Favorite things: Music as prayer. Getting Relevant or Real Simple Magazine in the mail and reading it cover to cover in one sitting after skimming it first back to front. Breaking the plastic of a new Cd. Listening to the birds sing at sun rise. The smell of wood dust and just washed sheets. Big sunglasses.
Hearing my kids say "Mom..." River rocks. Beauty Salons. Going for walks. Snail mail from friends. Writing Songs. Being Me. Loving You.
Not so favorite: Never catching up with housework, homework and home repairs. Putting laundry away. Not having laundry away. Filing papers. Not having papers put away. Scales...mmm I know there are more, but this is not easy!
It's funny to me that I am more than comfortable listing my favorite things about life but the things I dislike are challenging to even think about. It is common for me to have an emotional reaction to whatever I'm pondering upon. The things I love cause me to feel loved, understood, expressive and etc..., while the things I don't like make me feel pressure of getting it all done, needing to improve myself or something around me or just needing to put the fun aside for a long while.
It is interesting that in life we often try to place ourselves into boxes of good and bad/ favorites or not favorites/ ups and downs/ joys and concerns. We are so fickle in our basic construction and composition. Thankfully, God is not fickle. God constant, consistent and sound.
All of this pondering concerning personality and preference fits along very well with Psalm 139:
"Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Footnotes:
- Psalm 139:8 Hebrew Sheol
- Psalm 139:17 Or concerning
You know me.
Your works are wonderful.
Dear Lord:
In this week together,
"See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Help me to walk in Your way knowing that you love me as I am. In my weakness and humanity... You are here.
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