'Desire' Challenge

Alright, I've taken on the CHALLENGE!  After much prayer and looking inside myself really being honest, I came up with these lists:


I want to:


~ be accepted for who I am, and not feel like I have to adapt my choice of clothing, my eating habits, the literature I enjoy, the movies I watch to be accepted.  It doesn't really work anyway...


~ present myself well.  Really, that means I want respect.  Therefore, I now pay far more attention to how I dress, and I wear make-up, style my hair, make sure I'm well groomed and smell nice.


~ be considered intelligent, competent, and funny, a positive addition to a group.


~ have others to see that I'm loving and kind, compassionate, helpful, honest, responsible, trustworthy, strong in faith, and righteous, forgiving, humble, accepting of those whose paths I cross.


~ have others to accept my foibles, faults and failings with kindness treating me with dignity.


~ be one who accepts the truth about myself with grace and good humor.

The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely. ~Carl Jung

Therefore, I will:


~ show love to others by being kind and loving, showing compassion when they're hurting in some way even if I wouldn't consider their situation a big deal if it was reversed.


~ take care of myself in order to be available and able for my family and friends.


~ treat others with respect by listening, not allowing myself to act impatient or unthinking towards them, even if it's the driver in the next lane who's being irritating.


~ pay attention to those around me - watching body language, listening to their words and what's behind their words, being sensitive to what's important to them.


~ build others with my words and actions, you know, like offering to do some small or even large thing for them - 'Would you like a glass of wine?'


~ set aside what I'm doing to listen and serve.


~ be available to help others in their need whether it's to take them to a doctor's appointment, accompany them on a shopping expedition, help move them.


~ not expect others to bend to my whims, but be sensitive when they need time away from me (I can be draining sometimes).


~ accept my own faults and failings with grace, humility and humor (when appropriate).


~ work to be self aware - honest with myself and others - as well as willing to grow and change.

"And He said to him, ‘You shall love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."                                                                                                    ~Yeshua haMashiach