My Mom used to babysit this darling little girl named Shauna.  Shauna was one of the sweetest little girls I have ever met.  She was a beautiful.  She had lots of friends and was very smart.  There was one thing though Shauna was terrible at; riding a bike.  That sweet little thing fell so many times you just wanted to say “honey let’s take up roller skating or maybe chess”.  My mom however believes every child should learn to ride a bike so there they were…day after day, band aids in hand, practicing on the black top of the local elementary school.  It went something like this.  My mom runs beside Shauna’s bike.  Shauna gets it.  Mom let’s go.  Shauna turns.  Shauna runs into the giant pole.  Repeat that about 15 times and you pretty much have it.  Now, one thing I love about my mom is her persistence.  Most people would have walked away convinced this child should never get on a bike again, but not my mom.  She started noticing a pattern.  She asked Shauna what it was, that she was looking at; “What are you focusing on honey?”  Shauna’s reply was classic.  “That big pole I keep running into.”  Haha of course.  That’s why she crashed into the pole every stinkin time.  That was her focus.  So what are you focusing on?  Is it the great things God is doing in your life, the blessings he has poured out on you?  Or are you focusing on that one thing that isn’t going well.  If it is maybe that’s why you keep running into it day after day.  My mom taught Shauna to changer her focus.  She taught her to look around at the wonderful things going on around her; her friends, the beautiful trees and flowers, the sky.  Shauna learned to ride that bike and more importantly she learned to not run into the pole.  If she can do it so can you.  Start by asking yourself this question…what am I focusing on?