Retirement Planning

Retirement Planning - Be Prepared
When most people consider retirement planning, they think only of financial issues -- making sure they have enough money and resources to meet their needs. Often the emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of life are ignored. Consider the following tips.

Retirement Planning - Be Prepared Emotionally
Emotional preparation is essential for good retirement planning. You need a purpose, a reason to retire. “My husband and I love to travel, so we visited Maine, Nova Scotia, Niagara Falls, and Hershey, PA during our first year of retirement. We also make it a priority to visit our children several times each year. We love being with our grandsons especially during the holidays. I always take plenty of my books to give to those who may need a word of encouragement.”

Another aspect of preparing emotionally for retirement is humor. Laugh at yourself! Medical science now acknowledges that the best resistance against disease is laughter. The Bible says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

Retirement Planning - Be Prepared Physically
Preparing physically is important to retirement planning. Eating nutritional foods and exercising is essential.

• Drink at least 6 glasses of water each day. “I’ve noticed that my body has a softer and more radiant look when I drink more water. My face takes on a glow when I drink six to eight glasses of water each day. We need this refreshing drink to keep our body active and healthy.”
  
  
• Make a habit of keeping plenty of fresh, ripe fruits and vegetables around the house for handy consumption. Raw foods digest quickly and have plenty of nutrients. When in a hurry, grab a piece of fruit or vegetable such as carrots, celery, or some nuts and be on your way. Eating the right foods bring great rewards such as feeling better about yourself.
  
  
• Become active and stay on the move. Consider water aerobics or walking while carrying weights. This helps strengthen arms and legs. Find what you enjoy doing and do it! Your doctor can help you pick the right exercise for you. Being active improves your mood, helping you to feel more in control. It also builds self esteem, which increases motivation. Having a set time each week to exercise helps control your blood pressure, your risk of developing heart disease, and lowers the risk of cancer and diabetes.

Retirement Planning - Be Prepared Spiritually
Preparing spiritually for retirement is the key to living the abundant life Jesus talked about in John 10:10. Jesus spoke the following words: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

A retired woman wrote, “My husband and I both retired from our careers in 2004. We are enjoying our retirement to the fullest because we had a plan. Earthly life is a time of preparation not only for retirement but for eternity. We both love to sit by a warm fire and read and study God’s Word every morning. We also are active in church singing in the choir and my husband is an usher. We enjoy fellowship with others. God sent His only beloved son to live and die so we may be the head and not the tail, the lender and not the borrower. It’s up to us and our relationship with Jesus Christ that determines how we live. Taking care of ourselves spiritually, emotionally, and physically is the key to enjoying our golden years.”

To accomplish the purpose for which God created us, we should keep our eyes on becoming the person God wants us to be spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Are you God’s child? Are you sure that you will go to heaven when you die? If not, keep reading!