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Hobbies for Temperance

Come Apart… and Rest a While

“And [Jesus] said unto

them, Come ye yourselves

apart into a desert place, and

rest a while: for there were many

coming and going, and they had

no leisure so much as to eat.”

(Mark 6:31) In today’s complex

society people can relate to that.

Often we yearn to “come apart

and rest awhile,” to find some

quiet place far from the fast lane

where we may find rest for our

tired bodies and minds and re-

charge our energy resources.

Inactivity, as pleasant as it

sometimes seems in theory, is seldom

satisfying for

very long. Our

minds and bod-

ies were made

to be active, to

perform mean-

ingful work.

True rest and

renewal are

best achiev-

ed by a

change of

pace and

redirection

of inter-

ests

rather

than a

com-

plete

cessation of activity. A hobby, one that

fits comfortably within our financial

budget, can serve this purpose well

(and countless hobbies don’t cost any-

thing at all). Hobbies that are of mutual

interest to all, or even a few, family

members can be a way of sharing time

and building camaraderie within the

home circle.

Those who spend most of their

time at sedentary work can become

tired, mentally and emotionally, to the

point of exhaustion. For them, a hobby

involving strenuous physical activity

will provide physical and mental re-

newal. Hiking, gardening, bike riding or

swimming will relieve muscle tension

and allow the built up mental stresses

to dissipate. Those who desire some-

thing more active might enjoy friendly

games of baseball or other sports, and

during vacations, mountain climbing,

camping, even spelunking and white

water rafting.

Those who are engaged in manual

labor usually find that reading a good

book, putting a puzzle together or play-

ing educational and/or Bible-based

games will provide a change of pace to

their liking. Some will find renewal by

engaging in a creative hobby such as

painting, needlework or other crafts.

For many people the demands of

life prevent their taking extended vaca-

tions, but most people can manage

“mini-vacations.” A mini-vacation may

last only an hour or a day, but it can re-

juvenate the spirit and renew vigor.

One of my favorite mini-vacations is a

leisurely walk in the early morning

while the dew is still on the ground. In-

stead of rushing to see how much dis-

tance I can cover in the shortest time, I

take time to observe things and reflect

upon my Creator’s

wondrous works:

The delicate yet

sturdy webs, spar-

kling with dew, that

have been spun

among the grass

by diligent spiders;

the trilling notes of

a bird’s song; tiny

little flowers blooming bravely and

beautifully at my feet; the breeze rus-

tling the leaves and gently brushing my

skin. At the end of a busy day, during

nice weather, as twilight descends, I

love to just sit outdoors in our swing

and listen to the birds, frogs, crickets

and katydids. The cares of the day fade

a bit, and I feel a sweet, meditative

spirit come over me, inspiring praise in

my heart to my Heavenly Father for the

blessings of life. “I will bless the Lord at

all times: his praise shall continually be

in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1)

Many people derive great enjoy-

ment and fulfillment from engaging in

educational hobbies such as astron-

omy, photography, bird watching and

music. For the more adventurous, deep

sea diving might have an appeal.

Many folk engage in hobbies for in-

vestment, such as collecting stamps

and coins, antiques or other “collect-

ibles.” Many relaxing hours can be

spent browsing yard sales, flea mar-

kets and antiques stores in search of

that special item needed for a collec-

tion.

Hobbies can even provide a way to

earn money. It is very rewarding to earn

some income from doing things that

one enjoys. Examples include flower

arranging, glass etching, making dolls

and doll clothing, cake decorating,

(Continued on page 4.)

Woman to Woman

Vol. 3, No. 1

“And ye are complete in him.” Colossians 2:10

Jan./Feb. 2000

Our Mission Statement: Believing that we can find

completeness in all areas of our lives only “in him, who

is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians

2:10), it is the mission of Hearth to Hearth to provide a

forum for Christian women to reach out to each other in

friendship, with joy and hope; and to encourage each

other to find our completeness in Christ as we sojourn

here on our way to the kingdom.

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