Here’s where the roving eye of Bob Sitze lands on interesting or important events, trends, discoveries, opinions or research that are part of contemporary life. Sometimes missed in spiritually oriented utterances, the stuff of life consists of all the places where God’s hand stirs, supports or motivates. These blogs may also include links for further information or action.
We older adults have likely faced enough of life’s circumstances to be able to deal maturely with our emotions. This attribute might make us especially valuable in helping younger congregation members gather around themselves the life skills necessary to handle their emotions wisely. Our capabilities for emotional regulation could be a valuable help for what’s troubling our society right now: TheMORE...
If you’ve gone through anything resembling a catharsis—a complete re-examination of your identity, purpose or worth—you might remember a possibly chaotic emotional state right before this deep self-cleaning began. Those emotions—including total repentance and longing for a fresh start—may have been strong motivation for you to move beyond the dead-end of an unsatisfying self-concept or lifestyleMORE...
Some of those who think about the inner workings of AI have come to the conclusion that, around 2026, chatbot training processes might run out of human-originated data! This might seem arcane—as in “Who cares?”—except that large language AI training algorithms depend on machines that slurp up vast quantities of information to feed into models of predictable reality. With less material to scrapeMORE...
This Spring, I waited just a tad too long before starting the weeding tasks that are required of anyone claiming to be gardener. The seasonal rains had encouraged the weeds to reach their highest aspirations, so I was pulling out a small, grassy thicket of tall, thick tangles of greenery. Before going full bore on weed-removal, though, I tried to recall where there might also be flowers living inMORE...
(I’ve written previously about a brilliant member of our church—let’s now call him Larry—who’s one of those outliers way out ahead of the rest of us and therefore deserving of our admiration and respect. Today a different take on Larry’s current predicament—one many older adults may know full well….) Recently I’ve encountered Larry’s vexation about some of the electronic wizardry that surroundsMORE...
As I write these thoughts, hundreds (or thousands) of newly hatched 17-year cicadas are flying around in our yard. They seem different than other insect visitors—in a hurry, a bit unsure about their destinations, definitely noisier. Probably more single-minded about what they’re destined to accomplish before it’s too late: discard the exoskeleton, sing, mate/lay eggs and die. For about two weeksMORE...
There IS one, and society benefits from its presence. The organizations and individuals who constitute the enterprise of philanthropy make possible the well-being of all of us. Lately, it feels like this segment of American commerce may have hit a rough patch. Chris and I continue to receive in the mail increasing amounts of free gifts. Their implicit message seems plausible: “We have given youMORE...
Where I live, yards, trees, buildings, cars and even human torsos have become the chosen perches for millions of 17-year cicadas. Their raspy singing fills the soundscape. Still, I’m not concerned about having to share the world with God’s red-eyed insects. As a bona-fide older gentleman, let me tell you why I enjoy cicadas…. Their buzzing/clicking fits my hearing needs. My hearing aidsMORE...
It’s easy to criticize toadies. They seem sadly lacking in self-respect, fawning over political, entertainment or sports figures who don’t always deserve flattery. Over many years, sycophants have garnered more than their share of public disdain. Their original, 17th century manifestation: Subservient assistants to medical charlatans in Europe. They pretended to being cured—by the self-proclaimedMORE...
One of the other older guys in my weekly tai chi class always answers my “How are you?” greeting with “Living the dream…!” There’s some whimsy in his response, and maybe some truth, too. As it turns out, though, “Living the dream” may also be more difficult than just describing a good life. In the opening episode of the PBS documentary series, “A Brief History of the Future”, UCLA socialMORE...
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.