My 4 Buckets!
My 4 Buckets!
We just met with our attorney to update our will. We’ve known and trusted him for decades, John even remembers when we arrived in Colorado to launch our church 40 years ago!
We have now simplified our will putting everything in “four buckets” to be distributed upon our demise. Here’s the plan. Should Linda and I be trampled by a “moose on the loose” while hiking together, we’ve made things simple for our three kids. Obviously each will of course get a bucket full of blessing. In addition, a fourth bucket will be added to our Giving Fund with Christian Financial Resources. Those funds will then be distributed to the light shining kingdom causes that we and our kids are most inspired to partner with already.
We of course hope that our kids will join us in this journey of generosity. It’s our hope they will be inspired by our example and at least double tithe on whatever they inherit from us; however, that will be their choice.
I just shared this idea with a buddy who also needs to update his own will. Like us, he also has three grown kids and loved the idea of dividing all of his estate both among their children and their charities.
Everyone needs to have an “end of life plan” because no one knows how soon the end will come. That was brought home to me this week while attending a funeral for a 68 year old friend. Bill quickly passed away after a routine surgery just four months ago. Just after the service I talked with a much younger friend who was reeling over the sudden death of his best friend at the age of just 39!
Lest you wonder, I’m feeling great; in fact, I can’t ever remember feeling better! Evidently my healthy lifestyle, including extra ice cream almost every night, is paying off! But just in case my end comes before I enter my eighties, I want to put my affairs in order.
When I asked our attorney for his advise, he surprised me. John said, “There’s one more thing. Write your own obituary.” Wow, that caught me! I hope it won’t be needed any time soon; however, no one knows. In fact, our attorney, who is younger than I am…as most people these days seem to be… just fell off a ladder while changing the time on his clock. His wife watched him land flat on his back and thought he had died!
The end could come at any time for anyone. I just googled the average age of death for a 77 year old American male. If I actually make it to that mark on my next birthday, the actuarial tables indicate I should have another ten years left. Then again, all the ice cream I’ve been eating just might clog up all my arteries far sooner.
So, just in case, I’m taking my attorney’s advice and drafting my own obituary. If you’re wondering what that might include you’ll have to wait. Hopefully for another ten or twenty years, but then again, no one knows.
Hopefully this may inspire you to do the same!
Grace and Peace,
Alan
