Friday, August 01, 2014

Focusing on a Few Things to Accomplish Great Things

"Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight 
before you."   ... Proverbs 4:25


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Estate sales where I live are like personal invitations to explore the houses you've driven past before and wished to see inside. 

Probably in my 21 Buffalo years I've walked through 100 such houses and today I wandered through the rooms of another, its basement, also, complete with a bar and a red, circus-like roll-around popcorn maker(oh, all the rumpus room-type basements I've seen) and I dreamed and smiled and grabbed some things, only two which you can see today (long story):

This pitcher for $1:



... and this sweet tiny bird which she gave me, free:



And later on a different street I found this very Daisy Cottage-ish ceramic item:



... for just .50 cents. We've lived in Hobbit Cottage for nearly 3 years yet I'd never pounded a nail into either side of our cupboards. I decided to be brave, take the plunge ... and am thankful I did.

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The happiest people? They do three things:

1.) They love God with all their heart.
2.) They know what He's called them to do for others--and they do it.
3.) They keep their minds focused on what God's called them to do and on beautiful things.

The quickest way to find true Joy? You'll find it in these two passages:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself."   ... Matthew 22:37-39
And this one:


Focusing my hours, activities and days on these two passages has changed everything for me. The learning, the writing and the reading, gardening, decorating, encouraging, giving, meditating, the time spent with God... It keeps me focused; it's all forming something cohesive and solid, not all across the map, scattered, nor hit and miss. 

And--hopefully-- this focus is creating something within me which God can use to help other people find Him. 


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"Jack of all trades, master of none." ...copied  (Yeah, to me, I'm thinking that's not a real good thing.)


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Not certain about what God has called you to do? Perhaps this will help.


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You can find the SavingStar Friday Freebie here.


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3 comments:

Elizabeth said...

Love this Debra! I have not been on blogger the last few months but just posted and now catching up with you all!

Pam said...

Debra, those estate sales sound like such fun! Where we live, people have auctions, where they pull all the stuff out of the house to be sold, so you seldom get to walk through houses. You sure do snag some great pieces for great prices. Also appreciate your focus verses today--loving God, really loving Him--changes us more than anything else. Thanks!

Debra said...

Thanks, Elizabeth and hey! Long time, no hear from. :) I've enjoyed following your adventures on Facebook and I'm very glad to see you back here in Blogland!

Pam--the estate sales *are* my favorite form of fun. :) Walking through all those old houses is a dream come true. The houses are never fancy nor expensive (I probably wouldn't enjoy them as much if they were), but just warm, middle class family homes which (many of them) became a time capsule from usually the 50's 60's or 70's. It's almost like walking through a museum, except that this is real life so it's even better!

Glad you liked the verses--loving God with all our hearts really *does* change everything, doesn't it?!

Thanks, Ladies... Debra