Thomas Nelson - More Than a Bucket List: Making Your Dreams, Passions, and Faith a Reality

To From Date More Than a
Bucket List Making Your Dreams, Passions, and Faith a Reality
Toni Birdsong More Than a Bucket List 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fundraising, or sales promotional use.

For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com. Italics in Scripture indicate the authors emphasis. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. www.zondervan.com Other Scripture quotations are from the following sources: THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION (ESV). 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

The King James Version (KJV). The Message (MSG) by Eugene H. Peterson. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (NASB). The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV). 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

All rights reserved. ISBN-13: 978-1-4003-2079-0 Printed in China 12 13 14 15 16 RRD 5 4 3 2 1 www.thomasnelson.com Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Youd have a hard time proving this, but most of us agree that the older we get, the faster time seems to speed by. As our time on earth gets shorter, the list of promises we make to ourselves tends to get longer. Thats where More Than a Bucket List comes in. But this isnt some standard check-it-off bucket list. Its much more. More Than a Bucket List will challenge you to go for that hole-in-one at Pebble Beach, to become an amateur chef, to scale K2.

But it will also encourage you to view these accomplishments from Gods point of view and to make your bucket list matter eternally along the way. With each page, the dream inside you will be drawn outthe higher dream of what God has purposed for you. So have fun! You can read this book a few different ways. Take in just a few pages a day, or read in blocks and dog-ear what speaks to you as you compile your personal bucket list on the pages provided in the back. For the renegades in the group, close your eyes, crack open the book, and let your finger fall squarely on your next big adventure! Discover hundreds of ideas to jump-start your heart. Be inspired.

Be intentional. And be contagious in your quest to live a life that is more than a bucket list. . Chortle n: A joyful laugh or chuckle. Word coined by writer Lewis Carroll by combining the words chuckle and snort. Laughter reminds us that we are fully alive and that God the Creator is both generous and genius.

A buoyant spirit is an invitation to the world to see the joy of heaven God affectionately planted inside you. If you lack the ability or desire to giggle, belly laugh, twirl with squirrels, or revel in the random, you may be missing out on one of Gods most powerful, healing salves for the aches of life. Convinced that humor is not in your DNA? Ask God to help you get up and over the Whats so funny? hump. Readeven studyjokes (clean ones), watch comedies, and hang out with clowns (funny friends). Allow yourself to let loose! Before you know it, youll be unstoppable! A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 ESV In fact, lets get started right now! Here are a few points to ponder.

Chuckle or groanits your call! Why dont sheep shrink when it rains? Why dont penguins fly? Because they arent tall enough to be pilots. How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign? I wondered why baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me. With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. Why did the cowboy buy a dachshund? He wanted to get a long little doggie. .

Write that book already. Attend a red-carpet event. Shine. Take your child or grandchild on a special trip, just the two of you. Create a photo album to remember it. Learn to play guitar.

Learn how to surf. Protest something publicly (and mind your manners). Play the violinalone, please, if youre an amateur. Try every flavor on the Ben & Jerrys menu (not in one sitting!), and refuse to feel guilty. Get a good camera, and become a decent photographer. Make peace with your in-laws.

At least once, attend a major sporting event such as the Super Bowl, the Olympics, the Stanley Cup, the World Cup, or the US Open. . Traveling past a city, you instantly see the brilliance of the skyline stretching up to dominate the sky. The roads and lights pulsate with energy and power. The entire city seems to breathe with possibility. What you dont see is the elaborate matrix of water pipes and power systems that run beneath the streets, pumping, coursing, and supplying the city.

If you cut these veins, the city dies. The same is true of the mighty oaks in the park at the center of the city. They tower, sway, and provide refuge and beauty for others. What you dont see is the extraordinary root system that pumps water and nutrients into each trunk. Many times, the strength of those around us is unseen. It runs deep within them; it finds its wings in the holy places of meditation and prayer and face time with God.

Although the world programs us to analyze and assess others instantly, we cant score, evaluate, or even begin to understand the strength that lives in another person. But we must honor it, for it carries life to every soul. Avoid drawing conclusions based on appearances or stereotypes. Handle others with care, and take time to discover their strengths. . Throughout history, there have been heroes and warriors of every nation and creed, but no one fought harder for loveand wonthan Jesus Christ.

Even when loving rebellious, self-centered, and hateful people shifted from frustrating to deadly, Jesus never quit. He fought, died, and rose againbecause of love. But it wasnt just any love. It was a higher lovean absurd, illogical, crazy love not common to this world. Its that kind of love were going for. Bring that love to mind when you are tempted to give up on a difficult person, relationship, job, church, or calling.

Pursue love. Make love a habit. Fight to see it rise again. . He was robbed, beaten, and left for dead. A priest passed by.