Bucket List 11-20

1. Design and build my dream house
   Since I put the date at owning horses around March 2017, I'm going to set the date for having this item completed at around August 2016.  (Looks like I'll have to add stables to my designs.)  Counting backwards from there, I'd say the build will take around 4 months... making April of the same year marking the end of design, planning and purchasing (contracting, getting permits and whatever else is needed).
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  April 2017.
   
   
2. Send someone to the nations as a missionary
   This one could be a bit cloudy, but I want to make it clear what this actually means.  This isn't just about me sending money to support someone who is already in the field, and it's not about me training and sending someone myself.  It could be as simple as knowing someone who is raising support and lending a hand, or supporting someone fully.  At length, this is another one I believe won't be a "one-and-done" item on the list.  I really want to be led to support lots of missionaries to the field.  Maybe next year.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of First Sending:  June 2011.
   
   
3. Lead someone to the Lord
   This has got to be in the top ten of all the items on the list.. if not #1.  The preference is that this item would be repeated over and over..  but I do have to add a caveat.  For this item to be crossed off the list, the person would need to be discipled after their conversion for a year.  Not that I'd put that requirement to the person or even say that is the requirement for someone to be saved, but that's the goal I'm setting for myself.. not only to get a decision here or there, but to commit myself to the people God ministers to through me, to help them walk the walk through their first year, up to and even through helping them lead someone to the Lord and become a discipler as well.. 
   2 Timothy 2:2 "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also  be qualified to teach others."
   
   
   I would love this one to take place any day now..  but due to stipulations, the actual cross-off date would be at least a year from now..  so..  December 2011 or January 2012..
   
   
4. Ride a gondola in Venice
   This one will be easy if I'm able to go to Croatia next summer for some form of missions trip.  Venice is just across the Adriatic from the country and I imagine we could take a quick trip over there for a day of sightseeing while on the trip.  So, I hope to finish this in the summer of next year.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion: Summer 2011.
   
   
5. Go to a Renaissance fair
   The only thing stopping me from heading out to one of these is finding out when they are held.  I do know they happen every year and that there are several in the DFW area.. so it shouldn't be a hard thing to make this happen next year.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  2011.
   
   
6. Complete a marathon
   This one depends a lot of how much I'm able to train.  I want to work on my running stamina and endurance for the next year and do the White Rock Marathon next December.  This year it's December 5th (which is my birthday) but it takes at least a year to train for one and I'd really rather run the entire thing as opposed to walking/running the thing.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  December 2011.
   
   
7. Learn to dance
   This one may be one of those that continue throughout my lifetime.  But I need to put up some requirements that, when met, make it able to be crossed off at some point.  I think in the next couple of months, I'll select three types of dance.  When I know enough to pass myself as decent on a dance floor in all three, I'll consider this item X'ed.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  June 2020.
   
   
8. Go water skiing
   This one will require either owning a boat, or knowing someone who does.  Since neither of those exist at the moment, I'm thinking it will take just a bit.  However, since I do not want to be very much older when I'm out there careening through the water at 30 mph, I need to bump this up a little.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  August 2014.
   
   
9. Go ice skating
   This one will be very easy, and I want to have this one taken care of within a month.  So, I really don't need to say anything else.
   
   
   Date to Lace up the Skates:  December 2010.
   
   
10. Go snow skiing
    This one not so easy.  Once I'm out in California, I imagine (since there are mountains all around) I will be able to find a place to ski sometime fairly soon afterwards, if it isn't incredibly busy.
    
    
    Most Probable Date of Completion:  February 2018.

Bucket List 1-10

1. Finish my degree
   So, this one is pretty easy.  I get financial aid, so as long as I can continue to make the grades and work enough to pay for food, car payment, insurance, phone, etc... I should have this one taken care of in 3 years.  The classes are tough and a lot of the 3000 classes are 3 hours per day... each.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  We're looking at a probable graduation date around May 2013.
   
   
2. Become a best-selling author
   This one is a lot harder.  First, I have to get a book published.  Then I have to somehow get decent enough advertising or get enough of a grass-roots movement to become popular, then sell more.. rinse and repeat several times.  So, I'm going to say.. if my first book is a moderate success..  my second could have the same success.. then I think by the third, I'll have rep enough to sell.. and it'll hit the list.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  I'm going to say 10 years on this one.  2020.
   
   
3. Turn book into a movie
   Now, this one could be even easier than becoming a best-selling author.  Since I'm a film major and my end game is to direct, when I graduate I'll have the prerogative to choose what I want to do.  Now whether I get a job working on movies with someone else, doing them myself or working in some other field entirely, I'll at least have the knowledge to do it myself.  Even if I worked on it for five years after I graduate (or even some while I'm in school... it could be sooner than the best-selling author date est.)
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  I'll give this one 7 years.  2017.
     
4. Climb to the top of a mountain
   I think it depends on what mountain I decide to aim for.  If I'm going for Pike's Peak.. it may be this year.  But I'm thinking of something a little more substantial.... Maybe Mt. McKinley in Alaska.. or perhaps Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa.  I'll probably make this one a little more difficult... like add multiple mountains to the list.  But for now, I'll give myself 3 years to climb the first.
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  2013.
   
   
5. Visit different countries
   This one I really want to do next year.  I'm really setting my sights on Croatia, but it'll take a bit of planning since I'd rather take a little group over to do some sort of ministry or outreach.  Probably mixing a group of UTA students with Antioch-Dallas / Christ Fellowship people..
   
   
   Most Probable Date of Completion:  2011
   
   
6. Visit every state, not just travel through
   I'm going to have to make this one my far into the future one.  Basically because if I finish all of these 100 things in 10 years I'll have nothing left to do for the rest of my life.. and I can't have that happen.  So, seeing as I've been (and done something significant in) these states:
   I've lived in: Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Virginia.
   Vacationed in: California (San Diego Zoo), Arizona (Grand Canyon), New York (City/twice, Broadway), Colorado (Church Camp), Missouri (Silver Dollar City), Tennessee (Cabin in the Smokey Mountains), New Mexico (Carlsbad Caverns), Georgia (Church Camp).
   Visited friends in: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Oregon, Louisiana, Michigan
   
   
   This leaves: Washington, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Alaska, Hawaii, Utah.
   
   
   Barring the fact that half of these states have nothing I'd really be incredibly interested in seeing (your comments and suggestions are welcome) I could be one of those RVing grandparents roaming the countryside to find something fun to do when I'm 90. 
   
   
   ...I doubt it.
   
   
   
   

   Most Probable Date of Completion:  2040

   
   
7. Get married
   I have virtually no control over this one.  At least, not until I meet the girl.  There are many girls I've met in the past few days, weeks, months, etc.. who have made me look twice just in the instance something happened... but I haven't had that gut "this is her, go after her with everything" feeling yet.  Now, this isn't to say someone I've already met isn't that girl (I get the feeling I've met her... or at least know her) but the feeling just hasn't come to fullness yet.  So, I'm going to give the control of this one over to God... though I do want children, and that by itself makes me stick the timeline on this one around 2 to 4 years.
   
   
   
   

   Most Probable Date of Partnership:  May 2013

   
   
8. Have a child
   Now, if we're subscribing to the May 2013 date for being married..  I'd have to give it at least a year .5 for the first child..  with that being completely up to mutual consent and decision, barring a miraculous intervention of God for some sort of precursor.  So... 
   
   
   
   

   My Best Guess for Fruition:  September 2014

   
   
9. Sell a painting for over $1000
   Hmm... since I want to paint some sort of masterpiece ... I'd say this is definitely one of those life-long quests.  Though $1,000 isn't an enormous amount of money, especially when talking about originals.  So, masterpieces aside (that one is a few numbers up the list), I'd say this one is imminent... albeit a couple of years imminent.
   
   
   
   

   Most Probable Date of Completion:  2012

   
   
10. Own horses
    Well, this one is inexorably linked to #11 which just so happens to be on the next page.  So whatever date I place on this page will justifiably be a date farther down the line than #11.. so I have to take that into account.  Since the dream I had showed my wife, our child and I still fairly young (and in my mind it felt 5 years.. ) I'm going to say.. 2015.
    
    
    Besides, even today I look 5 years younger than I actually am. ;)
    
    
    Most Probable Date of Completion:  March 2017.  I have to get the house finished first... 

What It's Going To Take

Well, for the next 10 blogs, I'm going to take 10 items from my bucket list and detail (with links or pictures or whatever) what it will take for each item to be completed.  Then if anyone wants to know a birthday or Christmas list... they need only consult the blog. :)  jk

Well, the next one may be something unrelated to the bucket list altogether, but I highly recommend it.

The Count of Monte Cristo

.....  um..  yeah.  It's 3 inches thick.  Just the sight of this book made my mouth fall open.  It's huge.  Over 1,000 pages.  I hope it lends to some sort of knowledge or smartness before I'm finished.  Up to page 40 now..  nothing entirely new to impart except for the fact that Alexander Dumas is INCREDIBLY thorough in every minute detail.

More to come.

For the Girls.. How to find your perfect guy.

I've never actually typed this up, so I'll put it here.

Okay girls..  after this, don't say I never warned you...  So men are like lions.  Take it from me.. I know us.  The male lion is a pretty lazy creature.  He usually sleeps or reclines underneath a tree .. somewhere around 20 hours a day.  That's a lot of laziness.  Some smart nature people say it's because it's so hot in the middle of the African savannah, but you know..

So, the lion gets hungry..  he glances over and sees a herd of gazelle grazing nearby and he jumps up.. stalks the gazelle, gets as close as he can.. pounces if possible, but under most conditions (unless the gazelle wants to get caught, or is sick or lame (infer what you will)) chases the gazelle around a bit until he can pull it down from behind.  The killing over, the lion usually drags the gazelle back to his tree, eats until he's full and falls back asleep.

Here is the parallel.  A guy will do anything to get a girl.  He will chase her, take her out, spend money on her, talk to her, work hard, play hard...  and then, once he's got the girl, he goes back to lay under the tree.

Moral of the story:  Find a guy you love while he's laying under the tree (not trying to "get" you)  If you find that guy.. you'll be happy.

Basically, you need to do some research.  Girls if you want a guy who will lead you spiritually, don't get the guy who walks in halfway through service and sits or stands in the back row...  He won't change just because you start dating him.... well, maybe he will for 6 months.  etc..  just apply to whatever situation.

Basically ladies, you are the ones choosing.  The guy is the one courting.  You are the prize.  And if you're the prize, you'd better make yourself hard to get.. I don't mean make yourself unavailable, I mean raise your standards.  If he asks you out, give him a chance.. say yes.  But when you go out, you need to keep your eyes open and heart shut.  Until you know him better.

The Bible says to guard your heart..  it doesn't say that because the heart is delicate.. it says that because the heart will blind wisdom.  That word to guard means to tie it down so it can't move you.  Don't let yourself be moved until wisdom gives the okay.