Have you set your new year goals? Do you have a new resolve for 2013? The new year is a time for fresh starts and when many of us refocus. We look at what worked for us and what didn’t. We take an honest look at who we are if we are the person we want to be. Growth is a process, one to embrace.

Change must also be embraced as a natural part of life. It is resisting change and not letting go that brings about much of our inner struggle. This leads me to one of the focus areas that has been on my mind…

…to be in a place where I am focused on the internal and eternal so the day to day does not determine my joy.

Eternal Focus

Life is always changing, and there is always good and bad, but to be in a place where we stay at peace in the midst of an ever changing world is the secret to a life well lived.

Years ago, my sons and I crossed path with a wonderful elderly missionary. We were instantly drawn to him. There is one thing he said to us that has come to my mind many times over the years. It was words from an old hymn.

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.

There is so much in life that is completely out of my control. This year I want my focus to be more on what I can control, and that is where I direct my attention, where I choose to focus. Will it be the things of this world, or will it be the things that last for eternity?

So this year, as I am creating the life I want to live, may I not forget to focus on what is truly important, inner peace and an eternal focus. Maybe it is when we can let go of this world and the stress of it all and letting go of that which we cannot control that we can truly embrace living. And that is my wish for us all this year…to embrace life….to soak up as much as possible.