June 2017 - Vol. 3 - No. 5

Greetings one and all!!

Summer weather has taken root here in St. Louis. We have had rain a plenty, but the sun prevails as we move on through June. As you sit down amidst the sounds of morning birds, coffee brewing, and the like, take a moment to read this issue of “Theodore Talks”. Happy reading!

All things music and creative!

I have done it!! I have reached my first goal!! Thank you so much to all of my Patreon supporters. I could not be doing this without you!

As promised, I will pay it forward. In reaching this $100 goal, I will sponsor another Patreon creator for $5. I chose a super talented musician who specializes in early music, Vince Conaway. Vince is an outstanding hammered dulcimer player and lives the life of the traveling minstrels of long ago. I encourage you to check out his Patreon page.

The Seasonal Scriptures in Song patronage continues to grow. Thirteen patrons after three months is a solid start. As I have mentioned in the past few newsletters, I would love to have your support in this exciting venture, even if only at the $1 or $3 levels! To find out how you can become one of my patrons, check out my Patreon project page at: www.patreon.com/TheodoreJander.

May’s Seasonal Scriptures in Song, Hope Fulfilled, was released a few weeks ago. I am super excited that my mom, Martha Streufert Jander, has decided to become my lyricist. After much deliberation over how best to set the verse, I asked my mom for help in writing the text in a usable rhyme scheme. She agreed and created a wonderful adaptation of Romans 5:5.

In order to read my mom’s adaptation and to gain access to the music, check out my Patreon page!

All in all, my creativity is on an upswing!

Living Life to the +Plus!

Sleep is such an integral component of our health life. I never realized that in an effort to gain a few more minutes of sleep by hitting the snooze button, I was actually doing myself a disservice towards my NRG levels for the morning and my whole day. This month’s tip for taking one simple step to harmonious health is all about:

The Curse of the Snooze Button
The following article provides some great insight into the snooze button syndrome:
“The Negative Impact of Hitting the Snooze Button”

If you have the snooze button syndrome, here are some helpful tips as given in the above article:

Figure Out Why You’re Hitting the Snooze Button

• Are you going to bed early enough?

• Are you exercising?

• Are you hyped up before bed?

• Are you comfortable in your bedroom?

• Do you have any chronic sleep issues?

What To Do Instead of Hitting Snooze

• As difficult as it may be, just get out of bed (rest assured, the grogginess will wear off).

• Put your alarm on the other side of your bedroom, far away from your bed.

• Better yet, hide your clock/phone so you have to actually start out your day immediately active as you scavenge for your alarm device.

Devotional Life!
As mentioned last month, I will be sharing with you an adaptation of an adaptation of devotional practices shared in the information bulletin at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. All of the suggestions are applicable to all types of situations and backgrounds.

We continue looking at different ways to spend time in devotions and finding that quiet time for meditation, prayer, etc. Here are another three options:

Write your prayers - Writing down a prayer can be incredibly powerful as it can help you really focus on what you are trying to say and eliminate distractions.

Memorize scripture - Choose a verse or a passage, reading it at least a few times a day. The best thing to do is to find a time that is normally wasted and to use that time to memorize Scripture. For example, you can memorize Scripture while you blow dry your hair, or while you brush your teeth. You can even use music to help memorize scripture verses or passages. [My new project, Seasonal Scriptures in Song, provides brand-spankin’-new music for this very purpose.]

Listen to Scripture - The Bible is now easily available on audio. Obviously, the best way to focus is to simply sit and listen. But, you can also try adding extra Scripture to your day by listening to the Word while completing other tasks. For example, you can listen while in your car driving.

Past issues are available on my website at: "Theodore Talks" - A Newsletter

If you know of anyone who would like to receive this newsletter, let me know and I can add their information to the list or you can send them to the contact/subscription page of my website: www.theodorejander.com/?page_id=40

Blessings to each of you!