Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Dreams




When I was 17 or 18, I wrote a list of things I would like to accomplish in my life. I can't remember what they all were (post for a different day), but the one that I remember well was:

* Learn enough Greek and Hebrew to be able to translate the Bible on my own.

I was in high school when I wrote that. Before the Lord changed my major to Bible and my heart to exegesis and missions. 

Now, I don't have a premonition that I'm going to die anytime soon, but it's really cool to think that I'm going to have accomplished that one thing by the time I turn 25. I took 3 years of Hebrew in college and have translated several parts of the OT; I'm currently taking (and will continue to take) Greek and by 2010 will have translated portions of the NT. 

I don't say that because I'm pretentious or a jerk or self-righteous (I hope). I say it because I had a goal and I will have accomplished that goal. Which is really cool. 



What was a goal you set and have met? 

What dreams are you still chasing?

How do you anticipate accomplishing that?




5 comments:

deliveredjude said...

I set a goal of attending college, and I have met that, twice. I am the first person in my immediate family to attend college, so that's been incredible for me.

I don't remember too many of my other dreams. Some come back and forth in importance like recording a Christmas album and having a book of poetry published. I would like to write several books, I think, but who knows.

I hope to accomplish my goals by sitting down and establishing goals I want to reach. Thanks.

OH, I just made a new goal and remembered. It's OPERATION: Graduation. It's a 2 task force mission. (1) (should I choose to accept it) is to graduate May 8th. (2) (and likened unto the first...sorry for the references, it's just who I am) is to be at my ideal weight by graduation, 175 lbs.

Anonymous said...

I know how you feel my friend.

I had a goal/dream of opening a school (like boarding school) for people with disabilities. My mom says I started talking about it around 2 years old. The first conversation I remember was when I was around 5.

And now, I am 23 and we are incorporating Hopes and Dreams House. Some minor changes along the way, but basically the same thing.

It's exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.

As far as dreams I am still chasing - I have to figure out how to be two places at once so that I can continue to live the life I love here and live in London... hmm... I'll let you know how that one goes.

ps: I think it's AWESOME that you can translate the Bible and I think that I am cool by association. I mean, after all, you are my class best friend.

Michael Gilley said...

Hello everybody! You know, I made the goal to attend grad school after I graduated and took steps to make sure that would happen one way or another. For example, I set myself up purposely with a temporary job after school so I'd have to go somewhere within six months to a year. Well, that all happened and here I am in grad school. Yippee!

But now, I really don't have any other specific goals. I should sit down and write a list of all the things I want to do in my lifetime. A "bucket list" so to speak; and I should seek to do them all. One of my professors was telling us last week that her husband who's a lawyer took a year off from work once to travel the world. A year just to travel and see the world, meet new people, experience 'new' cultures older than my own, eat exotic foods, climb high mountains and lay in unspoiled valleys. See all of the 8 wonders of the world (are there more now?).

I should make such a list and get after it. After all, you only live once. Oh, and congrats on the biblical languages venture. Isn't it wonderful to be able to read the texts for themselves? I forgot to mention that the neat thing about Greek is that you can also read manuscripts and papyri fragments also from the NT day. Also, let's not forget the Greek Fathers.

JD and Jen said...

i identify a lot with george bailey. like george, as a child i wanted to travel the world and build tall buildings. i drew pictures of sky-scrapers and read extensively anything that would take me out of my little small town. i even had an imaginary world in my yard that i could explore at will (complete with north american plains, large mountains and such. i only knew so much about the world then).

but like george bailey, life changed and i changed. while i would still like to travel the world and possibly even build tall buildings, i've become content in going to school, raising a family, and ministering to people when i can.

i try not to set too many long term goals, because in the past, they've always changed. one of my long-term goals once was to never work at mcdonald's. then to never become a manager at mcdonald's. i said i would never drive a red car or go to a private christian educational institution. i even said i would never go into the ministry. and i had plans in which to keep these things from happening. and yet they did. and i've grown and learned from each.

i would, however, like to write someday. and to actually read the library of books that i've collected. and to learn at least greek. and to open a coffee shop/cafe or a musical instrument store.

Anonymous said...

I had much smaller goals, but all ones that I accomplished.
Learning to ride the bus.
Living in Seattle.
Seeing my name in the paper (outside of an obituary).
Singing on stage.
There are a few others, but I can't remember what they are, I too have them written down somewhere. :)