For the past 16+ years I’ve spent an enormous amount of time on social media reconnecting with family and friends around the country. Quite honestly, it all started in October 2007 right after my oldest son Jonathan passed away at the tender age of 15 years old. I was able to connect with friends of his from the International School of Bangkok, along with his fellow teammates from the varsity baseball team he played on as a Sophomore. I eventually began blogging and would bounce back and forth between Facebook and Word Press. Deep in my spirit I knew Facebook was not the place to be writing about my life, but I needed an outlet. One night while watching “It’s A Wonderful Life” at the end of December 2015, I told the Lord I could really use an angel in my life right about then. Two days later I received an intriguing phone call. The voice on the other end of the call stated: “I understand you want to write a book!” 😮 In utter amazement I replied, “How do you know this?! And who are you?” 🤔 “My name is Brian and I’ve been reading your blogs on Word Press. I’m a Publishing Consultant for Xulon Press,” he confidently admitted. One of the biggest dreams I’ve had is to write my story to encourage others going through insurmountable circumstances to not give up hope. However, I also want to put my poems into a book of poetry and then who knows what else might follow? But you see, I wasn’t fixing my eyes in the right direction. I was distracted by the things of the world. I’ve hidden my talent in the sand for far too long. My eyes were fixed on my pain, my inadequacies, and simply being in survival mode. My attention is shifting as the Lord had me temporarily close my Facebook account. My question today: What are we fixing our attention on? Webster’s defines fix as to capture one’s attention or direct one’s attention towards something. A lot of things vie for our attention now more than ever, most especially the internet and social media. What’s capturing your attention today? Does social media consume your spare time? Do you find yourself gravitating towards unnecessary time wasters? Do you spend endless hours playing video games or watching YouTube videos? Admittedly, I have battled low self esteem at times and have been a very sensitive individual since I was a little girl. Being extremely sensitive has been a blessing and a curse for me. While I have a much deeper compassion for others and the pain in their lives, I also find I allow small things to occasionally get the best of me. Nevertheless, at least I’m aware of it. And I always know when the Holy Spirit is working on me when a verse comes to me out of the blue like it did in the middle of the night before I boarded a flight home to the beautiful Southwest. What I heard was that still, small voice say: “Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Yes, let’s fix our eyes on the God who holds it all in the palm of His hands and redirect our attention towards Him. Life is too short! Thank You for the reminder, Lord. I love it when You work like this. You care about the smallest details of our lives. When we get off track, You redirect us and say: Don’t go down that rabbit hole. This is the way. Now walk in it. ❤️ Hebrews 12:1-2: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. NKJV ©️Karla Tyrpak – June 7, 2024