Focus

"But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."
- Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:27

"What I want instead is your true thanks to God; I want you to fulfill your vows to the Most High. Trust Me in your times of trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give Me glory."
- God, Psalm 50:14-15

Just really continuing on the thought that we don't take some things seriously enough... Who am I to say that someone else is slacking off? Part of me wants to start full-on with the new church, new service opps, doing yardwork and housework and fix-it jobs. Another part of me thinks that first part is nuts, and another part of me is asleep, having found a warm cozy place in the midst of this cloudy foggy moist chilly day.

Just got back from lunch, drive-thru and quiet time in my car. Sometimes I think too much, while at others I don't think at all. I was somewhere in between, listening to the talking sports heads on the XM, alternately praying, thinking about the weekend, the past few weeks, meetings next week, all the people I miss and those I'm meeting and getting to know. All that, and I wish the fries had been crispier, you know? Anyway, rambling like this is sometimes the only way I can make sense out of what's usually nonsense. I enjoyed the breeze, the light rain that started, the squirrels getting ready for winter, the leaves falling on the hood of my CRV.

I thought back to the two verses above: make sure I don't disqualify myself, and really really give thanks to God while fulfilling my vows and living out the kingdom-life. That's it. Do it, and don't screw it up. Focus on the "do it" - let the "don't screw it up" take care of itself by living thankfully and graciously. Something like that, before getting out of my car, whispering a prayer of thanks to the Lord for giving me the foresight to grab my umbrella, and heading back inside.