FRIDAY FOCUS!

This week my prayer focus has been for many who are battling medical maladies, especially cancer, individually or alongside their spouse and unexpected difficulties.

May the Lord continue to be their counsel and refuge as I shared with several of them. 

Psalm 16:8 emphasizes one's intentional focus on God as a source of His Presence granting protection.

To focus on a particular verse I use Bible Gateway with the verse citation.

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2016%3A8&version=ESV

At that point, I have access to read the full chapter for context or select the verse in all English translation. For me, that adds depth to my focus.

Over 50 versions are listed. If I don't understand the abbreviation, I can click on it and the source is shown.

Today's jottings showed me positional differences as well as outcomes which have become today's "Friday Focus"! 

I am the one doing the setting---continually (AMP & NASB), 

always keeping eyes on the LORD (NIV)--sounds like focus.

The word for LORD in all caps, Jehovah (ASV, YLT), ADONAI (CJB, TLV) & Yahweh (NOG)

Why keep the LORD set before me at my right hand? 

So I am not shaken. (ESV, NASB +) I am not moved. (18 versions) I will not slide. (GNV) I will not be defeated. (ERV) I will not be upset. I will not stumble or fall.  (TLB) I will not be hurt. (ICB)

I will be protected from fear. (CEV) I will stand firm. (ISV) I will always be secure. (NIRV)

FOCUS! FOCUS!! FOCUS!!!

MESSY MONDAY!

LIFE IS MESSY!

Especially on Mondays. For Sundays to be serene, I must be still, quit striving and let go of emails and texts. Then when I awaken to a new day, portals need to be finished for tomorow's doc appointment, text and emails answered but my internet* is missing & that's messy!

Think, non-existent atop this mountain ridge. 

Unraveling comes to mind.

Before I had a complete "come apart",  I needed to have a cuppa sani-TEA and get back into the Psalms. All that's necessary is a Bible. 

Grateful I found notes I had taken yesterday---from Psalms 104 (BC FUMC) and Psalm 1 (FEC Memphis) 

Praises for reminders ---Reading aloud Psalm 104 3x and noting words/verses that "jumped off page" and into my heart! 

MEDITATION kept jumping!

May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the Lord.(Psalm 104:34)

Psalm 1 notes---Blessed (intensely happy and "gets it right"-- Pace)

is the man (a regular person, not  a king or scholar or man of note)

embracing these negatives of actions....

walks not in counsel of wicked...

stands not in the way of sinners....

sits not in the seat of scoffers ie scorners.... 

Yet, the positive stood out to me. 

but he delights in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

Think exercising your mind to dwell on a passage. Think deeply. Ponder. 

Meditation turned my "Messy Monday" into Meditation Monday."

*Internet back @ 1:03 pm EST

PITHY WITH AN RCK PUNCH!

Son-ln-law, RCK. has a way of saying the most with the fewest words!

First he practices keeping his ears open and his mouth shut. That's scriptural. In His quiet times before the Lord, I imagine he is still to listen first. He ruminates. 

Think----Meditate. Concentrate."Chew the cud." 

He also practices that with people.

The result is saying the most with the fewest words. 

Concise. Succinct. Terse---but without the sting.

Pithy with a punch as I so often say!

Even in his work conferences he knows how to be brief because he has prepped and prayed. He uses kind, bright words to explain and encourage. 

He doesn't just babble and blather on and on.

He physically leaves but his words stick. 

Pithy with a punch of truth are left for others to consider.

MEDITATION MADE SIMPLE

Hear/ Read God's Word in the morning!

In the morning, bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go for to you I entrust my life. (Psalm 43:8)

Ponder!

FRIDAY FOCUS!

Simplicity of song heard this Friday morning was an "open invitation," of sorts to turn my eyes upon Jesus..... to FOCUS FULLY on HIM!

Just click and listen. .....for only a minute and a half to begin your focus.

Be still.....(Psalm 46:10

Fix your eyes upon Jesus........through song, meditation and prayer.

Look to Him.......in quietness and trust.(Isaiah 30:15)

Gaze on God. Glance at all else.

REFOCUS

Consider....opening His Word. (Hebrew 12:3)

Examine..focus on the fact that God is present & speaks to us as we read His Word. (Psalm 119:105)

Inspect...words you hear/read on line...Beware of false prophets

Seek...Him first. (Matthew 6:33)

Thank God in everything! (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Focus on Him......not self!  A great Friday Focus!!

MUSINGS ON MEDITATION MONDAY!

"To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting." (Edmund Burke)
According to Psalm 1:1-2, the man who meditates on God's Word is blessed.

Donald Whitney in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life writes, "The tree of your spiritual life thrives best with meditation...(p. 49) 

This has certainly proved true for me as, "Thy words were found and I ate them and they became for me the joy and delight of my life...." (Jeremiah 15:16a)

F-O-C-U-S

FOCUS on........God's Word everyday!

Acrostics can help me do just that. FOCUS!

PONDERING PREPOSITIONS

An entry for wordsmiths to ponder---prepositions for a pandemic.
Prepositions for a life with Jesus!
Prepositions are important.  Prepositions Connect. Connection is relational as are prepositions.

"Journal Jottings" show a bit of info I gleaned from pondering, Handley Moule's words in A Morning of Faith and Devotion.....though he never even used the word preposition.

I believe on the name of the Son of God, ....I am in HIM, having redemption through HIS blood and life by HIS Spirit....HE is in ME, and all fullness is in HIM.......To HIM I belong by purchase.....to me, HE belongs, for all my hourly need. (deletion/compilation & emphasis mine)

My jumbled jottings are a way to help my pondering as I seek to know Him in all His fullness today!

For wordsmith grammar nerds wanting to pass on info to kids or grands.........

try Elizabeth O'Brien' s "Preposition song".

ACRONYMS OF ADVICE

In times when one is overwhelmed---even trying to read a newspaper or text full of acronyms---of which one doesn't have a clue---KISS comes to mind.

K eep 

I t

S imple

S weetie

Just yesterday a friend sent a text explaining acronyms for "senior" (OLD) citizens. I needed a laugh so the timing was perfect.

Will continue this thought on more of a spiritual realm as I recall and reflect on two personal acronyms as I have focused meditating on words lately---SEEK & FOCUS!

I will share those two acronyms of advice soon. 

MEDITATION CONTINUES....

Last Monday's passage meditation had me on a single verse---Psalm 143:8, specifically the last 2 lines of the verse.
This time the selection prompted prayers beyond family to prayers for friends---so many friends. Sisters in Christ who seem to struggle as I do when it comes to being confident in God's daily plan for them. Such wonderings require daily focus on scripture.
I prayed the verse especially for sweet KDS friend, Sandra, who was hospitalized for observation after a scary blood pressure event. Taking a few treats to Methodist Germantown to celebrate her recovery, I saw she had her Bible opened to that verse.  I had told her earlier I was praying Psalm 143:8 for her.

After  she was dismissed from the hospital, she shared this picture from her morning quiet time. 

Her morning cuppa---tea and truth. Her special Psalm143:8 teacup served as bookmark for that same verse in her Charles Stanley study Bible!  

Then........Sunday's "responsive reading" at church that week was from Psalm 143:8----of course it was.

God is gracious to keep me meditating on a verse until "I get it"!

The meditation continues so I'm excited to see all that He has for me within these 31 words!

s l o w i n g VERBS NEEDED

Wordsmith Wednesdays seem to frequently have me exploring verbs. I have spent several years focusing on dance in both the verb and noun parts of speech. However, the last 2 years I have focused on a single "action" verb each year. I know because in 2017 I logged over 200 "choose" blog entries. Sunday, I reread a "choose" entry on nearness of God as I was praying for others through Psalm 73. 2018's verb focus has been "consider" and I've learned in all my actions, it's important to "consider" Him first! (Hebrews 12:3) 

I might need to focus more on Him today as I seem to be  growing weary and losing heart, as the rest of the verse states. Lysa Terkeurst's Embraced, stated, "We run at a breakneck pace to try and achieve what God wants us to slow down enough to receive. (p.19)

Maybe I need to focus more on "to be" verbs ----verbs of being, not action.

Maybe for me, a compromise is needed---action verbs indicating a slower speed.

Amble. Linger. Relax. Soak. Be still. Bask. Be refreshed.

Pause before speaking.

Pause before seeking.


Slowing verbs might be just what I need. How about you?
.

FOUR WORD TRUTHS

Simple.

Straight forward.
4 words of truth.

Four words for focus.

1. I live in you. (Galatians 2:20)
2. I give you strength. (Isaiah 40:29 & Psalm 59:16)
3. I am with you. (Joshua 1:9)
4. You are My Beloved. (Song of Solomon 2:16)

Beloved, we are God's. Therefore, we will benefit when we focus on these  4-word truths as we start our Monday with meditation!

MY ONE WORD

The choice is made---my one word for focus, pondering, meditating on & taking thought of in 2018 has been decided.

I have to admit that MISERY was a word that came to mind often over these last 2 weeks of being in bed.

But God......as I was praying for friends, Sam & Suzie on the mission field in Uganda and 3 sweet friends who deal everyday with chronic pain, had me considering true sacrifice and real pain. Staying "abed" pales in comparison to their situations.

CONSIDER---that's my word. Can't wait to see where God will take me in this meditation.

How about this for a start.

Joy is the path I need to "consider."

May the Lord use my momentary affliction as a reminder to fervently pray for others.

MY ONE WORD

Here I go again. Simplify. Focus.

Pare to one word for meditation if that helps.

Just like last year, I thought in January that I knew my one word for 2017. 

I had thought it would be one of two words. Trust or Joy. I was not even close.

Once again, I've spent the month of January focusing on what I thought would be my one word. 

Now here I am the first day of February re-"considering."

I'll keep you posted.

CHOOSE: MY ONE WORD

"CHOOSE: MY ONE WORD." This entry title says it all for me. Literally.

My One Word, as Franklin Graham calls it, "is a refreshing approach to NewYear's Resolutions..."
Kyle Idleman calls it, a lens that can change every area of your life....more than a to-do list....more than a New Year's resolution.

It was a book that I had never even heard of until last Friday---a gift from visiting friend, Angie.
A book I have since devoured although the recommended approach is a slow one.
The premise is choosing one-word for your year's focus. Just one. The choosing occurs after prayerful consideration over a period of time. Friend and blog reader, Margie H, leaned over and said, "I bet your word is going to be joy." Actually that came to my mind as well.
After all, I blogged on January 1, "In 2017 may I choose joy!"

But God....obviously had a different word in  mind. It all started as I looked back at that very first entry. The fact that I even had continued blogging in 2017, is still somewhat of a mystery to me.
Being as OCD as I am, I began reading in order all the titles of "dotsydetails" entries since January 1. There was one word consistent in all 37 entries and it wasn't joy. The word was choose.
So many of my responses in life, even in my thought life, are of my own choosing. Though I'm not sure where all this word choice will take me as I begin to focus but the Lord has already provided a good foundation. Two verses will begin my "choose" project. The first is from Joshua 24:15, "Choose this day whom you will serve...."
The second verse is "Seek ye first the kingdom of God...."(Matthew 6:33) Though "choose" is not stated in the verse, to me, it is "understood." One must choose to seek. Seeking Him is a choice. God showed me that choosing to seek is a volitional concept of an intended action. In other words, by an act of my will, I make daily choices----whether of not I choose to seek Him first or to serve Him, the choice is always up to me. The ball of "choice" is in my court! I hope to share throughout the year what God teaches me as I focus on my single word choice!

Choose is "my one word." That word says it all for me for 2017.

Meditation" Mine or Thine: a Q and A

Randolph Walker stated in yesterday's (7/7/15) Commercial Appeal "Letters to the Editor," that "classic Judeo-Christian meditation is not about blanking out the mind." I concur. For many folks a blank mind easily turns to thoughts of SELF. Then, meditation easily becomes all about me.
My thoughts, (self-centered) not Thy thoughts. (other centered)
I practice meditation with God's word available---usually my Bible is open on my lap. Mr. Walker sees meditation as a "practice of reflecting on God's goodness."
Scripture at my fingertips helps me do just that.

Though prayer and meditation are different, they are not antithetical. Both are reminders of God's goodness. Meditation often serves as a springboard for prayer in a complementary way.

So.....does one meditate with the idea of discovering thoughts that are "all mine and will help me out" or does meditation help one focus on "Thine" as thoughts from Him with His help to direct those thoughts?

Rick Warren says it well in his first sentence on the first page of his book, The Purpose Driven Life. "It isn't all about you."

That pretty much sums it up.

The question, "Who is meditation about?"

The answer is, "Thee, not me"----especially in meditation.

Mys-TEA-ry of Prayer

My sheep listen to my voice; (John 10:27, NIV)

It's been said that the only way to really get to know some one is to "shut-up and listen." At our house "shut-up" is considered an "S" word, so we say "hush" or in this context, "Be quiet and listen." 

I think that bodes well for our prayer times as well. God already knows us---inside and out. But, if we want to really know Him, maybe we need to say less and listen more.

Prayertime isn't just some grocery list where we go thru the quick check with our items---cross them off our list and hurry on to "our" real agenda. 

God's children have ears to hear---the question is, "Will they use those ears to hear the voice (Word) of God? (Amos 8:11-12)

Listening requires one to "tune in" to Him, which for me means "tuning out" the audible distractions of the world (“Take heed what ye hear.”--Mark 4:24-25) & even the whirring thoughts that can creep into my thinking. Thus an open Bible--a tool used to keep me focused on His word as I meditate and pray. 

Meditation helps this sheep stayed "tuned in" to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who will enable me to hear the very, and often exact, word I need to help get through my day. Mysterious, I know......but when God's Spirit speaks, we need to be still and "tuned in" in order to truly listen.

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)

As I sip my cuppa, filled with the beauty and mys-TEA-ry of prayer, I pray “give me, thy servant a hearing heart,” just as Solomon prayed.* (1 Kings 3:9)

*In the Hebrew, "understanding heart" is literally translated as "a hearing heart."

HURRIED FORGETFULNESS: A Meditation

7/8/13 Recent post had me pondering some questions about worrying and hurrying. Pondering those resulted in some guided meditation. (Allen Bible Church, 7/5/10) Pondering brought focus!

Listen to His will: Focus. Pray. Rejoice. Give thanks.

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

The Lord gives His will but also gives His warning so that hurry & worry won't result in low-grade joylessness---aka as a life more filled with "blahs" than "ahs."

In David's Psalms (his journal, of sorts) he reminds us to remember all that God has done for us. 

Remember His warning:

Bless the Lord, O my soul and FORGET NONE OF HIS BENEFITS. (Psalm 103:2)

It might take a little time to recall God's benefits and to say thank you. But....as author Timothy Jones states, "As I take time to enjoy God, I find myself lifted out of life's littleness."

Hurried people become forgetful & ungrateful, which can lead to lives of irritation & "demandedness." One demands more from God & others in order to serve self.

Grateful people don't forget to say thank-you. 

Our forget-filled lives: Hurried.Worried. Ho-Hum.

His will: Be Thankful

His warning: BEWARE OF HURRIED FORGETFULNESS!

DREGS

6/18/13 In previous blog entries I have given a variety of euphemisms to the word "dregs." Dissatisfactions. Disappointments. Leftovers. Remnants. Worthless parts.

Last weeks simplici-TEA assignment /discussion encouraged looking at a specific "dreg" in one's own life. Identifying and dealing with dregs in our lives is one part of the meditation process. This week the focus was to be on that component. Component #3.

Using the Tea with Thee form, to aid in the blending, brewing, steeping and serving of our scripture meditation we were to ask God to show us our hearts....to see if there be any hurtful/wicked/offensive way in us. (Psalm 139:24) Allowing God to investigate/ cross-examine/test us can be so revealing, and even painful. But God....can use it to bring one to the point of crying out to Him, to "create in me a clean heart, O Lord" (Psalm 51:10) which can lead to a renewed Spirit within, i.e. a change in attitude or behavior.

1. Sip---find a verse or passage of scripture and "steep" it in prayer
2. Savor--think on it with prayerful guidance of God's Spirit 
3. Discard the dregs--eliminate the distasteful parts shown in your life
4. Pour out--not only to yourself but share what God has shown you thus benefitting others as well

The dreg, which God brought to my mind, was EXCESSIVE PLANNING. Though difficult to savor (think on) something so "bitter" in one's own life, it is necessary in order for God to teach truth and for change to occur.

I had to ask myself these hard questions:

• What brings on this distasteful "driven" attribute? 
• Am I still desiring  perfection, even though I know that's unattainable? 
• Is it fear based? 
• Is there a root of unbelief?

In Jesus Calling entry 4/25, author Sarah Young states, "fear often manifests itself in excessive planning." Christians know that fear is not from God because He has said, "I will always be with you." (Hebrews 13:5) Do I truly believe that? If I do, then my actions are not showing trust. Certainly a lack of trust can thwart intimacy with Him.

This dreg my friends is nothing but sin. By any other name, it's still sin. 

It's taking God out of the equation of my life's activities and actions.

It's a lack of trust. Lack of trust is rooted in unbelief.

That's not just a bitter dreg. That's sin. 

Purpose of Meditation

3/18/13 Putting God's words in my mind is the purpose of meditation for me. When I have His words  at the forefront of my "thinking," spiritual understanding begins to not only take root but begins to dispel those other thoughts. The inappropriate ones.

In my January BSF notes I had jotted down Charlie Brown's resolution, 'to only "dread"one day at a time.' I can relate to good ole Charlie Brown, because throughout my life, I have had to fight that ugly monster of dread. It used to rear its ugly head way too often. Being retired has helped me as retirement has provided more time for meditation. In the book of Joshua (verse 8) "meditating day and night" on the book of the law is encouraged. That is not without reason. Meditation helps quell the "dread."----at least for me it does. 

Discouragement can be a seedbed for dread. Thus, this weeks verse is a reminder for my thoughts not to linger there. I don't want any new "dread" popping up.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”(Joshua 1:9)

That's my purpose for this week's meditation. What's yours?