UP: Stuff I'm Going to Do

Last night we watched UP for the first time. It's a neat movie, even more so because of its depth. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it (and don't read on unless you want part of it spoiled for you). UP got me thinking because of Elie's Book of Adventures where she had written on a page "Stuff I'm Going to Do." Carl, the main character, assumed that what she wanted to do was something she had dreamed about when he met her: to travel to Paradise Falls in South America. And although that was something she had wanted to do, it didn't really matter because she had life with him and that was a beautiful adventure all its own. Her book was filled with pictures of the things she had done with Carl. This got me thinking about my own life. I had this idea that I'd be on the mission field my whole life. That changed when I met and married Roger and God called me into teaching. Then, I became a mom and a whole new adventure ensued. I began to wonder if we shouldn't be like Elie; our "Stuff I'm Going to Do" ideas, rather than look forward, maybe it would be better if we filled them with "Stuff I've Done." I think it would help us see how blessed we are and that the "Stuff I'm Going to Do" is actually much better than we often think.

So, here's my "Stuff I'm Going to Do" that takes a look backwards, seeing what I've already done and appreciating from the vantage point of my present.

Stuff I'm Going to Do
1. Become a member of Christ's family at the age of four
2. Stand up for a kid being bullied in third grade
3. Travel all over the West with my family
4. Go to Ireland and march in Dublin's Thanksgiving Day Parade
5. Meet lifelong friends in college
6. Experience Passion
7. Go to Western China and teach English
8. Live in China and teach English
9. Teach preschool for four years
10. Work with a youth group
11. Meet and marry Roger
12. Teach Western Civ at LCA
13. Have a baby
14. Love being a mommy

What's your "Stuff I'm Going to Do" look like?