End of year, end of life.

I was presented something the other day, and I have yet to shake it.

It was one of those challenges that feels like your insides are being ripped out of you. Try as you might to stop it, you're defenseless.

Because it has yet to leave my mind, and because I feel the Spirit's leading, I am going to share it with you people.

I pray it does the same for you.

Ears to hear. Eyes to see.

The "challenge" as it may was this:

As we draw near the end of this year, 2011, what if this year, all by itself, was the life you had lived to and for Christ? What if 2011 was your sacrifice you had to give God? Romans 12:1-2.

Think about it.

Go back to January 1st.

Retrace your steps.

Remember the good.

Remember the bad.

Look at your secret life.

Look at what you did in front of people.

Did you give cheerfully?

Did you read faithfully?

Did you worship passionately?

Did you pray fervently?

I know that for myself, I am not pleased, especially with the earlier part of the year.

And if I am not satisfied with what I've done, I know God isn't.

NOW LISTEN.

I am not discrediting the work of Christ. I know that He has completed the work and that our faith is made perfect by faith in Him.

This post is not about that at all.

The Bible, specifically the NT makes it very clear that our faith must produce works. As James 2:14 says, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?"

Humbling words to say the least.

I don't post this in hopes that you'll look at this year and throw a pity party and think you're a huge failure and then be too down in the dumps to do anything.

I post this in hopes that you will see the brevity of time and you will make the most of your time by making the most of Christ.

Life is short.

Make it count.

I love you.

Bucket List.

Yes, this is a Bucket List. If you find that silly or cheesy, oh well.

I feel it's important to have goals and to express them.

I've felt like I needed to do this for a few weeks, so now I will. :)

The silly things:

Be Darth Vader for a day.

Stage dive.

Write a book, even if it's never published.

Be chased by ducks when I run out of food for them.

See things in the clouds that aren't really there.

Go skiing and fall down more than ten times.

Go to Disneyland and Disney World.

Bench press twice my weight.

Catch all the original Pokemon.

Win a food eating competition.

Try out for the Olympics.

Be in a play.

Ride in a hot-air balloon.

Learn how to Dougie.

Tour the White House.

The slightly serious things:

Hold at least two college degrees.

Be fluent in at least three languages.

Go to a college football National Championship game.

Own a star, name it after someone I dearly love.

Complete an Ironman Triathlon.

Run a mile in faster than 4 minutes 40 seconds.

Learn how to play the piano.

Give a thousand dollars away in one day.

Build a well in Africa. Financially and physically.

See the ancient wonders of the world.

Provide someone with a home.

Run the width of the United States.

Scale as many mountains as possible.

Compete in a Tour De France.

Jump out of a perfectly good airplane.

Serious business:

Make disciples of all nations.

Spend a year in Africa.

Financially support a missionary for an extended time.

Have a business to employ people in need of a second chance.

Read the Bible completely at least once with my wife before we are married.

Adopt at least three children.

Serve my family as Christ serves the church.

Teach all my children to love God, respect people and live excellently.

Be a godly father to my children.

Be a godly husband to my wife.

Make my wife cry for joy more times than of sadness.

Tell my wife and children how much I love them everyday. Especially the days they don't seem to deserve it.

Obviously I could go on for a long time, diving deep into specifics. That statement could not be truer than with the family portion.

Even more obvious is the fact that if some of these never happen I will be okay and life will still be a success as long as I live wholly submissive to God and His specific desires for my life.

I love you.

I hope you're a great part of my future.