Making a List

I'm packing some items in a backpack to take with me when I have chemotherapy treatments at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion, IL. So far, I have a small lap blanket, a fleece hoodie that zips all the way down front, photos of my favorite people, peppermints, hand sanitizer, my MP3 player and my collection of short stories by John Steinbeck. Am I missing anything? If you think of something vital I have forgotten, please let me know.

Because of a scheduling conflict, I won't be able to start chemo for two more weeks (Oct. 10). This has left me feeling a little frustrated and blue. Not that I am so excited to have chemo, but that I just want to get the process moving forward. I don't want to be a cancer patient the rest of my life. After putting this chapter in the past, I want to move forward with my writing and our business.

Here is my post-cancer "to do" list:

1. Take a vacation with The Hubster, my mom and the kids.
2. Send query letters to a bunch of Christian literary agents and get my book published.
3. Design a new marketing pamphlet for RDS and start courting business outside Kansas.
4. Finally finish remodeling the kitchen.
5. Spend a year showing everyone how grateful I am for their prayers and encouragement.

I think it's important to set goals and write them down. Kind of like the legacy I wrote about in Monday's post. Statistics prove that if you write a goal down, you are twice as likely to achieve it. Cool, huh? Some day, I'll stumble upon these lists and smile as I remember they all have been realized, by the grace of God. What is important enough to you, that you write it down?

Precious Lord, grant me a time of refreshing while I wait to start chemo. Bless all my friends with fully realized goals and dreams. In Jesus' name, Amen.