Analysis Of Wisdom Distilled From The Daily By Joan Chittister

God called you to be a servant to others. Use your gifts and talents to influence and develop

The voice of vocation is mostly discerned through the heart; therefore, one must consciously be aware of the matters that occupy the heart. In John Neafsey’s “A Sacred Voice Is Calling,” Neafsey asserts “The voice of vocation is the voice of God” (Neafsey, 6). By hearing the voice of God, we’re able to reach the destiny God predestined us for in life and especially in our vocations. In order to hear the voice of God, you have to be able to discern between the many voices you hear every day, the voice of your conscience, and God’s voice. You do so by: consistently managing the matters of the heart- monitoring what you allow to physically and mentally enter into your heart, learning to discern between those things by familiarizing yourself with

It defines our purpose or mission in our life, which can be a called our vocation which has implications for our work or occupation that deals with our gifts and talents. "The immediate responsibilities - those tasks or duties God calls us to today" (Smith, 2011, p. 10). Example; taking care of my disabled brother since he was a child gave me a special call to take care of the many developmental disabilities for many the that I have accepted knowing that it was given to me since we were children. has called me to

took on the role of housewife and mother, while retaining a vivid interest in theology and the

In recent years, God has become a very important part of my life. I am determined to learn more about God and look forward to seeing what he has in store for me and my family. At one time God was not a big part of my life, I did not attend church regularly or feel close to him. I have always believed in God and Jesus Christ as our savior, but did not actively seek a closer relationship with him. I feel that much of that changed when I accepted my current job in a church based preschool program. After taking the position in the preschool, I was then offered a position in the church’s nursery on Sunday mornings. I accepted this position also and my son and I started attending Church every Sunday. In the time since, my husband, myself, and our children have all joined the Church, been baptized, and become very active in our Church. I feel that this was God’s plan for us all along. I feel that God guides our decisions each and everyday, and I now use prayer to seek his guidance for our lives.

Through my passions and experiences with people, as well as study, I am convinced that God has given me the desire and gifts to serve Him through discipling others. Ideally, I plan to work with young adults as they commonly need, and want, answers to questions of identity, truth, apologetics, and relationships, with Jesus and others. These are all things I am passionate about. I am committed to helping others experience God’s love, nurture their spiritual development, enable them to discover their spiritual gifts, and equip them for effective

The one thing many people do not talk about is vocation. Gordon T. Smith declares there are three different forms of vocation. First is the general call which is the invitation to follow Christ. Second is the specific call, this is unique to each person and can be classified as their mission in this world. Third is the immediate responsibilities; these are the task God requires of us daily (p. 10). As a Christian, one's vocation is their response to God; their call is to serve Him in life and reflect who He is to others, no matter the stage of life they are in or the occupations they are call to pursue. Occupations may change through life, but the vocational call remains consistent despite the

~My parenting practices and philosophy come from my experience as a child. I remember when I was young my parents didn’t really push me to succeed and learn new things. I want my child to explore and learn as much as she can. My parents were also lenient when it came to me getting in trouble which made me do worse things when I was older because I knew the consequences wouldn’t be so bad. That made me want to be a strict parent.

I must find my calling if I am to truly live my life to the fullest and to live out God’s plan for my life. God is the only one who can help me find my purpose. He has had a plan for my life long before I was even born and that God has a purpose for me that no one else could fulfill. “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11” (NIV). This means that no matter what I do as long as I am in accordance with God’s will, everything will turn out for the best in the end. God has promised to give me hope and a future and to bless my life. “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do, Ephesians 2:10” (NIV). With this knowledge I know that God has created me exactly the way I should be and that he has given me talents and skills enough to do all he asks of me to do.

Is there a right way to raise your child? There are really no set rules on how to raise your child, as we can see throughout the articles written by Amy Chua, a self-described “Chinese Tiger Mom” and Hanna Rosin, a “Western Mother,” in The Wall Street Journal in January 2011. These articles show that the two authors have completely different parenting styles. On one hand, Amy Chua believes kids should not go to sleepovers, be in school plays, and get anything less than A's in school except for gym. Meanwhile, Hannah Rosin believes that children need some freedom to express themselves. There are many

In the article "Now I Become Myself," author Parker Palmer endeavors to illustrate to her readership how can find personal fulfillment in their occupations by finding out about the self and what it is the individual needs to be satisfied. Most important to Palmer is a wider understanding of the term "vocation." This term is usually applied to religious persons who feel some otherworldly calling to the mantle of the clergy. However, Palmer argues that vocation can be a part of everyone's life, no matter which field it is to which they are drawn. Vocation is a gift for every person from a divine being who tries to inspire people to become the best versions of their selves possible. Achieving this is possible for everyone so long as they listen to the self and do not engage in actions which would hinder self-discovery. What's more, Palmer says, once the self-actualization has occurred, one is not only a better employee, but a better all around human being.

Dr. Waddell explains that he feels work signifies honor, creativity, and love. Dr. Waddell states, “[vocation] expresses the belief that God is present in calling and equipping people to fulfill a particular purpose in life and this correlates with Grudems’ statement, “that is why God made us with a desire to be productive, to make or do something useful for [ourselves] and other people”.

As a spiritual being, I personally believe that the purpose of my birth was to become meaningful in society. It is our purpose to share what is unique in us, and find a generous way in giving this back by sharing this uniqueness to our community. When we share what is unique about us, younger generations look up to us and learn to accept themselves as who they are and that being different is valuable. Often when someone gives someone something they never had is therapeutic and aids in the healing process. My mother abandoned after eight years, therefore a loving support system and a shoulder to cry on was never obtained.Being raised by a single father isn’t the same;he just yells impatiently, tells you to suck it up, too thick-headed and pessimistic to be worth talking to. What helps me overcome this gap in my development is babysitting and being a listener. Often titled “old therapist” in that I’m patient and feel valued now that I can freely express myself and people value my opinions.

Above, when we talked about our “purpose”, I know for a fact that God has a specific purpose for each person, but personally I am unsure of exactly what that is. I do not know if I am on the correct path to what God wants me to do, but I am trying to be more conscious as I get older to try to ask God what I should be doing

“Just as a physical embryo needs its mother’s womb in which to grow, so the spiritual embryo needs to be protected by an external environment that is warm with love and rich in nourishment. When this is finally realized, adults will change their attitude toward children, for the image of a child as a spiritual being becoming incarnate not only stirs us but imposes upon us new responsibility.”