Join Me In a Personal Forty Day Journey of Discovery

What on earth am I here for?  Have you ever asked yourself that question?  I have.  I have sought education - and have three degrees.  I have sought different careers - and have worked diverse positions from North Carolina to Hawaii, California, and Washington state.  I have been in several relationships - to include multiple marriages.  I attempted to commit suicide at a very young age, but without success.  I have searched all over for an answer of why am I here, but still couldn't find an answer. After all of those actions and activities, I have made a conscious decision to enter into a 40 day exploratory journey of discovery.  As a guide, I will be using the book, The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren.  Notice all of the "I" ...?  It's not about me!

My dear sister-in-Christ, Sharon Willis-Fane, gave me this book in 2004 with a message "To my sister, my friend, you are a blessing to me and to others.  Keep up the good work.  I hope you enjoy this book, as I am enjoying mine.  Continue to be who you are forever learning and forever growing." I started reading the book in 2004, but with distractions; therefore I didn't finish it.  It's time to finish what I started - but start from the beginning.  What an awesome opportunity!  I am starting this 40 day journey with purpose.  Today, the average life span is 25,550 days.  I have probably used over half those days already.  But its never too late to set aside 40 days to figure out what God wants me to do with the rest of my days.

The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period.  Whenever God wanted to prepare some for His purpose, he took 40 days.  Noah's life was transformed by 40 days of rain.  Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mountain Sinai.  The spies were transformed by 40 days in the Promised Land.  David was transformed by Goliath's forty-day challenged.  Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from a single meal.  The entire city of Nineveh was transformed when God gave the people 40 days to change.  Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wildness.  The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection.  The next 40 days will transform my life - and yours as we go through a chapter a day and as we think about the implications for your life.  As in the book, at the end of each chapter, there is (1) a point to ponder - a nugget of truth; (2) a verse to remember; (3) a question to consider; and (4) a discussion question.  I encourage you to please interact.  Post your thoughts on this blog and let's prayer for one another.

DAY 1  -

God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess and is not just the start point of your life, he is the source of it.  You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:11-12The Message (MSG)

11-12 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

Think About My Purpose

Point to Ponder:  It's not about me.

Verse to Remember:  "Everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."  Colossinas 1:16

Question to Consider:  In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?


My answer, but yours will be different:

I can remind myself by first guarding my heart from the cares of the world.  Proverbs 4:23 states our thoughts often dictate who we become.  God examines the heart of a man, not outwardly.  So what does it mean to guard your heart from the cares of the world?

http://www.gotquestions.org/guard-your-heart.html