Category: Faith

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Wasting Bacon

I had a little “oops” with some bacon this week. Five strips wouldn’t fit on the main sheet pan I was using, so I put them on another pan and set them on the rack below the other pan and set the timer for 20 minutes.

I got busy with something else, and when I went to take it out, I could see smoke coming out of the vent. I knew I was in trouble. Sure enough, the charred remains greeted me when I opened the oven door.

Luckily, the other pan looked nicely done and it tasted delicious.

But I sure hated wasting that precious bacon.

Bacon’s not cheap, you know. Someone had given us some nice tomatoes, and we already had part of a head of lettuce, so we just had to splurge so we could make BLTs.

A little more thought could have prevented my bacon disaster. Of course, putting them closer to the heat source in the oven would get them done faster. I should have thought of that. I could have moved the rack higher, or watched the bacon to make sure it didn’t burn.

This was just a cooking mistake. No big deal, right? At least the rest of the bacon survived.

I’m afraid there may be other areas of my life where I’m not careful and I “waste the bacon,” so to speak.

Time is precious, but I sometimes squander it with thoughtless activities that don’t do me or anyone else any good.

Words are precious, but I sometimes burn someone with a thoughtless comment (usually my poor husband).

Money is precious, but I sometimes spend it on frivolous things I don’t need (not too often, but when I do I have that feeling of regret, like seeing that burned bacon coming out of the oven).

Thoughts are precious, but I sometimes allow my mind to wander and fixate on negative things that lead to all sorts of bad feelings (and sometimes, actions).

Just a little wisdom and care will help us not to “waste the bacon.”

We can plan our days so we aren’t wasting precious time.

We can pray and think before we speak so we don’t burn anyone with our precious words.

We can stop and consider our purchases so we don’t waste our precious money.

We can take our thoughts captive and make sure they’re good for us so we use our precious thoughts well.

And we can keep an eye on whatever is in the oven so we don’t waste our precious bacon.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ” (Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV)

Have you ever wasted bacon (or anything else) because you weren’t careful? How can focusing on God help you to have those times of waste happen less frequently?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Cheering For the Right Team

It’s football season. We aren’t big into sports, but we went to the Homecoming game tonight.

After we chose our seats, we realized just how close we were to the fans of the opposing team. They were in the next section over, and it was even closer for us because we sat in the top row with the stairs in front of us.

It was pretty uncomfortable, really.

I didn’t feel like I could clap wholeheartedly for our team when the other team’s supporters were sitting right next to me.

It was awkward when they were yelling, “Go! Go! Go!” and I was muttering, “Get him! Get him! Get him!”

Our cheerleaders were way down in front of our student section, and their cheerleaders were in front of the next section over from us. I couldn’t help it when my foot started tapping in rhythm with their cheers once in a while.

If I stopped paying close attention to the game, I almost started clapping when their fans did.

Our team lost, but I’m glad we went to see them play. We saw them make one sweet touchdown (the guy next to me even commented to a friend about how great our quarterback dropped it in there) and it was just good to see those kids working together and trying.

I couldn’t help but think about how we live our lives as I watched the game and pondered our poor choice of seats.

Just think about how much stronger we could be if we chose to sit right in the middle of our team’s section, surrounded by people who were wholeheartedly cheering for the same things we were. We could have our own cheerleaders right in front of us, leading us in encouraging our team. Sure, we could still see the other team and their fans, but we could feel much more secure in our support. We could clap louder, yell like crazy when our team is heading for the end zone, and high five those around us when the touchdown happens.

We have to be all in when it comes to our faith. If we claim to be Christians, there’s no sitting on the edge and expecting our faith to be strong. We’re going to be distracted by what is going on in the world. We may be tempted to tone down our enthusiasm because we’re worried about what the world will think. We might feel offended if we hear an unbeliever criticizing our beliefs or, worse yet, we might scoot over and join them in cheering for many things we previously thought were wrong.

Now, I know this is a very weak analogy. The other team and its fans are not evil, and it’s not the end of the world if our team doesn’t win a football game.

But thinking spiritually, the stakes really are much higher. There is a battle going on between good and evil in the world. We need the help, encouragement, and support of other Christians if we’re going to win the battle. We can’t stay on the edge when it comes to our faith. We have to get right in there and give it our all.

Let’s make sure we’re cheering for the right team. (Go Panthers!)

“He [Christ] is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” (Colossians 1:28-29 NIV)

Are you all in, or are you “sitting on the edge” as far as your faith goes? How can focusing on God help you to always cheer for the right team?

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Focus Friday: Let’s Focus on Overwhelm

Overwhelm is a verb. One meaning is “to bury or drown beneath a huge mass.” Another meaning is “to give too much of a thing to (someone).”

So when we say we’re overwhelmed, it’s basically saying that we’re drowning. We’ve been given too much of something.

I’ve felt that way about emails lately.

I had gotten my inbox down to zero and was keeping it that way for a while, but then all of these amazing offers started appearing on Facebook and other places. Free ebooks! Free webinars! Free video series!

I started handing out my email address to get all of these free things and now I’m overwhelmed.

Drowning in emails. The offers I signed up for were all good, but they led to more and more communication and hopes that I’d join their latest online course or program.

And as I peruse all of these emails and videos and ebooks, I’m using precious time that could better be spent writing or doing something else that will move me farther along in the goals I have for myself.

Once again, I’ve lost my focus.

Not completely, though. I have been reading the Bible each morning and talking to God throughout the day. Because I’m doing that, I think God is showing me that it’s time to get out from under the overwhelm. It’s time to unsubscribe from the majority of people sending me emails and just stick to the ones that really help me in my goals, instead of just introducing me to more and more possibilities.

We only have so much time.

Let’s be wise about what we allow into our lives.

That might mean turning off the TV at times, or putting a limit on our social media usage, or unsubscribing from some email lists.

If we do that, then we can focus on the overwhelming love and grace of God in our lives. It’s amazing that “too much” of those things doesn’t bury us or drown us at all.

Instead, overwhelming love and grace lift us up and give us peace.

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God!” (Isaiah 61:10a NLT) 

Are you overwhelmed by too many things going on around you? How can focusing on God help you to let go of some of those things so you can experience His overwhelming love and grace instead?