I never played sports except when I had to in school. I was a very shy kid and would have preferred to be invisible when it came to participating in team sports. When I had to play, I was always one of the last kids chosen to be on the team. I did enjoy swimming, tennis, badminton, and ping pong.
As an adult, I was talked into playing on my company’s volleyball team one year. I like volleyball but wasn’t especially good at it and besides, the ball hurts!
My husband watches all kinds of sports on TV – football, basketball, soccer, hockey – even golf. He doesn’t watch baseball, the game he played as a kid. I think baseball games are too slow-moving.
We have been to professional football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer games. Even if you aren’t an avid sports fan, the atmosphere is entertaining. I like watching basketball the most.
Because I am not athletic, I prefer individual sports to team sports. I don’t want my performance to drag anyone else down.
I just signed up for my running club’s winter Frozen Challenge, which began yesterday and goes until the end of March. I committed to running 10 miles a week. I was put on a team that includes people who will run up to 40 miles a week. I don’t have to worry about not being a great runner. I just have to meet my modest goal.
If I won the lottery, it wouldn’t change the way I live my life. I don’t need a luxury home or a fancy car or trips around the world to be happy. However, I would love to make a difference in the lives of kids.
My church is right across the street from a middle school. This year, the church opened a teen center to give the kids a safe place to go after school three nights a week. As many as 80 kids have come through the church’s doors in one day. The response to this ministry has been overwhelming for the youth pastor and the volunteers.
Many of these kids are financially disadvantaged. They don’t have the best home life. Volunteers and mentors can have a positive influence on them at a time when they are vulnerable.
I heard that our youth pastor has dreams for a new building. Lottery proceeds could help his dreams come true.
I heard about one kid who lives in a hotel with his mom. She doesn’t have a cell phone or a car. With enough resources, our church could provide financial assistance to the school’s neediest families.
There is also a need for volunteers at the teen center, so I am prayerfully considering volunteering one night a week when I retire.
I have two unfinished books on my reading list. The first is Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion by Dr. Wendy Suzuki. I bought this book at an airport six months ago. I read the first six chapters, then put it aside and forgot about it. I hope to finish it on my business trip next week. I can feel my work anxiety building, so the timing is good.
The other unfinished book is Jon Meacham’s And There Was Light. The book is about Abraham Lincoln, which reminds me that our country has survived being deeply divided before. I won’t take this one along on my trip because I wouldn’t mind being forced to buy another book at an airport!
One of the women in my Bible study group suggested doing a study about Jesus. We chose Philip Yancey’s book, The Jesus I Never Knew. I have already read it, so I bought another book we considered reading: Jesus: The God Who Knows Your Name by Max Lucado. Yancey is a deeper and more serious writer than Lucado, so it will be interesting to contrast their approaches.
As a follower of Jesus, I’ve been concerned for years about the way so many Christians today seem to care more about political power than about furthering the kingdom of God. I believe this is turning people away from the church. To better understand what’s going on, I would like to read Tim Alberta’s book, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism.
My pastor recommended a couple of books by Peter Scazzero for people who want to learn how to practice the Daily Office:
DailyOffice- Remembering God’s Presence Throughout The Day: Begin The Journey
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day: A 40-Day Journey with the Daily Office
My reading list probably sounds very boring to most people. I do like to read a good mystery or crime novel, but these are the kinds of books that feed my mind and soul.
Write about a few of your favorite family traditions.
My favorite family tradition is now just a memory. My paternal grandmother hosted family dinners for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. After my parents divorced, these family gatherings kept our family connected. Oh, how I appreciate that! Once Grandma C. passed away, that holiday tradition stopped.
Now my grandparents and parents are gone. My siblings still have family dinners on occasion. It isn’t the same as gathering at Grandma’s house, but we still really enjoy getting together at a restaurant or at a sister’s home.
Growing up in a large family, we loved to play board games. My older brother, my sisters, and I would gather after school to play Monopoly. When we went to Grandma C’s house, we would play Yatzee or Chutes and Ladders. Today, my older sister gets her Scrabble game out every time I visit, so we can crown the Scrabble champion.
A family is not just the people you’re related to by blood. I have a church family with its own traditions. Celebrating holidays and gathering for meals builds connections and passes our values onto the younger generation. In the fall, there is always a chili cook-off, but now there is also a harvest celebration for the kids. I am looking forward to the Winter Extravaganza tomorrow.
Traditions give us something to look forward to. They create precious memories and bond us as family.
What do you enjoy doing most in your leisure time?
Leisure is an important topic for me to consider as I approach retirement. I don’t want to spend too much time sitting around doing nothing.
I have to admit that I already spend too much time watching television, often while also reading or playing games.
TV watching is the number one leisure activity in the US, but watching too much of it is not healthy. I found an article that lists 30 activities you can do instead of watching TV. I won’t list them all, just the ones that appeal to me.
Birdwatching
Cooking and baking
Crafting or art projects
Gardening
Hiking or walking
Journaling or blogging
Volunteering
Putting puzzles together
Reading a book
Meditation
Crafting/art projects: When I have the opportunity to do art projects with other people, I have fun. I crocheted years ago. There is a knitting/crocheting group at my church that I could join. I do not think of myself as artistic, but I think I would enjoy painting.
Birdwatching: Instead of just watching from my window, I may take my binoculars and combine it with hiking or walking. I will also continue to take pictures of wildflowers.
Cooking and baking: I did almost all the cooking for the first 25 years or so of our marriage. It became just another chore. My husband started cooking and baking when he retired, and he enjoys it! He has also made it clear that he appreciates my help. I’ve been doing some baking for church funerals and cooking for monthly potlucks.
Reading: These days, I mostly read articles online. I read the Bible every day. I want to visit my local library and get back in the habit of reading just for fun.
Gardening: I like to plant flowers and don’t even mind weeding. We don’t have much of a growing season here, but it might be fun to grow some vegetables and herbs.
Volunteering: Today, I find volunteer opportunities at church and with my running club. After I retire, I would like to volunteer with my husband at a to-be-determined charity.
Puzzles: I have always liked jigsaw puzzles. My husband and I have talked about doing this activity together. We just have to keep the cats from helping!
Blogging: I would like to be a more consistent blogger, as I have been this month with the help of daily prompts. When I go weeks without writing, I am wasting an opportunity to express myself and share my thoughts with others.
Meditation: My interest in meditation is as a practice of spending quiet time with God. This month, our pastors introduced us to the practices of Lectio Divina and the Daily Office. Both disciplines involve prayer and quiet time.
When I first read this prompt, I thought it was just another question about hobbies. But it has helped me envision how I can spend my time meaningfully when I retire. Rest and relaxation are important for the body, mind, and spirit.
Lord, when I began my career, it seemed like I would be working forever! Yet the years have flown by. Thank you for letting me know it was time to retire. There are so many things I can do with my time. I pray that you will lead me to the right volunteer opportunity. I also pray for the spiritual discipline to spend more of my time resting in your presence.Amen.
Innermost Being 