Hospice Mallards

“Because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself” (2 Corinthians 4:14, NIV).

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Level

“Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth…” (Mark 12:14, NIV).

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Some About Me

Promises

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV).

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Droopy Lids

“Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2, ESV).

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Time Enough

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What does it take to make a patient, or friend, or child, or spouse feel like you’ve spent adequate time with them?

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Airport Happiness

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Why should I struggle to be a witness for Christ when most people are happy for most of their lives without Him?

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Foundational Gratitude

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“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (Habakkuk 3:17-18, NIV).

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A Pass-through

“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you…and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3, NIV).

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On the Side: April 2025

Photo by Eve Maier via Unsplash

Our fragrance, be it good or bad, is something people notice. Scripture talks about the fragrance of Christ, reminding us the aroma that wafts around us is what people notice about our faith. It’s a heavy responsibility knowing people are watching and listening to us, but we need to be the sweet aroma of Jesus to a world desperately needing His fragrance.

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Treasures, Tombs and Eternity

One thing the Egyptians are incredibly good at is the preservation of their artifacts and education about them. The last stop we made yesterday was to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, a museum that tries to teach the 7,000+ years of Egyptian history chronologically, tying the artifacts, structures and stories together in a way that gives an arc and a progression to the story.

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Hope

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10, NKJV).

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Until It Hurts

“Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (Mark 12:43b-44, NIV).

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CMDA Should (Re)-Assert Support for Childhood Vaccination

The current measles outbreak in Texas, the ascension of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to the post of Secretary of Health and Human Services and broad societal trends have prompted widespread debate over the wisdom and future of vaccinating children for preventable infectious diseases with meaningful, even major, morbidity and mortality.

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When Helping Hurts

“The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites…’” (Hosea 3:1, NIV).

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In the Trenches: Why Bother?

The issues facing physicians are numerous, covering a broad spectrum. From the nuts and bolts of managing daily practice, providing great care as we stay up to date, dealing with the ethical dilemmas facing our patients and communities—it can be overwhelming.

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A Dangerous Allegory

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“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV).

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Let Us Not Forget Ongoing Christian Persecution

During Lent as we approach Resurrection Day, a number of Christians choose to “give up” something they enjoy, such as a specific food or habit, to identify with the suffering of Jesus on the cross. One habit to consider adopting during this season is the admonition found in Hebrews 13:3: “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body” (ESV).

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Kuczewski Errs: Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right

In a recent Hasting Center Bioethics Forum Essay, “Supporting Patients and Students Who Are Immigrants: What to do and Why Most Bioethicists Won’t Do It,” Mark Kuczewski asserts that bioethicists, and medical systems in general, should not cooperate with any governmental attempts to identify or detain aliens who seek medical care within our hospitals and clinics.

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Canyon Living

“This brings you great joy, although you may have to suffer a short time in various trials” (1 Peter 1:6, NET).

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On the Side: March 2025

“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36, NIV).

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President Trump’s Executive Order on IVF

On February 18, President Trump signed an executive order titled, “EXPANDING ACCESS TO IN VITRO FERTILIZATION.” Noting “the importance of family formation,” the prevalence of infertility (“as many as one in seven”), and the high cost of IVF ($12,000 to $25,000 per cycle), the administration committed itself to a policy which would “ensure reliable access to IVF treatment” by “Lowering Costs and Reducing Barriers to IVF.”

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The USAID Imbroglio: A Misinformation Campaign—Part 1

Between my junior and senior years, I worked a summer job as a secretary-typist with the reviled United States Agency for International Development (USAID). What can I say? I was only 18 and not yet attuned to the subtle tells typically attributed to international criminal organizations.

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Moabites

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2, NIV)

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Sidewalk Man

“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers…” (Luke 10:30b, BSB).

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An Update on PEPFAR from CMDA

In 2003, President George W. Bush launched a program called The President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has become one of the most successful foreign aid programs in United States history. According to the State Department, as of September 30, 2023, PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives and enabled 5.5 million babies to be born HIV-free.

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Treating Health Disparities on Our Knees

Ecclesiastes 9:11 contains the familiar text, “the race is not to the swift” (NIV) (or to those who run fast), but in the case of Black Americans, the race to health began well ahead of us, particularly with slavery.

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On the Side: February 2025

As a little girl, I remember Valentine’s Day so vividly—decorating a shoebox to hold our cards at school, picking just the right Valentine for each friend in our class and, uh, having bronchitis several years in a row and missing the whole thing.

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Someone is Watching

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“Join with others in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do” (Philippians 3:17, NIV).

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Disruptions

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“Not long after this, a hurricane-force wind called the northeaster blew down from the island” (Acts 27:14, NET).

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Elevator Encounter

“But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents” (Mark 12:42, NIV).

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“Nature” Does a Face Plant: Promoting the Transgender Suicide Myth

What if an original research paper published in a respected international scientific journal declared that keeping men out of women’s sports or banning the gender transitioning of minors caused an increase in suicide attempts among transgender youth? Wouldn’t you expect them to show actual evidence of an increase? Well, you ought. But they didn’t.

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Social Transitioning is Neither Neutral nor Benign

Here at CMDA, we’re often asked about why we, as an organization broadly and as our advocacy team specifically, seem to be more concerned about policy and ethics and less so about domestic missions—for our neighbors in need here in the U.S. These inquires and suggestions are often made out of concern that our engagement in legislation and the ethics around certain life issues comes at the expense or dismissal of the vulnerable.

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Wrong

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over” (Matthew 18:15, NIV).

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On the Side: January 2025

Walking into my closet there are shoes and clothes of course, but also old picture frames, a collection of costumes, a big plastic bin of mementos for each of my children, old calendars, sewing supplies, projects I have started (but never finished), holiday decorations, boxes of old photos and a bin of my dad’s things I can’t part with…and more.

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V2 Christianity

“…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV).

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The Great Invasion

“When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he became enraged. He sent men to kill all the children in Bethlehem and throughout the surrounding region from the age of two and under…” (Matthew 2:16, NET Bible).

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A Mission to Protect the Vulnerable

Here at CMDA, we’re often asked about why we, as an organization broadly and as our advocacy team specifically, seem to be more concerned about policy and ethics and less so about domestic missions—for our neighbors in need here in the U.S. These inquires and suggestions are often made out of concern that our engagement in legislation and the ethics around certain life issues comes at the expense or dismissal of the vulnerable.

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An Autumn Cold

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send. And who will go for us?’

And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8, NIV).

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Chickens Waiting

“One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, ‘Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self! —can’t be my disciple…’” (Luke 14:25-26, MSG).

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God Listens

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:13-14, NIV).

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Scientific Evidence Versus Ideology

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) positions itself as a leader in scientific knowledge; however, this commitment seem to falter when it comes to care for transgender patients. Is it because ACOG’s focus is not on scientific evidence but primarily on ideology?

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Protecting the Vulnerable After the 2024 Election

A frequent quip during an election year is that elections matter, and 2024 was no exception. Now that the 2024 election is over, I want to explore how this election will likely impact our efforts here at CMDA to protect the vulnerable.

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Durres

“Then Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM…’” (Exodus 3:13-14, ESV).

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Bookend Stories

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor heigh, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, ESV).

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Fetal Care Versus Fatal Cure

“Prenatal care has become the biggest barrier to postnatal life.” This lament by a dear friend who is a neonatologist points to the fact that it is often our attitude toward “the least of these” that determines their outcomes, and it is especially true for those diagnosed in the womb with developmental anomalies.

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Praying for Magic

“…the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake…” (Exodus 7:11-12, NIV).

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Ruminations on Behavior

The environment we live in influences our behavior, and this includes the people we spend time with, the things we read or watch, our social media engagement and our leisure activities.

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On the Side: November 2024

The burden of a friend’s pain is heavy. I’m with you. But Paul’s letter to Philippi reminds us that God is faithful in carrying them until the day of Christ. Maybe you’re the friend with the burden. We’re with you!

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Stopping the Train

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“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV).

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100 Percent Truth: Women’s Health Matters

Over the last year or more, pro-life healthcare professionals have taken to various media platforms to speak truth and dismantle lies surrounding emergency medical care that will, in fact, be provided to women experiencing pregnancy complications.

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Indispensable Me

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“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7, NIV).

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“Gender-affirming Healthcare” for Adults: Is It Helpful?

With transgender interventions on minors, aka “gender-affirming healthcare” (formerly transgender-affirming therapy), falling and failing under scrutiny in about half the U.S. states and numerous nations, it was predictable that proponents of gender transition ideology would double down on claiming it is proven to help adults with gender dysphoria/transgender identification.

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Empty Cradles, Empty Nurseries

As if reading from the same script, both the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal ran feature-length articles recently on the plummeting birth rates of the advanced Euro-American and East Asian nations. This phenomenon has been known for some time and continues to grow. Why is it a problem? What are the causes? What are the solutions?

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Empty Vessels

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“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message” (Acts 10:44, NIV).

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Stand Against Deception

The case involves a 41-year-old patient by the name of Amber Thurman who went to North Carolina to get a surgical abortion. She was late to her appointment, probably secondary to traffic, and so she was given the first dose of Mifepristone and told to go home and take the second pill of Misoprostol when she got home.

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Loving God

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son…” (1 John 4:10, NIV).

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On the Side: October 2024

The burden of a friend’s pain is heavy. I’m with you. But Paul’s letter to Philippi reminds us that God is faithful in carrying them until the day of Christ. Maybe you’re the friend with the burden. We’re with you!

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Family

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name” (Ephesians 3:14-15, NIV).

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A Tribute to My Brother, Now Gone

Three months of thoughtful reflection later, I’m now utterly convinced of the brevity of life. Life is fragile and precious. People deserve my time. Every minute counts.

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The Pain of Second Chances

“The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress…’” (Hosea 3:1, NIV).

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ACOG Reveals Their True Priorities

If the electorate is not transparently educated about the devastation these amendments will bring, we can almost be assured the trickery used by abortion proponents will result in permanent loss. Repealing constitutional amendments is extremely difficult, so we must pray and do everything we can to oppose the amendments.

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Friction

When we struggle, a painful friction changes us, and the change provides new opportunities for His glory.

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On the Side: September 2024

"Roo" Photo by Carol Shrader

nd so it happened that one week before move-in day for my baby, I saw a dog that seemed to need me. I looked at my husband and said I think I will fill out this application. My dog-loving hubby told me to go right ahead.

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The Real You Inside

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“I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens” (Ezra 9:6, NIV).

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Turning a Blind Eye to the Lack of Statistics

A recent article published in The New England Journal of Medicine titled “Rape, Homicide, and Abortion Bans – The Abandonment of People Subjected to Sexual and Intimate Partner Violence” is another example that abortion advocates have a single focus: to allow abortion on demand throughout pregnancy.

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Naturally Sticky

On the last day of our Spring Canyon vacation with most of our children and all our grandchildren, after the adult time of worship and spiritual message, my son and his wife went to collect their two children from the children’s program.

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The Power and Permanence of State Amendments

The pro-abortion forces in our country now recognize an effective path forward to remove all abortion restrictions around the country. It requires spending tens of millions of dollars, but it’s well worth it since that money will be earned back from all the abortions that will be allowed once state amendments are passed.

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Forevermore

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My wife and I chose to use our vacation money this year to invite our kids and grandkids to a Christian ranch in Colorado. Today we were gathered in a worship service at Spring Canyon Ranch, where the hook of Mount Princeton is rising in the distance

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At the Table or On the Menu

On June 18, 2024, Miles Meline highlighted a recent study published in The American Journal of Bioethics called, “Bioethicists Today: Results of the Views in Bioethics Survey,” which confirmed Smith’s, and in general our, worst suspicions.

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A Question of Place

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I have been managing his prostate cancer for 10 years. During that time, his wife left him and all his children moved elsewhere. He loves the Lord deeply. His sister wants him to come live with her in Texas. His daughter wants him to come and live with her in Alabama.

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On the Side: August 2024

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I had delayed answering for too long, because she was rephrasing the question yet again. “Where do you go when you want to find the truth?”

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A Call to Engage in Contemporary Culture

We are living under common grace. As Colson states it, “God’s power sustains creation holding back sin and evil because of the fall and that would otherwise overwhelm his creation like a great flood.” We can be incredibly thankful for that common grace, but what is our role? What is our responsibility in holding back evil?

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Clean Evangelism

Last Sunday I looked to the choir loft of my local church and spotted a man whose father I knew when I served in Nigeria as a medical missionary. Today, I found my diary and located my account of his father:

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Circus in Town

My faith, that hope grounded in certainty, was not imagined by a heartfelt desire. It was fully grounded on the character, capacity and commitment of my father.

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See You Later

“‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57, ESV).

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Lies, Love and Civil Discourse

Today, recognizing the numerous forms of lying to which we are tempted, our communication is to be characterized by veracity, courage and love. Especially in our highly polarized society, when we see the stakes of political decisions as being so high, it is tempting to fudge the truth to win an argument, or avoid speaking the truth, in order to keep the peace and avoid painful confrontation.

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Steadfast

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves…” (Ephesians 4:14, NIV).

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The Big Gamble

“…I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12, NIV).

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On the Side: July 2024

My physician hubby and I just celebrated 33 years married. 33 years. 25 of those I have been married to a physician. (The first eight he was an aerospace engineer but don’t get me started on the bliss of having a NASA engineer as a husband and the flex schedule that meant he had a three-day weekend twice a month!)

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The Anxious Generation

Are skyrocketing rates of mental illness among the young caused by smartphones? A growing chorus of mental health professionals and research psychologists say “absolutely yes.” What does the evidence show, what can we do about it and why are religious conservatives largely being spared?

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Praying for Dogs

I prayed for a dog today. I’m not a dog-lover; I’m a dog-liker, but I prayed for Hershey today. A young man who had fallen on hard times called me today, a friend I had not heard from in years, but I had prayed for him regularly.

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Business-model Seeking

If I become a private practice doctor, I might win four people to Christ in my life; but, as a missionary doctor, I could win 400? If I am a preacher, I would win 800? Should we not do for God that which brings the best outcomes? It’s certainly honorable to try. Such thinking works for Microsoft; does it work for Christ?

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Suffering and Facing Death

No fewer than 20 states introduced assisted suicide bills so far in 2024, and polling suggests the majority of Americans are sympathetic to the cause. According to the stats, this must mean a number of supporters would at least call themselves Christians, which strikes me as a sad development considering the rich tradition of Christian thought regarding how we should live in our final days.

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On the Side: June 2024

“…let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…”
Hebrews 12:1-2

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Faithful

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25, ESV).

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