8 Things meme

Alright so I've been tagged by art is meant to disturb for this eight things meme. (And speaking of ART I really need to paint! Anyway: I tag zuzu (because she tagged me last time), and do the rest of you want to be tagged? Some of you I already tagged but if you want to do this one as well please do, I would love to read it! :) And I add to zuzu, 51percent sure? too cool? Do you want to?

8 things I'm passionate about:

1. Becoming better at loving people well. (Just generally, not necessarily romantically)
   
2. Wholeness, yes I spelled it wrong on purpose. :) People being integrated. Which means not parts of themselves all split off and hidden.
3. The concept of being anti-mendacious. Authentic, truth tellers...
4. The concept of titration. Life explodes if you pour a mass of one reactive thing into it. You have to take things in drops!
5. Art of all kinds and the provocative healing qualities of doing art.
6. Poetry reading it and writing it. The ability to name new things in new ways with it.
   
7. Wisdom, knowledge, seeking....
8. Growth. How people grow emotionally and in their capacity

8 things I want to do before I die:

1. Go to Paris, (November)
2. Go to Brussels, (November)
3. Go to Amsterdam (November)
4. See the Van Gough Museum (November)
5. Finish my Counseling degree
6. Take an improv class
7. Run a 5k - um next summer? maybe?
8. Hold someone's hand while sitting in a movie
9. (what only eight!!!)

8 things I say often:

1. the word "issues" as in the website is having issues.
2. dude!
3. O my word!
4. Um.
5. Hmmm.
6. Are you being sarcastic? (I'm sarcastically challenged)
7. What's up?
8. I hear you. Or what I hear is.

8 books I've read recently

1. The Shape of Living, Spiritual Directions for Everyday Life by David F. Ford (I think this is the 3rd time I've read it) [article on it] [amazon link]
   
2. Lonely Planet the best of Amsterdam
3. Top 10 of Paris guide
4. Multicultural Issues in Counseling: New Approaches to Diversity. by Lee (for school)
5. Family Therapy concepts and methods by Nichols (for school)
6. Spiritual Resources in Family Therapy (for school)
7. The Younger Evangelicals by Webber (boring and already almost out of date!)
8. What the bible really says about homosexuality (Not sure what I think. Some good stuff!)
   
   Side note: The book I'm going to start on the plane on my way to Belguim is "Save your Own" by Elisabeth Brink. I am so excited it looks great.
   

8 songs I could listen to over and over:
(Here's my itunes play count for the top 8 songs)

1. Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm - 1416 (this is high because I left it on repeat while I was out of the office.) I listen to really fast music like this when I need to get a project done. I do not like it for the words! And I am not a smooth criminal.
   
2. Seasons of Love RENT Soundtrack - 650
3. Let's Get It Started (Spike Mix) by the Black Eyed Peas - 621
4. Family Affair by Mary J. Blige, No More Drama 585
5. Lose Yourself by Eminem Curtain Call (Deluxe explicit) 500
6. Don't Leave Me, Blackstreet 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Blackstreet 487
7. Hosanna, Kirk Franklin 479
8. Come Be With Me, Amy Grant 473
   
   (Um. That's a bit embarrassing - the Sarah Barellies songs are moving up in the list though.)

8 things that attract me to my best friend:
Depends on the friend.. let's do "j" cause all friends are best right? :)

1. She loves Jesus
2. She is one of the best lovers of people I have ever met (people including me)
3. Her adventurous world traveling spirit (She is who I will visit in Belgium)
4. Her uncommonness
5. She's the only white woman I know who can rap
6. She can talk about all the things "christians" never talk about but should. eg. sexuality, racism, sexism, feminism, the Vagina Monologues....
7. Her authenticity.
8. Her care for the least of these, for justice, for an anti-racist world!

8 things I've learned this past year: (I'm stealing one or two of these)

1. I really am braver than I thought.
2. Neither I, nor the situation is as bad as I think it is...
3. God and God's love is bigger than my self hate.
4. I might be attractive. Someone on this earth liked me enough to kiss me and even though she's long gone... I actually like me better because of it.
   
5. I think I may actually have the ability to flirt! Who knew! Not me I tell you. 34 years and now I learn this? Crazy.
6. The phrase "I hear you saying ___________ and I see things differently." Is useful!
7. I think I kindof like running.
8. After living my life fearing that every time family or friends said "I love you" that they would take it back if they really knew me, really knew I was gay, I found out that they still do love me. That is worth the scariness and pain of coming out, and it is worth how hard things will be in the future because this is so hard for them to wrap their minds around.