An odd category at first glance, this is the place where you can find odd facts, rocks you can turn over, minutia that’s important, wandering musings and rabbit trails to tempt you into different realms of thought. “Miscellany” might describe the category, and it might not….
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 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...
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...
This entry is part of an occasional series in which metaphorical ideas find their way onto your screen. Its roots are simple: There may be life lessons to find in just about anything. Maybe not all that strange…? My recent trip to a laundromat got me thinking about Baptism. (As Titus 3:5 has it, “the washing of regeneration.”) How Baptism might be like God doing the laundry. Let me set the scene:MORE...
This entry is part of an occasional series in which metaphors of dubious worth find their way onto your screen. Its roots are simple: I may have too much time on my hands OR there may be life lessons to find in just about anything. Maybe not all that strange…? I hold in my frustrated hands a slender produce bag. If it’s ever opened by my clumsy fingers, it will hold fresh veggies or fruit that IMORE...
I have no desire to be a starfish. (What would I do with five arms?) But this wonderful sea creature does possess one trait that might be just a bit enviable. Like a number of other astounding organisms—e.g., lizards, salamanders, sea cucumbers—starfish can grow back limbs and other parts of their bodies that have been damaged or severed. The process is called *regeneration and it’s alwaysMORE...
Today’s entry offers you some updates about malignant miscreants who want to steal your identity. You may be the recipient of online notes like the following click-baits. First the lures and then their spiritual correctives. YOU HAVE BEEN REWARDED OR AWARDED. You are the surprise recipient of cash (or its equivalent) from a source that seems trustworthy. YOUR SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS ARE ABOUT TOMORE...
In a perfect universe, each of these blog entries would break new ground. Or at least find some unexplored conceptual niches close to the heart of older adults. In the real world, I know that I repeat myself, obviously or otherwise. And if that happens too frequently, I could become a *yammering older fellow, something I dread. It’s not so much the repetition that stands out as a problemMORE...
One hopeful phenomenon I’ve seen during the Russian Invasion has been the number of courageous Ukrainians who have stood up to the invading Russian army. Many of the short video clips show extraordinary citizens *talking back. They scold soldiers directly to their faces—something these men may not be accustomed to. What also seems true: Some of these folks are older women whose authority comesMORE...
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.