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Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, wrote a post this week that sums up how I feel about life. In it he says the Holy Spirit spoke to him this truth: don't accumulate possessions, accumulate experiences. This is how I've always felt, I just never knew how to express it. Yes, you need to be smart with your money. But, if you have the chance to experience something great, do it. The Bible says Jesus came to not just give life, but give it to the fullest (John 10:10). Now, this isn't a free invitation to spend stupidly. You should not go into debt to experience life. You'll wind up just experiencing the pains of debt. This is why becoming debt free is so important. It opens up opportunities that you never had before. Here are some of the experiences I've accumulated over my life.
- When I was 10 or 11 my dad came home from work and told us we were going to Hawaii. We had never flown anywhere. We didn't have a lot of money. Our vacations usually were spent someplace close to home. Talk about exciting. As an added bonus I almost drowned there.
- When I was 15, I went with a group of kids from school on a 15 day trip across Europe. This is still the best experience I've ever had. Hanging out in Salzburg, Austria. Taking a gondola boat down the canals in Venice, Italy. Going to a topless beach in Nice, France (Major experience for a 15 year old). Going up in the Eiffel Tower. Taking a train from Paris to London.
- At 21 I talked a friend into driving me to Washington, DC to see my favorite band. Also checked out the Smithsonian and the National Zoo. For my 22nd birthday I flew to Chicago with a friend to see that same band. Went to the top of the Sears Tower. Rode in a cab for the first time. The next year I saw the band in Boone, NC in the Appalachian Mountians. It snowed all the way home.
- For our honeymoon we went on a cruise. My wife had never seen the ocean. Went to Paradise Beach in Cozumel, Mexico. Went on a river boat in Guatemala. Went cave tubing in Belize. It was an amazing experience. The following year we went on another cruise with my parents. This time we snorkeled in the Virgin Islands. Went into the rainforest in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Spent time at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.
- This year we went to Paoli Peaks. I had my first experience snowboarding. Took our first road trip together. Hung out with tigers and monkeys at a tiger preserve. Went on a ghost tour in Savannah. Had the best steak I've ever ate at the Boar's Head Tavern (Sorry, Dad). And the biggest experience, found out I was going to be a father.
What experiences have you accumulated over your life? Is there anything you haven't done, that you want to do before you die?
- When I was 10 or 11 my dad came home from work and told us we were going to Hawaii. We had never flown anywhere. We didn't have a lot of money. Our vacations usually were spent someplace close to home. Talk about exciting. As an added bonus I almost drowned there.
- When I was 15, I went with a group of kids from school on a 15 day trip across Europe. This is still the best experience I've ever had. Hanging out in Salzburg, Austria. Taking a gondola boat down the canals in Venice, Italy. Going to a topless beach in Nice, France (Major experience for a 15 year old). Going up in the Eiffel Tower. Taking a train from Paris to London.
- At 21 I talked a friend into driving me to Washington, DC to see my favorite band. Also checked out the Smithsonian and the National Zoo. For my 22nd birthday I flew to Chicago with a friend to see that same band. Went to the top of the Sears Tower. Rode in a cab for the first time. The next year I saw the band in Boone, NC in the Appalachian Mountians. It snowed all the way home.
- For our honeymoon we went on a cruise. My wife had never seen the ocean. Went to Paradise Beach in Cozumel, Mexico. Went on a river boat in Guatemala. Went cave tubing in Belize. It was an amazing experience. The following year we went on another cruise with my parents. This time we snorkeled in the Virgin Islands. Went into the rainforest in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Spent time at the Atlantis Resort in Nassau, Bahamas.
- This year we went to Paoli Peaks. I had my first experience snowboarding. Took our first road trip together. Hung out with tigers and monkeys at a tiger preserve. Went on a ghost tour in Savannah. Had the best steak I've ever ate at the Boar's Head Tavern (Sorry, Dad). And the biggest experience, found out I was going to be a father.
What experiences have you accumulated over your life? Is there anything you haven't done, that you want to do before you die?
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