Do you see the photo of the tree branches up above and then the photo of the icicles directly below?

The pictures were taken at the same exact location, same shot the only thing that changed is where my camera's eye focused.

I love that word

Focus

All the scenery can shift just by what you choose to focus on.

Today I was reading in Numbers where it talks about the Israelites.  God gave them a cloud, when the cloud lifted the people broke camp and followed it.  Sometimes the cloud stayed one night, sometimes a year, but as soon as it lifted the people followed.

I know we do not have a cloud like that today, but I have been thinking about that passage all day.  As I stood behind the wall of icicles they reminded me of all my belongings, my house, our car, our quiet safe town.  My family nearby.  It might take years to happen but I feel this constant tugging to really change what my heart focuses on, and to break camp to follow Him.

I have wanted to be a missionary for all my memory.  Now that Steve is talking about going all time,  Suddenly, and this is how weak and fickle my heart is, I am looking at all that is familiar and loving it more, hanging on to it more.  If Steve stopped working it would take two full years of classes (he can't stop working so it will take longer than that) and then the time it takes to raise support, so like I said it is not happening in the morning, but my heart changes like these two photos.

Steve's dream is to teach missionary kids in a boarding school.  He wants to teach science so he is returning to school to get a teaching degree. My dream is to follow him. His dream is my dream.  I just loose sight of the goal sometimes.

"How do we bring things to a focus?  Not by looking at the things to be dropped, but by looking at the one point that is to be brought out.

Turn full your soul's vision to Jesus, and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.

For he is worthy to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win."  - Lilias Trotter

"Turn your Eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face;

and the things of earth will grow strangely dim

in the light of His Glory and grace."  Helen H. Lemmel