Notebook book notes - The Purpose Driven Life

Notebook book notes 

Title:  The Purpose Driven Life

Author:  Rick Warren

Link: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/the-purpose-driven-life-what-on-earth-am-i-here-for/9780310329060.html 

I cannot quite remember the details of how The Purpose Driven Life came into my faith journey. I do know it was a number of years ago and that many churches at the time were studying a sister text, The Purpose Driven Church by the same author.  In any case, the timing was perfect!

What seems like a lifetime ago, we were in the season of busy-ness (or shall I say “busy-mess”?), my husband and I both working while raising a young family.  I know many of you have been there, or perhaps you living it as we speak! I distinctly remember trying to make the best possible use of every minute of the day as I strived to meet the expectations of my teaching job and still have energy and time left for the very important task of nurturing my own children at home.  There just always seemed to be a lot of pressure on my time.

In one of the first chapters of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren suggests the reader consider how they refer to the their day.  I remember having an epiphany as I realized I would often talk about my day as if it were a race. 

 “It’s been a marathon of a day.”  

“Today was a race to the finish line.” 

Upon reflection, I was surprised and a bit dismayed to discover that the clock was totally driving my day.  Recognizing this was a game-changer!  It became clear in time that I could actually put God in the driver’s seat instead and still get things done - not with constant pressure, but rather with huge doses of grace.  This freed me up to consider God’s purpose for me in a broader sense.  I wrote the poem “Out For a Drive” to reflect my new perspective. (It is in Chickadee's Perch's poetry collection if you care to take a peek!)

And this was just the beginning of the book!!  So much more lay ahead for me to explore.  I highly recommend The Purpose Driven Life as a book that challenges the reader to contemplate the particular purpose God has for their life.  Or perhaps you’ve already read it!  Either way, I’d love to hear your own take-aways.  It certainly was a good investment of time for me!