Category Archives: Psyche

Living in an Age of Accumulation

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

George Carlin may be right about a house being a place to keep our stuff, but, nowadays, we’re less inclined to leave home in order to get more stuff. That’s because more stuff regularly appears magically on our doorsteps while … Continue reading →

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The Seven Deadly Sins for Seniors: Lust

Posted on August 6, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve been writing about the seven deadly sins, using as my basis the book Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and their Remedies by Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung. I’m especially interested in how these harmful habits manifest … Continue reading →

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The Seven Deadly Sins for Seniors: Anger

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

I’ve been posting on the “capital vices,” which  in the Christian tradition were seen as source vices from which a multitude of other vices spring. My reflections have been prompted by the book Glittering Vices: A New Look at the … Continue reading →

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The Seven Deadly Sins for Seniors: Greed

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

This is part of a series on the seven deadly sins as they apply to older adults. I’ve been reflecting on the topic after reading  the book Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies by the … Continue reading →

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The Seven Deadly Sins for Seniors: Vainglory

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

As I wrote in my previous post, the Men’s Group at my church has been reading and discussing the book Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies by the philosopher Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung. The … Continue reading →

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The Seven Deadly Sins for Seniors: Envy

Posted on February 6, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

The Men’s Group at my church has been reading and discussing the book Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies” by the philosopher Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung. DeYoung believes that. by studying the “capital vices” … Continue reading →

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Time’s Eunuch

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Bob Ritzema

What does it mean to be “time’s eunuch”? That phrase is found in a sonnet written by Gerard Manley Hopkins in March, 1889, just a few months before he died. The sonnet, which can be found here, was proceeded by … Continue reading →

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An Art Show and an Old Friend’s Vocation

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

I recently went to an exhibit of paintings by Franklin D. Speyers, one of my college roommates. Frank currently has a show entitled “West of the Imagination” at the Center Art Gallery of Calvin College, the school where we both … Continue reading →

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True Solitude

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

In his book New Seeds of Contemplation, Trappist monk Thomas Merton wrote of the spiritual benefits of solitude. He notes, though, that not everything that looks like solitude is genuine: “There is not true solitude except interior solitude.” Just getting … Continue reading →

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The Older I Get, The More Versions Of Me There Are

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Bob Ritzema

Rachel McAlpine, who blogs at Write Into Life, recently posted about the challenge of adjusting her identity as she ages. She writes, “I’ve been searching for an inherent personal coherence, consonance, or harmony. But this is not straightforward, because right … Continue reading →

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