In this category you can find all the blogs that focus on mind/body matters, separately or intertwined. As people age, this aspect of life can be the most worrisome or worse. In these blogs, “fullness” suggests otherwise.
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...
At this moment, I’m running out of words. The ones coming at me seem overburdened from trying to carry something that’s too heavy for human expression. The words I’d like to send skitter around in my brain, waiting to capture the essence of my best thinking but clearly not up to the task. Like you, every day I face both what’s unspeakable and what’s ineffable. What’s unspeakable? The horrors of aMORE...
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...
Most athletes know how this works: When you play a sport, you get hurt. Over time you learn how to keep playing in spite of the pain. It’s not pleasant—who wants to carry around pain–but it’s still part of the whole experience of being a sportsperson, especially so for professional players. I have observed this phenomenon among the participants in our older adult group exercise classes. WeMORE...
One of our congregation’s weekly Bible classes is the highlight of my week. Its’s an anchor for my spiritual well-being as well as a chance to dig deeper into the rich soil of Christianity. Something fairly new in my retired years, this gathering of men and women of Faith is both a source and an outlet for what lies inside of me. I didn’t always think like this. From admittedly inaccurateMORE...
It occurred to me recently that I haven’t been smiling as much as I used to. (Part of my older gentleman’s wrinkles have for *years included the tell-tale creases of repeated beaming.) Noting this possible rumple in my attitude/behavior character traits, I add these few thoughts…. These recent years have seemed full of nonstop, smile-diminishing anxiety. But despite war rumbles, continuingMORE...
Does this ever happen to you: Your mind fills with words that don’t seem to have anything to attach to. Whether vocalized or unspoken, these random vocabularies don’t quite coalesce into an idea that might give them shape. So they just roam around, as though looking for a home. Added to this feeling is the possibility that, without a way for them to gather together, these words might splash andMORE...
My *elderly iPhone is showing its age. Its *battery health has been waning recently. It’s moving more slowly, not loading its featured programs as quickly. It takes longer to fully charge this sturdily useful piece of technology. As an artifact within my own elderhood, this phone may be like me in some ways—losing some energy, but still looking forward to more years of sturdy usefulness. InMORE...
Over the centuries, God’s people have pleaded, “How long, O Lord?” God’s answer? When *the fullness of time had come, God sent Jesus to save and rescue the world. During Christmastide, we might characterize that pleasant-sounding fullness as the result of God’s careful planning—choosing the perfect moment, when all the right conditions were in place for Messiah to arrive. The contexts surroundingMORE...
It’s way too early to celebrate Easter Sunday. On the other hand, if every Sunday’s worship remembers this central event in Jesus’ life, then Easter-inspired ideas and emotions could also be embedded in Yuletide celebrations. Then Christmas is also “Alleluia!” time. The evidence to the contrary seems strong right now—self-serving impulses driving the false promise of materialism; COVID’s gripMORE...
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.