Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Passion Pursuit

Meres and I are grooving to Pandora "Beach Boys", scarpariello is bubbling away in the crockpot, the 3 oldest are outside enjoying the crisp sunshine, fresh baked bread is cooling on the counter, 1/3 of the house is vacuumed, 6 miles have been run, the bff is coming for dinner and I get to visit my favorite chiropractor this afternoon for some maintenance. Its a wonderful April day!=)

One of the websites I love to follow is The Tiny Twig. Hayley has been doing a series on passion. She is calling it The Passion Proposition. Every day or so, as she writes a new "passion" post, I have been reflecting on the whole idea of passion. Passion is an intense emotion, compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. Just what am I passionate about? How is my life fulfilling my passions? Do the people closest to me know what I am passionate about? Is this a season in my life for pursuing my passion, or letting it just grow in quiet?
Well, I am passionate about a few things...
1) Life simplicity. Weeding out unnecessary actions, occupations and fillers that detract from what I enjoy.
2) Women's fitness. I don't know why, but I am passionate about women's fitness. It probably began when my own fitness journey began around 13 years ago. I want to be strong and healthy for myself and my family and for service. It could be because I am a disciplined person, or because fitness  has worked for me, or because "misery loves company" but I enjoy encouraging other women to be out there being active. Walking, running, swimming, biking. And fitness that fits with wives' and mothers' lives. I am not a single, childless woman who can devote hours and hours to anything. (not that single women can devote hours and hours to anything either. You know what I mean.) I have to fit fitness around a husband and four kids.
3) Partnership. I am passionate about being a partner with my husband in everything. This may be in a visible role-like our children's work, or running, or parenting, or more back ground like paperwork or cooking or keeping house for him. But I want to be his helper, in everything. And I want to encourage other wives to partner with their husbands too and to serve with their husbands.
4) Cooking. This might fit into the life simplicity thing. But I like to cook. And I like cooking (relatively) healthy food, that doesn't take way more time to prepare than to consume. I like things that taste great, and look great. Lots of bang for a little buck.
5) Teaching. I have only realized recently how much I love teaching. I enjoy teaching my kids, other kids, and about just whoever else might care to listen.=)
6) Service. Serving the Lord, however, wherever and whenever, has been a passion of mine since about age 12. My parents made me read biographies, and consequently I got a vision for what a life devoted to the Lord and His service can look like. And my passion is to live that out. To serve the Lord in the big and small things, day in-day out. This is why I homeschool my kids, teach Bible club, lead a Bible study, and....

Maybe having six passions is too "passionate."=) But, I think they are all kind of related. I want to pass on the vision (teach) of these things that I enjoy. And I think that is why I am loving blogging so much. It gives an outlet for my many thoughts. It is a way I can encourage other people in my circle and beyond to be fit, streamlined, partnering, cooking and serving women.=) It is an outlet for vulnerability, for facts, for strengths, for learning and for growing. This is why I share recipes, and words, and stories, and music, and photos, and projects, and humor. It is why I sometimes "soapbox" and sometimes cry. This is a reflection of who I am, and what I am passionate about.


What are you passionate about? How are you living out your passion? Leave me your thoughts.