List"en"ing... hobby or not?

I am a woman of lists...

Just the other day I cleaned out my purse, which had become a work-out on its own to haul around. I tend to stuff this and that in it as I go through the day, so by a week or two the thing is usually a few pounds heavier and a scary mess. As I went about my most recent "purse detox" I realized just how many lists I make. Little pieces of paper with neatly printed things like "milk" and "take out garbage" emerged by the handful. And when I say handful, it really isn't an exaggeration.

I often find myself grabbing a stickynote before heading out the door and quickly jotting down things I need to do before returning to the house, or things to be done immediately after returning.

When my calendar proudly reads "Vacation" or "Dinner Party," I turn into a list making queen! What's even better is that I usually make 3 or 4 lists before being satisfied. See, there are 2 (maybe more) clear list making styles. Some people like to make a very long list and then cross off each item as it gets accomplished or completed. Lines = happiness and a feeling of accomplishment. Then there are people who need their lists to be completely neat and orderly (as if the act of making a list to begin with doesn't fufill their obsession with order). They work a list over and over until it looks perfect on the page. Even a misspelled word can drive them to start all over. These people hate the lines... lines = mess and do not signal that a task is completed. The lines mean things are out of order. Lucky for me (unlucky for my purse) I am a lover of perfection and crossing out things on a list doesn't help me feel good. Instead, I prefer to create list after list... clean, orderly and exact!

So, since I am searching for a hobby, and list making seems to have taken over my life (in some respect), I decided I should explore the idea of turning it into a hobby. Some people make lists to ensure their grocery trip ends them with a perfectly stocked kitchen, while others dig deep into their souls to make a list of life goals. I can proudly (maybe it should be regretfully) say that I am a master at the grocery list.... but I don't think I've ever put serious thought into a life goals list.

That brings me to this...

The lists I'm used to making involve meanial things in the big scheme of life. Most of them just affect me and my wallet (my husbands too :)), but a life goals list is more than just a trip to the grocery store. It involves your spouse, children, your heart and passions. Am I ready to make such a big list? It also strikes me that I should be listening rather than "listing." The biggest part of who I am is my faith in Christ, and if I'm making such an important list, shouldn't I be listening first to what my life can do as an extention of the church?

hmmm.... who knew making a list could turn into such a long post and deep conversation...

Do you have a specific "listing type"?

The Hobby of Hospitality?

"When hospitality becomes an
art, it loses its very soul."

I enjoy planning and hosting events, in fact, I get paid for it. Working at DVFBC has given me many opportunties to show hospitality, but when given the opportunity to practice outside of the paycheck, I feel like I lose something in the hustle and bustle of making sure the fridge is stocked with beverages and the shower drain is free of hair. Amid the petty prepartions of making sure the temperature is just right and the house is "dust bunny free" I lose the joy in offering a place for friends to gather in fellowship.

Is it possible to make a hobby out of hospitatlity... or is that the very root of the problem? Have I gone too far as to calculate the act of being hospitable into a formula, or danced it around into perfect swoops and dips as if it is part of a magical performance? In making it into an art, have I lost the very meaning of it?

____________________________

At the Home of Martha and Mary:

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.""

____________________________

I suppose you can call me a modern day Martha. Not a title I want to boast about, and yet it describes me right down to the jealous thoughts of " well, I guess someone has to do the work..." I want to follow the teachings of Jesus, and soak in the real pleasures of life. I want the gift Mary received when she put aside preparations and focused on the relationships.

The challenge then comes in opening my home to others, and focusing on the relationships and stories to be shared instead of rushing off to the store for last minute splurges on treats and placing a perfect (store bought) bouquet on the table (as if it is placed there fresh every day). A home can still be shared regardless of how many pairs of shoes have made their home outside of the bedroom closet and regardless of only having water to offer guests to drink.

So, I guess I won't be making hospitality into a hobby, but instead focusing on bringing it back to the joy of friends gathered around a crowded dinning room table, enjoying a nice glass of water and sharing joy with bouts of laughter.

A Short Introduction

Hello fellow bloggers...

May I offer a short introduction?

Just three and half months ago I set sail for the journey of my lifetime. I quit my job, spent every waking second focused on plans, and arrangements and more details than I could handle. I learned the lingo, and negotiated my way through save the dates, menus, and tulle (lots and lots of tulle).

On March 6th 2010, in front of friends and family, I said "I do" to the man of my dreams and sailed away with him to Mexico for a week.

And this leads me to start my blogging career. After all the planning and focused attention on the wedding, I feel like I lost part of myself... mainly my hobbies. So, I'm embarking on a journey to find those again, and hopefully this will prove a good outlet for me as I search.

So here's to the journey!