What Is Your Passion?

I recently listened to a sermon on 'What is your Passion"? I believe that God put that in all of us. It is different for everyone which makes us all unique. Passion is linked to our gifts and talents. I think I am happiest when I'm using those gifts and talents passionately.

One of the reasons we homeschool is to be able to hone in on each of our children's passions and equip them with the skills to develop that into something they can use for the rest of their life. Have you ever come across someone who is absolutely miserable because they've found themselves in a place they've grown to loathe. A place where they just robotically go from one thing to another. It has removed the passion, inspiration and life from what they are doing.

We don't want this for our children. Now, at some point, they will have to make that choice for themselves but it won't be because we didn't give them a foundation to work from. Our oldest is very passionate about video games. It is not only an enjoyable pastime for him. He finds it interesting and wants very badly to learn how to create them. Last week, my husband found a free software program that helps you build your own game. Brad's eyes lit up like fireworks in the sky, the energy surging from his pores was oozing into the atmosphere as he awaited the installation to his computer. He spent the entire day working on one. Now this is just an elementary place to start but who knows what it will bring in the future. My favorite part was when he stated to me that he needed to work on his math so that he can get better at programming. Ahhh, it does a Mother's heart good!

Our second child is very passionate about art. She loves to draw and create projects out of nothing. To watch her in action, is simply amazing. God put this in her! She has loved it since she was able to pick up a crayon. People will tell her she will probably be an artist someday and she replies with, "I already am!" She's not being snotty, she just knows what she is.

Our third child is passionate about life. His exuberance vibrates from the very top of our home to the foundation that it stands on. His mind thinks like no other and he has me in stitches many times throughout the day. Perhaps he'll be our comedian or write his own book. He can tell a story ad lib and it can keep going and going and going longer then the Energizer Bunny Rabbit can beat his drum.

Our fourth child is very rule oriented. He does not like things to be as they should not be. He is very passionate about this and will tell you what he thinks. Perhaps he will be our engineer.

At eleven months old, our fifth child is already showing signs of 'independent thinking', which we encourage in all of our children. She knows what she wants and she loves to squeal. I think she may make a great project or program manager someday.

Our hope for ourselves and for our children is to find ourselves passionately doing things that God created us to do in our job, in our home and in this world that inspires others around us. We all want to live life alive and with gusto so that not one moment that we've been blessed with will be for nothing.

So, what is your God-given passion?