Passion

Passion is a funny word. It brings up all sorts of vision to ones mind. I have heard a lot about passion lately. My pastor preached about it, I read a book about it, and right now there is a conference happening called Passion 2013.

My Pastor described passion as having zeal, being obsessed, it is what drives us. (I bet he didn't think I was paying attention) So for the last month I have been trying to figure out what my passion is. What is it that drives me? You would think that would be easy to find out. But you would be wrong.

I have thought about what I like: I like to write, I like to take pictures, I like to be around kids, I like to learn, I like chocolate (ok I may be passionate about chocolate,) I like to read. Which one of these things drives me? I can write about learning to take pictures of children eating chocolate. That would be awesome!!!!

For real though, what is it that drives me? I would love to write the stories of everyday women who made a difference in their world. Those women inspire me. To find a problem and find a solution for it. I want to help kids. The innocent, they should stay innocent as long as they can. So many kids in our world are unloved, passed off to grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends. I want to help girls understand that God loves them, no matter what. They don't have to be a size two, dressed like a thirty year old stripper. Young teenage girls need to understand that they are princesses because they have a King for a Father.

These are the things that are important to me. I want people to know about my awesome sister-in-law because she is a wonderful example to me. She has loved my brother through better or worse. She has been on more missions than most of us ever dreamed about. She taught me that it's okay to ask questions. She is changing her neighborhood one day at a time. (She is also one of like three people who can call me a nick name.)

If Christians and churches don't make a stand and love the unlovable who will do it? These children who are being passed around must feel the love of Christ. Who is going to teach them that? Maybe for them the love of Christ looks a hot meal or a warm coat. Maybe the love of Christ is a hug, hearing someone tell them that they are loved, no matter what.

And girls, young teenage girls make so many life alternating decisions in those years. No they don't wake up one day and say "I think I will experiment with drugs today" but in a thousand of little decisions they get there. They need to be taught early to make the right decisions, to make the right turns so when they are faced with the big decision they won't have to think about what the decision will be.

Maybe I can spend four months doing each of these things and see where it gets me. Maybe I can have three passions. You know like some trains have more than one engine.

My last thing for today- to be grateful. I am not grateful enough and remembering to be grateful just once during the year doesn't cut it. Sooooo- today I am grateful for the Creator. He created the world but he created me and cares for me. How awesome is that?

I pray that this is the basis for my passion-

 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’   Matthew 22:37