Who Am I?

So this seems like a good place to start. In 500(ish) words, who am I?

I would typically answer this question with some version of "what?": I'm a divorced dad of two girls. I'm an ordained minister. I'm a grad student with a Biblical Studies focus. I'm an INTJ according to Meyers-Briggs, and a dominant type 1 with a strong secondary wing type 2 according to Enneagram. Those things are facts about me, but they don't tell you who I am.

I could tell you that I tend to have a more big picture focus, that I can be very stubborn, and that I'm a pretty good student. I could tell you that my favorite color depends on what it is being used for, that my favorite food changes from time to time (right now it’s pulled pork and coleslaw), and that I really enjoy root beer, cream soda, and ginger ale (individually, not mixed together). All of these are just characteristics I possess, and they are possibly true of a lot of people, not just me.

I could tell you that I'm interested in hiking, camping, backpacking (which combines those two), canoeing, shooting, gardening, and that I love 3x5 index cards and my dry erase board. I could also say that I dislike Russian literature, fish, mayo, and most things that are mint flavored. I could say that I prefer sunsets to sunrises, tea to coffee, spring and fall to summer and winter, and dogs to cats. These are just my interests, and while the combination may be unique to me, it's not who I am.

I could tell you about the places I've been, and where I'd like to go. I could tell you about the jobs I've had, and the chances I regret not taking. I could tell you what my favorite movies are, the quotes I find most inspiring, the best books I've read, or the songs that I find most moving.

All of these things tell you about me, but they still don't get to who I really am. I've been listening to a couple books by Simon Sinek, Start with Why and Find Your Why, that have really challenged me to look at how I present things, and look at life. What is easy, but what is generally pretty shallow. Why gets deep.

So why? Why do I get out of bed in the morning? Why am I doing the different things I'm doing? Why do I want to pursue what I am pursing?

I want to help people find their identity and passion, to receive healing and discover their destiny, and make the world a better place as a result.

I'm somebody that has spent so much time simply reacting to what has gone on around me, so much time doing what was expected of me, and so much time just playing it safe. I've been hurt, and I've caused pain as a result. I hate that, and I want that to change. I'm not somebody who really wants to stand out and be recognized, I simply want to help people live with passion, and pursue all that they are capable of.

That's who I am.

Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!