SWB: Favorties and not so Favorite things

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

There is great comfort in knowing that God knows everything about me and loves me still. He knows where I'm going, what I'm feeling, what I like and what I don't. God "hems me in" - keeps me together when everything else is tearing me apart. Thank you God for helping me see that in the clarity of your vision: You have laid your hand upon me.
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.

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

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