Taking a moment to dream....

Amazing kids I met in the slums of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

When I got a tweet from Lizzie tagging me in this 'Time to dream - The ultimate bucket list' meme, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to join in. I had to take some time to ponder as I find the idea of creating a list of things that would take loads of money really hard. How can I write a list of what I desire when others have so little? I do realise that I've become a bit confused in this area though and it is something I've been working through with God.

Somehow in the last fifteen years in my journey from super self-absorbed Mich to compassionate Mich I've lost the balance of what it is OK to spend money on. I find that I can no longer justify a new kitchen because it is out-of-date, it would now need to be broken too. We only go away on holiday if the price is a serious bargain or it is a blogging review as it seems once something gets past about £200 I can't justify spending out on it. Gone are my days of fun and impromptu breaks away, I've turned into a bit of a bore frankly!

I was milling over what I might write for this meme in the kitchen the other day and at the same time listening to a Joyce Meyer podcast called 'priorities and pursuits' and she talked about how we can desire things but not pursue them. It is when we pursue or seek things that it becomes dangerous and we move into shallow waters and lose our compassion and outward focus. The bible talks about the desires of our heart and God knowing them and never does it say they are wrong.

So after this realisation I'm going to join in as it is just a bit of fun and God loves fun. He wants us to dream and to have goals for the future, so my list is a mix of the foundations and the frivolous.

1. A life lived in the pursuit of knowing God more deeply.
2. To be used By God in the way he sees fit.
3. To positive parent my children, not to be a soft touch but to take the hard line at times and to help them become great adults.
4. Have enough money that I can do some amazing things for people who need them. I'd love the confidence, wisdom and freedom to be able to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on a not-for-profit venture both in the UK and abroad to help struggling parents be able to feed, cloth and parent their kids without fear or worry.
5. To feel in love with my husband every day, taking the time to enjoy him and our time together.
6. Go to the Social Good summit in New York this September.
7. To grow my blog; for it to be read and shared for the glory of God not of self.
8. To really accept myself for who I am and what I look like, no strings attached.
9. To have a good body - slimmer and toned.
10. To be fighting fit, to have beat the flab and be able to run around like crazy with the kids.
11. To take my family to New Zealand to see my friend a Meggy that I've not since since my wedding, I want to meet her children and introduce her to mine.
12. To take my mum abroad, just me and her to somewhere hot, beautiful and exotic for the holiday of a lifeline.
13. To return to Barbados with dh and recreate our honeymoon.
14. For my children to each get careers/jobs that they really love and fulfil them.
15. For my children to understand we are all equal and for them to all actively step outside the bubble and to see the world and look for the changes they can help make.
16. Get accepted to be foster parents (they rejected us last year as we are overweight!) and be able to help some children who need love and security.
17. To take my children on an air plane for a fancy holiday with all inclusive food and loads for them to do.
18. To have a break away in a Luxury spa with my hubby, completely relaxed and being pampered.
19. Go on holiday to New York with dh and stay in a boutique hotel and do anything we want without worrying about the cost.
20. For Gok Wan to style me and find that so many clothes do suit me and I'd look fabulous with just a fraction of the clothes I currently own.
21. To travel across Africa and see more of the wonderful and diverse cultures there are in this continent.
22. To have lessons and be able to sing really well.
23. To get over my fears associated with driving and be able to go anywhere I wanted to and to drive a large vehicle like a Winnebago so we could go across America and see all the states.  
24. Have a swimming pool at our house and be able to use it every day.
25. For my brother to move into a dream job and be able to set up his own home and meet the partner of his dreams.
26. Meet my grandchildren and enjoy time with them.
27. Live a life of gratitude, where every day is appreciated.

I could go on and on with the travel ones but it might get boring after a while, the ones that particulary appela to me are - visit the grand canyon, go on safari, stay in the Bahamas, visit the pyramids in Egypt, stay on a private island, go on a cruise and holiday on a private luxury yacht.

Thanks Lizzie, I've enjoyed taking this time to have a think about what matters to me and what I might like to do if money, children, jobs, mortgages (you get the idea) wasn’t an issue.

Photo Credit 

From what I can make our this meme originate over at Mummy and Monkeys, so hop over there to check out more people writing on the same subject.

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