Passionate Things

When I read Leslie's proposal over at her blog, My Happliy Ever After, I had to take a day or two to think and ponder about it. She asked us to share what we are passionate about. To be honest, at first my mind drew a complete blank. So I decided to take a step back and think about what the word passionate or passion means. So I looked it up in the Merrium-Webster Dictionary:

pas·sion
Pronunciation:
\'pa-shen\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin passion-, passio suffering, being acted upon, from Latin pati to suffer — more at patient
Date:
13th century
1 often capitalized a: the sufferings of Christ between the night of the Last Supper and his death b: an oratorio based on a gospel narrative of the Passion
2 obsolete : suffering
3: the state or capacity of being acted on by external agents or forces
4 a (1): emotion (2)plural : the emotions as distinguished from reason b: intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction c: an outbreak of anger
5 a: ardent affection : love b: a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept c: sexual desire d: an object of desire or deep interest
— pas·sion·less \-ləs\ adjective
synonyms passion, fervor, ardor, enthusiasm, zeal mean intense emotion compelling action. passion applies to an emotion that is deeply stirring or ungovernable . fervor implies a warm and steady emotion . ardor suggests warm and excited feeling likely to be fitful or short-lived . enthusiasm applies to lively or eager interest in or admiration for a proposal, cause, or activity . zeal implies energetic and unflagging pursuit of an aim or devotion to a cause .synonyms see in addition feeling

I think number 5b is what we most associate with the word passion or to be passionate. Isn't it interesting how the word Passion refers to Christs sufferring and death and how it is #1 on the list in the dictionary? What a wonderful coorilation to the word and it makes the meaning that much deeper.
So then I asked myself again, what am I passionate about? My husband, son, and still growing baby #2 are so important to me that I am passionate about them. I am passionate about taking care of them and making sure that I try to be the best wife and mother that I can be. Sadly, I feel I often fall short, but, that is what drives me to try and be better. I am passioanate about taking care of our home, making it a comfortable place to live and making warm healthy meals. I am passionate about doing my best at work as well.
But, it all comes down to Christ. Christ needs to be the center in order for any of this to work well and in the long term. I need to have a strong, unabated passion for my Lord and Savior and I have let the day to day get in the way of that. Christ has not been the ceneter of my world and I am realizing that it is him that I most want to be passionate about, yet find him to be the hardest thing at times to be passionate about. Why is that? I almost feel like a failure to say it, but, in my heart it is true at this moment. I need to spend more time with him in prayer plane and simple.
I am really excited about how this excersize has made me think and realize that I need to get my passion and my focus back were it needs to be.
Let's keep talking about this and help encourage each other. I see a common theme from those of us that have responded so far. I am so grateful that God put this on Leslie's heart to do and share, he always knows what we need.
I just have to say that I am so blessed by this wonderful community of ladies that Christ has brought into my life. I had know idea when I started this blog, how much of a blessing it would be.