"passion."

i was at the airport last week picking up my parents and didn't know their flight was late...which led to me driving around in a circle for a long, long time. during one of the last laps...i caught sight of something which reminded me that the things we do can influence a person without us being aware of the fact. a girl just got out of the terminal...stood around looking for her ride or whoever was going to pick her up. she was nonchalant and looked tired for the most part until she found who she was looking for. her face lit up and she smiled. with luggage in both hands she made her way towards a car. it was windy and breeze was going against her...it really looked like the quintessential battle against mother nature. she took a step back but pushed on through...still smiling and her eyes never detracting from the prize. she was persistent. she was hopeful. she was passionate.

passion. usually...when someone thinks of passion they think of having strong feelings for something or someone. a cause. a relationship. a hobby. there's more to passion than feeling. anyone can feel...but to be passionate requires more of one's self. for lack of a word that can truly encompass the desired perspective...passion is drive. the motivation for what we do. the factor that determines what matters most to us in life. when ed and i talked about passion he focused it around my life. i have so much going on with family, friends, school, work, church, and so forth. it's so hard to find balance and what's harder is that i'm adding more to the things i'm juggling. instead of piling more things on top of my plate...i should be making room for what i want in my life (oh sure...it's true that our lives are able to expand to accomodate things but we can't just force it or will it to happen. it happens with growth and the just natural flow of life). to accomplish this...i need to determine what matters most to me...what i'm most passionate for. it is those things that will only remain in my life and are a true priority. from my connections with people to the things i enjoy doing...i sorted everything out by the passion i had for these things. it was quite the mental experience. talking with ed provided such a good reminder to me because passion has kinda lost its way in my life. i forgot all about it...but i'm glad to say i'm find passion is finding its way again. yeah it's like "how john got his groove back" haha.

this whole notion of passion has inspired all aspects of my life but for this entry i'll limit it to two things. if you want to know more...just hollla at me in the world. first...when it comes to dating relationships...you need three "forces." romance, passion, and commitment. personally, romance has never been hard for me. i've said it before...i grew up on romantic comedies and kost 103.5. i grew up a romantic. however...being passionate is another thing...something that has taken me more time and more effort to understand and become. in the past...i was always romantic and i managed to be passionate at the same time but i would gradually lose that passion. romance can only do so much for so long and it eventually faltered. without one or both...the commitment will fail. i've learned from past mistakes and with this reminder of passion i will be a better man in my next dating relationship.

the second thing is the fact that passion is of the Holy Spirit. actually...it's the gift, the virtue, the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in us and our lives. we don't normally or usually think about that. but when you have it in mind...it takes passion to a whole another level. passion becomes less about how strong we feel about something and more about how much of God's love, God's blessing, God's essence within us do we invest to sustain something worthwhile and good in our lives. passion is a blessing that allows us to fight for what matters most...to believe in it and to embrace it fully. passion is the Holy Spirit's way of allowing us to connect to the things we love...the people we love. that is true passion. that is the same passion Jesus had for all of us...this is the same passion we must exercise and apply now.

like i said...i could go on but i'd rather talk with people about it in person. it'll make for a great conversation...better if coupled with an adventure haha. that's all for now. remain passionate and keep it real. peace.