Today, We Begin

A lot is made of beginnings and I think that's appropriate. We celebrate our birthday (the beginning of our time on Earth) so beginnings are a big deal. So today, as we dive into some fairly deep and challenging questions. Consider this; Are you maximizing your life? If you are a New Testament Christian you might say something like this, "I've given my life to Christ, what more can I do?" I'm familiar with the question as I myself used it to justify my life as well. And then I read "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper. You can download a free copy of the book at www.desiringgod.com. All you need to do is type Don't Waste Your Life in the search box at the upper righthand corner of the home page. Once the search results come up, the second on is the online book. Click on that link and you will see an option to download the pdf version of the book. You will also have the option of downloading the study guide (you'll want it too).
This is where we begin. I encourage you to begin reading the book as soon as possible. It won't take you very long, a few nights perhaps. As you read and begin thinking about your own life and relationship with God, I suggest that you begin a journal of your thoughts or questions. I use my laptop and type, but you may prefer to go "old school" and use pen and paper. Either way, record those thoughts because they'll be gone before you know it. One other thing that is important is to talk to people. Friends, co-workers, and family members (both physical and spiritual) are great sounding boards for discussion. Many times we find that we are afraid to speak with others about the things of God because we are afraid we'll give the wrong answer to their questions. But when you are just talking about life, you'll probably do just fine and you might open a door that would have normally stayed closed.
So this is the beginning. If God blesses us with wisdom and insight, then we can hopefully celebrate more beginnings as he transforms us in his glory.