Retirement Activities
Rowers getting in practice on the Clinch River.
Retirement years offer wonderful opportunities and life is definitely not boring. Reading has been a passion all my life, and I definitely take time for that. At any given time I usually have several books in process. I keep a small book journal for my own encouragement and to share with others. The following are some recent ones:
[Grace Aounding by John Bunyan]
I havjust started reading this again and want to share it at the jail. It is very probing in a day of "easy believism". Are many of the women in the jail true believers.
[The Pursuit of God by Tozer]
I am also reading this and want to get his KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY. I want to truly and anew to pursue the Lord in these latter years of my life.
"I will take heed to my ways."
- Psalm 39:1
Fellow-pilgrim, say not in your heart, "I will go hither and thither, and I shall not sin;" for you are never so out of danger of sinning as to boast of security. The road is very miry, it will be hard to pick your path so as not to soil your garments. This is a world of pitch; you will need to watch often, if in handling it you are to keep your hands clean. There is a robber at every turn of the road to rob you of your jewels; there is a temptation in every mercy; there is a snare in every joy; and if you ever reach heaven, it will be a miracle of divine grace to be ascribed entirely to your Father's power. Be on your guard. When a man carries a bomb-shell in his hand, he should mind that he does not go near a candle; and you too must take care that you enter not into temptation. Even your common actions are edged tools; you must mind how you handle them. There is nothing in this world to foster a Christian's piety, but everything to destroy it. How anxious should you be to look up to God, that he may keep you! Your prayer should be, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." Having prayed, you must also watch; guarding every thought, word, and action, with holy jealousy. Do not expose yourselves unnecessarily; but if called to exposure, if you are bidden to go where the darts are flying, never venture forth without your shield; for if once the devil finds you without your buckler, he will rejoice that his hour of triumph is come, and will soon make you fall down wounded by his arrows. Though slain you cannot be; wounded you may be. "Be sober; be vigilant, danger may be in an hour when all seemeth securest to thee." Therefore, take heed to thy ways, and watch unto prayer. No man ever fell into error through being too watchful. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all our ways, so shall they always please the Lord.
CHOICES FOR WOMEN WHO LONG TO DISCOVER LIFE'S BEST. by Marry Farrar, Multnomah, 1994
This is one of the most powerful books I have ever read which I kept at until I finished just since Monday. It gives me a much great understanding of the issues facing women and men in our present culture; why so many marriages don't make it and many do not bother to marry. BUT WITH GOD indivitual homes, marriages and women who care can make a difference. I have shared it with two of the ladies in the jail who have found it helpful. One of them seems truly ready for God to work in her life and she left for a Teen Challenge Program in Michigan last Monday. We pray she will allow God to remake her life according to His pattern; she has two young children and a broken marriage; her name is Audra.
JAIL MINISTRY
I am a part of a team from my church. We go every Monday night to our local jail right here in Clinton and have Bible studies with the men and women. The women seem very receptive to the Gospel and many say they are believers. However, most of them have not been involved in a local church and they are in great bondage to drugs and alcohol and keep recycling in and out of jail. We have found several good Christian rehab programs and have met some women God has truly restored. It has also been to connect with workers from other churches, and we pray that we may work together and be more effective in this outreach. We are able to take books and Bibles in and we also offer them the Crossroads Bible Correspondence courses. Pray for lasting fruit from our outreach.
Down-sizing
This has been a challenge with our move to a mobile home as storage is definitely limited and I do miss the double garage I had while in Charlotte. Some of my books are going to the jail each Monday and I did give away quite a few before moving here which has brought me down to 3 book cases. Now I am transferring old videos to DVD’s. I have also started transferring some old cassettes to my computer and eventually to CD’s if I want external storage. All this is a time-consuming process but it is working and I am making a log of everything so I know what I have where!! Also, it stirs wonderful memories of the past like my years at Chefoo School in Malaysia; I did those videos yesterday.
Retirement years offer wonderful opportunities and life is definitely not boring. Reading has been a passion all my life, and I definitely take time for that. At any given time I usually have several books in process. I keep a small book journal for my own encouragement and to share with others. The following are some recent ones:
[Grace Aounding by John Bunyan]
I havjust started reading this again and want to share it at the jail. It is very probing in a day of "easy believism". Are many of the women in the jail true believers.
[The Pursuit of God by Tozer]
I am also reading this and want to get his KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY. I want to truly and anew to pursue the Lord in these latter years of my life.
"I will take heed to my ways."
- Psalm 39:1
Fellow-pilgrim, say not in your heart, "I will go hither and thither, and I shall not sin;" for you are never so out of danger of sinning as to boast of security. The road is very miry, it will be hard to pick your path so as not to soil your garments. This is a world of pitch; you will need to watch often, if in handling it you are to keep your hands clean. There is a robber at every turn of the road to rob you of your jewels; there is a temptation in every mercy; there is a snare in every joy; and if you ever reach heaven, it will be a miracle of divine grace to be ascribed entirely to your Father's power. Be on your guard. When a man carries a bomb-shell in his hand, he should mind that he does not go near a candle; and you too must take care that you enter not into temptation. Even your common actions are edged tools; you must mind how you handle them. There is nothing in this world to foster a Christian's piety, but everything to destroy it. How anxious should you be to look up to God, that he may keep you! Your prayer should be, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." Having prayed, you must also watch; guarding every thought, word, and action, with holy jealousy. Do not expose yourselves unnecessarily; but if called to exposure, if you are bidden to go where the darts are flying, never venture forth without your shield; for if once the devil finds you without your buckler, he will rejoice that his hour of triumph is come, and will soon make you fall down wounded by his arrows. Though slain you cannot be; wounded you may be. "Be sober; be vigilant, danger may be in an hour when all seemeth securest to thee." Therefore, take heed to thy ways, and watch unto prayer. No man ever fell into error through being too watchful. May the Holy Spirit guide us in all our ways, so shall they always please the Lord.
CHOICES FOR WOMEN WHO LONG TO DISCOVER LIFE'S BEST. by Marry Farrar, Multnomah, 1994
This is one of the most powerful books I have ever read which I kept at until I finished just since Monday. It gives me a much great understanding of the issues facing women and men in our present culture; why so many marriages don't make it and many do not bother to marry. BUT WITH GOD indivitual homes, marriages and women who care can make a difference. I have shared it with two of the ladies in the jail who have found it helpful. One of them seems truly ready for God to work in her life and she left for a Teen Challenge Program in Michigan last Monday. We pray she will allow God to remake her life according to His pattern; she has two young children and a broken marriage; her name is Audra.
JAIL MINISTRY
I am a part of a team from my church. We go every Monday night to our local jail right here in Clinton and have Bible studies with the men and women. The women seem very receptive to the Gospel and many say they are believers. However, most of them have not been involved in a local church and they are in great bondage to drugs and alcohol and keep recycling in and out of jail. We have found several good Christian rehab programs and have met some women God has truly restored. It has also been to connect with workers from other churches, and we pray that we may work together and be more effective in this outreach. We are able to take books and Bibles in and we also offer them the Crossroads Bible Correspondence courses. Pray for lasting fruit from our outreach.
Down-sizing
This has been a challenge with our move to a mobile home as storage is definitely limited and I do miss the double garage I had while in Charlotte. Some of my books are going to the jail each Monday and I did give away quite a few before moving here which has brought me down to 3 book cases. Now I am transferring old videos to DVD’s. I have also started transferring some old cassettes to my computer and eventually to CD’s if I want external storage. All this is a time-consuming process but it is working and I am making a log of everything so I know what I have where!! Also, it stirs wonderful memories of the past like my years at Chefoo School in Malaysia; I did those videos yesterday.
Labels: Spring Rowing
posted by Donna @ 6:46 AM
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