I love the book, “Everything I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” Have you read it? Robert Fulghum wrote it back in the late 80′s. He is profound in his simplicity. Here is a great statement of wisdom, perhaps the deepest every uttered: “Jesus loves me this I know for the bible tells…
Ask, seek, knock
A mischievous friend once advised me, “always ask for forgiveness, not permission.” It was his way of justifying some of his adventurous antics that sometimes came at the (small) expense of local property owners. Don’t let trifle rules stifle a wild idea. How many of us desire something strongly, but, if we think about it,…
The Nairobi Fly
This trip is my third to East Africa in the past 12 months. I love the adventurousness of it all, and the exotic nature that resides in East Africa. My wife, who is traveling with me, and I met a wonderful missionary couple yesterday. They work with the Pokot Tribe in Northern Kenya. From hearing…
Ben Carson
If you enjoy true and inspiring stories, I highly recommend the book and movie “Gifted Hands.” Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Dr. Ben Carson, Chief Pediatric Neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins. That is the top of the physician totem pole. Dr. Carson became famous for being the first to successfully separate twins joined at the head. Previous…
The pain is bad . . .
I’d like to begin a series of blogs that answers some of the common questions about hospice. There are many myths, such as, hospice is only for cancer patients, or, hospice is a place. Let’s start this week’s blog with a few thoughts about continuous care. Continuous care is a hospice industry term that describes…
What is the meaning of this?
I have been reading and enjoying David Stokes’ “Apparent Danger.” It retells the story of Pastor J. Frank Norris, the 1920′s lightning rod pastor of First Baptist Church in Fort Worth. I didn’t realize Fort Worth had such a national stage 90 years ago. It is a story about the coming to power of a…
Haiti Six Months Later
I believe the Haiti earthquake occurred on January 12, 2010. So we are approaching the 6 month mark. From the Antioch Community Church reports, I know that the relief efforts have shifted from medical to rebuilding. I had the privilege of being a relief worker one week after the earthquake. I was part of a…
On Widowhood
James, the half-brother of Jesus, tells us that “true religion is assisting widows and orphans in their distress, and keeping oneself from being polluted by the world.” I haven’t experienced widowhood, but I have cared for many who have. One 92 year-old woman told me that in her experience directly as a widow, and indirectly,…
Heart Conditions and Hospice
Does heart disease have a place in hospice? Heart-related diseases are the most common cause of death, and one of the most common causes of disability in America. Hospice care, if done well, provides life-changing improvement in how these people feel. The most common heart condition is heart failure (chf). CHF means that the heart…
What about death panels?
H.R. 3200 Section 1233 introduced by Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer last year would reimburse physicians for holding end-of-life discussions with their patients. I have mentioned it only briefly in this blog, and I want to communicate a few thoughts about it. First, the conservative labeling of the bill as creating “death panels” is misleading. I…
