Focus

Many of you are dealing with weighty issues right now; I am as well. Even those of you who aren't, still face hurdles and frustrations now and again.

These verses are of great comfort to me:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.   ~2 Cor. 4:16-18 

As I reflect on today, I see a series of stark contrasts:

• waking up with a lingering cough and headache, then remembering how healthy the rest of me is
• hearing heart-breaking news from one friend, then receiving an apologetic note of reconciliation from another
• learning that two parents complained I was neglecting their [horribly behaved] sons, then having two former students ask if they could come to my house this weekend
• overhearing one student talk about how mean I am, then being surprised by another who gleefully snuck up behind me in the grocery store

Most of those examples seem trite, but you can probably guess where I'm going. Once again there's an opportunity to see things as half-full or half-empty. Each day undoubtedly offers dozens of opportunities; it's our choice how to view them and what to focus on.

Given that we're in the middle of Holy Week, it doesn't surprise me that my mind yearns to dwell on the negative stuff -namely on things other than the true Focus of this significant period. I was convicted and inspired by the following passage and am sharing it with you; hope it encourages you, too: 

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.    ~2 Cor. 4:8-10

Reese's and Grades

Just a quick post. I'm in the middle of inputting students' grades while still battling this cold. At least I've got some American treats to keep me energized, compliments of my godmother whose nifty care package arrived today (thanks, Aunt Nan!).

Reese's peanut butter cups are probably a terrible thing for my cough, but I just can't help myself... they are impossible to find here, although I've heard rumors of some tiny shops carrying them, black-market style.

Fever, Cough, and Aches -Oh, My

Not much else to say, really. Well, actually, on the one hand there is because so much happens in a single day here... but I'm too weak to chronicle the highlights and challenges.  

In short, I took a cab home from work, then used the energy I had to whip up some pasta. Not much of an appetite, but the penne sure tasted good.

It's 36 degrees outside, but my head feels like it's on fire. Hope you're faring better.

Rest, Refresh, Reset

I really enjoy my Sundays here, more so than I have at other times in my life. On Sundays I attend an English-speaking service in Myeongdong. It's a great opportunity to see people with whom I have some significant things in common. While I'm there, I feel like I'm able to reset my thoughts, goals, and attitude -which goes a long way for preparing me for the upcoming week.

After church, a group of us went to dinner. Very authentic experience! We sat on the floor, and I ordered bulgogi. It'd been awhile since I'd had it, and it was a good batch. It'd also been awhile since I sat on the floor for an extended period of time, and I'd forgotten how limited my flexibility was. It's hard to sit cross-legged at a low table while managing chopsticks and a pot of boiling broth!

In a Pit With a Lion...

A friend gave me a book today, and I'm already 40 pages into it. The book is In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson. It's a simple though thought-provoking read with very relevant insights. A sampling:

• Spiritual maturity is seeing and seizing God-ordained opportunities.
• Maybe God wants to stack the odds against us so we can experience a miracle of divine proportions.
• Maybe our impossible situations are opportunities to experience a new dimension of God's glory.
• Goodness is not the absence of badness. You can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right... Our calling is much higher than simply running away from what's wrong. We're called to chase lions.
• Our greatest regrets in life will be missed opportunities.

Even though I'm only in Chapter Two, I highly recommend this book, especially for those of you who are dreaming big and need some extra-motivation to take that first calculated risk.