One of my dogs, Heaven, is a rescue dog. She was a show dog, but a dog bit her ear, so she was of no value to the breeder. Great for me, though. We are enjoying life in Nevada, and one of our favorite things to do is to hike. She searches for rocks and logs and jumps quickly or climbs them, and of course, I give her a treat! As time goes on, this has turned into her obsession. But there is ONE THING she loves more than jumping on rocks -- that is chasing the purple ball. Shelties are not normally retrievers, but for her, it's simply the top of the pyramid.

One morning we began our early walk in the neighborhood. There are several big rocks for her to climb on all of our routes. And there is one route that we take only when we are going to the elementary school yard to throw the purple ball. Usually, she climbs rocks along the way, but not this morning -- she by-passed each and every rock, almost sprinting to the playground. It was fascinating for me to watch my dog, who usually has an attention deficit, ignore everything and everyone along the way. She was focused and her life had one purpose - to chase the purple ball. We made it quickly, and we played an extra, long time. The joy in her face was contagious.

On the walk home, I started thinking about FOCUS. I wondered how great my team would be if they could focus like Heaven did on that purple ball. I am pretty sure we would win a championship. Then I started thinking how my walk with Jesus would look, if I could stay focused on Him. I am pretty sure i would have the same joy that I saw on the playground.

What does scripture say about this principle:

Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Romans 8:5 "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit."

Pretty convicting, huh? This week, I want you to think about the purple ball, NOT the rocks and logs.

Keep the Faith,

Janeygal