Passion

Per the Urban Dictionary, "passion is when you put more energy into something than is required to do it. It is more than just enthusiasm or excitement, passion is ambition that is materialized into action to put as much heart, mind, body and soul into something as is possible."
I believe passion is what fuels a world changer.  It is what defies the odds.  It is the very force that cannot be explained away or rationalized into predictable outcomes.  I believe passion is the strength, the courage and the determination of the human soul - fueled by the very breath of God, who gives life to humankind.  It is a gift of the Holy Spirit.  
It is what drives a teenager to sleep with his baseball glove at night or dribble a soccer ball so incessantly that the toes of his shoes always wear out before the sole.  This is where we find passion in the formative hearts of our teenage boys. This is where they begin to learn to tap into passion - a precious and powerful gift of the Holy Spirit.  This is where they learn that hard work, "more than is required to do" reaps great rewards for them on & off the field.  
Statistics and logical reasoning have a way of challenging the power of passion in our world today.  Instead of teaching our children to aspire to challenge societal norms to impact our world, culture tends to encourage them to be 'realistic' with their goals. Based on the state of our world today, I refuse to be a realist (yes, I said that!) to my children in a world that no longer values the profound miracle of the human race - unique, intelligent, gifted & amazing! They will hear me say, "You want something, go after it!" "Yes you can reach that goal!" "You can make a difference!"  "You will leave your mark!" "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23  
The same passion that drives them to sleep with their baseball glove at night as a teenager will one day soon drive them to fight for their marriage, act as a warrior battling for their children's souls, defend our country, set a standard of excellence for themselves in their career & live to make an impact on a world that finds safety in statistics instead of wonder in miracles. Where my children find passion now - it is my great privilege to allow them to taste it so they can harness it's strength as future warriors.