If you value people who are older—and also your own aging—these entries will help you rejoice in the fullness of this stage of life: its gritty realities, secret joys, hidden spirituality and cherished moments—reasons to be grateful that old age is always a gift from God!
This blog is the third entry in a series exploring the behaviors of bullies. I offer these thoughts with the possibility that together we can minister to people who use force to influence the rest of us. Today’s observations are about groups of bullies. Bullies may start with what they believe to be worthwhile goals, and so they characterize themselves as having positive attributes. That’s notMORE...
This blog is the second entry in a series exploring bullies and bullying. Add my observations to your own, so that together we can react to people who use force to influence the rest of us. Today a question about terrorism… Previously I wondered how bullying might emerge in a person. Another question that won’t go away: How might bullying take advantage of *terror? Philosophers who examine theMORE...
In ancient times, watchers guarded cities in the dark of night, surveying their territory from their posts on walls or high towers. Their job was critical: Watch and listen for danger, and then warn the rest of us! Old Testament writers note with admiration how, like God, watchers ensured the safety of people in their care. (See Psalm 127:1 or Ezekiel 3:17-21.) Their role was also a metaphor forMORE...
This entry is the first part of a series exploring the behaviors and attitudes of bullies. Add these observations to your own, so that together we can understand and perhaps thwart people who use force to influence the rest of us. Today some basic concepts….. Most of us don’t like to be bullied. So we dislike *bullies. That’s simple enough to understand, but perhaps there’s more to this tooMORE...
This entry is part of an occasional series in which metaphorical ideas find their way onto your screen. Its roots are simple: When you look with fresh eyes, there may be life lessons to find in just about anything…. Something I learned from seaside daytrips when I was a kid: Build sandcastles higher on the beach than the tide can reach. Too close to the pounding surf—whatever you built was wipedMORE...
Experts in cognitive health tell us that we can strengthen mental acuity by exercising our mental functions. The maxim, “Use it or lose it”, applies quite well to puzzles, board games, reading, writing and conversation. This gets me thinking about the possibility of inventing my own mental exercises. Here are some word-related brain calisthenics I engage in regularly: ANAGRAMS – Playing with theMORE...
(If you’ve been reading these entries for awhile, you’ll recognize legacy as a recuring idea. Today the same theme, but with a twist that might be helpful for your spirit in these times.) Some days it’s hard to find or hold a positive perspective about what’s occurring in our world. Years ago I wrote a book about *finding hope. I was convinced back then—as I am now—that one source for hope mightMORE...
For about twelve years, I’ve visited a resident—let’s call her Gladys—at the same assisted living facility where my mother spent her last years. We used to talk about current events, revived memories, family circumstances and wisdom of all kinds. Now, with Gladys’s dementia working its will, the back-and-forth of a satisfying conversation might seem impossible. That’s not true, thoughMORE...
It seems illogical to pursue winning at all costs, decimating so many assets that further efforts become unsustainable. That’s what Pyrrhus, King of Epirus, realized after his victories over the Roman armies in the Pyrrhic War (BCE 280-275). Although his casualties were fewer than the Romans, he couldn’t replace his troops as readily. “If we are victorious in one more battle,” he remarkedMORE...
Every so often I like to refresh the part of my vocabulary that includes archaic expressions. “Heed” is one of those terms, a *noun or verb that means something like paying attention—perhaps at a slightly deeper level. Making sense out of everything my senses are taking in. Perhaps even doing something about what deserves that kind of attention. Some days it feels to me like there’s too much toMORE...
BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.