4 Items On Post Retreat Bucket List

In Summer 2011, I wrote my bucket list and displayed it like this. I will display my Retreat Bucket List in a re-purposed Altoids Tin. How will you display yours?

Have you heard of a bucket list? Do you have one (or more)? Usually the lists are a random hodge-podge of to-do’s.

I have many lists: : One for each season (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall), a theological bucket list, and a Food/Technique Bucket List.

In short, it is an intentional (and fun) list of items I intend to accomplish before I kick the bucket (aka die).

I’ve been thinking about what I want to do with what I learned at Retreat this past weekend. So I decided to take my to-do’s and take-aways and create a bucket list of what I will do this summer (which I hope is a longtime away from when I die).

Many bucket lists include goals from the following categories: Languages, Music, Travel, Books, Hobbies, Relationships, Personal Development, Educational, and Crafting.

I AM CHOOSING FOUR CATEGORIES FOR THIS SUMMER. 

ONE. TRAVEL “Traveling” to see God. Instead of going to a Wonder of the World or an exotic place, I am going to watch videos that show the grandeur, creativity, and power of God

Here are a few ideas I have now. I will update as I find more. Please share your good “travel” videos that showcase God.

• How Great is Our God by Louie Giglio (Universe)
• Indescribable by Louie Giglio (Universe)
• Laminin by Louie Giglio (Human body)

TWO. RELATIONSHIPS. Enrich my relationships. Healthy relationships with people improve my quality of life, help me navigate the hard times better, stretch me into becoming a kinder, less selfish person, and make the journey more satisfying and fun.

I will concentrate on two types of relationships: new and old.

• New(er). At retreat I had the opportunity to spend time with ladies I had never spent time with before. This was a great way to jump start a relationship. I want to make sure I am purposeful about following up with them.
• Old(er). I also had time to spend with  old relationships. And with these ladies, I also want to make sure I spend purposeful time with them this Summer.

How will I do this? Going to the Drive-In . . .  Game Night . . .  Pray Together . . . Discuss a Book . . . Day Trip to the Ocean . . . Bake or Craft Something Together . . . Learn something from the Bible together . . . One-on-One Time at Starbucks . . . Walking . . . Share a trouble. What would you add?

THREE. PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: Improve my View of Myself. What I think and feel about myself is a constant stumbling block. All that I think and feel aren’t true. (Thanks to Robin for sharing that tidbit at Retreat.) I need to experience them, but I don’t have to follow their lead.

I want to release my feelings of being unloved, unliked, and incapable. In short I want to release my feelings of inadequacies.

God loves me. I share St. Augustine’s belief: “My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.” I want to LIVE it more often though.

It is a process and I am better than when I accepted Christ 3 days before my 16th birthday.

In order to move move Truth from my head to heart and feet, I want to meditate and journal on the following:

• Do I really believe that God is gracious, that He cares about me?
• Do you really believe that He is always, unfailingly, present to me as companion and support?
• What in my life is challenging my trust that God unreservedly loves and completely forgives me?
• What would I say to someone if they told me s/he is unworthy of God’s love?
• I write a cardboard testimony that shows how God has been in my life. I will share this with someone. Have hankies around as you watch this example of what a cardboard testimony is.

FOUR. SPIRITUALITY: Improve my View of God. “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us” (AW Tozer). As I improve my view about God, I will be improving myself.

How do I do this? I’ll take time to answer the following.

• What was my view of God before retreat? Did my view change as a result of retreat? If yes, how and why.
• Look up the names of God. Which aspect(s) of God do I need/want in my life? Study the verses connected with the names. . . . I am going to journal about the names and look for how God shows up as that aspect. I.e. I am starting with Jehovah-Jireh (aka Yahweh-Jireh), the LORD will Provide (because He sees).
• Look at the Facts of God list. Write my own list.

Your Turn . . . What will you do? Don’t delay. “Most of us postpone a decision hoping that Jesus will get weary of waiting and the inner voice of Truth will get laryngitis.” Brennan Manning

Related Posts . . .  Fruitfulwords Bucket List Index