Victory!

Victory is not a word used when death occurs in the emergency department. Death is the enemy. However, at my mother-in-law's recent funeral I was given the opportunity to look at death once more in the light of Biblical truth. The word, victory, punctuated her...

Speaking Kindly to Myself

One of my most important daily conversations is the discussion I have with myself. Speaking lovingly to me is an important first step in speaking lovingly to others. A psychiatry professor in medical school said that much of psychiatric treatment boils down to...

Optimism vs. Hope

People are often labeled as optimists or pessimists. Many would label me as an optimist. Optimism is rooted in an attitude of expectation that good will result — I will be healed from my illness, I will achieve success in my business or I will win. Optimism,...

Checking My Spiritual Vital Signs

As an emergency physician, I always assessed vital signs. Checking heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate and temperature gave me clues about the health of my patients, what needed attention and what treatment to give. Spiritually, vital signs are important as...

Expiration Dates

Are you as confused by the expiration dates on the food items at the grocery store as I am? "Sell by" dates, "use by" dates, "best if used by" dates are unclear to me. Will I die if I eat something that has expired? I think they are to...