This List Is Changing Our Family's Lives, Why You Should Make One Too!
Ever feel like you were created for MORE in your life?
Is there a personal area of your life that you feel is stagnant and that you are not living up to your God-given potential?
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to take your family on a missions trip together-building houses for the poor in Mexico or digging jiggers out of the feet of Ugandan children?
What would be your dream vacation or your ideal staycation?
Are there some God-sized dreams you have always imagined for your life that you think may remain dreams instead of reality? I sure did.
As a planner, I tend to put many of my ideas and thoughts into action, but they sometimes lack purpose and drive. My boys are growing up quickly and I am beginning to realize that if we want to live the full life that God has given us and live up to our potential, then we need to be intentional about it. I don't want to ignore the Holy Spirit's leading in my life either and I wonder how many times I have missed out on blessings because I simply didn't act on those promptings.
My husband and I recently began compiling a personal and family life goal list after reading Mark Batterson’s The Circle Maker.
I love lists in general. I even had custom stickers with lists and little check mark boxes made to fit into my daily planner! But still, I wanted to be more in tune with the desires that God has put on our hearts and writing them down has become both a vibrant prayer request list and a way for us to move towards achieving some of our God-given desires and goals.
The categories are broad, ranging from “fun” activities to ministry goals. Like Batterson says in his book, we prioritize them according to our means and through God’s leading, so giving a car to someone in need may very well trump a trip to Atlantis!
I want to share just some of the items on our list to inspire you. As Guy and I wrote these out, we prayed over them and continue to do so as we add more or make adjustments but we can already see the impact that compiling a family life goal list is having on our spiritual lives. And some of the items are stretching us in BIG ways, so we have to be prepared to step out of our comfort zones!
Two days after I wrote down my goal of speaking at an entertainment industry event on a guest panel, I was invited to do just that. Sure enough, that event happened this week, and I believe that God was honored by what I had to share with the audience. Even though it challenged me and was a little scary, I felt the confidence to say “yes” because I knew that God has placed the desire on my heart and then opened the door for me to walk through.
One of Guy’s personal goals was to compete in some form of a race or mud run twice a year. When we came across a discount on a local mud run last month, we signed him up and cheered him on as he completed his first grueling race! In this situation too, there was good reason to back out. The day of the event fell on the same day as a fun activity I planned to attend with some girlfriends-a rarity for me. Even though Guy encouraged me to go, I knew that this life goal was more important. It was an easy decision for me to pass on my activity so I could support my husband’s goals.
Although we just started compiling this list this year, we already have plans in place and are working towards many of these goals so that they can become reality. We feel strongly that God places desires on our hearts and though we are always willing to yield and adjust our thinking to the Lord’s plans, we are dreaming big because we have faith that God is able to do exceedingly and abundantly beyond all we could ask or imagine!
“and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Epehsians 3:19-21)
There is something about thinking through, praying through, and then following through that makes all the difference!
I hope you will consider compiling your own life goal list and pray over what God might have in store for your life and for your family. Here are a handful of the life goals that Guy and I have compiled. Some of them have already been achieved or are ongoing on a yearly basis:
(G=Guy, A=Amber)
FAMILY GOALS:
Take each child on a mission’s trip.
Build a beach cottage.
Take each of the boys on a 12-year-old covenant trip. (G)
Foster a sport or instrument for each boy.
Live for a year abroad in Europe with our kids. Twice.
Give each child a pet when they enter first grade.
Bring our kids on set for every project we produce.
Use our home as the hub for building friendships and showing hospitality to school and church families at least once a month.
Create new family traditions for the holidays.
INFLUENCE GOALS:
Let missionaries use our home.
Make Feature Films consistently.
Make TV shows that break season records.
Abolish foster care-through a local TV show nationwide.
Host a massive banquet with all the bells and whistles for the homeless.
Give away a car to a young person in need.
Speak on anger at workshops.(A)
Be nominated for an Emmy.
Be nominated for an Academy Award.
Dedicate 1-2 bedrooms in our custom built home for a person/family in need.
Publish multiple books. (A)
Take orphans to the beach.
Participate in an industry Q&A together. (G&A)- DONE
Host and plan a retreat by the beach for women. (A)
Speak to a group of single women/girls about marriage. (G&A)
Teach a class at The Master’s College. (A)
Start an internship for college grads going into faith entertainment.
Reach 1 million followers on social media. (A)
Be a filmmaker/TV producer consistently for the rest of my life. (G)
Host a summer camp for inner city kids.
Create a recreation center for homeless kids with an emphasis on the arts. (G)
Foster/Adopt children-possibly classmates of our kids who will need a home.
EXPERIENTIAL GOALS:
Take our grandchildren to Disneyland.
Have high tea in London with 3 or 4 of my best girlfriends. (A)
Go horseback riding as a family.
Take a catamaran/sailing trip with the boys.
Go snowboarding as a family.
Take my future DIL’s on a trip to Kleinfeld’s in NY to buy their wedding veils/shoes etc and use it as a time to tie heart strings. (A)
Attend a Broadway play as a family.
Go on Dancing With The Stars. (A)
Take an epic family portrait.
Host a Lia family reunion on a cruise.
Be room mom for one year for each boy.(A)
Send Amber on a week-long spa trip. (G)
Ride the train to Santa Barbara and go to the zoo as a family.
PHYSICAL GOALS:
Bike across Iowa farmland. (G)
Lose 40 lbs by age 41. (A) UPDATE: I have a year and 6 months to do this but as of 7/31/15, I'm down 12lbs! Yay!
Participate in 2 adventure races per year. (G) UPDATE: Guy has completed 1 of 2 as of 7/15!
Learn jazz drums. (G)
Go ice climbing. (G)
Run/Walk/Hike 3-5 times a week with our dog, Rosey. (A) UPDATE: Reality? 5-7 days a week!
FINANCIAL GOALS:
Pay for the boys’ honeymoons.
Tithe more than 10% every month of our lives.
Donate 10,000 plus to Children’s Hospital L.A.
Leave an inheritance for our kids.
Provide down payments for each of the boys’ homes.
Be debt free by age 60.
Give away a majority of our income to the poor.
TRAVEL GOALS:
Visit ancestors/heritage in Sweden.
Visit ancestors/heritage in Italy.
Visit ancestors/heritage in Ireland.
Take the family on a 3 day white water rafting/camping trip.
Take family to Atlantis Resort.
Take a family Disney cruise.
Spend a family Thanksgiving at the bottom of The Grand Canyon.
Stay at Ahwanee Hotel in Yosemite with family.
Take a family vacation on a dude ranch.
Sierra hike with the boys.
Take boys on a tour of the South.
Take boys to Iguazu Falls, Argentina where we got engaged.
Take a family sailing trip to the BVI’s.
Take an anniversary barge trip through France. (G&A)
Take our kids on safari.
Visit Prince Edward Island.
YOUR TURN! What are some of your life goals? What goals have you already achieved?
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