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Risking Failure: Stretching Beyond Natural Abilities
Many years ago, a friend of mine told me of some odd advice given him by his high school counselor. This friend was brilliant and was headed to the Air Force Academy. He was successful in everything he had done up to that point. But his counselor advised him to purposely choose to do something he…
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When God Says Wait: Pray, Ponder and Prepare
Do you find yourself in a time of waiting not knowing where to turn or what to do? I’m in that place with my writing. After pitching my manuscript to editors, literary agents and publishers, waiting for a positive response is agonizing. Often I wonder, will anyone want to pick up my book and think…
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At Home With the Creative and Quirky
If you ever find yourself in the company of creative people, you soon find out they’re a bit quirky. Put 400 of these eccentric souls in one mountain retreat center and you’re in for a lot of fun. Such was my experience at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference this past week. I felt…
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Surviving Within the Swarms of Life
Several years ago, my husband and I made the decision to keep bees. It was more my idea than his but he supported my efforts. If truth be told, he’s still afraid of them. He can’t resist the temptation to swat when they crawl in his hair even though they’re simply investigating him. Nearly every…
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Rite of Passage: An Unforgettable Milestone
Certain events mark unforgettable milestones in life. They act as a rite of passage, moving us into new eras of existence. The following story depicts one such event in my life. It is a fictionalized version with names and some details changed but it’s based on a real occurrence. As with every rite of passage,…
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Reclaiming A Wholehearted Child-like Faith
Some people can name the date and place when they first acknowledged their belief in God. They divide their lives like the Gregorian calendar into BC and AD: before and after a specific, life altering event. Not so for me. I’ve experienced the presence of God as far back as I can remember. Granted, I…
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Uniquely Different, Yet Still the Same: A Shared Humanity
Some patients reach out and squeeze our hearts more than others. They touch us in a way that defies explanation. Somehow their existence moves us beyond our contrasts to embrace our shared humanity. They show us how we’re uniquely different, yet still the same. Kevin* was one of those patients. Perhaps I grew fond of…
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Standing On Holy Ground
Have you ever suddenly found yourselves standing on Holy Ground? Like Moses, did it catch you by surprise? The following story describes a time when God revealed his holiness to me in an ordinary hospital room. This encounter took place in the late 1990’s while I was practicing medicine in the Indianapolis area. I changed…
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Living Water: Refreshment for the Thirsty Soul
In the US, we have plenty of safe drinking water compared to other countries. Yet most of us walk around mildly dehydrated on a daily basis. I see it often in my practice. Lack of fluids causes symptoms of dizziness, fatigue and constipation. The normal person requires at least 64 oz. of water for proper…
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Intertwined In Solidarity: Faith, Family & Friends
A little over a year ago, my sister went into hospice care and the world shut down with the virus. In short order, life changed for us all. Consequently, I was forced to re-evaluate everything I once thought important. These circumstances shook me to the point that all unessential elements fell out. In the end,…
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Just Let Me Be Me: No Labels
It’s not easy being the medical person in the family. When my mother introduces me as her ‘doctor daughter,’ I cringe. Even though I want to help her navigate a confusing health care system, I’d rather do it incognito. Sometimes I want to cry out, just let me be me without the diploma and the…
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Darkness Before the Dawn
In the Christian calendar, this is Holy Week. It’s the short time between Palm Sunday and Easter when Jesus entered Jerusalem, died by crucifixion, and rose from the dead. For the people nearest him, it was an emotional rollercoaster. Have you ever thought about how the disciples must have felt? They certainly experienced deep darkness…
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Signs of Spring Abound All Around Us
Signs of spring abound all around us. But if you live in Indiana like me, you resist believing it’s here to stay. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cleaned out my flower beds only to have a snowstorm hit the next week. Just when I think it’s time to break out the shorts,…
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Look Around You: Winter is Over!
Look around you: Winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world’s a choir-and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet arpeggios, Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Song of Solomon 2:11-13 Message Bible
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Mirror, Mirror, Who Do I See?
When an animal or baby first sees their image in a mirror, they believe it’s real. It’s amusing to watch as they ponder their reflection. They touch the hard surface and often look behind it trying to find their new playmate. It’s such a disappointment when they eventually figure it out. In my imagination, I…
