Focus in 2012

Moving from the darkness into the light, one step at a time, led by my Savior

My birthday was last Saturday and that always gets me to thinking about the past year, what I've accomplished, what I hope to accomplish, and evaluating my place in this world.  I've also spent some time at the beginning of this new year contemplating a word to represent my goals and hopes for 2012.  I've thought about it in years past, too, but have never officially done it.  I don't want to be disappointed if I haven't accomplished something I arbitrarily decided at the beginning of the year.  On the other hand, I don't want to be totally directionless either.  With those thoughts tumbling through my mind, the word that kept coming up was FOCUS. 

I've wasted a lot of time on things that should not have been my focus.  I want to look at life in bite-size morsels to savor, rather than rushing through just to fill a need.  I don't want to say I don't have time to spend with the Lord and yet somehow I did have time for Words with Friends.  Is there an app for Words with the Lord?  I need it!

I don't want to miss the moments as they happen.  I want my focus to be on what is right in front of me, right now.  If there are troubles, then focus on the troubles for today.  Don't borrow troubles from tomorrow.  If there is joy, then focus on the joy of the day.  Expect nothing more than these 24 hours before me, everyday, to be lived in focus.

My specific focal points:

the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit
my husband and our marriage
my daughters

These take priority.  If what I'm doing is not edifying or uplifting to those relationships, then I've lost my focus.

Here are some scriptures I've chosen for focusing the eyes of my heart:

Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

A few of my favorite things, treasured and written on my heart

What is your word for 2012?  Do you have any favorite scriptures that help you to focus?