Out of focus?

As I'm watching the sun rise this morning, I've noticed something. If the colors are paler and more subtle, my camera has a hard time focusing on the distant clouds. If the colors are "flashy" and bold,  then the camera has no trouble focusing. 

That made me think. How often do I lose my focus on what God is doing, when He's working in subtle and gentle ways? Do I only notice His "flashy and bold" actions? The later ones are what I see most often, for they "get my attention."  I need to open my eyes and focus on all that God is doing, especially if He’s working in the subtle and gentle ways. 

"Open my eyes to see the ·miracles [wonders] in your ·teachings [instructions; law]." Psalm 119:18 (EXB)

Each One

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 1. Here is what I learned.

Blessed (happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. Psalm 1:1 (AMP

God’s blessings follow you and await you at every turn: when you don’t follow the advice of those who delight in wicked schemes, When you avoid sin’s highway, when judgment and sarcasm beckon you, but you refuse. Psalm 1:1 (VOICE)

God’s blessings. The sign on my front door says, “God blesses us every day,  It’s up to us to notice.” Some of God’s blessings are hard to miss... like the wonderful blessings God gave me while at Chicagoland Speedway. 

Some of God’s blessings are more subtle. It could be something that makes me smile, like Max flying to my shoulder and saying “happy”. Or a phone call, letter, email from a friend. Or a verse that reminds me that God loves me. 

Not all blessings are showy and create a fan-fair. Often it’s the every day and often “ordinary” blessings that I overlook, yet those are the very blessings that remind me that God loves and is caring for me. 

To create a positive day, I need to take notice of each one of the blessings God gives me every day.