""Sweet spot." Golfers understand the term. So do tennis players. Ever swung a baseball bat or paddled a Ping-Pong ball? If so, you know the oh-so-nice feel of the sweet spot. Life in the sweet spot rolls like the downhill side of a downwind bike ride. But you don't have to swing a bat or a club to know this. What engineers give sports equipment, God gave you.A zone, a region, a life precinct in which you were made to dwell. He tailored the curves of your life to fit an empty space in his jigsaw puzzle. And life makes sweet sense when you find your spot. But if you're like 87 percent of workers, you haven't found it. You don't find meaning in your work--or you're one of the 80 percent who don't believe their talents are used. What can you do? You're suffering from the common life, and you desperately need a cure. Best-selling author Max Lucado has found it. In Cure for the Common Life he offers practical tools for exploring and identifying your own uniqueness, motivation to put your strengths to work, and the perfect prescription for finding and living in your sweet spot for the rest of your life."
Going to school at UMM was a big transition in my life after living under my parents' roof all my life till 18 years old. During my years at UMM, I (Sal) was searching for "identity" and "purpose" in this world. My goal in life prior to UMM was to find a career, make money, raise a family, retire traveling around the world. I really didn't explore the world outside of my own neighborhood growing up in St. Paul. Yes, I did go on a family trip to the Philippines at age 3, went to New York City at age 14, and Disney World in Orlando, Florida the year before. However, I really never was independent at the time-until now (somewhat) making a living after college.
I may have found a career now-just for a season in my life, but I'll not be doing what I'm doing (group home) rest of my life-maybe! I would love to travel the world and visit every country I can imagine.
Is this possible? Yes, but is it God's purpose in my life? People question what is the purpose or meaning of life? Why can't God let me do what I want to do? I don't know the answer, but I can direct you to it-
What is the Bible? I heard this many times, "It's our Heavenly Father's Love Letter to us". It's more than a book of laws that God wants to obey-that was the Old Testament. The New Testament was written to show that Jesus replaced the "law" through dying on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins to have eternal life.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you..."-Jeremiah 29:11-12
I try to read this in a daily basis as a guide (e.g. map) to live for God everyday. That is what I found is the purpose of life-to glorify God through my worship to Him (Romans 12) in a day to day basis through words and actions-please my Father! Many of us never had a father or didn't have a "good" father. Just picture our Heavenly Father as a dad that you wanted to have! He wants us to know him and seek him when we are in trouble.
I got tired of living my life on my own-selfishly on my own ambition. I asked Jesus to be Lord of my-life towards the end of my first year in college (1996). Through reading Scriptures-this began the new found discovery of my "identity" and "purpose in life"-in Christ (John 10:10).
Below is a link that a friend (Winston UMM 03'-Detroit, MI) e-mailed me today, which made me do this website (11.20.03). I pray that this will touch your heart and be put to action in a day to day basis...
After reading this, please feel free to contact me or better yet talk to Man upstairs!
"Heavenly Father (Romans 9), I know you created me in your own image (Genesis 1)-perfectly and pleasing to your own eyes-in my mother's womb (Psalm 139:11). You said in your Word that You know the plans for me (Jeremiah 29:11). As I asked you to be the Lord of my life (Romans 10:9), please come reveal your heart to me through your Holy Spirit (John 10) because I want to know your ways in the life you gave me on earth...In Jesus' name-Amen!
Recommended Resources
God's Dream
"What do you think God dreams about? Courtesy of TheFinalWord.TV (www.thefinalword.tv)"
"A Video-Driven Bible Study on the Life of Jonathan Adventure awaits. Opportunity is all around us. In Chasing Daylight, city pastor Erwin McManus calls us to risk everything for a life of genuine purpose. Video teaching and creative learning materials make this a great Bible study for adults"
"..In love 5he[c] predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.... 11In him we were also chosen,[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory....-Ephesians 1
*Before one knows what the purpose of life is, they ("created") needs to acknowledge their Creator (Genesis 1). Pastor Rick Warren suggests we then ask Him through seeking. Yes, we need to wait, which is very hard for us "busy Americans". Check the book out for more....
Related Sites:
-Videos:
40 Days of Purpose
"Grace Harvest Church in Moses Lake, WA goes through Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life "The Purpose Driven Life - Part #1, from youtube.com
Purpose Driven Life Promo
"promo for 40 days of purpose driven life book, shown at 2 different churchs in CT. "
RE: The Purpose Driven Life By Rick Warren (Chapter 1)
"Into the world of the Emperor Penguins, who find their soul mates through song, a penguin is born who cannot sing. But he can tap dance something fierce!"
"During her 7 1/2-hour ordeal, she talked to her captor. They talked about the Bible. She showed him family photos. She told him about how her husband had died in her arms four years earlier. She asked him to not kill her because that would leave her daughter without a mother or a father. She was supposed to pick her up in a few hours. They hadn't seen each other in two weeks.
Smith asked if she could read to him and picked up her copy of The Purpose Driven Life. Her reading for the day was chapter 33, which says in part:
"We serve God by serving others. The world defines greatness in terms of power, possessions, prestige, and position. If you can demand service from others, you�ve arrived. In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept. Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status. ... To be like Jesus is to be a servant. That�s what he called himself."
"I have seen something else under the sun:
The race is not to the swift
or the battle to the strong,
nor does food come to the wise
or wealth to the brilliant
or favor to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all.
12 Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come:
As fish are caught in a cruel net,
or birds are taken in a snare,
so men are trapped by evil times
that fall unexpectedly upon them...
Thank you for visiting GoodnewsEverybody.com! Please feel free to e-mail me (Sal) at info@goodnewseverybody.com on any comments, suggestions (e.g. any new websites),complaints, or anytype of feedback to improve this website or leave a comment on my blog