Skip to main content

Presence-Focused, not Problem-Focused

My Pretty Siamese Kitty

There are at least two big problems in my life right now trying to keep my attention. When I think about them very long, they start me on a downward spiral. Today both issues demanded my attention, but today I determined to use my God given freedom to redirect my thoughts. I have the power of choice given me by God, and I can choose to think of Him whenever I would like. This morning before anyone else was up, I came to His presence and He blessed me with the reassurance that His very presence is with me. It is with me when I think about Him, and when I don't. But when I do, and do often, the blessing starts multiplying. I did think about him often in the morning, but soon the little problems piled themselves onto the big problems, and I felt snowed under. Without realizing it I became problem-focused, and forgot the Presence of God was with me. It wasn't until the evening came that I remembered to be Presence-focused again, and when I did, the joy that He knows, and that no problem is so big that it can separate me from Him, came back. He knows the path I need to go on, and He is going with me, even though the trail is full of trials. All I had to do was think of Him, how much He loves me, He'll never leave me or forsake me, He rejoices over me with singing, He knows everything about me and still loves me. Praise God! The problems are still here, but I'm not focused on them. I'm focused on the Presence of God.

Comments

  1. Awesome thoughts to ponder as I have begun my day. To use our power of choice to "gird up the loins of my mind" Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pohnpei, Part 3: Liduhduhniap Falls

(Note to those who weren't with me on Pohnpei in 1988.  You are welcome to listen in, but I am writing mainly for my fellow teachers, myself, and my family.  There will be some things you won't understand.  Just skim those parts, if you wish.) We stayed in this lovely building.  I think it used to be painted blue.  The lower floor used to be Mr. Quail's house.  The lower left apartment was Mr. Keith's.  Remember him?  The maintenance man?  We stayed in his apartment.  The building is still in good condition, but the cupboards and cabinets need help.  The particle board has swelled after all these years, and the drawers no longer work.  The building behind "Mr. Quail's place" is a cafeteria on the ground floor with  girls housing up above.  The boys are in the building that the nice Philippino lady, I think her name was Ramie, who taught typing lived in.  And there are a couple guys in the apartment in the top left of the elementary building.  I th

Wooden Bridge to a Huckleberry Trail called Mocus Point

You might be anticipating photos of the wildflowers of the Beartooth.  Those are coming, but first before we got there we had to drive through Idaho.  The most direct route follows the Lochsa River from Lewiston, ID to Missoula, MT along Highway 12, also known as the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway, because Lewis and Clark followed this route back home.  If you you haven't driven that road before, I definitely recommend it for your next road trip.  Here is a link to a publication about the road.   http://npshistory.com/publications/usfs/region/1/nez-perce/hwy-12.pdf I think there are 5 wooden suspension bridges over the Lochsa that is for foot and pack animal traffic only and crosses over to a trail. The one we stopped at is at mile post 143.  Sometime long ago, when my kids were little, we stopped there and I remember William taking a lot of photos down under the bridge with a camera we were letting him use.  It seems this was an important part of his beginnings in photography.  Th

Prius Camper Vacation

Prius Camper and Long Lake on the Beartooth Highway My husband and I went on vacation for a couple weeks in July in our camper, our Prius Camper. I'd seen videos about people doing this since I bought my 2007 Prius. I knew I wanted to try this at least once. We had wanted to drive to Alaska this summer to celebrate our 25th anniversary, but Mr. Covid is keeping the borders closed to all but essential workers. We had to come up with alternative plans and stay closer to home. We needed a vacation and some time of restoration in nature more than ever after a whole spring quarter of isolation and intense online work activity. While Rob was finishing up his final responsibilities, I got our Prius camper ready. The foundation of the bed is a piece of nice, thin, Masonite board, cut to size to level out the changes in elevation when the seats are down. The next layer is some floor mats made for shops that fit together like a puzzle from Harbor Freight. Then came the bed roll. This was two