So a friend of mine heard that I had written this, and he said, “So, its like a ‘Bucket List’.” “No,” I said, “I think a ‘bucket list’ is so called because its stuff you want to do before you ‘kick the bucket’ which is not in my plans any time soon.” “Right,” was all he said.
Well, if 40 is the middle of my life, or the beginning of the middle of my life, what do I want to be true of this year, and these next ten years, so that when I reach 50 I can feel good about the way I have lived and the person I have been? These are not in order of priority. Some are frivolous, others are very serious, and I won’t tell you which is which (I’m not sure I fully know yet). And, this is not a final list, but what I consider a good start:

ð Own a sailboat or at least have regular access to a boat
ð See Camille thrive in drama and music
ð See Russell thrive in whatever interests he develops in the coming years
ð Do more coaching to support people in their growth
ð Publish my writing
ð Spend more time at the beach
ð Have less hectic evenings – allowing for more time to cook and more relaxed time with Laura and the kids

In ten years, I will be 50, Laura will be 51, Camille will be 24 and in Graduate School, Russell will be 18 and a senior in High School. In my 50th year we will have spent 18 years here in Allen, and our initial reason for the long commitment to this community will be fulfilled – to see our kids finish school here. What then?

Other things on my list:

ð Retreat House – preferably on a wooded lot near the water. A place to be quiet with God.
ð Laura at a great place in her career, both professionally and in her education.
ð Better relationships with my siblings – more conversation, more intimacy, more understanding
ð More travel with Laura and the kids – I want them to see more of the world.
ð Our kids to be confident in themselves and committed to their faith in daily life
ð A few more Guy Friendships
ð More people in church – touching more lives for Christ, helping more people develop spiritually, and helping more leaders and staff grow and serve.

I was pleased to see, once I’d finished this first draft of my list, that the only ‘stuff’ on it is a boat and a place to rest out in nature. And frankly I don’t particularly need to own either. These two, and the rest, are about having greater peace in my life, deeper relationships, more fully using the gifts and talents that God has given me, and seeing the three most important people in my life continue to live fulfilling, meaningful, and spiritually rich lives.

What do you hope for in the coming years of your own life? And then, what will you do in pursuit of those goals, and how can the rest of us here at Forest Grove help you to reach for the Dreams that God has planted within you?

Blessings ~ Ken