My new calendar

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

Let's take a moment and hover over the phrase "press on" from this passage. In the Greek, press on is dioko and from dio = pursue, prosecute, persecute). It means to follow or press hard after, literally to pursue as one does a fleeing enemy. It means to chase, harass, vex and pressure and was used for chasing down criminals. Dioko speaks of an intensity of effort leading to pursue with earnestness and diligence in order to obtain. To go after with the desire of obtaining. It gives us the picture of going on the track of something like the hounds on the hunt and pursuing after the fox and implying a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain the goal. (courtesy of preceptaustin.org)

Warren Wiersbe writes that dioko...."It carries the idea of intense endeavor. The Greeks used it to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey. A man does not become a winning athlete by listening to lectures, watching movies, reading books, or cheering at the games. He becomes a winning athlete by getting into the game and determining to win! The same zeal that Paul employed when he persecuted the church (Phil. 3:6), he displayed in serving Christ. Come to think of it, wouldn't it be wonderful if Christians put as much determination into their spiritual life as they do their golfing, fishing, or bowling?"

I have a confession to make. I'm a calendar junkie. Every day I pull out our calendar and my big black sharpie just to put a gigantic "X" over the date. Sometimes I wait until the end of the day. Sometimes it's the first thing I do in the wee hours of the morning. Maybe it's a sense of accomplishment. Maybe it's obsessive. Either way, I enjoy doing it. I get a sense of euphoria when a new calendar year rolls around. Do you know what 2011means? It means a NEW calendar! With 365 markable spaces for my sharpie!

Not only do I enjoy marking off daily spaces, I also enjoy filling the spaces with "things to do". As a homeschooling mommy, elder’s wife, SAH mommy, adoptive parent hopeful, runner in training, wedding photographer and all around socialite...this task is pretty easy. I could fill to my heart’s content, but have resolved to keep my calendar quiet this year and focus on quality rather than quantity.

What you are passionate about will consume your time because you will make the time. We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. Are we glorifying God with what fills our calendar spots? Are we filling too many spots just to keep ourselves busy and active for no real reason? Is the devil getting a foothold in our calendar and keeping us from our families, our children and our personal time to pray on our faces before a holy God? I pray that God would change my heart to continually have an intense passion for the Person of Jesus Christ and pursue His vision within my home.

Blessings,

Angelena