Everyone dreams about places to see, people to meet, and things to do in their lifetime. But too often we lose sight of those dreams and get buried in everyday busyness and demands. More Than a Bucket List will inspire you to seize and act on a range of dreams—anything from visiting the Holy Land, donating your time at a soup kitchen, learning to climb a tree, or helping a child learn to read. The book also includes ideas to make lasting memories as you marvel at a new sight, laugh like crazy with an old friend, or change a life.
The compilation of bucket list items is divided thematically and blended with Scripture and personal stories. Pages at the back allow you to write your own bucket list items. Are you ready to finish this life well and start checking off items from your bucket list.
Visit Thomas Nelson for more info and to see a neat book trailer.
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Run Your Race
A prize racehorse trains with blinders on. Blinders allow the horse to stay focused and not to be spooked
by distractions or by the maneuvers of the other horses and jockeys.
When the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy (and us) to run the race set before us and to keep our eyes on the prize, he was urging us to stay focused by saying, “You aren’t the first; you won’t be the last. You can do this . . . and heaven is gonna be worth it!”
Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. —Hebrews 12:1
REAL-LIFE CHALLENGE: What are the things, people, or fears distracting you today? Write them down, and work on a game plan to overcome them. Like a racehorse, condition your life daily for the race. Ask God to help.
Take Time to Grieve
Life is hard. No one gets through unscathed. No matter how “good” a life we live, how much money we have, or how many temptations we manage to avoid—suffering is always just a few blocks away. We lose our pets. We lose our friends, and we lose love. We lose jobs, and we lose loved ones. It’s okay to take a dive into your suffering. God wired us to cry and grieve. Learn to feel the pain intensely and to really grieve. It’s all part of life. God assures us that even our deepest pain will eventually ease (even if that seems unimaginable). Yes, you will hope and laugh again. In John 16:33, Jesus said that in this world, the trouble is gonna come flying at us, “but take heart.” We can find peace in His presence and security in the fact that He has overcome the world—and that includes all the suffering.
- Pay attention to your grief. Don’t stuff it down deep or sugarcoat it with lines like “God works all things for our good.” Job shouted at God. He told God exactly what he was feeling.
- Openly admit your grief to those who are close to you, and ask for their support.
- Try to limit time with people who get in the way of healthy grieving.
- Grieve without distraction.
- Give yourself time, hold on to hope, and connect with grief support resources.
REAL-LIFE CHALLENGE: Study Isaiah 61, knowing that your pain won’t last forever: “to bestow . . . a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (v. 3).
1 thought on “Fun Ideas of Things To Do, Places to See, and Ways to Make a Difference!”
There’s good reason in generations past, a person took a year to focus on marriage, having a baby or grieving. I’ve found a year to be a good amount of time and allows healing to establish good roots so the grieving is able to turn into mourning. I’ve also found it’s a good thing to avoid people, if not actually cut off the relationship, who give such stupid advice as, “It’s been xx months; don’t you think you should get over it?” Those people aren’t friends, they aren’t acquaintances, they are boors and my life is too short to harbor them. The same goes for people who asked personal questions; answer was always, “thank you for asking, I must run.” Friends were there for me, always, and not just running into each other at the store.
“Connecting with grief support resources” wasn’t an option for me. I connected with God, many times, throughout my day. I put together a 3-ring notebook with Bible verses that meant something to me…Ex 14:14; James 1:5, etc. My relationship with God deepened on a level unknown to me prior to Dave’s, my husband, death.
As to my bucket list…ongoing and just because I’m now solo, doesn’t mean I’ve stopped dreaming AND doing.