List I'm Supposed to Keep in a Bucket

I have so many dreams and desires, but have never really written them down, so here's to my first bucket list. New ideas will be added and old ones will be scratched out in future days. But for now, here you go. (these are in no particular order)

1. Become fluent in German
2. Read the Bible in German
3. Learn to play the piano
4. Ride in a private plane or helicopter above the Hawaiian islands
5. Marry my soulmate
6. Have children
7. Visit Ireland
8. Go on a Mediterranean Cruise
9. Own a vespa
10. Be on a tv game show
11. Celebrate Oktoberfest in Germany
12. Visit the 50 most unique churches in the world
13. Walk in Jesus and the disciples’ footsteps in the Holy Land
14. Record a wide array of drum covers and post them on YouTube
15. Go on a Route 66 roadtrip
16. Visit all 50 U.S. states
17. Meet my sponsor child in Kenya
18. Eat Thai food in Thailand
19. Eat sushi in Japan
20. Take flight lessons
21. Ride in a hot air balloon
22. Adopt a dog
23. Buy a Cajon drum from a market in Peru, where it originates

24. Learn how to build my own Cajon
25. Live in another country (again)
26. Learn how to sing and sound decent
27. See the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio De Janeiro
28. Attend a symphony at Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House
29. See and climb the Eiffel Tower
30. Visit the Louvre in Paris
31. Play drums at a large girls or womens’ conference
32. Go on a trip alone
33. Win in Bingo at the casino
34. Go to a Coldplay concert
35. Celebrate New Years in Sydney, Australia
36. Visit Spain
37. Take a roadtrip around Italy
38. Have a reunion in Sydney with Hillsong College '08 alumni
39. Find a career that I love
40. Attend a worship service at each of the Hillsong churches around the world
41. Visit South Africa
42. Visit the ancient Egyptian pyramids
43. Swim in the Great Barrier Reef
44. Change someone's life

45. Swim in a hot spring in Iceland

Manifesto

I recently heard this song played on Air1, and the moment I heard it, I fell in love. It pumps me up and moves my spirit in an incredible way, especially during the bridge. I can just imagine one day when all believers together with one voice shout out these words, "We believe in the one true God. We believe in Father, Spirit, Son. We believe that good has won. Amen!" Check it.

A Little Help From My Friends

Today, I am thankful for good friends that I can laugh with, share my secrets with, cry with, and to know we understand each other when nobody else does.

It's the simple things in life like playing random card games at Starbucks with a good friend, that keep you joyful.

Pay It Forward

If you've ever seen the movie "Pay it Forward" you know it's about a young boy who decides to help change the world a little at a time through a process called 'pay it forward.' It's the idea of doing something for someone in hopes that they will pay it forward to three more people, which begins a chain reaction. Now I'm not going to talk about or give away the movie, but I want to linger on this idea of paying it forward. Have you ever heard of someone paying for the person behind them in the drive-thru at Starbucks? Then each person following keeps it going and it becomes a day long thing? That is an exact example of paying it forward. What if, instead of paying someone back for a favor they provide, we paid it forward? Could the world change?

Try it this week. Start simple. When you're out, why not smile at someone you normally wouldn't even look at? Or how about randomly giving someone a gift, then asking them to pay it forward. Or go for the Starbucks idea and pay for the person behind you in a drive-thru. We may not see the results each one of these can have, but I guarantee it will prompt others to be generous and 'pay it forward.' It's been said that a smile is contagious. Just think about how one smile given to someone can travel around your city from person to person the entire day. Just because we may not see the impact one small act can make doesn't mean it's not worth it. Show an act of kindness this week and let the world flow with it. See how the atmosphere of your day can change. From my experience, I can assure that not only will the person on the receiving end will be blessed, but you will too.

(this was taken from a post I did last year for the Hoops of Hope blog)

2010: A Year of Random Adventures

2010 made its reputation as being a year consisting of random happenings, a handful of ‘firsts’, and a bit of globe trotting. To bring 2010 to a close, here is my year in review (just some of the positives):

• Visited the bustling city of Cairo, Egypt with 7 other young women
• Taught on Proverbs 31:10 toa room full of Egyptian Christian women
• Found myself stuck in a hotel elevator in Egypt with 3 of my team members
• Visited Times Square in NYC for 2 hours on our way back from Egypt
• Got to reconnect with seven of my friends from around the world that I met Australia
• Got to be a bridesmaid for the very first time at my close friends’ wedding
• 
• Attended six weddings
• Saw the close of the Third Format service at Central Christian Church, but began a new adventure drumming at the new Queen Creek campus
• Began my Bachelors program at ASU
• Went on my very first roadtrip to California with some girlfriends
• Saw the sights in Seattle, WA and Vancouver, Canada
• Turned 21 and celebrated with midnight bingo at the casino
• Saw the ending of the tv show, LOST after 6 years of airing
• Held a newborn for the first time and learned howto take care of him
• Experienced country artist, Dierks Bentley, and rapper, Chingy, in the same concert
• Won a Cardinals package complete with a signed jersey,on-field pre-game passes, and game tickets
• Attended two Oktoberfests and 1 Greekfest
• Worked part-time at a costume shop
• Dressed up as Flo from Progressive for Halloween
• Had my go at slot machines at the casino: Too confusing...
• Regretfully sat through a timeshare presentation
• Went on a quick jaunt to England to see my close friend from Australia get hitched
• Got braces and then got them off 8 months later
• Caught my first bouquet at a wedding. You know what that means…
• Transformed my “little girl” room into a travel themed oasis
• Observed a meteor shower in Mesa and survived an earthquake in Gilbert
• Witnessed a school bus full of canines
• Met one of the contestants from “The Bachelorette” at the Seattle airport
• Lastly….ended the year happily twirling giant Q-tips at the Fiesta Bowl Parade…. Something that only happens once in your lifetime