drsmontgomery Archives - Page 7 of 10

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When God Says Wait: Pray, Ponder and Prepare

Patience

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…

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At Home With the Creative and Quirky

Direction

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…

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Surviving Within the Swarms of Life

Resilience

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…

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Rite of Passage: An Unforgettable Milestone

Transformation

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…

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Reclaiming A Wholehearted Child-like Faith

Grace

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…

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Uniquely Different, Yet Still the Same: A Shared Humanity

Unity

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.…

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Standing On Holy Ground

Wonder

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…

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Intertwined In Solidarity: Faith, Family & Friends

Relationship

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…

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Just Let Me Be Me: No Labels

Inclusion

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…

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Darkness Before the Dawn

Belief

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?…

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Signs of Spring Abound All Around Us

Renewal

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…

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Look Around You: Winter is Over!

Hope

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…

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Mirror, Mirror, Who Do I See?

Self-Care

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…

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Surprised by an Unexpected Masterpiece

Identity

When it comes to snapping photos, I’m a self-proclaimed addict. Ask my husband. I stop whatever I’m doing, pull off the road, or run across a field to catch a beautiful scene. Only my love of nature surpasses my passion for photography. It thrills me when the opportunity arises to…

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Make My Words Count For Good

Responsibility

My husband, Tim is teaching tonight and I’m trying to brainstorm a subject for this week’s blog post. Frequently I choose my content based on what’s happening in my world at the time. But often I struggle deciding on a topic. I pray for guidance. Every once in a while,…