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?
If I could, I would:
1. Sing on a praise team at a big venue, like Women of Faith, etc. (or even Beth Moore) 🙂
2. Start a ministry for hurting pastors. I know they are out there, but I’m thinking of a place on a beach where the family can come and chill and heal, at no cost to them.
3. Wow, I can’t even think of a 3rd one. How sad is that?
Oh my… Bless your heart for #2, so needed!
If I could, I would….
1. Go to college
2. Buy a bigger house for my family
3. Be a worship leader
1) Make a pie crust as perfectly as my sweet mother-in-law does
2) Have Beth Moore and her entire family over for dinner
3) Learn how to paint (art, not walls)
If I could, I would
1- Have Lunch With Beth Moore once a month (okay who am I kidding, once a week. . . okay really I’d love to just move in!)
2- Travel to every country in the world – especially Europe with my man (and maybe our boys)
3- Play the harp – I have no idea how to, but I would just like to be instantly gifted
I totally need to add (Sorry Beth I know this is 4 please forgive me) But I would love to do something to promote communication between parents after divorce. Because the children pray the biggest price and it’s awful!
I just told my husband this first one last night after I made our coffee…
1. own/run a sustainable coffee farm somewhere in eastern Africa
2. travel to Africa – frequently, and convince my 7 year old that the shots are worth it
3. inspire other military wives to know Jesus personally as their One and Only during deployments (and other random and various causes for separations from spouses)
1. Travel, travel, travel. Anywhere, anytime, without worrying about getting the cheapest possible airfare.
2. Own a home on the beach.
3. Have a job I love and can’t wait to go to every day.
-Spend three months doctoring at each of the 50 poorest hospitals in the world.
-Go back 200 years and spend a year in the Native American culture with beautiful uninterrupted landscape.
-Run and dance across a field of dandelions with my Creator on a glorious summer day.
If I could, I would…
1. Watch the Dallas Cowboys play a home game
2. Adopt a little girl from China
3. Get a dog
If I could, I would…
a.) own my own business
b.) adopt LOTS of babies
c.) carry a tune. Even in a bucket.
I should also add that I’m 23, so those first 2 could/will happen. Okay, the 2nd will DEFINITELY happen. But alas, the 3rd will never happen unless I am hit on the head with a pipe a la Mama Cass.
Be a wedding planner
Stay home with my children until they graduate from high school
Plant a garden
1. See the world, but just a little at a time. I love being at home also.
2. Make my face look at little like its age.
3. Beam myself to the beach anytime I wanted.
1) Work with HIV/AIDS babies. Wherever the need is the greatest and however I could affect the greatest amount of change in the lives of these children.
2) Know God’s Word more deeply. So, private tutor??!!
3) Something with dogs…a sanctuary with land, homes and people to love the unloved.
1. travel the U.S. by RV with my husband and kids
2. host a radio show
3. I love to give gifts(small, big, random, it doesn’t matter). So if I could, I would give gifts to people without worry about cost.
1. Learn to fly a helicopter.
2. Adopt 10 children and 5 dogs.
3. Live at least one year in Ireland and one in England.
If I could, I would…
1. Go to Narnia and commune with Aslan
2. Finish my husband’s PhD dissertation
3. Travel with our three kids in full-time ministry without worry of finances, healing EVERY sick person along the way! What a blast that would be!
I would like to:
1. become a counselor and help people for free
2. learn another language; Spanish or French
3. Travel with my family all over the world
Joni, Littleton, Co
1. Live near my grandchildren.
2. Go to seminary.
3. Visit the Holy Land.
If I could, I would …
1. Go to Seminary
2. Go get my snowbabies
3. Adopt 3 more children through Compassion International.
Thanks for the question – hadn’t thought like this in a long time.
1. Travel to Israel to Study
2. Buy a house on the beach
3. Ask Melissa what version(ex-NIV, ESV, NKJV, etc) of BIble she thinks is the most literal translation…since she speaks Greek and all. 🙂 I am a new student at Talbot Theological Seminary and am wondering what she prefers.
I love this question:) I hope she answers it for all of us. Thank you
She’s so busy right this minute that I’ll take a shot at it for her. I bet she’d go into a lengthy (and fun) explanation about why different ones have value and about “word for word” translations vs. “phrase for phrase” and how each approach has something very important to offer as well as limitations. Then, I’m imagining she’d probably land on the ESV if she had to choose one of the multiple choice answers given. But she’d wish she didn’t have to choose because she loves the whole process of discovering the nuances of the Greek in this one and that.
Thank you Beth,
I think I like the ESV too, but you make it so much fun I will have one of each.
Have a great weekend,
Rebecca (((HUGS)))
If I could, I would….
1. Travel…whenever and where ever I want to go!
2. Become a professional student…having the time to study whatever I may be interested in…at the time!
3. Start a family…naturally (God willing) or through adoption!
If I could I would…
1. Learn sign language fluently so I could worship the lord in song without using words.
2. Scuba Dive the Coral Reefs, and take pictures to document my memories.
3. Adopt a child.
Not all in that order of course.
If I could, I would…
1. Teach Sign Language Full Time (it is a passion of mine)!
2. Have a house in the country with a wrap around porch, and a pair of rocking chairs to grow old in!
3. Have my own personal library with all my favorite books, which would include a fire place, and an over stuffed comfy chair so I can sit in front of the fire and read all night long!
If I could, I would…
1) Go to Israel
2) Write full time
3) Visit my little Compassion girl in Honduras (I am hoping to make this a reality this coming year)
Okay I know this may sound cheesy but the life coach in me read through all these sweet comments and my first thought was If I could I would help all these sweet women reach their dreams.
If I could I would:
Buy this struggling single mom that I know (Debbie)a brand new car.
Start an Engineering Company of my own with my dearest friend Jonathan.
Lead my unsaved parents to Jesus.
Always have the words that Jesus would say to people who tell me their personal stories that truly break my heart.
Never get angry with anyone again.
If I could, I would…
1. be Beth Moore’s assistant (in my “dream world” it’s all Bible Study and Travel w/ a Starbucks in every airport 🙂 !)
2. TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL
3. Own a castle large enough for each of my 4 children to have their own “wing” to live in w/ their families.
1. Learn french. (took 3 years in high school can’t remember any of it except I can order “French Fries and French toast fluently)
2. Just hold my 2 boys two and six so close to me and read all day on the couch. No super markets, errands, school activities. Oh, and daddy wouldn’t have to go to work. He’d be sitting on the couch with us.
3. Learn history with my kids and then travel to every location from the ancients all the way to the 50 states of America.
I’m smiling just thinking about it!
mmmm….LOVE #2…I pick that one too!
If I could, I would…
1. Memorize the entire bible. Just have the whole thing downloaded in my brain. Including chapters and verses.
2. Play the piano and the guitar and write my own music.
3. Be a gourmet chef that can make all kinds of cuisine, bake all kinds of goodies and eat everything to my heart’s content without gaining a single ounce!
How fun to see what everyone else dreams of!
1) not have to work so I can “do” Bible Study full time
2) see my 2 adult sons return their faith
3) visit Israel with my man
Thanks Beth! Love you!
If I could I would….
1. Be a famous artist
2. fluently know sign language
3. travel to Italy
4. Adopt sweet precious children.
If I could, I would…
1. buy my parents a new home
2. buy a camper and travel I40 from east to west stopping any and every where I wanted
3. live closer to my home church
If I could, I would;
1) Rewrite my Christian movie script so it would be good enough for someone to produce it and make my dream come true.
2) Learn how to play the piano
3) Travel all over the world with my family.
If I could, I would…
1. Help parents who want to adpot….and likewise help children find their forever home with great christian parents.
2. Learn to play the piano or violin
3. Travel with my family
If I could, I would…
1. Lead worship!! [I am a secret closet worship leader :)]
2. Visit the “mother land” – Vietnam and lead an underground bible study.
3. Sew clothes like nobody’s business.
If I could, I would….
1) Sit behind home plate at all 162 Yankees games.
2) Film my own cooking show on Food Network from my home…which would overlook then Intracoastal Waterway
3) Travel the world based on where it’s raining at any given time. I love rain so much, I would plan my trips to coincide with torrential downpours (unless of course the Yankees are supposed to be playing)
Casey
Fort Pierce, Fl
If I could I would:
1. Buy a villa in Tuscany and live there at least half the year…
2. Learn to speak Italian fluently. (Kind of goes hand in hand I suppose.)
3. Learn to quilt.
and I suppose two of the three are obtainable so that’s not so bad. 🙂
If I could, I would…
1) Move next door to Mama Beth. ;o)
2) Take a year and travel all over Europe with my hubby and daughter.
3) Pay someone to come and unpack all my boxes and decorate my new house.
Just a side note…I got an email from my husband this morning that read…”Go ahead and order tickets for Beth. Just remember one’s for me.” See you in Columbus next year!
Hey! I want to move next door to mama Beth, too! I like that one!
If I could, I would…
1. Have made my mother tell me the truth about me.
2. Have gone to college right out of HS by figuring something out.
3. Learn how to crochet.
If I could, I would…
1) Learn to play to piano really well
2) Study history
3) Tour Europe
1. Run 5 miles every day (while smiling) and actually enjoy it!!
2. Travel to Europe…and not get motion sick 😉
3. Leave a legacy for others that is eternal!
1)Have multiple homes throughout the US so I could enjoy different parts of the country at different times of the year.
2) Play the piano and sing, with the writing ability to express my heart to God in lyrics.
3)To be completely free from the battle against the devil.(Will be a reality when Jesus reigns!)
If I could, I would…
1) Move my brother with Downs syndrome and aging issues out of the nursing home and in with me!
2) Write a book
3) Go back to Indonesia where I lived with my missionary parents and where I now sponsor a little girl through Compassion International.
Melissa,
This has been so interesting to think about. Trying to stay away from regrets and dream.
Here goes:
Sing on a worship team (I confess I read this one but would love to do it. I have a family of singers and worship team members. I cannot carry a tune in a bucket.)
Learn more about computers. I love all the things they will do.
Read more. I am a slow reader and need more time.
Rhonda (one of the Barker siesta sisters from KY)
If I could, I would…
1. Travel the world.
2. Play the guitar for the purpose of leading worship.
3. Stop human trafficking.
1. Be a stay at home Nana and keep my beautiful grandchildren
2. Visit the entire world
3. Have a women’s bible study in my home every day!
If I could, I would…
1. Buy a giant drive-around RV (with a little car in tow) and travel the country with my girls for two years, seeing all the beauty America has to offer.
2. Take a summer and go to Europe with one small suitcase, so I could go anywhere.
3. Eat grilled cheese, BBQ chips and brownies for dinner every night (without it showing on my hips!).
If I could, I would…
1. be a stay at home mom.
2. live on the East coast.
3. speak fluent Spanish.
If I could, I would…
1. Play the violin like Itzhak Perlman. And I would play all day long.
2. Paint like Rembrandt. And I would paint all day long.
3. Write the books that are in my heart in such a way that the Holy Spirit exudes from every single word and touches hearts and changes lives to be crazy in love with and in awe of Jesus.
1. Finish writing the book that I’ve started and put down at least a thousand times – and of course, have it published by someone fabulous so that I can make ladies laugh, cry and praise Jesus all in one breath!
2. Rent a huge RV and pile my kids, and my husband into it and head out west to see the Grand Canyon – Brady Bunch style!
3. I really, really want to travel all across Europe with my husband. I always wanted to be that really cool, hippie chick that backpacked my way across Europe – now that I’m almost 40 – forget that! Since we’re dreaming make it travel across Europe and stay in really fancy hotels!
1 – Take in throwaway babies and children and raise them and teach them the love of Jesus
2 -Build another building to house the homeless
3- Help take care of the elderly because many are left alone with little to live on and no one to visit them