Stepping Up

About a month ago, I started a live journal account, which I will probably still use for lengthier posts, but I wanted to have something that was more easily accessible for the general blogging community--something that would allow me to link to others and post pictures along with my thoughts. Hopefully, this will accomplish that purpose.

I guess I would start out by saying that a lot has been going on in my life, over the past month. I've seen some exciting things take place in myself and in my children.

God has dealt with me in a very special way, helping me to focus my energy and sharpen my vision of what He has purposed me to be. In the process, a lot of things that I have wrestled with for years have begun to make perfect sense. Things that I was unclear about seem so very obvious. I have a sense of direction and purpose that was not there one month ago.

I have felt, for some time like I needed to pray about and develop a mission statement for my life. Recently, I actually followed through on that.

I can tell you, having done so, that it feels incredible. It is so liberating.

I used a simple formula that follows the acronym SHAPE. The letters stand for "Spiritual gifts, Heart (passion, rather than mere emotion), Abilities, Personality and Experiences.

These five aspects of our personal life show us the things that characterize us--the properties that God has built into who we are, which provide insight into His purpose for us. Just as an archaeologist examines the physical properties and attributes that characterize ancient artifact and, thereby, determines the purpose or function of the object, we too can determine much about God's intentions for us--how He has purposed to use us--by examining and taking inventory of the attributes that He has integrated into our personal lives.

Consequently, I compiled a list or inventory of the spiritual gifts that God has placed in me since my conversion, the inner passions that give me the greatest sense of purpose and make me feel the most alive (these are not merely things that we enjoy), special abilities that I seem to have been born with or have possessed throughout me life, characteristics of my personality (both real and stereotypical), and the experiences that have shaped my life or brought me to the place where I am today.

Then, seeking God to glean His insight into what these things reveal about His purpose for my life, I wrote a mission statement, outlining the roles (both biblical and those evident through an examination of the previously mentioned attributes) that I believe God has called me to serve Him in, as well as the manner in which I would so serve Him.

With that mission statement in hand, I have an incredible sense of direction that did not exist prior to searching out and writing one. Questions about whether or not I am where God wants me to be and doing what God intended me to do no longer exist. Now that I see clearly what He has obviously suited me for and, through my experiences, prepared me for, I am able to accept those roles and embrace them with a definite sense of purpose.

I have to say that it feels sooo good. I know that it is just the beginning of all that is to come, for in keeping that mission statement before me, more and more becomes clear to me every day. I want to have the same sense of direction for my whole family and for our local church.

I'll write more about some of the roles outlined in my mission statement, in future posts. For now, I'll simply conclude by saying that I have already established a series of goals for myself and for my ministry that will take me through the remainder of this year and on into the next.

I am excited about them, because I know that as I yield myself to God's strength and purpose these things will be accomplished in my life during that time.

That said, I will bring this to a close. I had to drop Micah and Megan off at the airport early this morning and have not gone back to bed yet, so I think I will take a short nap before the kids get up. Even though I had to write part of the time, I enjoyed visiting with them. I can understand Elijah's reluctance to let them go so soon, as it seems that there was so much more we should have done together before parting ways. I hope that they will stop in again on their return trip.

Bye for now.