With a little over two months until the November election, Chris and I are back to work as campaign volunteers. I write this entry to invite you to join us in this essential part of our lived-out faith. During the last election runup, we participated in several tasks, including sending postcards, delivering yard signs, phoning voters, marching in parades and canvassing door-to-door. During GetMORE...
This entry is part of a series, Time Capsules, in which I think about one or more of the places in our home where my history—and my future?—are evident in stored artifacts. Today, I share my thoughts about one of the ways in which I was once quite skilled. Deeply buried in one of our basement closets is a large plastic bin that holds organ, piano, vocal and recorder pieces from the many years inMORE...
Today, I offer a thought that could easily get lost in the dust storm of anger and anxiety that comes at us every day: Our society’s encouragers could use some encouragement themselves, and you and I could be just the ones to do that! I regularly write letters to a variety of political and societal leaders, usually critical in a nice way. It occurs to me, though, that positive letters—we’ll callMORE...
I think that our home is actually a collection of time capsules—bins and boxes that hold our shared history. While rummaging around in our basement recently, it occurred to me that these containers of artifacts might be useful. Perhaps I could spend time among our life history-holders—reminding myself about the long arc of our lives, and of the durable identities that still characterize us. As IMORE...
Let me invite you into a thought experiment that might be useful. Some background first. “What’s next after COVID-19?” is coming our way. Although none of us can accurately predict the future, envisioning specific potentials can work alongside nimble, skillful reactivity. We trust God’s providence, however it might unfold. The experiment starts with questions like these: What do you think willMORE...
My parents always worried about me. (After Chris and I were married, those thoughts included her.) My father’s key question was usually, “Do you have enough money?” and my mother’s queries usually centered on being healthy. They held onto those parenting instincts throughout my adulthood. The present situation—the economy, COVID-19, the political maelstrom—seems to be heightening my own olderMORE...
It’s not uncommon for me to lapse into the false identity of someone who has no power to shape the future. That’s obviously “false” because my wife’s and my sharing/saving/spending practices are potential future-shapers. Where we choose to place our financial assets is one way we can affect the changes we hope will dawn as this pandemic gradually recedes. Because we want to assist organizationsMORE...
As a practitioner of the masked arts, I am happy to share some of my recent mask-related observations and suggestions. I hope you will find them helpful! Some masks are now featuring messages, so it occurs to me that all of us can use our masks—like our T-shirts—to make short statements, or even advertise! “WEAR MASKS LIKE ME” can suggest thoughts such as “NO DUH!”, “I’M NOT STUPID!”, “SIX FEETMORE...
A few days ago, as I was shaving my face, I noticed again the one-inch blemish where I used to have a hairline. It’s my bully scar. Here’s the story. One day in first grade, our class went outside for playground recess. (The playground was the standard-issue, clunky all-metal assortment of equipment now considered dangerous.) The girls preferred the whirling merry-go-round, so they’d congregatedMORE...
You may have noticed that there haven’t been any Full of Years blogs lately. Here’s what’s been going on…. So you know, I had run out of the kind of thoughts that source these blogs. I couldn’t find in my soul the kinds of observations that I have hoped might benefit you. All that was coming to mind were angry comments about our distressing national governance. That didn’t seem to be the kind ofMORE...
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.