10 Items For the L of It

I accepted the 10 item challenge and was assigned the letter L. So here goes…

1. Lucille…I know I already mentioned this in my last entry, but it’s front and center on my mind. I named my car, a 2002 Jeep Liberty that I loved more than any car I’ve ever had, that lost its transmission last week and will be out of commission indefinitely or until we can afford to fix it. Lucille, as in “you picked a fine time to leave me Lucille.” It’s still snowing and I’m pining over the loss of my car and its wonderful 4 wheel drive.

2. Listen…This is my word for the year. I want to be a better listener. I want to listen to my family and friends better and more than that I want to listen to God better. I’m very good at telling God what I want and what to do –a skill I’m not necessarily proud of. Now I want to improve my openness and listening.

3. Laugh…I love to laugh and I laugh loudly. I love to make people laugh. I probably learned this skill as a child in a home with two alcoholic parents. If people were laughing they weren’t arguing or crying.

4. Love…I love very deeply and I am loved. I spent a lot of my life not feeling loved or doubting the love that people expressed towards me. Nelson and I have been married nearly thirty years and it wasn’t until we walked through my legal crisis that I realized how much he loved me. His love for me is very much like Hosea’s love for Gomer. I will never doubt it again.

5. Lobster bisque…I discovered this delicacy in late 2007. I’ve eaten it at several restaurants, but the absolute bestest I’ve ever had is the bisque that Nelson makes for me. It is my instant choice when I need comfort food.

6. Learning…I love learning. I am always researching something on the internet. I have three master’s degrees and I would love to get my Ph.D in either organizational management or interpersonal communications. If I don’t get a further degree I would love to become certified to teach MBTI. The problem with any of those three options is financial. So I guess I’ll just keep learning on my own.

7. Luck…I don’t believe in luck. I believe in grace and blessings and mercy. Luck leaves me thinking that there’s no plan or purpose.

8. Lavish…I love the way the Apostle John speaks of God’s love for us in his letter (1 John 3:2): how great is the love the Father lavishes on us. It’s kind of like slathered or overloaded on us. Love without limits.

9. Limits…I’ve had to put limits on myself. I used to go 90mph at everything. I can’t do that anymore. I like slowing down. I can’t eat like I used to, I need to tell my mouth no occasionally. When I was a kid my parents fenced in a portion of our back yard. I didn’t like being hemmed in. Over the years I’ve chaffed against the limits I felt were imposed upon me—even the ones put in place by God. I didn’t understand that limits were there to protect and that they could be a demonstration of love. I understand it and am more accepting.

10. Loyalty…I am tenaciously loyal. It has resulted in people taking advantage of me, but I would rather err going in that direction rather than turning the other way.

And now I’m done…at last.