I thank God for the many blessings that I quite frankly don't deserve. I don't have a perfect life in the world's eyes, but God has uniquely created many opportunities for me to see His grandeur and sovereignty. When I turned 25, I started to really see how God has shaped me throughout the years of high school and college. I started really give God thanks for the relationships He put in my life (and kept in my life). It was a great feeling to know that I never made anything happen, but that God made it happen for me. Never did I think I would get so plugged into a campus fellowship. Never did I think I would have a close kit of brothers to share life with. Never did I think I would travel Europe and see God's creation of nature and culture.
When I turned 25, people called me old. Quarter to a century, but who knows how long God will grant me. I do want to make the most of my opportunities. I want to make the most of my "youthfulness", my singleness, my time, my energy, my finances, my relationships, my "freedom", my recklessness, my eagerness, my adventureness, etcness. So I made a bucket list. 30 things to do before 30 yrs old. I don't expect to cross them all off, but it would be cool to be blessed with these opportunities. May I not forget it is God who provides these things, not I. I hope to document them throughout these next 4.5 years. And GO!
1. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
2. Hit golf balls off a cliff into the Atlantic Ocean
3. Swim with dolphins
4. Skydive
5. Ride bikes off the coast of Hawaii
6. Run a 10-K
7. Attend a championship for any of 4 major sports (football, basketball, hockey, baseball)
8. ACL Festival
9. Learn a new instrument
10. Camp at the Grand Canyon
11. Go to Vegas post 21 yrs
12. PASSION Conference
13. Get a dog
14. Shoot a rifle
15. Baptize someone
16. See Cirque du Soeil
17. Go to a live musical
18. Go back to Disneyworld
19. Overseas missions
20. Eat Maine lobster
21. Visit 5 US national parks from list (Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Smokies, Yellowstone, Rockies, Acadia, Olympic, Grand Teton, Cuyahoga Valley)
22. Stargaze in an open field
23. Go to an EPL/La Liga/International Soccer game
24. Climb Chichen Itza
25. Go surfing
26. View the Aurora Borealis in Yellowknife, Canada
27. Learn how to read Chinese
28. Buy a new car
29. Buy a house
30. Get married
