If I could, I would…

Hey, Siestas! We will do our random drawing later today as promised and, if you don’t mind a little delay, post our biography winners within the next forty-eight hours so we can leave time for you to respond to this post. I learned something new about you over the previous post: YOU ARE READERS. And I love that. Get a load of the number of comments to that post! Of course, it makes sense when you think about it. Blog readers usually are…well…readers. I have already ordered several books from your recommendations and others of you mentioned titles that stirred up great memories of biographies past.I am a dyed in the wool book nerd so this totally spoke my love language.

I’ve been thinking about something since AJ’s recent post about stepping back from her LPM job for the sake of her family. In that post and in the one that followed, we hashed over the painful truth that, actually, no one can do everything and, unless our all is Jesus, no one can have everything. We have limited resources of time, energy, and ability. But, I thought it would be fun to list a few things (dreams, if you will) that we’d each do…if only we could. If only we were not limited by time, energy, and ability, or money, for heaven’s sake. How would you complete the sentence, “If I could, I would…?” Here are the ground rules: YOU CAN ONLY NAME THREE THINGS. You have to choose. Keep in mind, these aren’t regrets. (i.e. “If I could, I would…live my whole life again without making that stupid choice.” We all have plenty of those and they’re not likely to encourage others much.) The things we’re listing on this post are wishes! Dreams can say a lot about a person and reshape how we picture one another. For instance, maybe I’ll find out today that Moose Mama secretly wishes she could sky dive, or katiegfromtennessee has a long standing dream of being a zookeeper, or Sister Lynn has always wanted to take tuba lessons. You see, this could change everything. OK, well not everything. Not even much. But, for crying out loud, wouldn’t it at least be a little fun in a grueling week? Here are three of mine:

If I could, I would…

1) Travel to every country on earth.

2) Teach elementary school Sunday School.

3) Learn sign language fluently.

OK, how about you?

Share

1,292 Responses to “If I could, I would…”

If you'd like your own pic by your comment, go to Gravatar.com. Click the first button "Get your gravatar today ->", and it will walk you through a simple process to select a picture.

Comments:

  1. 450

    1. Learn Hebrew fluently – both modern and Biblical

    2. Go and live in Israel and do archeology.

    3. I want to learn to design clothing using a dress frame. Like the french designers do.

    Thats it… for now

    Heidi
    Fayetteville, GA

  2. 451
    Debra Funderburk says:

    1. Travel from one end of the US to the other

    2. Build a great big dream home with rooms for my 4 grandchildren (and 2 sons and daughters-in-law for visiting!)

    3. When I retire from my present job (praying in 4 years) work at Living Proof Ministries for “free” being a researcher for all of Beth’s studies.

  3. 452
    Texas in the Mountains says:

    If I could, I would…

    1. Ice skate fluidly.

    2. Travel constantly w/ my BFF’s (nationally and internationally)

    3. Be the kind of person EVERYone loves to be around.

  4. 453
    Eposi says:

    Wow, this is tough to limit it to only three (reminds me of a line from the Jane Austen movie “Emma”, except I hope mine are not too dull :)).

    1. Be able to dance all kinds of dances like a professional (ballet, hip-hop, swing dance, tap, etc).

    2.Visit every country of the world and meet all kinds of people.

    3. Adopt a child from every continent but I want a husband with this wish because I don’t want to raise them alone (sorry if that sounds like two wishes)

  5. 454
    Laurie Tomascik says:

    1. Visit every country in the world.

    2. Take all the people I love on a life-changing missions trip.

    3. Learn Spanish!!

  6. 455
    Kori says:

    1. I would love to do what Beth does! Not be Beth mind you, but be able to share the Word to thousands as she does!

    2. Travel all over!

    3. Learn Biblical Hebrew!

  7. 456
    Val in KY says:

    If I could, I would…

    1. Love to have a singing voice and worship on stage with Travis Cottrell.
    2. Have a house on the beach and wake up to the sound of waves. Oh, there would have to be all windows facing the beach so I could sit up in bed and see the ocean.
    3. Love to have gone to school to be a vet, have my own practice and be able to provide free care to my patients.

  8. 457
    Tessa says:

    I wish to:

    1. Travel much of the world with my husband, Jarod
    2. Own our own ranch with endless hunting
    3. Bring many babies into this world (by many, I mean whatever God wants for us:)

  9. 458
    jan says:

    1)Play the piano and the violin very very very well.
    2)Go fishing in the bay often.
    3)Learn how to ballroom dance.

  10. 459
    Pam says:

    If I could, I would…
    1. See both of my children happily married with children
    2. Retire to a house on the lake
    3. Be thin enough

  11. 460
    Corrie Cline says:

    If I could, I would…

    1.) Pay off Young Life’s debt and salary so we could work with kids with no “hassle”

    2.) Visit every place on earth
    3.)

    3.)

  12. 461
    Brittany says:

    If I could I would:
    1. Travel the world and sing with my family.
    2. Become a motivational speaker for Christ.
    3. Have a closet the size of my house filled with shoes and purses. 🙂

  13. 462
    Corrie Cline says:

    If I could, I would…

    1.) Pay off Young Life’s debt and salary so we could work with kids with no “hassle”

    2.) Bring my family freedom

    2.) Visit every place on earth
    3.)

    3.)

  14. 463
    Bethany says:

    This is fun!

    If I could, I would…

    Go to Italy
    Adopt a baby
    Keep all friends close to me forever

  15. 464
    Kimberly says:

    1. Try some rock climbing!

    2. Spend a month in the Arizona desert.

    3. Do a road bike trip across Europe!

  16. 465
    Melissa says:

    How fun to dream!

    1. Move to Texas near my best friend!
    2. Start a photography business
    3. Speak at Women of Faith and others about my struggle with fatigue and loss of hormones and how God has lead me to the help I need!

  17. 466
    Anna Mitchell says:

    1. have one more baby.

    2. learn to play the violin.

    3. move into that dream farmhouse of mine on several acres with goats, chickens, and maybe a few miniature horses…

    oh, that was nice.

  18. 467

    1) Go to Israel again
    2) Sing on key
    3) Have breast reduction surgery

    How’s that for an eclectic list??

  19. 468
    Shon Tetik says:

    If I could……
    I would ensure that every single member of my family in every generation to come, would know, love and serve Jesus until His return!

    I would sit down with Beth Moore and over coffee, tell her how the ministry she offers up to our Lord has changed my life forever.

    I would quit my job and spend my days serving in our 1 year old church, ministering in the coffee shop. (yes, I do LOVE coffee!)

  20. 469
    inkiso says:

    If I could… I would…

    1. Open a fabric store and call it Material Possessions

    2. Play the drums so well just to shock my granddaughters and their friends

    3. Have a set of vocal pipes like Barbra Streisand

  21. 470
    Katherine says:

    If I could, I would:

    1) Buy my siblings homes so that they and their children wouldn’t have to move so much.

    2) Take up water-color painting.

    3) Eat an ice cream sundae every single day for the rest of my life.

  22. 471
    Royana (aka - Isaac's Mom) says:

    If I could, I would:

    #1 – Experience childbirth – was never able to. I have two beautiful children through adoption that I would not trade for anything in this world.

    #2 – Find a way to spread the gospel to all the nations and usher in the return of Christ!!! I want to see Him that bad!! (not in any hurry for my life to end…so not to worry, I want to see grand children one day)

    #3 – I would like to be on a perpetual family vacation, going on one trip after another all over the world.

  23. 472
    Kate Hawk says:

    I love this!!! I’m going to use this as an ice breaker to open up our Fall Bible Study! Thanks Mama Beth, You’re the GREATEST!!!!!

    IF I could I would:

    1) Go to Life Bible College in California and take the IGNITE program for a whole year!

    2) Open a little boutique with my baby sister that specialized in wrapping gifts in exquisite and beautiful elegance…just for fun not for a sustainable income.

    3) Adopt a little one from a foreign country

    Thanks for allowing me to remember my dreams! I needed this today, it’s my birthday!

    kate in charlottesville va

  24. 473
    Lindsay says:

    If I could I would…
    – cure cancer
    – have a lifetime supply of Anthropologie clothing
    – roadtrip through every state in the US and then go on to travel to every country.
    I do have to say that meeting you would be pretty cool too 🙂

  25. 474
    Becca says:

    -adopt our baby RIGHT NOW
    -visit Carlo’s Bake Shop in NJ (“Cake Boss”) and ask for a large helping of tiramisu… and lessons in modeling chocolate
    -have a “second home” apartment in a major city

  26. 475
    Amanda says:

    If I could I would:

    own a sheep farm

    own my own knitting shop

    travel through Europe

  27. 476
    Kris Whybrew says:

    If I could, I would

    1) Travel to the Mathare Valley in Kenya with my family to work in the slums

    2) Make a living taking photographs

    3) Adopt a bunch of orphans

  28. 477
    Lora Nolan says:

    If I could, I would:
    1)Give every dog a loving home.
    2)Build and equip orphanages in the Ukraine to give the orphans a warm and loving place to grow, with heated in-door plumbing.
    3)Send my parents on a cruise.

  29. 478
    Wendy says:

    If I could, I would…

    1. take cooking classes.

    2. buy a Nikon and take photography classes.

    3. do the Holy Land with

  30. 479
    karla says:

    1. Find a cure for cancer.
    2. Give $ away every single day, just because.
    3. Design my own jewelry and bless others with it.

  31. 480
    Wendy says:

    If I could, I would…

    1. adopt a child overseas.

    2. buy a Nikon and take photography classes.

    3. do the Holy Land with Mama Beth!

  32. 481
    Korgirl says:

    If I could, I would:

    1. Spend some time getting to know my mom’s mom who died before I was born

    2. Travel whereever, whenever, and take as many people as I could with me

    3. Figure out what causes autism and prevent it

    Wow, I didn’t expect it to be so hard to only list 3!

  33. 482
    Susan says:

    travel internationally
    live in every country of the world for at least 6 months
    see the Holy Land

    One used to be sign language but I’m taking classes after having a passion for this for 40+ years

  34. 483
    Hannah says:

    If I could, I would:

    1) Travel, travel, travel. To everywhere and everything.
    2) Act in a bunch of plays.
    3) Get a puppy.

  35. 484
    Renee says:

    If I could, I would …

    1. Be a best-selling author of Christian non-fiction

    2. Spend an entire week antiquing with my husband

    3. Renovate a house from the 1700 or 1800s

  36. 485
    patty says:

    If I could, I would….

    1. Drive in a Nascar Race

    2. Travel to Greece

    3. Own my own farmhouse w/ plenty of acres

  37. 486
    toknowhim says:

    If I could I would…

    1. Take a trip to Israel and walk where Jesus walked…
    2. Buy my mother a home.
    3. Have some sort of ministry for the homeless and/or elderly in nursing homes

  38. 487
    shannon says:

    If I could I would…

    1-travel to england, ireland, and italy

    2-not let “it” bother me anymore

    3-learn more sign language (and spainish)

  39. 488
    Rebecca McGraw says:

    If I could I would…

    play the piano like an expert

    have a singing voice and record music

    then write a good book

    what fun to think of these things!!!
    Rebecca

  40. 489
    Nancy B says:

    If I could, I would:

    1) Learn to play the organ or piano

    2)

  41. 490
    absmith74 says:

    Oh, this is fun!
    1.Travel to the Holy Land
    2.Take art lessons
    3.Go on a mission trip

  42. 491
    Nancy B says:

    2) Be a stay at home Nana who could spend lots of time with her grandchildren

    3)Buy a new motorhome & travel the country with my husband

  43. 492
    Robin says:

    If I could, I would…

    1) Be a dancer
    2) Live in a library
    3) Spend every Saturday at the Spa

  44. 493
    Beth Herring says:

    oh, wow. this is hard!

    1. be totally unafraid of flying so i could on more mission trips with my husband.

    2. play my flute for the glory of God with Travis’s praise team!

    3. spend a month in hawaii just laying on the beach and listening to Beth Moore and reading Brennan Manning, A.W. Tozer and watching Louie Giglio!

  45. 494
    lori says:

    1- get my book published

    2- live in New York City

    3- Hang out with Julia Roberts for a day

  46. 495
    Rachel says:

    1. Ph.D in Social Work (I have a Master’s now).

    2. Volunteer full-time at my local children’s hospital instead of work (Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH–it’s wonderful).

    3. Speak Arabic fluently (I’m learning some for a missions trip I’m taking to Israel/Palestine in about a month and a half–it’s HARD.)

  47. 496
    carole says:

    If I could, I would….

    1. Go to Hawaii on vacation
    2. Learn to play the cello
    3. Have a vacation home in Michigan…on Lake Michigan

  48. 497
    Sonya says:

    If I could, I would…

    1. Quit my job, read all day long, and blog about it.

    2. Travel to every Major League ballpark in America in a single summer.

    3. Move into Cinderella’s castle and give behind-the-scenes tours at Disney World!

  49. 498
    Jill_in_AL says:

    if I could I would….

    1) take my husband to see Pearl Harbor and the memorial
    2) ride on a hot air balloon
    3) travel the Holy Land and see, touch, taste and take it in!

  50. 499
    MaryD in PhxAZ says:

    If I could, I would:

    1) Learn to play a harp for people who are dying. (There is a school for this and it sounds beautiful to me to help someone leave this world peacefully.)

    2) Be organized!

    3) Be one of those people who exude peace because of the relationship they have with God. (working on this one)

Leave a Reply

To receive a daily digest of comments on this post, enter your email address below: