After getting numerous phone solicitations mangling the pronunciation of this blog’s name, and after numerous quizzical looks when I’ve told friends what the title of this blog is, I’ve decided an explanation might be in order.  Ontozoan is a word I coined and it is the name of this blog and of one of the web domains pointing to this blog.

Where Did That Come From?
Several years ago, I was reading Dallas Willard’s Renovation of the Heart and he referred to a passage of scripture: “‘…the life that is life indeed.’ (ontos zoas, 1 Timothy 6:19).”  I have never studied Greek, but those two Greek words stuck with me.  As I mused over them, and what “life that is life indeed” really meant, I realized that one who is truly alive would be an ontozoan. * 

And the Significance of All This Is…
St. Iranaeus wrote, “The glory of God is man fully alive.”  One way of understanding this is to recognize that when a man is functioning  according to God’s design, the very fact of his existence and all that he does consistent with his purpose glorifies God.  Note that I didn’t say perfect church attendance, scripture memorization, peeing sitting down or keeping all the presets on your car radio tuned to Christian Hitz 86.8 glorifies God.  Whether or not they do has more to do with your motives and the God-ordained mission you’re here to complete.    It doesn’t always look churchy, just so you know.

Far from being a blank check to do whatever one wants to whomever one likes in whatever way one pleases, this state of being is only possible through living in harmony with God and in fulfilling one’s destiny.  And no, not everything that seems to come naturally to a man is part of his design.  We’ll talk more about that in a future post.

Why I’m On This Corner of the Internet
Over the past fifteen-plus years, I’ve been on a quest to become the man I was created to be.  Along the way, I’ve come to understand the importance of initiating my sons into manhood, and also to understand how many young men would also benefit from this kind of discussion.  This notion of being truly, fully alive is at the heart of what I believe, how I live and what I want to communicate here.  That’s also why the tagline for this blog is “One Real Life.”  I’ll offer what I’ve learned — good and bad — for your consideration.  Eat the meat and spit out the bones.

So what about you?
What are you doing right now to discover your purpose?  What would being fully alive look like in your circumstances?  What knowledge do you lack that prevents you from getting started?  Add your comments or questions below.

*For you grammar mavens, I coined the word ontozoan as a noun, but I suppose one could use the word as an adjective.  Note that I use it as a proper noun — it’s the title of this blog — and because these sorts of things can get away from one if he isn’t careful, I am asserting trademark rights over the name. (Did you see the “TM” superscript at the top of the page?)  Note: you do not owe me anything if you mention or refer to this title. In fact, you’ll be doing me a favor if you talk it up.  On the other hand, if you attempt to name your band or your lunch meat Ontozoan, you might get a letter from me — or my lawyer.