”I go to church.”
“I read my bible.”
“I pray.”
Those are all great things. God wants that from us. Now let me ask you this. “Do you trust God?” Before you answer I want you to think about this…

What do you do when something doesn’t go your way? When circumstances change, when pain comes, when a situation disappoints. Do you get upset? Angry? Afraid? Confused? Bitter? Do you ask God “why is this happening?”… and then get frustrated when you don’t get an answer…

It’s so easy for our emotions to take precedence when tribulations happen. Those are our natural human responses. I know because I’ve been there. I know because at times, I’m still there. Even as a Christian I have to admit my focus hasn’t always been on God, not in the way it should be. Even when I was convinced it was. It took me getting sick to realize that. My focus had been on my comfort & then on my circumstances.

All of the emotions I listed above, I felt those. The central message of the sermon at our church Sunday was it’s not about me. Incredible message & reminder. God has definitely showed me that through the pain I’ve endured & continue to experience every day. I can choose to focus on the pain (which some days is easy to) or I can choose to focus on how good God is in it, what He can do through it. How what he’s done for me through Jesus can never be taken away. And in that I can have JOY… always. It’s been the recurring theme Jeremy & I feel God has been trying to teach us- To not focus on our circumstances but on the unchanging character of God-On what He’s trying to work on our character through it. That our joy should come from who God is not on the things around us. Things that can be taken away.

Now here’s where the focus comes in. If my focus had been on God’s character and not myself or my circumstances I wouldn’t have reacted the way I did when the tragedy of sickness struck.

Jeremiah dealt with this. Much like me, he was quick to focus on his pain when it came. “The thought of my pain and my homelessness is bitter poison. I think of it constantly, and my spirit is depressed.” Lamentations 3:19-20. Jeremiah let the devastation around him consume his thoughts and it made him bitter and depressed. How many of us have done that? I’d have to raise my hand and say, guilty. You see, it’s easy to say we’re focusing on God when everything is going ‘good’. When we’re not facing challenges, when we're comfortable. God is good, God is just. God is fair, right? But what about when that comfort is taken away? What about when the scenery changes & isn’t so pretty anymore? When the rolling green hills turn into the city dump!

Just like in photography, it’s easier to focus on something when it’s constant, unvarying. But what about when it moves, when it changes? That’s life isn’t it? Always changing, not just handing us lemons but pelting us in the back with them! We just have to learn to refocus our “center of attention.”

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a Christian for 5 minutes or 50 years, whether you have the small faith of the disciples in the storm or the big faith of Noah in building the Ark…at some point in our lives we all lose focus. When holding a camera you can’t be moving your hands all around or looking around at everything else going on around you while taking a photo or you will lose your point of focus. You have to stay steady and set your focus to get a clear picture.

 If our eyes are on our circumstances, if we’re always looking at what’s going on around us then when something challenging happens, when trials come crashing down on us, it will leave our faith completely shaken. Meaning it wasn’t in God at all, it was in our circumstances. Ouch! When I came to that realization it was like a Chuck Norris spin kick to the face. When we’re not standing steady in faith, God-centered faith, it leaves the door wide open for our emotions to run ramped and we start focusing on the pain, the disappointment, the whys, and the if onlys."So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. “Corinthians 4:18  

How often is our trust based on the "what" rather than the "who?" We tend to focus on the situation instead of the God who controls it .We start focusing on our grief and don’t understand why a loving Heavenly Father would allow that to happen in our lives. I don’t say this to judge or attempt to evoke remorse; I say this because I’VE BEEN THERE. Being a Christian doesn’t mean I’m a perfect person (far from it), it simply means that through grace I’m saved by the one who is. I’m human, I’m weak. Without Jesus, my circumstances would win…every time.

We often lose sight of the fact that just because our circumstances may have changed doesn’t mean God did.  He didn’t.  God’s character NEVER changes… EVER. He’s always LOVE, always JUST, always WISE, always HOLY, always SOVEIRGN, always CAPABLE, always FAITHFUL. And always BIGGER than anything we’re facing. If we could focus on that instead of ourselves no matter what we’re going through how much more peaceful and joyful would our lives be?

When hard times hit we have to remember that God didn’t change! Our view of Him did. Our focus did. It became fixed on how we’re feeling about the situation (what it looks like through our lens) instead of on the unchanging character of God. God doesn't see our circumstances the way we do. Thankelujah for that!   If you want to change your life to be God-centered, you have to change your thinking. It’s not easy but with God it is possible. I know because it's what God  is doing for me through my illness. It's what Jeremiah did. He changed his focus in the situation.“Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, so in him I put my hope.”Lamentations 3:21-24

We have to learn to build our trust on who God is, not on what is taking place at any time in our lives. When we know who God is, I mean really know, then the trials that come won’t seem so big, so devastating. You’ll trust that no matter what happens He has your best interests at heart. Because He does.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28. This has been one of my favorite verses for a long time but I realized that believing those words and trusting them are two different things. The bible can be taken at face value because it is truth. Plain and simple. It’s our choice to believe it or not and then actually trust it when it matters most. Trust is based on character, not circumstances.

Much like my camera, every time I look through the lens, I have to refocus on the “center” of the picture I want to take. I can’t just set the focus once, and expect it to take clear pictures from then on. Trials are going to come that satan will try to use to knock us off kilter and shift our focus. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33 It's important that when trials come we fill up our lens with the right thing, Jesus. Only He can get us through them because he has already overcome them! Don’t you see? Through Christ the victory is already ours! That is UHHHmazing news!We just have to accept it, believe it, and live it! We can’t control the trials that come, but with God’s help we can control our attitude through them.One thing I've learned is that there isn't a trial too big or too small that God can't use for good and be glorified through!

"Be very glad — for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world” 1 Peter 4:12–13.

Like a camera we can develop from the negatives. We can set our focus on the right thing to get the best picture (life) possible. Just like with my camera I can choose how much light I allow in. When we set our focus completely on God the shots may not always be easy but the view will always be Beautiful.

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds [both its inclination and its character] are steadfast [staying on you], because they trust in you.”Isaiah 26:3

GPS

I am directionally challenged. There I admitted it. I guess that just wasn't in the recipe of traits when God was creating me and I'm okay with that. But since I'm not I have to compensate. Thank goodness I'm married to Magellan. That man can find his way ANYwhere.

I rely on GPS, a lot. So much so that I'm not sure how I got anywhere before it existed. I even plug in addresses of places I've been before...better safe than sorry right? The problem with a GPS is that it's not reliable. I know, (while useful) I can't depend completely on it. There's no sure fired security in using it. I don't know how many times the battery has died & left me feeling completely lost....literally. The most annoying thing Hilda (name of GPS) can say to me is "rerouting" because I know somehow I took a wrong turn and she's trying to figure out how to get me back on the right road.

But even though GPS isn't 100% reliable, even though sometimes it gets me more lost than not using, I still do depend on it a lot, as do many Americans. Most new cars come with one already installed.

If we can rely so much on a fallible device to get us where we're going why is it so hard to trust an infallible God to guide our lives? You know the amazing thing I've learned about God is....He is ALWAYS dependable. His battery doesn't run out. The energizer bunny's got on Him! He knows where we need to go and how to get us there before we even ask! Sometimes we'll make a wrong turn but that's okay. Did you hear me? I said THAT'S OKAY. Do you really think the God who created you, who created the universe, is taken off guard when that happens? That He doesn't know how to handle it?That He didn't already have a solution, a way to bring us back on track?

One wrong turn will not put you out of God's plan forever. Look at the Israelites. I can't even count the times in the old testament where it says "and the Israelites turned away from God." Every time Jeremy and I read another verse that says that we think seriously guys?! But how often do we do the same thing? How often do we choose the wrong path whether on purpose or not. Just like the Israelites we take things into our own hands instead of trusting God and we have to face the consequences. Sometimes those consequences we complain about are mistakes we've already made and God is trying to wake us up, to get us back on the right road. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God" Romans 8:28. Sometimes we choose to see that....sometimes we don't. Sometimes it takes years for us to realize the God we thought had left us stranded had been guiding us all along.

We don't even realize that even those bumps in the road could have been worse if He hadn't interceded. If you're feeling lost in any area of your life don't lose hope! God can see where you are, where you're going, and exactly what it's going to take to bring you where you need to be.He's not recalculating, He's not searching for an alternative route. He already has a plan! You can trust Him. He wants to bless you if you choose to follow Him.

We are all directionally challenged in one way or another but God isn't. He is the ultimate GPS and He's FREE. I don't know about you, but I like FREE stuff, especially stuff I know won't break.All you have to do is ask Him.Time and time again the Israelites chose the wrong road and then found themselves praying to God for deliverance and you know what He did? He didn't say "nope. sorry suckers, you brought this on yourselves so you'll just have to stay lost and figure it out." No, He rescued them. It might not be in our timing but God has proven to me over and over that HIS timing is perfect. We may have to learn some hard lessons but God is always there."God in dependable love shows up on time" Psalms 59:10

 If you can talk to a GPS, you can talk to GOD. He wants to hear from you. He will forgive you, He Loves you. That wrong turn you took didn't wreck your life before God. Instead of agonizing over it you can get right with God, today."In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps" Proverbs 16:9 He can turn even yesterday's wrong turn into something good and position you in a new and more amazing place than you ever could have imagined. GPS-God's Positioning System.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”Proverb 3:5-6 

Like a sore thumb

You Stick out like a sore thumb is an idiom that’s been used for centuries to describe something that’s obviously out of place.

If you’ve ever injured a limb you know your natural instinct is to protect it. For someone like me who tends to be prone to clumsiness I’ve had my fair share of sore toes and thumbs. It’s amazing how such a small body part can cause so much ridiculous pain that it makes you want to crawl up in a ball & cry like a baby. The thumb in particular when injured usually forces someone to hold it at an odd, stiff angle which is pretty obvious to a casual observer. If a thumb is seriously injured than it has to be bandaged making it near impossible to hold in a natural position and even more impossible to conceal it from others.

This had me wondering why sticking out like a sore thumb is so often used in a negative connotation. I mean if I have an injured thumb with a bandage I’m trying to let people know, “hey there’s something different going on with my thumb here, you can look at it, laugh at it, ask me what happened if you’d like but I’m sticking it out so you know!”

It got me thinking why we’re so cautious about sticking ourselves out there. Maybe we’re afraid of looking different than everyone else or maybe we’re afraid to admit we’re hurt, that we need help. But it all seems to come down to one thing, fear.

If you stick a sore or seriously injured thumb in your pocket, or if the injury isn't visible but more on the inside and you don’t bandage it, then it can appear to be just fine. But then you run the risk of re-injuring it. The same protective instinct which is designed to cushion an injured limb can actually make it prone to risk. If you don’t allow your thumb to stick out than it could blend in with the other non-injured fingers.

Blended -the idea of being mixed with another so that something (or one) is not clearly distinguishable from another.

Our preacher did a sermon on Sunday about stepping out of line. It was Amazing.And it got me thinking how much of my life I’ve wasted just "blending in." Before I grew closer to Christ I used to care what people thought. Sure they knew I was a “Christian” but all they really knew that meant was that I went to church & there were certain things I didn’t do. What God has shown me over the last several years I can now see my life was not a true reflection of who Jesus is, of what he’s done in my life. I never truly stuck out like a sore thumb. My relationship with Christ was more of a religion, not my identity. The world is full of sore thumbs, none of  us are perfect. All of us have or are experiencing hurt in one way or another. But not all of us are willing to stick out.

Putting yourself out there, stepping out of the cultural line, and going against the “norm” can be intimidating. Like a sore thumb, you’re admitting "I’m okay to be different, I’m hurting, I’m not like the rest." I’ve learned that the only way to heal from hurts, to truly be who God created me to be, is to step out of that line...to stick out.

Through my illness over the last few years & Jeremy & I joining Revolution Church God has brought me out of my comfort zone & revealed to me what it truly means to be a Christian, to follow Jesus Christ. I mean let's get real, God didn't just nudge me or gently pull me out of that line, He yanked my butt out! Was it painful? Absofrigginlutely. Worth it? More than I can ever express. It means you’re probably going to lose some “friends”, people may make fun of you, judge you, not understand you. You may experience hurt; you may have to show boldness when all you want to do is hide. But through that I’ve seen just how incredibly powerful my God is.

As Christians the world should see us trying to imitate Christ because that is who we are called to follow. 

“Ye are the light of the world a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:14) Also, He said to “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. “ Matthew 5:16 

I know it’s easier to blend in with the world, I know it’s scary to stand out but I also know from personal experience the undeniable joy, incredible peace, and purpose you can feel when you choose to come out of the comfortable, safe, & worldly accepted line and choose to step out in faith & see what God has in store.

Just like a sticking out a sore thumb can make it prone to risk, putting ourselves out there can make us a big target for pain. But if we trust the God who created us, I mean really trust Him then we can step out knowing that while he may allow us to stumble He’ll never let us fall. He'll never allow pain without allowing something new to be born from it. We can know that whatever may come our way that God can and will handle it.

Hebrews 13:8 says  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Meaning He can still heal us, he can still perform miracles; he can still call us to walk on water, to reach the impossible, to love the unlovable. If we choose to follow Him He will make sure that our step of faith will be more than worth it.

I'm so thankful God allowed this illness in my life to pull me out of line.God does not enjoy seeing us suffer but He does enjoy what He can accomplish through it. Jeremy and I feel so blessed to have discovered a church of sore thumbs that aren’t afraid to stick out. For the 1st time in my life I'm truly living for Christ and it feels AMAZING. I don't want people to just hear me say I'm a Christian, I want them to see Christ in me...and if that means I have to stick out like a sore thumb, then so be it...after all I do enjoy some thumbs up:)

“Wherefore, come out from among them and be separate saith the Lord….” II Corinthians 6:17

Do the Gideon

This weekend we watched Captain America. Yes I admit, I love super hero movies. But what stood out to me most in that movie (while very cool) were not the fight scenes or even how Captain America defeated the enemy but how he came to be. So how was Captain America before he became the man with the star on his chest?

Weak. If you’ve seen the movie you know how disturbingly puny they made Chris Evans appear. His desire is to join the army in the division his father was in to fight the Nazis but he keeps getting turned down because he's too small, too weak. No one believes in him, instead they laugh at him. Until one guy sees past the limitations that everyone else sees. A doctor chooses him to become Captain America.

 He asks the doctor, "Why me?" To which the doctor responds, “Because a strong man, who has known power all his life, will lose respect for that power. But a weak man knows the value of strength, and knows compassion."

                                                                                                  

A little backdrop to the story of Gideon. The Israelites had turned their backs on God and therefore weren’t protected from their enemy, the Midianites , who pillaged their village. So they, along with Gideon, were in hiding to try and keep the enemy from taking what was left of their animals and crops. Again they found themselves praying for help, praying for God to deliver them from their current circumstances. So God sent an angel to Gideon to tell them He was answering their prayers, He was in fact going to deliver them from their enemies!

Awesome right? This is the part where you may think do the gideon could be considered a dance, a happy, victorious dance...well…not so much, because the next thing Gideon heard was “You are a mighty warrior, Gideon. Go out boldly, and save your people from the power of the Midianites."

 Now Gideon was a simple, humble man. He didn’t view himself as a warrior but as a weakling. His response was to demean himself. He reminded God that in the entire tribe of Manasseh, his family was the most insignificant, the furthest thing from the cream of the crop. He said he was the youngest and weakest!  I picture him dropping the flail (which I learned recently was a tool for threshing wheat) and taking a step back, trying not to fall over, looking behind him and back at the angel with his finger to his own chest saying, “Hold up. Say what? Are you talking to me? If you’re looking for the right guy for the job of rescuing Israel you’ve come to the wrong hombre my friend!” It’s funny that the very things he was using as his defense to why he wasn’t qualified were the very reasons God chose him in the first place. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.”James 4:10

Sometimes it’s other people who hold us back from achieving things in our lives. We let them define us by the limits they put on us, we believe them when they say we’re not qualified, not good enough. But sometimes we’re the ones who put limits on ourselves. Have you ever felt that way? Doubted that God could ever use you? That you have nothing to offer? Well welcome to Gideon’s world. He lacked the confidence that he was capable. And the truth is, he wasn’t… Not alone.

God told him, "Peace be unto you, Gideon; do not fear, for I am with you." God says the same thing to us. He may not use an angel, but in the bible God says 366 times “Do not be afraid.” He covered every day of the year (including leap year). I think it’s safe to say, he means it.

Gideon felt incompetent, I’m sure in his eyes there were more suitable men for the job, stronger, more confident but he didn’t let his feelings of inadequacies keep him from following God. Not only was Gideon victorious in defeating the Midianites, he did it with his army cut down from 32,000 to 300 soldiers!

You see, I believe God loves to Do the Gideon. Although it sounds like it, I assure you it’s nothing like “doing the hustle.” Since the beginning of time God has used weak, messed up, humble people to accomplish amazing, impossible things. He did it with Moses, Jeremiah, David, & many more. They looked down on themselves or were viewed by others as inadequate. But they are the ones who are humble; the ones who God knows can show compassion. It is through them that the true power and glory of God can be shown. "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." 2 Corinthians 12:9.
What I love most about the Gideon is that God still does the same thing today!

We need to stop listening to what others say about us and start listening to what God says. We need to stop putting the limits we put on ourselves on a limitless God. I don’t know what your situation is…maybe it’s a job you dream of having, a child you wish would obey, a friend you want to know how much God loves them, maybe you just feel like you’re supposed to be doing more…whatever the case may be don’t let your feelings of inadequacies keep you from victory. Don’t worry…If God calls you, He’ll qualify you. The very thing that you think disqualifies you, may be the very thing that makes you a perfect candidate for God’s plan! He’ll provide you with exactly what you need when you need it. He’ll give you the right amount of strength, He’ll open doors that need to be open, He’ll replace doubt with faith and fear with confidence. He will make you a mighty warrior.

After the doctor tells Captain America why he chose him he says, “Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are. Not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”

 Gideon was not an extraordinary man; he was just an ordinary,humble man from an ordinary,plain family in an ordinary tribe. He was just weak enough for God to choose him and obedient enough to follow despite any doubt or uncertainty. You don’t always have to be qualified for God to use you, you don’t have to have giant sized faith or hulk like strength. You don’t have to be faster, more attractive, wiser, or more athletic than the person next to you. You just have to be willing. Willing to let God turn your weaknesses into strengths. Willing to trust Him to do the Gideon in your own life.

           Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Luke 18:27

Water your own grass

Green Thumb: an exceptional aptitude for gardening or for growing plants. I will start by admitting something. The only way I've ever had a green thumb is from painting! I assure you it's not from a lack of wanting to. I'll plant seeds with every intention of doing whatever it takes to see them grow.I'll do really good for awhile and I get so excited when I see even the tiniest stem spring up or actual flowers blossom. And then...

I happened to look in the general direction of the flowers I had planted around our tree in our front yard. Sad looking is putting it nicely. They were drooping and had taken on a lovely brown shade. I could almost hear their little flower voices yelling at me from the beyond "All you had to do was water us!" That was something I had forgotten to do over the last several weeks or so and in this ridiculous Texas weather those plants didn't stand a chance. Green thumb? Hardly.

My eyes found their way to our neighbor's house. Seeing the bright pink, bloomed....Alive....flowers that always look so Martha Stuart-ish I found myself turning green alright but it wasn't my thumb. Envy can be a dangerous thing & it's often misplaced anyways. Proverbs 14:30 says, "A heart at peace gives life to the body,but envy rots the bones"

"How in the world does she keep them looking like that?" I asked myself. 'Watering them would be a good start' I heard that annoying little voice of reason say. As I longingly studied the flowers from across the lawn I had a curiosity rising that I had to fulfill. Just call me Curious George.So I trekked across the grass to where our neighbors perfect pink flowers sat in their hanging baskets and reached up to touch the petal.Guess what?....FAKE!! That's right, these perfectly bloomed flowers that I had just been desiring to grow in my own yard weren't even real! And I realized I went somewhere I didn't need to be and for nothing!

Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with having fake flowers in your yard.It's pretty smart actually. It definitely fools people (it fooled me)...from far away.Fake flowers don't take work, you don't have to water them...ever. Seems like a perfect solution to my green-less thumb right? But it's not, not really. There's something missing.

I'm reminded of an episode from my favorite show, I LOVE LUCY. Lucy is entering a contest for her garden of lilies but Ricky runs over them with the lawn mower. So at the last minute she plants fake ones hoping to pass those off as real ones to the judges as well as her jealous neighbor & they fall for it...at first.Just when you think Lucy's about to win, the flowers start melting right in front of the judges' eyes! I'm sure you've heard the saying "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." well that's not always true, especially if it's artificial. The reason why I keep attempting to plant real flowers despite many failed attempts is not just because I like how they look, I enjoy the whole process. I like to see them go from a tiny seed into a beautiful flower. Even flowers can usually last awhile without water but eventually they turn brown, shrivel up and die.

If we really want to avoid dehydration we need to drink before we are thirsty. We need to establish watering routines that keep us well-watered. Only Jesus offers us living water that will keep spiritual dehydration away. Our attitude has to be willing to accept it though. An open attitude before God keeps us from lacking the things we really need.

"The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. (Psalm 23: 1-3, NIV)

You may have heard the story of the woman who had been through 6 divorces who met Jesus at the well.She was obviously seeking fulfillment,but in the wrong places. Jesus told her, "Whoever drinks this water will get thirsty again;But anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again:The water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside welling up to eternal life." Each of us has the choice to draw water only from the well every day to accept the living water that Jesus offers us. What is this living water? Put simply we could describe this living water that Jesus offers us as the love of God. If we don’t receive this living water from Jesus daily, we will look for satisfaction in ways that will never satisfy us. He's not just a hose that turns off and on- He's a river that never runs dry and therefore our hope doesn't have to either!

Plants require regular watering to be healthy. In the same way, our souls need regular watering to remain spiritually healthy.

Everyday we face new challenges, tests, and circumstances and the only way we can be prepared to face them is to make sure we're doing everything in our power to grow our faith. I have found time and time again that when I start my day with prayer (before I even get out of bed) that it helps my day tremendously. Even reading just one verse from the bible. There are even so many apps now that make it easy to do of you don't have a bible readily available. I have an app on my phone that sends me a new verse every day. It's something I still struggle with doing everyday but the bible wasn't written to be a history book, that's why it's called the living word. The time I spend doing things that aren't going to really make a difference in my life (like watching tv) is time I could be using to do things that will make a difference. I'm not saying you shouldn't watch TV,Olympics anyone?Yes please! I'm just saying that how we spend our time & set our priorities make a huge impact in our lives & those around us. The bible is meant to be bread for daily use, not cake for special occasions.Do you spend so much time with trivial things throughout the day that you run out of time for God? Guilty. I realize it's not always easy to make time in today's hectic world but trust me if you take even a few minutes with God a day He will show you it was worth it.

I'm in no way saying if you do that it means you won't face any challenges throughout the day God assured us we will,  but it will equip you to be better prepared to deal with them when they come.

It's easy to look at the lives of others when certain things in our own lives may not be going how we planned or may like. It may appear they have it all together, that all their flowers are in perfect bloom. But nobody has a perfect life. You never know which of the flowers are real and which are fake ones for show.We can waste so much time comparing ourselves to others or wanting what they have that the many good things we have  in our own life start to wither away. So instead of looking at our neighbors yards we should be focusing on ways to improve our own.

You may think the grass is greener on the other side, but if you take the time to water your own grass you will see it is just as green..

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.” ~ Frederick Keonig