Distractions, distractions.

hm.. things I guess have been building up and I've been contemplative.
I know I'm extroverted, but I also know I take things in and mill them over alot. At SOME point, however, it comes right back out and I have to be the voice of my thoughts.

I'm just going to be really honest and say I've been struggling with distractions lately.

Now, here my heart out: I DO NOT WANT to be distracted. But I think that's the point, duh.
I'm distracted by new and different things. I'm the kind of person who loves a challenge, and I'll go right at it even if I know I very well might lose. Maybe its the chase?

No. I'm not a guy in a girls body, you've been watching too many movies.

I'm interested that I like the chase, and I wonder why I'm made that way and I was wonder THEN if I'm... I don't know, really messed up or something. And then I thought about it some more and realized that I'm only interested for so long, you know? If after a while, I don't begin to get some where, I'm going either all or nothing. So results? After an amount of time if there aren't any, I give up. If after a while I see a blossom of SOMETHING, you've got my attention entirely, even if I don't show it.

But so, this plays a part in distractions, I promise. My distractions have to do partially with the challenge. The chase. I want to know someone or something and if I don't begin to see results in a time I feel something should begin to show, my interest fades rapidly.

And then that thought leads to the thankfulness I have that God doesn't have such a short attention span as me! HAH!


I think my problem with distractions is thoroughly that it clouds my mind with all sorts of swirling thoughts that, to be honest, amount to absolutely nothing.

And, that's the point.

And I'm tired of it.

And I think part of my frustration is that, its a consistent thing where if I don't guard my mind, I'm BOUND to get distracted and lose focus on the important things that remind me of who I am, why I am and what I'm meant to do.

Can I just vent my frustration right now and say
ITS SO FREAKING ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!

Sigh.


See, and I know the answer to my very frustration. I guess I just forget and that is was gets me - I don't want to forget.

"Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You." --Psalm 119:11

NASB says "treasured". I guess that helps me a little better. (Can you tell I look these verses up on Bible gateway?) I love the NASB. I decided to look this verse up in that version and instead of "hidden" it said treasured.

And God even spoke to my heart through that in that - I need to treasure Him and HIS WORD.

I DO! So... hah. God's whole point is that I need to stop worrying about how I fall so short of His perfection. I know I'm human but I think I forget that I'm supposed to actually BE HUMAN.
I'm so glad God understands and has such patience for me. I'm so difficult sometimes!

But the whole thing about guarding one's mind - I have a Word for that - and its the perfect word I'm in love with this because its alive.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philip. 4:4-8

There's so much in this verse but... God has a lesson for me in all of it:

1. Rejoice in the Lord - You know what? My attitude sucks when I'm not reminding myself of who Jesus is and when I do THAT, I remember His faithfulness and when I do THAT - I'm filled with Joy. And guess what, folks? The Joy of the Lord is my strength and it gets me through every single day.

2. Heh, the idea of a "gentle spirit" is so close to me, as, even though I'm an outgoing loud sort of person, I'm ... not really like that before the Lord at all. I am me. Remove my personality, remove my responses and reactions to being around people - my spirit is responding souly to the Lord on the bases of intimacy before Him. So this part just makes me smile. Its a "reminder" verse of who I am.



so so far, 1. remember the Lord and who He is. 2. Remember who I am to Him.


continue?

3. Be anxious in nothing.

that's it.

Don't freaking worry all the stinken time, SARAH. Remember I'm NOT BOUND to sin! I'm NOT. God is in control. He is watching over me. For crying out loud if I made my bed in the pits of Hell, He is there. Whom shall I fear? WHAT shall I fear?

Worry is fear.

Fear is the opposite of freedom.

The end.

Don't worry.


4. But since God knows we need to release it somewhere, He tells us to bring it to Him. And this is SO good because to be honest, I bring Him just about everything that I'm thinking about and I'm glad He can handle it since I sometimes just can't.

Release it.


Okay.. so 1. Remember who God is. benefit: Joy. 2. Remember who I am in God. Benefit: reality check, haha. its good. 3. Because of 1 and 2, the things that are too great to bear are actually fading in the light of His Glory. So no need to worry. Benefit: a load of responsibility off your chest! 4. Release it to Jesus (cast your cares, your burdens upon Him, for He cares for You) Benefit: endless.


5. This allows for the peace of God to guard my heart AND my mind in Christ Jesus, making way for me to think about everything I DO want to think about that IS important!




This is so what I need to remember at work because its like I go into a totally different mode for work. I get focused but then in my focus on work, I lose focus on where my heart is before the Lord and it kind of gets lax. And that's when I become distracted when I have a few moments to think.

Hm.

I need to just treasure His Word in my heart, like David says.

This is definitely a pearl in and of itself though, I need to hold on to what I just wrote out here.


:)


Till next time...