A Season for Purpose

Something (or Someone) has been constantly tugging at my heart to read "The Purpose Driven Life". Our church read through this New York Times best selling devotional together several years ago, but I didn't get on the band wagon in the beginning, and never even attempted to catch up. However, this time, my heart has been pricked, and I am answering the call.

"The Purpose Driven Life" is a 40-day Biblical study that centers around why we exist. The book's tag-line is, "What on earth am I here for?" I feel like it is completely appropriate to begin this study now, just a little over 40 days (44 to be exact) before Christmas. To have something to deliberately keep myself focused during a season when it is SO easy to forget everything not associated with turkey, tinsel, and finding the perfect gift for everyone .

As I've mentioned on numerous occasions, the holiday season is my favorite time of year. I am one of those who prefers to start listening to my Christmas music the day after Halloween, and even on through New Year's. I am, at this exact moment, fighting a strong urge to abandon this blog post to commence with trimming the tree. And I do not think that there is anything wrong with that.

Believe me, I don't skip over Thanksgiving-- the two holidays are sort of intertwined in my mind. I can't help but be thankful all the way through the holiday season (and really all year long) for the countless ways that we've been blessed. However, I do think it is a good idea to commit myself to refocus now, before the insane, calendar-filled weeks of Holiday Season 2008 strike, leaving me want for any time of personal study and growth.

I invite you to get a copy of this book (either from your local library, book store, or the shelf in your house where it's been gathering dust since the last time you read it) and join me in reading. As I stated before, Christmas is 44 days from today, so if you start reading now, you will have finished this study by Christmas. Consider it your gift to yourself this holiday season.

From the book's introduction:
"The Bible is clear that God considers 40 days a spiritually significant time period. Whenever God wanted to prepare someone for his purpose, he took 40 days:
Noah's life was transformed by 40 days of rain.
Moses was transformed by 40 days on Mount Sinai.
David was transformed by Goliath's 40-day challenge.
Elijah was transformed when God gave him 40 days of strength from a single meal.
The entire city of Ninevah was transformed when God gave the people 40 days to change.
Jesus was empowered by 40 days in the wilderness.
The disciples were transformed by 40 days with Jesus after his resurrection."

Aren't you at least a little curious what He can do if you give him 40 days in your life?


PS--If you are of the type who makes it a habit of judging books by their covers, don't assume that because the book is over an inch thick that it will be long and boring. It is divided into SHORT daily readings that are very do-able, even for a mom with small children.

As a bonus, if one of your New Year's resolutions is to read or study your Bible daily, you will have already laid the foundation of starting that habit on into 2009. Whether you simply read it and ponder what thoughts it provokes, or spend extra time journaling and committing its many scripture references to memory, I know that you'll be blessed.