Cathy T Burns

Counselor, Teacher, Writer, Spiritual Director

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Vision of Focus

April 27, 2014 by Cathy Burns Leave a Comment

imageWhat is Focus?

The noun form “speaks to a specific direction, a guiding motivation in direction”.

As a verb, “focus takes action, intentional adjustment for distinct vision to achieve clarity”.

“Distinct vision” is specific or set apart from the blur of life.

Clearing the blur to facilitate a “distinct vision”  for a life direction can be difficult. Most of my life I have had blurry vision, a near sightedness, that required corrective lenses or surgery in order to see with clarity. It takes an intentional action of adjustment  to “cure” the distortion of myopic eyes. But what about the eyes of our heart?

In scripture the expression – the eyes of the heart is interpreted as meaning spiritual disposition or perception or a singleness of motive*. The eyes focus the heart, which is the essence of the person.

The focus, the motivation, disposition or perception of the eyes of the heart has an impact on the whole person. The Good news is we can choose how the eyes of our heart will focus. Do we know the condition of the eyes of our heart? Are they squinty, full of doubt and darkness or open wide to let in the Light?

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If then your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is diseased, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! (NET)

“Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have! (The Message)

Fear of;  failure, being unlovable, rejection, being inadequate, not good enough and a host of other fears creates a filter over the eyes of our heart. This fear filter blurs our focus and hampers a distinct vision and motivation for the life direction we choose. We can take corrective action to clear away this fear filter.

It requires of us, an intentional action of adjustment by “setting our minds” (Colossians 3:2) and “fixing our thinking and practicing” (Philippians 4:8-9) on God’s light of truth. Allowing His truth to adjust our focus is a choice.

The choice to allow our eyes to be exposed to God’s light is a step of faith away from fear. Choosing to open the eyes of our hearts to a fresh curiosity of wonder and seeking to understand the character of the love of the Divine Father can set us free from fear. A fearless focus gives us clarity to claim the truth of God’s love; lighting our path of life.

*International Standard Bible Encyclopedia 

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Focus or Flounder

April 13, 2014 by Cathy Burns Leave a Comment

imagesFocus or Flounder? How do you engage with life?
 
Without intention most of us flounder through life with only a vague notion of our priorities. Focus is a choice. There are many habits/practices that can sharpen focus.  One practice that has sharpened  my focus is to write.
 
When I write I discover there is more clarity in my perspective…Writing has become an effective way to better understand what I am really feeling and thinking. The biggest problem I have is that the urgent things in life always seem to interfere with my quest to “discover write”. I need discipline to write consistently so I am beginning this blog, not to get noticed rather to have a positive impact on my own focus as I invite others to join me in this quest of focus,  to have life with intention.

I recently read the following exert from Henri Nouwen regarding writing:

Writing can be a true spiritual discipline. Writing can help us to concentrate, to get in touch with the deeper stirrings of our hearts, to clarify our minds, to process confusing emotions, to reflect on our experiences, to give artistic expression to what we are living, and to store significant events in our memories. Writing can also be good for others who might read what we write.

His words are a motivation for me to pursue this blog and the habit of focus. This will be a discipline I will be using to pursue a a clearer focus of my heart, soul, mind, body. Focus for me is best articulated in the following verse:

And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment.

Mark 12:30 (AMP)

Holy living is Wholly living….. focus is paramount!

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Welcome to Focus – Heart, Soul, Mind, Body!

March 19, 2014 by Cathy Burns Leave a Comment

cathy-burns“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.”

MARK 12:30 (NET)

About the Focus Blog

This blog is about you. To give you a place to be inspired and informed as you inspect your life focus. To focus with your heart, soul, mind, body. Focus gives clarity with calm presences to move forward with purpose. Focus gives freedom.

My life focus is directing my heart toward God, the source of love, as I try to magnify his love in my life walk. I am a curious learner that regularly researches and discovers how the science of brain physiology and human development is in harmony with God’s truths. So the content of this blog will have applications of spiritual truth, scientific facts and therapeutic wisdom that will bring clarity to our life focus to live life intentionally, wholeheartedly, mentally, emotionally and physically.

Let us pursue our life FOCUS!

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“Open” and “Wide”

May 7, 2011 by Cathy Burns Leave a Comment

The Message

We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment the he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always had hoped we might stand–out in wide open spaces of God’s. Grace and glory standing tall and shouting our praise.

Romans 5:2

He brought me into a broad place; rescued because he delighted in me.V36. You gave me a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet, do not slip.

Ps 18:19 ESV

“Open”, “Spacious” , “Broad”, ” Wide”…These words stirred my heart as I read them this week. I read them in within in the same quiet time. The gift these words knitted together for me on that morning impacted my sense of belonging and security in my Father. It lifted and lightened my spirit. What a God we serve!

I pray…

Father, Your grace, love and provision gives me security beyond my understanding. Shore up my faith and trust dear Father by your Grace, so I can serve you mightily with confidence and peaceful assurance.  Amen

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Mindful Change vs Mindless Habit

February 6, 2011 by Cathy Burns Leave a Comment

“You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it.”

ALBERT EINSTEIN

Mind your Brain

Change, a word of inspiration or dread? How is change possible?  The above quote by Einstein implies that a stuck mind creates life problems so a changed mind must proceed a changed life. Habitual thinking patterns are created by rigid brain connections or pathways. Neuroplasticity is the term used when connections change in response to experience. Being mindful, having a mindful awareness is a way of intentionally paying attention to the present moment from a stance that is nonjudgmental and nonreactive i.e. a form of  internal “tuning in” to oneself.  Mindful awareness is a form of experience which seems to promote neural plasticity.  In his book The Mindful Brain, Daniel J. Siegel states studies have shown that neuroplastic changes not only reveal structural alterations, but they are accompanied by changes in brain function, mental experience and body states. This evidence indicates that true life change begins with changes in the brain. In future blogs I will expound more on the application of this mindful awareness that promotes change.

Willpower, resilience, self-compassion, and self-confidence  are all concepts emphasized in recent media venues to equip and encourage the seekers of life change. These concepts are the result of healthy brain function that create positive  adaptive responses to the problems of life. When these capacities are weak or nonexistent, there is a struggle to change a life defined by habitual responses. To be aware of the ineffective habits of response is the first step toward change. The definition of insanity is to do the same things over and over again, expecting a different result. The following poem depicts the process toward a changed mind:

There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk Chapter One
I walk down the street, There is a deep hole in the sidewalk, I fall in. I am lost…I am helpless. It isn’t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out Chapter Two I walk down the same street There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend I don’t see it. I can’t believe I am in this same place. But, it isn’t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out. Chapter Three I walk down the same street There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it there. I still fall in…It’s a habit…but, My eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately. Chapter Four I walk down the same street There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. Chapter Five I walk down another street. By Portia Nelson

What is your “hole in the sidewalk”?

Apostle Paul had holes in his sidewalk as he says in 
Now if I do (habitually) what is contrary to my desire, …
Romans 7:16 (AMP)
 
He had habits that were contrary to the desire for his life, a commonality among mankind.

The best way to promote awareness of pitfalls in thinking that have sabotaged the desired action for change is to name them by writing them in a journal OR share them with this blog community.  With “eyes open” let’s  begin to correct our vision for change.

 

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New year, New Growth? Or Decline?

January 1, 2011 by Cathy Burns Leave a Comment

First time to type the first day of the new year!

The beginning of a new year is a time of reflection.  Many greet the new year with a renewed determination to continue personal growth; focusing on life learning, living healthy, strengthening relationships, and growing closer to God. OR others face the new year with regret, fearfulness and lost hope.

For the Amarillo community, the end of 2010 was fraught with many unexpected tragedies and loss. In addition to these public tragedies, many face the personal loss of jobs or marriages, addictions, illness, or battered relationships – the list is endless. How can we ensure that we begin the new year with hope and a resolve to grow?

We can’t stand still. In life, we must move forward in growth or go backward in decline. Is the direction a choice? Can we choose to go forward weighed down with sorrow?

We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond. We can choose to grow through loss, to be transformed, to become resilient and take what we learn to positively impact those around us. OR we can allow the loss to define us. We can loose our identity in the midst of our grief and decline into hopelessness.

Loss is a part of life, loss is inevitable, but it does not define us. Taking time to feel and grieve is necessary for a healthy recovery, but this should be the starting point.

I have asked a lot of questions in this blog entry and hope to have the opportunity to process the answers in future posts as I renew my efforts to develop this web site.

The intention of this site is to encourage and equip readers to live life fully by expanding awareness and perspective of our insecurities and strengths. Feel free to share any thoughts or comments. My hope is that this site can bring together a community that will empower others and ourselves to live life intentionally.

Romans 15:13 best articulates the basis for my focus as I seek to grow in 2011:

The Colors of Rain~ There is a Sun behind the clouds! (iPhone pic of the canyon after a rain at sunset)

May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing (through the experience of your faith) that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope. (AMP)

Peace

35.212-101.758

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Betty Burns ~ Dear Friend and Fellow Dancer

May 28, 2009 by Cathy Burns Leave a Comment

Betty Burns was the oldest member of  the Healing Hearts support group but she had an inspiring curiosity and an energetic quest for life that was characteristic of a youthful mind. Her mind was sharp and she always showed a sincere and an active interest in the lives of others in the group. The humor that entwined her conversations and her ability to laugh at herself was contagious and very welcomed. The character that lived within her crippled body was beautiful and drew others to seek her company. Even though she knew that her illness would take her life  she worked hard to live each day with an optimism, cherishing her connections with loved ones and friends. The theme for the Healing Hearts group was to “not wait for the storm to pass but to learn how to dance in the rain”.  A chronic illness is the rain that will never pass but the Healing Hearts group is choosing to learn how to live well, to dance…even in the rain. Betty certainly took that theme to heart and was one of the lead dancers!

Now Betty we know you are truly dancing, dancing, dancing…You will be terribly missed but always remembered. Thank you for how you loved.  ~

May the Lord make  your love increase and overflow for each other…

II Thessalonians 3:12

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Healing Hearts “Dance in the Rain”

February 16, 2009 by Cathy Burns Leave a Comment

You have been “diagnosed” or worse you have no diagnoses but there is something not right with your physical body. If there is an illness that will not go away and it has claimed the life you once knew, it does not have to be a sentence to suffer. An illness, a crisis of health, can provide an opportunity for tremendous personal, relational and spiritual growth. Suffer by clinging to the loss or grow by living out a realized potential, are the different life journeys that can be taken. The Healing Hearts support group was created for those who choose to grow and lessen suffering. The following summarizes the key premises of the group focus:

  • Hearing heartfelt concerns giving validity and understanding
  • Helping by offering solutions, advice and resources diminishing a sense of powerlessness.
  • Healing the fractured sense of self, restoring purpose and value.
  • Hope can be realized through this support, lessening suffering resulting in a life living with purpose.

This group began in 2004 and continues to be an invaluable presences of support for the members. “Life is not waiting for the storm to pass but to learn to dance in rain. ” This statement has been the theme for this group. They often refer to themselves as the “Dancers”. They have chosen to not let the illness claim their life but to learn a “new normal” that is a daily mindset that gives them the needed motivation to “dance in the rain”.  To expand the impact of this support group the “Dancers” have encouraged the development of this blog which will create a venue for sharing support with those that can not physically attend the group.

Hearing, Helping, Healing, and giving Hope, is also the general focus of this blog. Healing Hearts will be designed to give information and encouragement to ANYONE seeking optimal heath for their spiritual, emotional and physical condition. It will be a place to enhance the mind/ body connection. There will be facts and scientific information as well as guidance and discernment regarding God’s truths applied to life’s ills. It will include a variety of topics including living with a chronic illness. Some of these other topics will cover, addictions, communication, forgiveness, marriage, mood management, parenting etc.. More information regarding myself, Cathy T. Burns MA, LPC, please see Bio or link to bigcountryfamilytherapy.com

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Cathy T. Burns LPC-S

Cathy T Burns The  purpose of this blog is to lead others to live with intention, focusing each day through the eyes of faith allowing a healing of heart, soul, mind and body through the presence of God... living #Hope(full)

Copyright © Cathy T. Burns

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