Started on #14 tonight

While at Anna's soccer practice, I decided to work on some of my 5-year list. If it were a game, I'd be cheering and jumping up and down from the sidelines...but in practice, I'd look a bit odd doing that while she ran drills. And she'd disown me if I did. So I sat in the shade and made a list of books I wanted to write. The setting wasn't very conducive to actually starting the books. Or an outline for a book. Given the fact that I didn't have a computer or notebook with me kind of hindered that. So...on to another goal. Lucky for me, I have a list of 14 other things that I can work on. Ideally, I'd knock out #7 or #10 this week, but alas, I haven't had a chance to work on that vacation fund just yet. And besides, I still need to accomplish #2, so those items will just have to wait.

I had my phone, so I downloaded the Bible Gateway app and poked around on it. Lo and behold, there was a section for "Reading Plans," and in that section was "New Testament in a Year." What a fabulous tool! I can read a passage every day (and can even set a daily reminder), and in a year, I will have finished the entire New Testament. When I opened the plan, today's excerpt was 1 Corinthians, Chapter 4. I'm no Bible scholar, but I was pretty sure that wasn't the beginning of the New Testament. It took me awhile, but I figured out that if I just set the date to January 1, 2013, it started with Matthew. I'm a freakin' genius! :)

To make it even more interesting, I can choose between 30 versions of the Bible. So if I'm reading the NIV, and I have no idea what I've been reading for the last two paragraphs (which happens quite often...I'm not really a genius), I can switch to the Message version that explains things in a story-like way. And if mine doth feels so inclined, I can take a peek at the King James version. I don't necessarily understand it, but it stretches my brain a bit. Kind of like reading the Spanish version of an instruction booklet when putting a toy together.

So day 1 of reading the New Testament is complete...just 364 more, and I can mark off that goal! And more importantly, I hope to learn to be more like Jesus along the way.

"I wish I would have spent more time on Facebook"....said no one on their death bed. EVER.

How many of us are guilty of looking at our smart phones or computers to check on other people's Facebook statuses (mostly people we hadn't even talked to since high school until Facebook came along) instead of being in the moment with our loved ones? Who among us is addicted to Minecraft (I call it "Minecrack"), Words with Friends, or my husband's favorite, Candy Crush? Do you catch yourself mumbling "uh huh" or answering your child's or spouse's question without even taking your eyes off the screen? (only to forget the details of the conversation later)

I am very much guilty of looking at my phone more than I should to check emails, texts, and Facebook. So is my husband. And guess what...we now have two children who are addicted to their own electronics and will spend hours on end with those gadgets. I know kids have a natural attraction to toys like that, but I'm sure they also learn by what they are exposed to.

If I have just five more years to live, do I want to spend those 1,825 days looking at another stupid cat photo or reading a friend's status that tells me what they're having for supper? Or should I be more in the moment with my friends and family...especially my children and husband? I'm not saying that I need to totally walk away from Facebook because I do enjoy seeing photos of my beautiful great nieces and nephews and reading about accomplishments and funny stories of friends. But I'm pretty sure life will go on if I don't look at those status updates hourly. However, my kids will grow up before my eyes. In five years, they will be 14 and 16. What kinds of things will I miss if I don't give them the attention they deserve? Will Anna not tell me about a bully at school for fear of making me mad if she interrupted me as I answer an email? Will Ben turn to a friend to ask important questions about drugs if he thinks I look too busy? Will my husband feel ignored or lonely when I don't engage him in conversation after the kids go to bed?

Maybe family units were much stronger before electricity when the parents and children worked side by side on the farm or family business without the distractions of today's gadgets and fast-paced lifestyles. They had meals together without sitting in front of the TV. They listened to each other without being interrupted by an incoming text message. They read books to each other, played games together, and loved one another. Kids weren't pulled in different directions with dance classes, music lessons, ball practices, and more. Life was simpler, and perhaps the family bonds were stronger. On the other hand, families may be stronger today with modern technology. It doesn't take all day to wash laundry...leaving more time to spend doing other things with the family. Air conditioning exists, so people aren't hot and grumpy and yelling at each other. And at a moment's notice, you can open the freezer to find your favorite ice cream flavor. The "olden" days had its advantages, and we have ours. But I digress.

In my mind, I have just five more years to live. I don't want to take my last breath wishing I had done things differently.  I'm going to put my phone and computer down more when the kids are around. I will strive to do more important things in my life such as helping others instead of watching the next hilarious video on Facebook. Don't be mistaken...I want to stay in touch with the ones I love near and far...but I will make a concerted effort to curb my electronic addiction. Seriously...I'm sure no one will ever say on their death bed, "I wish I would have made it to level 250 on Candy Crush!" Well, maybe my friend Krista.

Just Five More Years to Live...the first step of my journey.

Recently, it hit me that I've done very little with my life. Oh sure, I'm a mom to two amazing kids and wife to a funny, gifted, loving man. But I feel a twinge of inadequacy when I see people on TV, online and magazines who climb mountains, travel, and decorate their homes for every holiday. Of course, I also see people who seem miserable with their lives in shows like The Real Housewives of Atlanta. I don't necessarily want to be Supermom or go all OCD on my family, trying to shove something into every single minute. I mean come on...I need to have some time for my guilty pleasures such as watching Duck Dynasty or Tattoo Nightmares. But there are 24 hours in every day. Am I really making the most of them all? So I guess what I want is to live my life more like those depicted in photos of Better Homes and Gardens and Travel magazine and less like an episode of Hoarders. Is that too much to ask?

I realize that I will not live forever, and on my death bed I don't want to have regrets about things I never accomplished or experienced. Of course, I don't know when my ultimate demise will be...it could be 3 weeks from now, or 40 years. But, I decided I should take the advice of the popular song, "Live Like You Were Dying." So I'm going to write my own bucket list of experiences I want to have and things I want to accomplish before I die...with the idea that I have just five more years to live. I have a huge list swirling in my mind right now...some things will take a few months, while others may take the entire five years to achieve. I'm sure I will add to this extensive (but by no means "exhaustive") list as seasons pass, and I may not make my goal of achieving everything. But I know that if I don't have starting place, a plan, or an end goal in mind, then I will most definitely be spending my last few breaths wishing I had done all I could to take that trip to Hawaii or learn how to play guitar or publish my best-selling book.

So here it goes. My "Five More Years" list (in no particular order of importance):

1. Write and publish at least one book.
2. Fit into size 12 pants again.
3. Take my kids to the Grand Canyon.
4. Learn how to play the guitar.
5. Write a screenplay.
6. Design (and have printed) a photo album for each year from 2000-2018. (Shutterfly account already created!)
7. Vacation in Hawaii.
8. Move to a larger house.
9. Build my dream backyard oasis in that larger house.
10. Go on an Alaskan cruise.
11. Own a convertible.
12. Teach my son and daughter all the basics of cooking, cleaning, laundry, yard work, and importance of car maintenance.
13. Write a journal of memories to leave to my kids.
14. Read the entire New Testament.
15. Leave a legacy of generosity and service to others.

There you have it...the beginning list of my hopes and dreams for the future. I'm sure I will add more. And I will journal about my milestones along the way during the next five years. The destinations will be thrilling, but the journey will be sublime.

~Rachel~