Odd - I woke this morning with the house empty. Not that we got robbed and everything was gone but it might as well have been.... I was the only one there. Kyle stayed at Zachs and miss Carol is at the beach with the Lymans. Dang, I am not good at this... alone stuff. I guess its been a long time since I have been at this place. Carol used to travel like every week and almost all week, almost every week, I was alone but since God has placed so many close peeps in my life - alone time is just not happening. I'm cool with it I guess.
Had our weekly interview this morning with Kate's counselor's and she is doing well. She is taking more of a leadership role in her group and is adjusting more to her surroundings. I have to write another letter by Sunday evening. Thats always a hard on my heart for sure. Got to get prayed up for that.
Today I find myself in Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

For the last week now Kate has been saying she needs her glasses. Odd thing is, I don't remember her wearing glasses this past year at all. I do know that if I did not have my contacts or my glasses - life all around me would be just a big blurrrrr. I am talking giant blur. I can't see anything unless its so close to my face, it might as well hit me. That has me thinking today. this vision and the scripture above about growing weary. I posted yesterday on facebook that the real treasure in student ministry is when a student comes and says "Thank you". I have a few !thank you~ kids in my life. They say it often and it shows how much they appreciate what I am doing, the investment I make into their lives and all that. Some though, you might have to say it first or mom/dad pops in and says - what do you say? or they thank me. Its not about those words though because regardless I am making an impact for God in their lives and His praise and his glory is what I am after. I think about what it would be like trying to do that with impaired vision. Not being able to see God clearly, I think some of my selfish ways would get in between and possibly put me in harms way.
I had a conversation with a parent this morning and after some encouraging words that I shared about their child that following Christ, your personal ministry, never has time off. It never has a break - you can go on vacation, you can spend time away, you can shut the TV off, you can even send your kids away for the weekend - some send their wives away for the weekend - JK Carol - but you can never shut off ministry. You can't shut off your walk with Christ if He is the focal point of your life. I look around me at some of the students, on facebook they are making sometimes rude comments, they talk with their friends about topics that present themselves differently than when they are around mom or dad or an adult. Students using foul language and posting pictures of themselves hoping to take the internet down with comments. There are so many distractions like texting, internet and tv - that it keeps us out of focus and gives us no time to focus in on God. He wants a little of your full attention. When was the last time something or someone had your full attention for more than 5 minutes?
Our daily vision might look a little like this. Our time is spent in the details of our day. Deadlines, to do lists, errands etc... they take a lot of time and focus. We get so caught up in the todolist that we lose our directin and sense of the God who loves us. We make detours in our day. We set out to do something or these 3 things and low and behold the day comes to a close and we didn't get to them. We get held up at Lowes Foods because we ran into someone we havent seen in awhile. Out to eat and the next table over is someone we know and lunch takes longer. Cell phone rings and there is another thing we need to get done today. We get off plan, off road and off schedule. How did I get all the way over here? We often lose our way and can no longer see God in our lives. Duties each day - make the coffee, breakfast, get the kids to school, work, dinner, homework, play time with the kids, bedtime and then sleep. Living life in the motions. Its what we do every day and we get to a point where each day is the same ol same ol. Hump day was invented to remind us we live for the weekends! We should live each day as if it was our last. Live in the moments... and treasure them no matter what. Impaired vision of God when we live that way. Look at your life right now. Struggling with something? Circumstances got you down? Discouraged or maybe someone is just taking all the energy out of you? Those things seem big and God is small. Vision impaired when our God is small and our things in life are big.

My prayer today is to always have someone around me to help me magnify the Lord. As I type this, there are text messages coming in from a close student and we are discussing and reading this scripture. Awesome..... glorifying God together. Its not that we see God bigger but that we see Him for His true size. May it move your soul and quicken your pulse today focusing on God. Stay in the race loved ones, focus on the prize and do not grow weary and lose heart. Focus on what will matter 100 years from now, endure what you are going through, learn from it and grow through it. These things wont matter 100 years from now.... Look up while on your knees ... it keeps you from looking down on people just as Christ lowered himself to serve and put others before himself.
Kate will have her glasses tomorrow and everything around her will be in focus. Will her heart see what her eyes see. If so, then you are seeing with your heart.
Lonnie~