FOCUS!

Sunday morning, our under the weather pastor delivered one of his best messages. Even tho' he wasn't feeling well, he got the job done. His message was about having space in your life. Space to have intimacy in relationships, space to have a little financial cushion for emergencies, & lastly, space in managing time.

When our space decreases, out stress increases. Our intimacy in relationships decreases. He said that the underlying reason that people over schedule their lives, overspend their money… is due to one 4 letter word, FEAR. Wow! I wasn't expecting that. When he counsels people, & he asks them why they have so much going on in their lives, they alway begin their answer with…"I'm afraid..."

What are we afraid of? Missing out on something in life. That's why we spend money we don't have & over schedule our calendars. As I look back on life, I have no regret for spending time at home with my children. I found that when their lives got too busy, it was reflected in a frantic frenzy. They just liked being home.

There were times when I had to put blinders on my eyes to prevent myself from seeing what was going on in the lives of their peers. If I took too much note, I got nervous. I felt pressured to pack more into their little lives. I spent my evenings chauffeuring them around instead of creating a peaceful family life at home. If I had a do over, we'd do less, have a daily evening meal together, & I would put greater emphasis on just being a family.

It takes everything to raise a child. It takes focus. It takes money. It takes time (both quality & quantity). I believe that many children are hurting in this world because their parents are not focused on them. Busyness, technology, work, keeping up with our culture, not missing out on anything, working out & staying fit, & the list goes on...

STOP & FOCUS. Enjoy what you have. If you always want something else, you are not enjoying what you have. Stop the treadmill & just spend time with your kids. I mean focused time. Play games, listen to music, dance, watch movies together & talk about them. Do crafts, eat together, make the moments count. They are fleeting. You cannot get them back. Nurture your children. It leads to  healthy minded adults.