My Life List... things I want to do

The start of my Life List... I will add to this as things pop into my head. For now, this is my project in the works.

1. Start a list!
2. Make a partial list of "Things to do in the near future" 
3. Print out my digital photos and put them into scrap books
4. Put all my photos into a scrap book... This photo thing is going to be one time consuming job!
5. Organize my closet (simple but one thing I always put off & would like to accomplish one day)
6. Get into nursing school AND get my RN license. (I can finally apply this fall!)
7. Go on a mission trip somewhere, as a nurse...  Good use of my schooling!
8. Make my grandmother's quilt into four smaller quilts to give to each of my children
9. Go on a road trip with my mother
10. Go on a road trip with my daughters
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13. Build a house
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15. Start making an "Adventurous Things To Do List" as part of my Life List
16. Get scuba certified and go scuba diving some place awesome & warm (?) more then once 
17. Hike the Grand Canyon
18. Rafting down the Colorado River
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20. Live in another country for a year
21. Start making a list of "Places I want to visit"
22. Europe again
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24. Israel
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27. Washington D.C.
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30. Start making a list of "Hobbies I would like to try"
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32. Create a large painting just for fun... a very large painting
33. Pottery on a wheel
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37. Start a list of things "I would like to do with my family"
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Currently Listening What If We By Brandon Heath see related

Life List?

One of the classes I'm taking this fall had a 'get to know you question' which asked, "Where do you see yourself in five years from now?"  An interesting question, but is it really answerable?

If we are asked what we think we will be doing five years from now, most of us will answer, we hope to be somewhere that is close to what we planned but not sure if we will or what we will have done on the way. How can we bring ourselves to that day, five years away, when we don't even know where we are going next month.  Most of us feel we have no control over what is going to happen in one year, not to mention five years.

Although we have no idea where we will be in five years, we all have dreams about extreme happiness; a time when we do only the things we want, spend most of our time with the people we love the most, have the money to give ourselves everything we want, are at the peak of our health and our life is perfect. Some pretty heady dreams!  But heady dreams or not, we all dream them. We spend a whole lot of energy trying to build a bridge between reality and our dreams. Maybe if we had more of a plan or a check off list of things we wanted to do some day, whether silly or not, we might actually see some of those things happen.

A couple of years ago, I read a blog about making a list of 100 things you would like to do before the next year and another one called a lifetime list of things to do before you die. I started my list of things I wanted to do in my lifetime but never finished. Somehow writing a lifetime list seemed like carving a promise list into stone. A list would mean I would have to do each and every thing I put down on paper or typed on my computer. But now with some very special people around me knowing their time on this earth is a little shorter than they had planned and some family members checking out of Hotel Earth too early in life, I thought about my list again and started looking for, 'how to' instructions, for getting this thing started again.

So, some thoughts from another blogger: 

1. "Dedicate time to dream. Whenever I have a wish, a dream, a desire, write it down. On different days of my life, I want different things."  Keep a journal.

2. "If you can dedicate a bit of time to preparing the list, over years, when the sun shines, you can look at the list and start ticking things off it. Your list is your street sings in life. They will direct you to the right destination. Make sure you have many signs."

3. "I can always change what I want and I can always update my list."

Here is a list of things that can give you ideas about your 100 things you want to do in your lifetime list.

1. Subjects you want to learn more about 
2. Places you want to see
3. Experiences you want to have
4. Food you want to eat
5. People you want to meet
6. Countries you want to visit
7. Hobbies you want to try
8. Companion you want to have
9. Children you want to have
10. Things you want to have
11. Things you want to buy
12. Sports you want to try
13. Health state you want to be in
14. How you would like to look
15. Feelings you want to feel
16. Gifts you want to give
17. The kind of lifestyle you want to have
18. The friends you want to have
19. The way you want to spend time with your friends
20. The relationship you want to have with your family
21. The financial freedom you want to be in
22. The toys you would want to buy yourself
23. The charity you want to contribute to
24. The thing you want to be remembered by

There are things on this list that I don't care anything about and some sound like a good place to jump start my brain. The list at least gives you an idea of areas to start thinking about. And my list is not going to be things I want to complete in one year. My list will be more of a lifetime list, although there are no promises I will be here long enough to complete a single thing on my list. :) That's the mystery we all deal with and I'm so glad in my next home... "HEAVEN",  I will have eternity to spend doing "everything!"

So... my next blog will be the start of my lifetime list. I plan to add to it and hopefully put a strike through the things I get completed along the way. :) 

Correction - I forgot to post the author of this work. This was written by Holley Gerth, Writer/Creative Manager at Dayspring www.Dayspring.com When I read this, I wanted to print it out, put it in a Valentine and send it to everyone but time got away so here is where my favorite Valentine piece will live... on my Xanga. :)   

Happy Valentine's Day

A Valentine may play a love song for you,

but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe.

The Lord your God… will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will keep you quiet with His love, He will rejoice over

you with singing.   Zephaniah 3:17

A Valentine may give you flowers,

but God sent you the most beautiful rose of all, Jesus.

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

Song of Solomon 2:1

A Valentine may take you out to dinner,

but God has invited you to the most amazing feast ever given.

Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper

of the Lamb!   Revelation 19:9

A Valentine may bring you chocolate,

but God provides you with something even sweeter, His Word.

How sweet are your words to my taste,

sweeter than honey to my mouth!    Psalm 119:103

A Valentine may be far away,

but God is always with you.

I am with you always.    Matthew 28:20

A Valentine may give you something,

but God has given you everything.

God gives us richly all things to enjoy.  1 Timothy 6:17

A Valentine may love you for a lifetime, but God loved you

before you were born and will love you for all eternity.

Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love…

With loving kindness I have drawn you.   Jeremiah 31:3

Currently Reading It's Not about Me: Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy (Lucado, Max) By Max Lucado see related

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

Christmas was lots of fun this year. Last year I was sick and didn't have enough time or energy to do our traditional things. This year while there never seemed to be enough time, I enjoyed the decorations, remembering each ornament as we hung them, the smells, sending Christmas cards, taking new Christmas pictures, Christmas music, ornament making, our manger scene construction, baking cookies, making our Polish pierogies, shopping, telling of the Christmas story with a new Nativity set for Anna, wrapping presents,  and most of all being with  family. There is no guarantee we have tomorrow with those we love so time spent with family was sweet. Only one thing could have made this year more special and that would have been having Mandy and Brandon home to share it with us.

If I could change one thing about past or future Christmas it would be to spend more time celebrating the reason we celebrate Christmas... more time worshipping the One whose birth saved all those who believe. And more time sharing with others who don't know the real meaning of Christmas.