ABC: Bible Meditations for Me!: F Is for Focus!

ABC:  Bible Meditations for Me! F Is for Focus!

ABC: Bible Meditations for Me!  Bible Meditation Vs. Eastern Meditation

Introduction:  This lesson is one of twenty-six ABC lessons for parents, grandparents, kids, and teachers.  Please scroll back to view  A, B, D, L, O, P, Q, R, U, V, W, X, and Z.

F Is for Focus

F is for focus,
F is for fix,
Fix your focus
on Jesus!

I Focus on Jesus!

Some focus on bells,
Some focus on smells,
Some focus on mudras,
Some focus on mantras,
Some focus on lotus,
But I focus on Jesus!
                              LEP

Daniel Kept His Focus

In Daniel 6 we read that the prophet Daniel had a dilemma.  He wasn't allowed to pray except to the king for thirty days.  If he did pray to God he'd be thrown into the lion's den.  Did this law deter Daniel?  No!  For the Bible says Daniel kept his focus on praying at certain times just like he always did.  When it was his prayer time he got up, went to his window, opened it wide, and then as usual he knelt down by it and prayed.  Nothing kept Daniel from focusing on and worshipping his God!

Dare to Be a Daniel!

An old song "Dare to Be a Daniel" tells us to dare to be like Daniel, have a purpose firm or focus, and dare to make it known.  Listen to it here:
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t&p=Dare+to+be+a+Daniel+Lyrics#id=1&vid=b32eb0bc6696ffe8c345c443c845ae7a&action=click

"Look Unto Me!" Meditation

Isaiah 45:22  "Look unto me, and be ye saved all the ends of the earth: for I am God and there is none else."  Focus on its words the Bible way!

"Look Unto Me!" Cross Marker
Cut out a cross.  Edge it with a colored marker.  Print verse on it or glue on typed verse.  Put into your Bible next to Isaiah 45:22. 

The Resolute Rugby Player

Recently there was a rugby player who wrote how he believed things in the Bible.  Oh, how people rose up against him when he decided to do this and dare to focus on Jesus.  Folks made fun of him, and he lost his sports job.  Many, like him, who have stuck to or focused on God's word have been persecuted for their faith.  Psalm 119:31 says, "I have stuck unto thy testimonies: …."

Eastern Meditation

F Is for Focus

F is for focus,
P's for pay attention
to the task at hand
with total concentration.

Pastor's "Pause" Videos

A pastor/author stops for quiet pauses at certain hours.  He sits still, opens up his hands on his knees, closes his eyes, focuses on a computer bell sound, takes deep breaths, and sits in silence saying he is thinking about the Lord.  If his mind wanders he says, "Here I am Lord."  When the bell signals he stops and breathes deeply again.  He then reads some "devotions" from Catholic sources.  Is this a Bible way to meditate?  What do you think?  What do all the things he does remind you of?

Focus on Sound

Using "singing bowls" is a popular way to let children know when it's time to begin mindfulness meditation.   A bowl is struck by a child with a mallet signaling for all to sit still in lotus, fix their fingers in mudras, focus on their breath, and relax as the bowl's vibrations slowly die off.   Later, the bowl is struck again as the kids end their meditation time.

Focus on Vibrations

My first singing bowl introduction came while working with a group of PreK hearing impaired and special needs group.  Ms. Nancy, one of the teachers, felt each child would benefit from feeling the bowl's vibrations as it was hit with a mallet. Sadly, she introduced the children to yoga also.

Focus on the Body

A body scan meditation has kids focusing on their body by sitting comfortably, closing their eyes, and noticing how they feel in their chair. After noticing the weight of their body, they then notice how their feet feel on the floor.  Moving onto the legs they are asked to notice pressure, pulsations or lightness.  It is on to the back, the stomach, the hands, the arms and shoulders, the neck and throat, the face, and finally the entire body.  Interspersed with breathing they're told to sense feelings or to soften each body part.  

Perhaps, this seems soothing but the child is totally under the sound of the hypnotic video voice. Such scans can also be done lying down before nap or bedtime every day.  These guided meditations are but stepping stones to going deeper into other meditative techniques.
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t&p=Five+Minutes+Body+Scan+Meditation+for+Kids+and+Adults#id=1&vid=29204c6803b5382d3bb14de544e4887a&action=clickelf-help

Whitney Stewart's Mindfulness Card Deck

Whitney Stewart put together a card deck of 50 Mindfulness Activities for Kindness, Focus, and Calm for ages 4-104.  This card set, one among other such sets, is divided into five categories: feel grounded, find calm, improve focus, practice loving-kindness, and relax.   Be sure to click here to see the entire set as shown by its artist Mina Braun.  Click on each category to see some cards in each section.   Cute, clever, but oh so deceptive is how one might describe these enticing cards!     
https://www.minabraun.com/Mindful-Kids-Activity-Cards

Parental Suggestion:

Buddhist-Inspired Author Whitney Stewart

For a few minutes, focus on this Whitney Stewart image gallery that shows some of her mindfulness picture books as well as books for teens and adults. As with many of the authors that are passionate about mindfulness meditation, Stewart has an extensive background in Buddhism having lived in India and interviewed the current Dalai Lama.  Notice her picture book Becoming Buddha. Therefore, be aware how material similar to this has seeped into such places as the doctor's office, the local library, the workplace, the preschools, and the church that at its core is Buddhist, Hindu or both!

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Whitney+Steward+author+of+mindfulness+buddhism&fr=yfp-t-s&imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fselfesteemshop.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F03%2FMeditation-is-an-Open-Sky-Whitney-Stewart-549087.jpg#id=0&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fselfesteemshop.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F03%2FMeditation-is-an-Open-Sky-Whitney-Stewart-549087.jpg&action=click