A Year Of...

The semester has actually started, and this is the point in the year where I think (after only 2 blog posts) “Oooooh man….what can I really say for a whole year?” This is also the point when I say to myself, after reading over the syllabi for my classes, “How will I EVER survive this semester?”

My sister Elisabeth likes to ‘theme’ years. She looks ahead at the days in front of her and says: “This will be a year of _____” I often look at a year and say it will be a year of….lots-o-stuff. There’s lots-o-stuff I know that’s going to happen, and lots-o-stuff I don’t. So I was challenged by my sis to look at this year and decide what I want to focus on, which I decided will be a year of Purpose. (noun - the reason for which something exists or is done, made, used, etc, verb - to set as an aim, intention, or goal for oneself)

Side note: I love definitions of words, as you can see by the title of my blog. I look up words in the dictionary all the time. It shows true flavor and depth, like when you try a food and there are different flavor notes that develop as you taste it? Well that's how word definitions are for me...and I think I just revealed how epic of a nerd I am, but I think you would have found out eventually anyway...

A year of purpose, what does that look like? In all honesty I'm not 100% sure, what I do know is that choices and possibilities are not the problem, it’s the decision making and the choosing. There are many things that I would love to do, but what I need is focus.

The thing that caused me to think along this wavelength to begin with was a sermon from Mark Driscoll here. View to specific section that impacted me, about 10 minutes and totally worth listening to, here. I don't want to be simply cause oriented, and find a purpose in just something. I already have a purpose and that is first and foremost to serve Jesus Christ, a cause comes later. (If you are reading this and you don't believe in Jesus and are perplexed as to why I would want to follow and serve some dude named Jesus, please ask me and I will tell you.) I think Matthew 22:37-39 outlines exactly that point: Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

#1. Love God. #2. Love people. I admit that I have gotten this mixed up before and have wanted to find a purpose when I already have one. So my year of purpose will be in #1 and #2, and in answering and acting on some questions: How can I love Jesus, and how can I love and serve people? How can I serve students at the University of Minnesota? What should I spend my time investing in, and who should I spend my time with? Where do I fit in? How can I use my skills, knowledge, and talents for the benefit of others?