Bucket List

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, (Colossians 2:2 NIV)

Do you have a bucket list? For those who are scratching their heads, a bucket list is a list of things you want to before you die. Here's mine in no particular order:

-- ride a motorcycle in all 50 states and provinces of Canada -- I'm getting closer. This year I scratch off Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and maybe Newfoundland in Canada. I will also add the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusettes, and New York. After this year, I have ridden in all the lower 48 except Delaware, Lousiana, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

-- live to be 100 years old - being a diabetic makes this very difficult.

-- own a motorcycle shop.

-- own a donut shop in Florida

-- learn to fly

-- travel to the Arctic Circle by motorcycle via Alaska

I'm sure their will be more. The list just keeps getting longer all the time. But every one of my goals, including my bucket list goals, include sharing Christ because my ultimate goal is to bring people to Christ.

As you can see a lot of my goals deal with travel but all of them deal with being talking to people. I travel to meet and talk to people. I love talking to people in gas stations, restaurants, campgrounds, parks, and just along the side of the road. Pulling a camper with a motorcycle is the hook. People just can't resist seeing the Vic and the camper. I love wearing my CMA colors and I love explaining what our mission is. I had opportunities to pray with strangers, share Gods love and witness by my friendliness. Life is about relationships with people even if they are brief encounters along a vacation trip.

God has given me a mission and I love it. I praise him for the desire he has put in my heart to talk to strangers. I praise home for the gifts he has given me.i pray I use those gifts for his purposes and not my own. I pray he brings people into my life that need his message of love. Give me the boldness to share and love people!

God's Bucket List!

Psalm 15 (New International Version, ©2010)

A psalm of David. ¹ LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
   Who may live on your holy mountain?
 ² The one whose walk is blameless,
   who does what is righteous,
   who speaks the truth from their heart;
³ whose tongue utters no slander,
   who does no wrong to a neighbor,
   and casts no slur on others;
⁴ who despises a vile person
   but honors those who fear the LORD;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
   and does not change their mind;
⁵ who lends money to the poor without interest;
   who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
   Whoever does these things
   will never be shaken.

What a list! I can just see the list of people who meet these criteria getting smaller and smaller with each line. All I can say if it weren't for the grace of our Lord Jesus, no one would be able to dwell on the mountain of the Lord. Even though none of us measures up, God has provided a place for us in eternity. Still, we should not give up on studying this great list and striving to complete it. Kind of like a Bucket list, These are the things we should aspire to before we leave our Earthly home. We should work to treat our neighbors with dignity, honor the Lord, keep oaths of value, be generous, and so forth! We may not attain it, but we should try!