why do i do what i do?

This question pretty much summed up this past year. (I still think in terms of school calendar) Through the grad school application process, I asked that question often... sometimes even asking, "what am I going to do with my lifeee??" I think that's a frequent question asked by many college grads. That's when I saw how I defined myself based on what I did. I found my worth in being a student or a career I would have, rather than my identity in Christ. That shouldn't have been surprising since I spent so much time in school, preparing for some sort of career. And that's when the connection was made back to my motivation as a student in college. Maybe it was mainly for myself...?
Now that I am back in school, I've asked this question less frequently. It's easy to just go with the flow and not see how God fits in. And that's still the wrong perspective because God doesn't "fit in" my life, that's still super man-centered. It should be more like where's my place in God's kingdom? Do I live out the gospel, as if Christ is my king? Even getting into grad school wasn't satisfying as I thought it would be. That proves to me more to not be so silly in thinking something or someone will satisfy me, or that life will really begin when I get what I want. Eternal life is now because I can know God now, the satisfier of my soul.
...What do you think about job satisfaction? That seems like the driving factor for career choices. Maybe some people will have different opinions on that. It makes sense to do what you like... but that still isn't what it's all about, right? It's just a means to God's glory, not an ends.

Just Do Something had some helpful points while I was semi-agonizing why things were not clear to me. We don't need to know the future, but to trust and obey God. The author said we are cowards in taking risks and we don't trust God. I think if we are worried about pleasing God, then we should be concerned about obeying His word first- loving, delighting, making disciples, giving, being patient, forgiving, repenting, using what God's entrusted to us - then there isn't even time to worry about the other issues.

Just a couple quotes from the book:
"In talking with my grandpa about his life, I asked whether he wrestled with God's will or remembered waiting for a sense of direction before taking so much initiative in life as a young man. "No," he said. "I felt like God was waiting for me to get involved." I wonder how many of us are just the opposite- waiting for God to tell us what to do rather than assuming He's waiting for us to go out and be obedient" (116)
"Wisdom is the difference between knowing a world-class biologist who can write your papers for you and studying under a world-class biologist so that you can write the kind of papers he would write. Too many of us want God to be the world-class scholar who will write our papers and live our lives for us. When God wants us to sit at His feet and read His Word so that we can live a life in the image of His Son. God doesn't tell us the future for this simple yet profound reason: We become what we behold." (94)


why do you do what you do?

(btw if you haven't noticed already in my posts or emails, I tend to jump from one thought to another , so fill in your own "transition sentences" and such =P)

Alaska

I haven't posted pictures in awhile. Here are some of my favorites from my Alaska trip, although definitely does not sum up the trip.

Anchorage

Alaska have huge marshmallows

This pup will grow up to be an Iditarod dog

On the way from Anchorage to Seward

Don't remember what this was...

On the cruise now leaving Seward

Glacier Bay

Skagway

Leaving Alaska and on the way to Vancouver