S.O.P. Standard Operating Procedure

A glorious morning always follows an incredible night.
At 5 am this morning I was laying there taking an assessment of my life so far.
Not every little meaningless detail (not that they are truly meaningless, for the some is equal to the whole), but the "driving factors of my life." 
The major commonality that threads through my life has been passion. In everything. When I was a youth I was passionately foolish. A major goof off. If it wasn't for a laugh it wasn't worth the effort. Not to say there wasn't a serious side to me but the balance certainly wasn't 50/50. It wan't caused by my environment, or my parents instruction, nor peer pressure, it was a decision. That's how I felt accepted (my own way) and dealt with the "living of life." The mature side of me, (the smaller percentage), was way ahead of its time just as passionately. I knew at an early age that "I was made (built) for hard physical labor. I knew that it was honorable to resist the need to expect or be involved in lust. I had the goal of a proper marriage and a family. And I also knew that I would accept the responsibility of a focused and dedicated life in every area that I participated in.
That same passion one day was "harvested" by the Gospel, and life changed. Not that at any point I was "perfect", but "being perfected."
So at 5 am this morning as I laid there I was passionate about prayer, confession of failures toward God, Elise, Children and all whom I have let down or failed. But I was also rejoicing in the cleansing that comes from that confession through the Blood of Christ.
Yes perfection (not excellence of effort) has eluded me for most of my life, (not for lack of effort), but passion has not.

Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Yes there is a lot of "things" that I practice and work toward perfection on, Faith, Family, Friends, Food, and maintenance of body and property, but one thing is for sure "its done with "passion".

I wait passionately for the next moment of revelation that once again causes me to lift my hand heavenward for cleansing and rejoicing with that bittersweet experience of "God with me the hope of glory."

Love
J&E