Not Too Old-No Longer Young

The sign posted on a nursing home bulletin board read, "Eat a prune and start a movement!" Every one of us is part of a mass movement-the reality of aging. The graying of America is more than a Boomer experience, even though the sixty-five and older crowd is now the fastest growing segment of our society. Not Too Old-No Longer Young will provide an opportunity to consider, in a personal way, this simple fact of life: we are all growing older. Not Too Old-No Longer Young is set in Hidden Lake, one of several retirementcommunities owned and operated by Lutheran Senior Services of St. Louis, Missouri (LSS). LSS is the tenth largest not-for-profit senior housing organization in the country, and the largest in St. Louis. LSS was named the "best place to work in St. Louis" in both 2009 and 2011 by the St. Louis Business Journal. Committed to caring for the whole person, body, mind, and spirit, LSS provides full-time chaplains to serve at each of their facilities. In Not Too Old-No Longer Young, you will meet some of the residents who live at Hidden Lake through the lens of their chaplain and through their personal stories. A mix of the light-hearted and the painful; this insightful book exposes various aspects and issues of aging that we must all eventually consider.

Randy Shields is a pastor, teacher, chaplain, and a life-long Lutheran Christian. From the parish to the campus to the retirement community of Hidden Lake, his ministry spans more than four decades. When not at a bedside or leading worship, Randy enjoys early morning quiet time jogging; a game of tennis, just about any time; and connecting with his four children and eight grandchildren all of the time.