It's been a while, friends.

It really has been a while since I've blogged. I feel like I never allow myself the luxury of just sitting down and just thinking. I think I'm always in such a rush to go, go, go and finish, finish, finish all the stuff I have to do for school. It really takes a toll on me after a while. Like today for instance, I've done someee homework, but in the big scheme of things, I really havent accomplished much at all, which is kinda of a downer, but I'm justifying it as my lazy Joanne day. After a while, I feel like I just run out of gusto for a project after thinking about it so much. I just need to walk away from it and take a break for a little while.

I really like this Calvin and Hobbes comic that I read a few weeks ago. I feel like this comic just really resonated with me because it just relates so well to me and how I stress out so easily. Last night, J sent me a youtube video on a Francis Chan sermon. It was about marriage and having a Christ centered relationship. It was really good. Granted, I`m not married, but I feel like it anyone can really relate to it, and have it relate to life as a whole. I think it`s true that in our society, having a happy, ``good`` marriage can be portrayed as the `good` Christian thing to do. Yet, it`s not. That`s not our main purpose in a marriage. Our main purpose is to glorify God. Not just in marriages, relationships, but in everything we do. I don`t know if that makes much sense, Francis Chan and his wife Lisa definitely put it better. (Listen to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihRmM0aVADU&feature=related&fb_source=message)

But anyways, I feel like I`ve just really been reminded of this a lot lately. I`ve been boggled down a lot with school plans, etc. and I just need to step back and realize that ultimately, no, it`s not about what we do, etc. It`s not who we are, and it`s not what we`re meant to do. There`s a bigger picture, and that`s to love God, serve God, glorify God. It`s not about me, or this life. It`s about what comes after this.

On Sunday, Pastor John mentioned Phillipians 3:10. I`ve read it again, and I think that the verses which come before and after verse 10 are also very relevant.

Phillipians 3:7-14 reads,

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

I think it`s funny how God works. He really chooses the most interesting ways to reveal himself to us, at the most unexpected times. I`ll get to this later. Paul says in these verses that he considers everything worthless except for knowing Christ. He considers them garbage, his accomplishments, etc. compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. That`s amazing to me. Paul`s life is pretty amazing in itself. I think I`ll save that for another blog.

That part of Paul`s letter is titled `No Confidence in the Flesh` in my Bible, and I think that there`s no better way to put it.

I feel like that`s what Paul`s life is all about, and that`s what I aspire to be like.

Anyways, I feel like God has just really been revealing this to me lately. No confidence in the flesh, putting my hope in things above, and not getting boggled down my earthly things. Again, it`s about Him.

Like I said, God has a funny way of revealing Himself. In a time when I`ve most needed to be reminded that my earthly purpose is to serve Him, and not myself, he chooses Philippians 3 to really hit it home.

The very same verse that I related to a couple years ago as I was writing my grad write up. I referred to these verses as I encouraged my fellow grads to `press on towards the goal` - just like Paul is encouraging the Philippians in his letter - and in this case, encouraging me as well.

Not to mention, the very same verse that this blog is titled after. I titled this blog that title because I knew that ultimately, that is my purpose in life - to press on towards the goal. Yet I don`t think I`ve really fully grasped it til now.

I feel like that`s what life is all about though. Running the race, and maybe stumbling and falling - we might trip over the same things over and again, yet God picks us up again and again - and again. It`s about looking ahead - looking up - and continuing the race that God has set for us.

And here I am, back at this blog, continuing what I started a few years ago.

And I don`t promise I`ll be here everyday, but I intend to be here as much as I can be - to keep track of what God is teaching me and chronicling those struggles and challenges. And if you happen to be reading this, welcome back.

Joanne