Many,many years ago, I read a writing by Valerie Bell entitled "Soul Goals".  It made such an impact on me, I typed the goals up and have kept this paper in my Bible for all of these years.  I look back over them from time to time to remind myself of their impact and to keep them fresh in my mind.  I thought perhaps they might be a blessing and a challenge to you all.

1.  I want to delight God.  To be someone with whom He can consistently find comfort and pleasure.  I want to "make His day".  I want Him to find comfort with me and experience delight when He thinks about me.

2.  I want to "practice heaven" by enjoying God now.  I want to experience the pleasure of knowing God with greater intensity as I age.  I want my soul to become skilled and comfortable in the practice of heaven - praising and enjoying God.

3.  I want to have a part in advancing God's kingdom.  I want there to be no doubt about which side benefited from my loyalties.  I want to be increasingly available and skilled for the part God wants me to play in His holy drama.

4.  I want to remain open to the unexpected, off-the-beaten path plans of God for my life.  I intend to nurture an adventuresome spirit.  I am motivated by the awareness that God can use people whose boundaries with Him are unconventional and well off the beaten path.

5.  I want to grow in loving graciousness in my relationships. I want to be remembered as a truly loving person.  I would like to become more of a safe place for the people in my life.  I would like my connections with others to be increasingly marked by compassion and an ability to connect with others soul to soul.

6.  I want to laugh more.  I just like the way a laugh rings in the face of evil!

7.  I want to think less like a victim and more like a survivor.  We all have significant life wounds.  But I want to feel that I have done more than suffered with these pains.  I want to know that I have turned them into learning experiences, builders of interior character.  May my life deepen, not wither because of painful life experiences.

8.  I want to reaffirm my desire to excel in prayer.  I want my aging to be impacted by contact and communion with God.  May I become more astute at hearing God's voice and seeing things, not just from a human perspective but from God's perspective.

The picture of the soul these goals capture is a soul that is intimate with God!

                                                                                    Valerie Bell