Archive

September 2018

S

Campaigning with Spirit: Being old and spiritual

This entry is part of a series of blogs that connect political volunteering with spiritual themes. These observations come from my current volunteering for a congressional candidate. Today’s thought: Political volunteering is well-suited to older adults. Many of the other campaign volunteers I work with are older adults. That shouldn’t surprise me—those of us who are older are really passionateMORE...

Campaigning with Spirit: (NOT) sitting around

This entry is part of a series of blogs that connect political volunteering with spiritual themes. These observations come from my current volunteering for a congressional candidate. Today’s thought: Not much good happens when I just sit around. I’ll be honest: I sat out the last election. Sure, I voted with due deliberation about candidates and their positions. But I didn’t have any skin in theMORE...

(Involuntary) Simplicity

In his classic Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life that is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich (Quill Books, 2010), social scientist and visionary Duane Elgin speaks eloquently about the possibilities of choosing to live simply. Hidden within the book and implicit in his further writings, though, is the idea that lifestyle simplicity may also be involuntary for many of us. At some time in theMORE...

Campaigning with Spirit: The family

This entry is part of a series of blogs that connect political volunteering with spiritual themes. These observations come from my current volunteering for a congressional candidate. Today’s thought: The fellowship of believers. One of the strongest benefits of being part of the Body of Christ is the reality that believers are joined together in a bond of fellowship. No matter our dissimilaritiesMORE...

What’s missing?

Sometimes I get asked to react to a proposed idea, book or program. Being the age that I am, I think I can offer something important: Helping others see what’s not there. In these times, it seems difficult enough to react wisely to what comes our way. The flow of information comes at us with increasing speed, volume and complexity—so we naturally respond in like manner, perhaps satisfied thatMORE...

Deflated dread

During the weeks before Hurricane Florence came into focus, I noticed the increasing dread that news outlets, governmental leaders and Web denizens were feeling about the approaching catastrophe. Understandably so, it seems: The forecasts depicted something historic, beyond current imagination, and devastating to large sections of the country. The warnings seemed to have taken hold. Millions ofMORE...

Spiritual themes in my spam folder

For reasons unknown to me, my e-mail service is now collecting huge amounts of spurious messages—also known as “spam”—and placing them into a euphemistically labeled “Bulk Mail Folder”. (Other servers are more direct, calling this stuff what it is: Junk Mail.) It occurred to me that there may be some spiritual themes that ride along with the spam. Some examples may help you understand what I’mMORE...

Campaigning with Spirit: Anxiety Begone!

This entry is part of a series of blogs that connect political volunteering with spiritual themes. These observations come from my current volunteering for a congressional candidate. Today’s thought: Overcoming anxiety. Over the past two years or so, I’ve found inside and around me a growing sense of dread about the state of the nation, particularly its political health. Without keening thatMORE...

A life purpose for anyone

During the years I’ve visited frail elderly folks, I’ve observed that many of these good people don’t feel that they have a purpose in life. Not all of them, but just enough to make me wonder what it might take for people in their later years to strengthen or regain their zest of living—something that comes along with having a lively, tangible purpose. Today I want to try out this idea with you:MORE...

How much longer?

Like a happy puppy, another birthday just galumphed up next to me, doing its best to get my attention. Again this year, I am glad to consider the blessings of my past, my satisfaction with the present and my hopes for the future. As the total years of my life add more and more numerals, it becomes a frequent feature of my waking moments to ask, “How much longer?” The question can serve as aMORE...

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.

Recent Posts

Blog Topics

Archives

Get in touch

Share your thoughts about the wonder of older years—the fullness of this time in life—on these social media sites.

Receive Updates by Email

* indicates required