June 10, 2025

The Cost of Not Paying Attention

Happy June! This message is what my soul needs as we kick off the summer. I pray it encourages you.

A couple of years ago I went away to a week-long, wonderful retreat in Tennessee. We were told they would be procuring our cell phones and all electronic devices on Monday and we would receive them again on Sunday, right before the shuttle bus would take us back to the airport, departing for home.

I admit I went through withdrawals from my Smartphone the first day. Even without texting, email and social media access, I did not realize I would even miss referencing the Weather app and the calculator.

And then it happened. My senses were heightened.

I noticed the way the breeze rustled through the maple leaves as I rocked in the tree swing.   I looked up and paid attention to the shape of the clouds as they glided by. I paid attention to the clink of the chain against the spring on the tree swing as I gently rocked back and forth.

As the week continued, I looked more people in the eye for longer. I noticed the color of their eyes, their laugh lines, the white of their teeth as they smiled. Even my food tasted better as I chewed. I even laughed more. I was much more aware of my surroundings.

Why had I not noticed before?  Why have I not paid more attention? What have I been doing? The answer is simple. Rushing and looking down at my Smartphone. Too busy to savor the moments of this precious life we are given.

“Pay” attention. The verb we use before the word “attention” causes me to ponder. Pay. Like paying for an item in a store. There is a cost NOT to pay attention. There is value. There is sacrifice. Yes, I desire to pay more attention.

The Bible is full of passages about “paying” attention.

“Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach.” –Proverbs 22:17 NIV

“The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your GOD that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom.” –Deuteronomy 28:13 NIV

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight.” –Proverbs 5:1 NIV

“You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.” –Isaiah 42:20 NIV

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. –Hebrews 2:1 NIV

“And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” –2 Peter 1:19 NIV

Forgive me, Lord. Forgive the blinders of my eyes and heart. Forgive my hurried pace. Forgive me for looking down at my Smartphone and not looking up. Please help me pay more attention.  Help me notice You, Lord. Help me pay attention to Your majesty, from the gorgeous full moon to the fresh morning dew in my front lawn to the bright hydrangeas in my yard.. Beauty surrounds us if we look.  Paying attention is worth the cost, Lord. I pray to experience life through Your lens and Your timing. In Jesus’ Name, By the Power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 Reflect:

–How would you rank your life’s pace? Please comment.

–Would you challenge yourself to fast from your phone and social media for a week?

–What intentional act will you do to unrush yourself? How?  Please comment.

Recharge:

–Please enjoy at least one unrushed moment with your spouse, child, loved one today.

–Savoring a few minutes of prayer and quiet devotional time in the Bible sets a more unrushed pace and peace for the day to pay more attention.

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July 7, 2015

The Fun, Wonder of Summer–Hula Hoop Scoop

Every now and again embarrassingly I forget to enjoy some child-like fun. My most recent fun lesson, though, wasn’t from a child.

Mom and I were driving in the car when she proceeded to tell me that she spotted hula hoops in the Dollar Store the other day. She told me she had wondered if she could still hula hoop as well as she could years ago when I was a kid. Did she let her mind just wonder about the hula hoops? Oh, no, she didn’t.

She grabbed one of the hula hoops and tried it out–in the middle of the store! She told me she put down her big ol’ purse in the Dollar Store aisle, didn’t care who was watching her, and had a blast trying to hula hoop. Hilarious!!! We laughed until we (almost) wet our pants.

Good for her. Shame on me for taking myself too seriously sometimes.

A few days later, I was out shopping and spotted hula hoops. I did not drop my purse right there in the store and test one out, but I did purchase two hoops.  On my driveway at home,  I stepped into the bright yellow, plastic oval hoop, painted with fluorescent stars. I brought the hoop slowly to my waist, took a deep breath, stepped forward with my right foot, and spun the hoop to the right, causing the little beans inside the hoop to make their familiar, spinning sound (just hearing that sound made me smile). It lasted just a few rounds around my waist before it dropped to the ground. I giggled and picked the hoop up, trying again.  This time it spun long enough for me to even take a few steps, then fell. I snickered more.

By this time,  two of my fun, beautiful, hip grandmother neighbors walked by. I posed a challenge and handed each one a hula hoop. They laughed and stepped in the hoops without hesitation.  The hoops spun, then fell. We giggled. Fun is contagious!

Let’s intentionally play like children sometimes. It’s good for us, for our souls. Let’s hula hoop; build sand castles; sing karaoke; catch fireflies in Mason jars and let them go; blow bubbles; play frisbee; add your fun here ____________________________…

Reflect:

–What kind of child-like fun do you and your family have? Please comment.

–Who will you reach out to this week make fun contagious?

Renew: 

–“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'” –Matthew 18:1-4 NIV

–“May the God of hope fill you with JOY and peace.” –Romans 15:13 NIV

Recharge:

–Let’s humble ourselves and trust like children. What will you do differently to be more child-like?

Resource:

–Hula Hooping is also healthy for you. “Hooping improves core strength, tones your stomach, arms, thighs and behind, is a low-impact, high-energy workout that can burn approximately 400 – 600 calories in an hour.” http://www.hulahooping.com/hoop-fitness.html

July 1, 2014

1440 Minutes, Post #37

Each day, each of us is given the same gift of 24 hours…1440 minutes. July 1st, our 182nd day of the year (the halfway mark eve), is a good time to reflect on time and how we use it.

Let’s ponder a typical day. Perhaps you work fulltime outside the home. At least eight hours (480 minutes) is removed from your 24-hour day.  How long is your commute to and from work? Would you say another hour (60 minutes) is knocked off?

Sleep needs to be factored in—how about seven hours of sleep (420 minutes)?  That leaves eight hours for family and leisure time.

According to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor 2013 Statistics, 83 percent of American women and 65 percent of men spent at least two hours (120 minutes) daily doing household activities such as housework, cooking, lawn care, or financial and other household management.

Adults living in households with children under age 6 spent an average of two hours (120 minutes) per day providing primary childcare to household children. Adults, living in households where the youngest child was between the ages of 6 and 17, spent less than half as much time providing primary childcare to household children–47 minutes per day. 

This next statistic pains me to tell you. The average American watches 2.8 hours of TV per day (let’s round up to three hours or 180 minutes), accounting for more than half of leisure time, on average, for those age 15 and over.  Factor in time on the computer or Ipad and it increases.

It’s time to add these hours and minutes up…

24  (1440)
-8   (-480)  work
-1    (-60)   commute
-7    (-420)  sleep
-2    (-120) household activities
-2    (-120) childcare
-3    (-180) TV/computer!!!
 1  =   60 minutes remaining

Are you as startled as I am that only one hour remains in our day, after all those activities? Granted, we have not even factored in showering, eating, and even using the bathroom!

How can we be more cognizant of how we spend our time (and the appropriate verb is “spent” since we are not able to regain time)?

Let’s do our best to turn our televisions off or at least do a “television fast” for a week or two. I have a few friends who don’t even have televisions in their homes.

Let’s go outside with our families and friends, enjoying the early daylight and longer evenings, when it’s cooler outside. Swimming, boating, bikeriding, playing games, hula hooping, kayaking, canoeing, walking the beach or walking around our neighborhoods are all wonderful, memorable ways to savor these moments.

Let’s watch the sunrise and sunset, gaze up at the sparkling stars set upon the inky blue sky.

Let’s awaken a few minutes earlier and spend some quiet time reading our Bibles and writing in our Gratitude Journals.

Let’s volunteer, give back, make a difference. Time is of the essence.

Reflect:

–How will you choose to spend your time differently? Please comment.

–What are some ways you spend time wisely for you and your family? Please comment.

Renew:

–“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…He has made everything beautiful in its time..I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.” –Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, 12 NIV84

–“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” –2 Corinthians 6:2 NIV84

Recharge:

–What will you change this week in the way you spend your time?

Resource:

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm

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