Words from WW Blog

WORDS FROM W.W.                                                          December 31, 2017

                                      

Two years ago today I retired…kinda’…from being the pastor of a church. I used that day at the end of 2015 to finish packing up my office, moving the 2,000 books to the confiscated fourth bedroom of our home which had been repurposed to be my home study. I remember piling the books in there making it resemble a book-burning pile…minus the burning.

Now, two years later, many of those books have been handed off to a couple of guys who are in ministry- Bill Hale, just beginning his first pastorate in Kelso, Washington and Rich Blanchette, Air Force Chaplain at the base in Los Angeles. My study has become more organized…sorta’!

Two years into retirement makes certain things fade into the background and other things become more dominant. That is, I now get to make choices on what I invest my time in and what I could care less about. It’s a pastor’s reward for surviving all those church council meetings and church members who were bitter about life and thought you were the cause of it!

Today also happens to be the end of another calendar year. It is that traditional time of reviewing and resolving. I look behind me and see the swerves of the past year’s journey and look to chart the new course ahead.

Today is a time to evaluate what worked and what needs to be cast off, what should be continued and what needs to be put out of its misery.

Here’s my short list:

NO MORE!

Playing early morning basketball at the Y

Basketball Officiating

Serving on committees

Subbing for Kindergarten PE class

Subscribing to Sports Illustrated

Eating green chili

Reading instruction manuals!

Reading Amish fiction (OK! I never actually started!)

Watching CNN or Fox News

KEEP ON KEEPING ON!

Writing this blog

Wrestling with the grandkids

Continue writing the “Fleming” book series

Substitute teach, especially 7th graders

Coaching basketball

Eating blueberries

Getting together with old friends because I want to

Working out at Villa Sports

Preaching to the saints at Simla First Baptist

Increase my laughter

Figure out what brings me joy

Listen to the whisper of the Lord in the midst of the noise of the world!

Read, and try to read without falling asleep!

Go on vacation with my wife!

Go on vacation with the whole family!

That’s about it! Two years into retirement I’m getting a firmer grasp on what needs to stay and what needs to go. In essence, I believe it’s getting more grounded in what God would have me do and be. And that’s a good thing!

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This entry was posted on December 31, 2017 at 3:33 pm and is filed under children, Christianity, coaching, Freedom, Humor, love, Pastor, The Church, Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: becoming more grounded, enjoying life, evaluating, evaluating the past, evaluation, finding your purpose, goals, joy, new year's resolutions, organizing your life, priorities, Purpose, resolutions, review

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