Checklist.

I find I operate with much more peace if I live by lists. I make menu lists, grocery lists, housecleaning lists... And lately, I've been compiling a "What I Want My Daughter Know or Know How To Do" list. These are things that, when her car is packed for college, I have to know that we taught her... things I know she caught from us. And since I'm airing alot of laundry out on here, I thought I'd share them with you. (I know you're on the edge of your seat with anticipation. *smile*)

Things I want her to know:
1. She was fearfully and wonderfully made.
2. She was made in the image of God Himself.
3. Nothing she will ever do will change His love for her.
4. Or mine.
5. Or her Daddy's.
6. That we are humans, and we will fail her.
7. That the world is full of wrong, but there is WAY more good than bad.
8. That people sometimes just won't like her.
9. And sometimes I won't like her. But I will always love her.
10. That no matter where I live on this planet, and no matter where she lives, she will always have a key to our house, and a room to call her own.
11. That somewhere in this world, there is a young man whose family is praying for her, just like we are praying for him. And God will bring him to her when it's time.
12. I want her to know that she'll never succeed if she doesn't take risks.
13. And just because you take a risk doesn't mean you will succeed.
14. That's why they're called risks.
15. That boys just stink sometimes.
16. But we can't live without them.

Things I want her to know HOW to do.
1. Change a tire.
2. Make homemade biscuits.
3. Make choices without me and her Daddy involved.
4. Sew.
5. Play the piano.
6. Fill out job applications.
7. File her taxes.
8. Balance her checkbook. (God help us all.)
9. Drive safely. (Jesus take the wheel.)
10. Love her husband.
11. Check her oil in her car.
12. Fly by herself into the Atlanta or JFK airports.
13. Follow her heart.
14. Find her way home. (sigh)

Some of these things are instructional things. Some are things she'll learn in a classroom. But many of them are things she's absorbing into that little heart of hers by observing the way I wife and mother... by the way her Daddy kisses me first when he gets home and then her. Everytime we pray over a meal, she's catching it. Everytime she's party to my cell phone conversations in the car, she's writing on her heart how to live a successful live.

Ouch.

See, part of the result of making a list like this is that when it's in black and white in front of me, I can see where I'm achieving and where I am failing her.

I have some work to do... Some areas I'm passing with flying colors. There are some things I can check off this list. But there are also some apologies to make to her at times, and some areas I have to get busy in. My window is getting smaller with her. But it's still open.

And I'm still adding to the list.