A list

A friend of mine and fellow blogger, Kris Bridgman, shared her list today and asked others to copy/paste and share their own list.  I went with the first thing that came to my mind.  

I am:  a bit sassy, hardheaded, and passionate
I think: about the future, a lot
I want:  people to truly live life not just walk through it
I have:  a loving husband, son, family and friends
I dislike: when people (including myself) think we know what is best for everyone else, or that we completly understand their situation
I miss:  the snow, seeing my son on a regular basis
I fear:  for my son 
I feel:  happy and sad at the same time sometimes
I hear: my husband singing upstairs in his studio, the fan of the furnace
I smell: not much today
I crave:  mexican food, a good cup of hot tea
I search:  for answers and solutions
I wonder:  how old I will be when I become a grandmother
I regret:  not staying in shape
I love:  to cook, and to share a meal with friends, to laugh, read and garden
I care:  about the homeless, the loss of empathy and compassion in our communities
I am always:  planning ahead
I worry:  about overscheduling and just going through the motions of life
I remember: Sunday afternoons at my grandparents houses, hiking the mountain behind Mama's house with my cousins
I sing:  all the time
I argue:  to be a voice for the unheard and sometimes because I'm grouchy
I write:  to decompress
I lose:  ink pens
I wish:  I could travel more often to see friends and experience new places
I listen:  sometimes...this is a continual work in progress for me.  To listen to God and others is important to me
I don't understand:  why so many don't act like they care about anyone but themselves, why 18,000 children die from hunger and other issues each day, why human trafficking and fair trade issues aren't important to more people
I can usually be found:  at work, at Spencer's, or home reading
I am scared:  of needing my valve replaced sometime and having cancer someday
I need:  more patience
I forget:  who I use to be and how far God has brought me
I am happy:  having conversations with my husband, son, family, friends, strangers ( I guess that means I like to talk, still working on the listening side). Hiking. Sharing with others. 

Now it's your turn.  Make your own list and let me know so I can come read yours.  And remember, don't spend too much time thinking about it.  Usually what first comes to mind is what you need to write. Don't worry about sounding goofy, or nonspiritual, or whatever. . .we are all a work in progress;)

Loving those like I was.....

So who knew the word "Love" could stir so much in just one week.
I've been met with loving those who "despise" me or the actions I have. Loving those who made choices that hurt those who were offering help to them.  Loving those who hurt me in the past. Loving those who love me just as I am. Loving myself when I struggle to love others.  
I've sought wisdom from others.  I've prayed. I've read. Though questions linger.
I told a friend this morning that I see this as a major challenge for me this year.  A mountain to climb but a mountain that is worth the climb.
You see, I can love my family, my friends, the broken, the poor, the homeless, the murderer who is sorry, the sex offender who repented but I struggle to love.....

How did Jesus love the Pharisees and Saducees?

This is my question to explore, to pray about, to read about.  How do you love someone who talks about you, who talks down about others, who judges situations as though they have never had a problem or failed, who picks and chooses who is "good enough" or lives the right way for them to "love".

My reminder is not so long ago I too was one of "those people".

I did not love the poor.
I did not love the homeless.
I did not love the person living or dying in a foreign land.
I did not love someone who was liberal.
I did not love someone who was conservative.
I did not love someone who was gay.
I did not love someone who was rich.
I did not love the person dying from AIDS.
I did not love someone who was thin.
I did not love someone who was fat.
I did not love someone who questioned me.
I did not love a drug addict.
I did not love the person trapped in human trafficking.
I did not love an alcoholic.
I did not love the abuser.
I did not love the person who went through a divorce.
I did not love.


You see. Even though I became a Christian as a young child, it wasn't until my adult years and not all of them that I began to love others.  Remember, I had to learn what loving the Lord my God with all my heart, mind and soul and loving my neighbor as myself meant.  I cannot say today that I've accomplished loving all that I am to love because I struggle to love those who are like I use to be. I have to remind myself that God did a miracle in my life and he can do it in others too.  My role is to show his love through my life. It was one layer at a time for my life.  Maybe it will be one layer at a time for their life too.
 In the meantime, I must love, extend grace, protect my spirit and pray.

As you read this maybe you see yourself or part of yourself in the words on this page. Love is a beautiful thing.  It is a noun, an adjective, an action word. Love comes from the source of life, God. May you find yourself praying, seeking, reading, sharing the love that he created you in.  The love He has given to all of us. The love we are to give to Him and all of his creation.

                                                                         Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave