Archive

January 2018

J

Cautionary tales

  See how this idea matches your memories of younger days: An older relative, telling you a story about her or his life, ends the narrative with something like, “And let that be a lesson to you, Little Abercrombie—so you always remember to wash your hands before meals.” That story was a cautionary tale. And that beloved elder recognized and accepted that his or her life was filled with theseMORE...

Authentic Jesus

Hanging on the wall above this laptop is my favorite painting depicting Jesus. It’s by Frances Hook. (See the link at the end of this post.) Decades ago, this artist portrayed Jesus with unkempt hair, a hint of dust on his clothing, and the look of a guy who knew how to work with his hands. She painted someone who could stare into your eyes and know what’s going on. This is the Jesus I’ve knownMORE...

Thank your doctor(s). . . . now!

I am the fortunate beneficiary of medical care from a variety of doctors. I count most of their service as a kind of miracle, and so thank God for them by expressing my gratitude to each of these blessed folks in any number of ways. Today I want to invite you into that same mindset. First, let’s admit that doctors—and all other health-care professionals—deserve our thanks, and that they may notMORE...

Sleep in our later years (Part 2)

Previously we looked at the harm that can come to older bodies and minds when sleep is diminished or disrupted. This entry offers some hopeful ideas that can help you alter perhaps-unhelpful sleep habits. Perhaps the most important idea: Start now to establish healthy sleep patterns. Even in your later years, you can change how you think of sleep, and how you can develop sleep-practices thatMORE...

Sleep in our later years (Part 1)

The importance of adequate sleep has become a national mantra. Even though our personal practices about sleep may suggest otherwise, few of us would disagree with the basic presumptions. Recent research has focused on sleep in our later years. This and the following entry may help you assess your place in the sleep-spectrum—the amount and quality of your sleep patterns. First, some perhapsMORE...

Secret lives

  Something that’s true about most of us at this time in our lives: We have secrets that almost no one knows about. Even though God’s providential and loving eyes might take in these perhaps-unknown elements of our lives, we may still harbor some ambivalence about revealing things about ourselves that have hitherto remained invisible. Our possible secrets may live in the past: Real orMORE...

Up close

This blog is part of an ongoing series that answers an intriguing question: What might it mean for older adults to claim that they are still “fearfully and wonderfully made?” The next time you think your body is not all that amazing, try one of these ideas for an up-close look at yourself. When you’re finished with any of these tasks, you might find yourself regaining an appreciation of theMORE...

In praise of slow

  I grew up in the maze of freeways called Los Angeles, and so learned the essential survival skill of driving over the posted speed limits. (I’m not suggesting this tactic for residents of other localities, in hindsight noting that this faster-than-righteous driving was a necessary practice that kept me from being run over by those driving much faster!) Now that I live on the outskirts of aMORE...

To tell the truth, honestly!

  Truth in these times may seem to be in short supply. Given the sometimes-overwhelming amount of individual and societal stress that we encounter, it’s difficult to process so much information with consistent integrity. Our brains’ reactions to stress—fighting, fleeing, freezing—might include reliance on falsehood as a way of diminishing anxiety. Our widespread choice to be prevaricatorsMORE...

Salad days

  Leafy green veggies may help protect your brain from some of the effects of cognitive decline. So writes Melissa Healy, health and science reporter with the Los Angeles Times (melissa.healy@latimes) in her recent article, “Kale and other leafy vegetables may make your brain seem 11 years younger.” Citing the work of Dr. Martha Morris, nutrition and brain health researcher at Rush MedicalMORE...

Bob Sitze

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.

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