Ephesians 1:7. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. . . I confess; I do not like “blood talk” in Christianity. I typically change the word “blood” in songs to “cross” or “death.” The blood talk seems so primitive. Why is such talk necessary? First, Jesus didn’t just die for our sins. He was executed, cruelly, torturously, violently. Blood loss was the whole point of the crucifixion method. Second, because of the Old Testament precedents. All those sacrifices meant temporary atonement. The Son of God had to die in a blood-shedding way to fulfill eternal atonement because only He was eternal. Third, because sin costs. Sin is rebellion against God, which is not the minor infractions we think of. Sin is how we bend away from God in every way.
In his recent substack article on writers working and producing into their 80s and 90s, Joel J. Miller writes about these superagers: [T]he magic seems to involve a mix of lifestyle choices. Super agers display four common habits, according to McDowell: they stay physically and intellectually active; they continue to challenge themselves; they remain socially active; and they curb their indulgences—they’re not, for instance, heavy drinkers. That could all look like a million things, but let’s focus on intellectual activity and personal challenge, which relates especially well to writers. Based on her research on super agers at Massachusetts General Hospital, neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett says the best advice boils down to four words : “work hard at something.” Strenuous mental effort represents a big part of the ticket. How strenuous? Sudoku and online brain games won’t cut it, she says. Exercising the necessary areas of the brain is tough. “When they increase in acti...