Monday, September 17, 2007

Raindrops on roses and mittens on kittens...

Mrs. Cantrell tagged me to list my top 10 favorite things.

Top 10 Favorite Things

1. Jesus's love for me. Without this vital foundation, my life, my marriage, my friendships would all be meaningless and in vain. Because of his love and sacrifice, I have a reason to wake up, a reason to live, and a reason to share his love through my words and actions. He knows everything about me--when I wake, when I sleep, my weaknesses, my strengths, and how many hairs are on my head. He's the lover of my soul. His love is my life's foundation. Without it, my life would crumble.

2. My husband. Separately, we are so different, but together we're incredible. We know each others' thoughts before anything is said. A look contains 1000 words. We sit up talking and laughing for hours. The others' happiness is so important. We delight in the other's happiness and share grief when the other one is sad. We strive to be quick to forgive. Most of all, we share our faith together, and we build everything else on that. And that is why our marriage will last until the day we die.

3. My Family. Each member is so unique, with different likes and dislikes, different interests and each has their own talents. And it's when we come together that the magic comes alive! Just like in the body of Christ, we all have different roles, and we use them to make up a functioning body. We lean on each other in tough times and celebrate with one another in happy times. My parents, sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all make up a family in which I could not ask for better. There's no one else I'd rather spend my free time with!

4. My Childhood. The happiest, most carefree times in my life were in my childhood with my sister. Riding in red wagons, making green dough balls--then throwing them, hiding pennies in the yard, making up various vegetable "stews", tent making, doll house playing, playing Sody. We were definitely children with imaginations! I just pray that my kids experience the same amount of joy in their childhood years as I did. They go by too quickly.

5. My youth group. I am a firm believer that teenagers must have a strong support group for their faith. I realize now exactly how lucky I was to have a strong youth group with such strong leaders. I credit so much of my spiritual backbone to those vitals years as a teenager. The Andersons showed us what service was, that God's love was all about serving others. The other thing they taught me was about my relationship with God. Talking to God doesn't have to be eloquent or rehearsed, just from the heart. Praising Him is about meaning what you sing with your lips, in your heart. I have no doubt that the Lord strengthened our youth group like he did and sent us such awesome leaders as the Andersons. I owe them so much! They definitely have big mansions in heaven!

6. Children. I absolutely love babies and children. Their smiles, their laughs, their noises. Their little epiphanies at just the right moment. The wisdom that comes out of their mouths. Their innocence. Their inquisitiveness. I look at a child, and there is no doubt in my mind that God exists. His gentleness and innocence is packaged inside every child.

7. Christmas. It's the celebration of the reason why we're here. It's built from traditions with family and friends. Good food is a must have. Christmas is warm and fuzzy, pictures by the tree, cuddling on the couch, sausage balls, holiday music, parties, dressing up, bows on presents, the look of joy on receivers' faces. Christmas is a time of sacrifice and giving and celebrating Jesus. There's only one thing I would change about it: it should last longer!

8. Singing to Music. At the end of a stressful day, music is all it takes for me to calm down. No bubble baths and massages and a good glass of wine. Just music. It's amazing how much more smoothly things run at the hospital when someone turns the radio on. I immediately feel my shoulders relax and the stress eases on my mind. Nothing compares to singing praises with other Christians in a time of sorrow or sadness or heaviness on the heart. Music unlocks the soul!

9. Being in the Delta. There are definitely lots of reasons to dislike the Delta. It's insanely hot. The mosquitoes are dog sized. There are no malls and you can count the number of great eateries on 1 hand. But...when the cotton's in bloom and the corn is tall and the sunset is fading down a gravel road...there is nothing else like it. You can look for miles and only see cotton. It's a slower pace of life, almost like stepping back 20 years. It's so refreshing in today's world to be able to step back and breathe...away from street lights, busy intersections, crowded malls, and black top roads.

10. Coke and Rotel Cheese Dip. No, this is not two separate "favorite things." It's like peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Coke and cheese dip is a single meal. In fact, I ate it for lunch today. My absolute favorite drink and "food" all in one meal. I could not live without these two. Yum!

Now it's my turn!! I tag Kacie, Hilary, and Aunt Rita...even though she doesn't have a blog. E-mail works. ;)

1 comment:

Hilary said...

mittens on kittens? I think it's whiskers on kittens and warm woolen mittens (ha!) ;)

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