About Jerry Elrod

    Writing became a passion for Jerry, when in school he edited the high school weekly paper, moved on to college where he was editor of The Megaphone at Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, and served on the staff of the Perkins' School of Theology, SMU, paper. Throughout his 40 year career in the United Methodist Ministry, he was involved in editing periodicals, authoring weekly columns and preparing sermons and speeches.

    Jerry's final appointment before retirement was at Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in Sun City West, Arizona. He served as Senior Pastor there for four years. In retirement, in search of a stimulating pastime, Senior Citizen Journal was created. Jerry's principal role has been composing a daily feature under the rubric Senior Moments .

    Jerry retired as a United Methodist minister in 1997. He has served as interim pastor off and on over the past several years. Spouse, Sharon, is also involved in the Journal. She is an author in her own right, having written "Shar's Story, a Mother and Daughter Reunited," and Co-Authored "My Dirty Little Secrets - Steroids, Alcohol and God, The Tony Mandarich Story".

Social Security, Medicare and Government

Social Security Administration Budget: An Overview

President Obama's administration has made the Social Security Administration budget available on the Internet at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/ssa.html.  The entire federal budget and supporting ...

Medicare Part D Open Enrollment

Open enrollment for 2009 Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage began November 15 and continues through December 31. Now is ...


Senior Finances

Retirement Calculators, a Must for Planning

Retirement calculators have grown in popularity as a vital tool in the preparation for retirement. They will tell you about how much money you can expect to have at retirement age based on your current age, the retirement programs you’re currently using, and the number of years you’ll have for it to accumulate at its current rate. [...]

Recreation for Seniors

Retirement: The Time to Have Fun!

Retirement opens doors for Baby Boomers, and Seniors more advanced in years, that were kept closed during the working years.  Many of us simply didn’t have time for fun.  Or we thought we didn’t have time.  Or perhaps, we just didn’t make time.  Whatever the scenario, when faced with replacing a 40 hour work week [...]

Senior Travel

Senior Travel: Consider the Exotic!

Many Baby Boomers emerge into retirement with exciting plans for travel.  Destinations available on the internet and in the local travel agent’s office are boundless!  Leaving behind the obligation to go to work every day and learning to enjoy the freedom of a more leisurely life are attractive to us all.  There is more to [...]

Health and Fitness for Seniors

The Mediterranean Diet: Why Senior Citizens Should Consider It

Although the Mediterranean Diet has been around since 1945, it has only become popular in the past couple of decades.  The diet is based on eating habits of people living around the Mediterranean Sea and admittedly those habits vary from one region to another.  However, the diet commonalities among those regions are what form the basis [...]