4 more things

Here are 5 more things to do before we get to heaven (from the book "101 Things To Do Before You Go To Heaven"). Four of them are really good!

6. Refuse to Retire--Just because you retire from your job doesn't mean you have to retire from life. One way to keep going and growing is to pour yourself into someone else. Become a mentor. Share your woodworking skills with the kid on the corner. Meet with a young mom who could use your years of parenting experience to help her survive her daughter's "terrible twos." Volunteer to be a Big Sister or Big Brother. No matter what stage of life you're in, others could benefit from your experience. Ask God to lead you to someone who needs what you know. Then simply be a friend with a focus. Share what you've learned. Listen as much as you talk. Ask questions. Encourage. Stay open to God's surprises, and you may learn as much as you teach.

I'm looking forward to my second calling (I don't even like to call it retirement) and I know God has good plans for me! I don't have details, but I know it will involve children, mentoring, and Africa, and it will be very exciting!

7. Change Churches for One Sunday-- Before you get to heaven, it's a good idea to get to know a few of your future neighbors. Not the ones you usually hang around with, but the ones who are different from you. The ones whose worship services are too contemporary or too traditional, too loud or too staid, too charismatic or not charismatic enough. These neighbors may live in a different part of town, dress in a different style, speak a different language, or have a different skin color than you do—but you're going to be worshiping side by side with them one day in heaven. And on that day, no one's going to be debating denominational differences.
Until that time, catch a glimpse of heaven by visiting a different church some Sunday. Choose one that is a different denomination from your own. Then, walk into the service with an open mind and an open heart. People may welcome you warmly—or not. How they respond to you is irrelevant. Your example of spending one Sunday expanding the borders of your church "box" may encourage others to do the same. Focus on what you have in common instead of on what sets you apart. Take a risk, and you may learn something new about God, worship, and the beauty of the place all of Christ's followers will someday call home.

That's what I loved about the International Worship Institute, all the different denominations and nationalities and styles of worship. I know some old people don't like new stuff, but I want to experience things like that until the day I die!!

8. Select a Life Verse--The Bible is filled with great verses. Verses that challenge, convict, encourage, and ultimately draw us closer to God. While being consistent in reading the whole of Scripture is important, applying what you learn is even more so. One way to do that is to take God's Word to heart. That means getting intimate with a portion of Scripture by studying it, memorizing it, turning it over in your mind, and putting what you learn into practice. It means weighing your life against God's truth.
Choosing a life verse can help you do that. Think of it as a mission statement for your life. What do you see as God's primary purpose for your life? It may be to love others as you love yourself, to proclaim God's message through every aspect of your life, or to serve God by serving others. It's true that God asks you to do all these things, but what one area does God want you to become an "expert" in? What characteristic does your heart cry out most deeply for? Mercy? Purity? Truth? Humility? Find a verse that captures your most heartfelt cry to God.
Finding that verse may take some time. As you read through the Bible, write down every verse that summarizes the kind of person you want to be. Live with each verse for a while. Think about it as you go through your day. Ask God to help you apply it in life-changing ways. After a while, you'll find one that strongly resonates with you. Use it as a flashlight during dark times, a scale to weigh who you are against who you long to be, and a promise of what God can do as you wholly lean on Him.

Well, I have mixed emotions about the life verse I took many years ago. It's Phil. 3:10. It says "I want to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.." As a young Christian I knew I wanted to know him better, and of course I wanted the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, and I was so young and stupid I thought, "Yes! Bring on the suffering. I can handle it!" Now that I have suffered the loss of my grandchild, I'm not so eager to see that part of the verse worked out in my life anymore! The pain of that nearly killed me. And yet, I know that wounds are one of God's deepest forms of intimacy. I learned more about him in suffering than I could have ever learned about him any other way. Mark Buchanan says, "Wounds are, in God's economy, a means of God's wooing. It is the strange kiss of God. The pain becomes a narrow passage that leads down into a unique intimacy with the suffering servant." I know that's true.

9. Bake bread from scratch--I refuse to take this one seriously.

10. Refuse to Act Your Age--Your age is just a number. It's a label to help you keep track of time. Sure, it's true that your age can act as a sort of warning system, like a ten-minute buzzer reminding players that the end of a game is near. But it's just a reminder that every day takes you one step closer toward heaven. It's a cue to make the most of the days that lie ahead.
Focus more on the benefits of getting older than on the difficulties. Cherish the wisdom, discipline, and great memories that can be gained only through living long and well. Recognize the measure of a friendship or marriage that spans decades. Rest in the comfort of knowing that God will see you through the hard times just as He has always done in the past. Don't let a number bring you down. Let it spur you on toward making the most of every moment that lies between you and heaven.

I try not to act my age, but sometimes my body betrays me! Yesterday at work I cleaned out shelves and moved books and other heavy stuff all day and hauled a bunch of loads to the dumpster, and afterwards worked out at Curves, then worked out again this morning, and did my Wal-Mart shopping. Then my body said, "OK, that's enough," so I had to decline a fun outing this afternoon with my almost-granddaughters and their parents. But I'll get my second wind in time to babysit them tonight! I really do have to pace myself, but that's ok. My new motto is "Live deep and not fast." I do the things that matter most to me.

Now I want to hear everybody else's thoughts on any of these ideas--except for the one about making bread. My oven hasn't been turned on since, well, was it Thanksgiving or Christmas?