With one month of summer left I have been pondering the coming season. As a missionary who is not on the field full time at the moment Iit often feels like the days go by with little purpose. Without a plan a place it's easy to waste time on unimportant activities. Autumn is my favorite time of year and I don't want to waste one moment of it!

My purposeful autumn bucket list includes activities that serve a variety of purposes. Those purposes include; to grow my contentment in Jesus, fill my heart with a renewed love of life, help others, lead me closer to the sacrificial life that I lived on the field, and bless my (both physical and spiritual) family.

I hope that this list will inspire you to create your own, tailored to you and your season of life. Feel free to copy any of my ideas or tweak them to be more... you. Once you have your bucket list. I encourage you to print it out and hang it somewhere you will see it often. You get bonus points if you share it with a friend or group of friends who will keep you accountable!

Purposeful Bucket List

Meet Someone New For Lunch

Going out for a meal or coffee is one of my favorite ways to get to know people. As a woman in the busy season of marriage and motherhood. I crave opportunities to get out of the house as well as fellowship with other women who "get it". I hope to push myself to meet up with someone that I haven't met up with before. For my personal encouragement and hopefully to be a blessing to them too!

Go On a Mission Trip

I am so excited to be able to take a trip after nearly 2 years away! In October my husband and I plan to take a family trip to Haiti. We will be bringing our daughter for the first time. It will be a refreshing time of serving and visiting people that I've missed dearly.

Give a Thoughtful Gift

It is such a joy to receive an unexpected gift. There have been times in my life where someone has shown up just to say "I'm thinking about you". God has often used these moments to bring encouragement to me on a hard day. I long to be more mindful and take the time to show up out of the blue!

Take Lots of Nature Walks

Being out in nature is so refreshing, especially in the beautiful Autumn weather. Over the next few months I plan to take a walk or hike in nature with my daughter. At least once a week. Bonus points if we bring along a friend for some good conversation.

Find a Few Sweaters To Love

I have not upgraded my wardrobe in some time, and am growing tired of the current warm weather options in my closet. This Autumn I want to find a few new sweaters that I love and feel beautiful wearing. For this purpose I've made an inspiration picture board that I have handy whenever I am out and about. In addition, to avoid clutter, I'll be using the out with the old, in with the new model. So, any time I buy a new piece I will donate an old one to a good cause.

Share Beauty With Others

I've recently started a YouTube channel called Blan Ayisyen. The idea behind it was to have an avenue to share some of the beauty I have gleaned living in Haitian culture. I hope this Autumn I will remain consistent with sharing beauty through language, recipes, cultural insights, and personal stories.

Carmel Apple Lattès

Homemade coffee syrups are the best! I want to make homemade carmel and apple syrups and then invite people over for warm lattes on the porch. Wouldn't it be wonderful for my home to be known for warm and inviting evenings with company?!

Enjoy God's Creativity Together

My husband and I took our daughter to the zoo around her first birthday and she loved it! It was so fun seeing her mesmerized by all the new animals she was seeing for the first time. I hope this Autumn will see many more outings to nature parks and farms that we haven't been to yet as a family.

Volunteer Locally

Opportunities are all around us to pour ourselves out for others. Some of us could be better at seeing them, myself included. My goal is to volunteer time once a month until the end of the year in a variety of Christian ministries.

Make a Donation

Those of you, who, like me, are immersed in your own ministry, can sometimes forget there are other missions around you doing equally important work. I feel like I am constantly giving, investing, and meeting needs. Yet, the large majority of donations that we make as a couple go to our mission endeavors in Haiti. This Autumn I want to bless a few other missions locally and abroad with a monetary gift.