"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15

Good morning!  I hope you are all doing as well as you can be during this pandemic, and as things start to open up again.  Every year for the past 20 years on 9/9, I have given a shout-out to my Heavenly Father thanking Him for another year of life.  On 9/9/99, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  With a little surgery, radiation, and a lot of love, I was healed, and I have so much to be grateful for. This year will be the 21st year that I thank Him and praise Him for another year of life.  What is also special about this day, is that my mom also celebrates another year of life.  This year marks four years since her diagnosis of breast cancer. The above picture is from four years ago when she was going through chemotherapy. We are so blessed.  Thank you, Jesus!

We need personal right now

Artist, Greg Olsen

Happy Sunday!  We're already near the end of July, and by one avenue or another, the kids will be back to school.  I hope you are well despite the chaos in the world.  I recently watched season one of a series called "The Chosen."  It's a series about the life of Jesus.  Growing up, I saw several of these types of movies, including the most recent one in 2004, "The Passion of the Christ."

This series struck a chord with me.  For the first time, I saw Jesus portrayed as personal, as a human who experienced day-to-day living, as we do.  I saw him cooking, setting up a tent (his living quarters), experiencing his friendships, and showing his sense of humor. In all of the previous series, I had a hard time picturing Jesus as truly human.  In other movies, he is depicted as more of a godly form than human.  Don't get me wrong.  I know that he lived without sin, so his humanity was limited to a sinless nature.  However, "The Chosen" showed Jesus as a man, a son to his mother, a friend to his disciples, and a compassionate person.

In the scene where he performed his first miracle to turn water to wine at a wedding, we see him dancing and laughing with his friends.  He is making merry and celebrating the wedding of this couple. He is also seen entertaining children at the wedding.  In another scene, we see how he loved his mother and was glad to see her after he'd been out of town for awhile.  We see him calling his disciples to follow him and how he befriends them.  They raise tents together, eat meals together, take journeys by foot together: and one can see how he and the disciples adored each other's friendship.  He was patient with the disciples as they struggled to understand his parables and his ways.  

When a leper came toward him and the disciples, the disciples drew knives and told the unclean man to stay away.  They tried to shelter Jesus from the leper and draw him back to protect him.  Jesus gently nudged them off and said, "It's okay."  Jesus took off his back pack and laid it down.  He slowly advanced toward the leper, who had fallen on his knees asking Jesus to heal him.  The leper had tears of desperation and loneliness in his eyes.  Not only did Jesus come close to the man, but he knelt down to be face-to-face with him.  Then he didn't just speak words of healing, he reached out and touched the man.  He said, "Be clean."  The leper's wounds healed immediately and he was cured of leprosy.  The man cried words of gratefulness, and Jesus' smiled at him.  His face glowed with love and compassion.

We need to see Jesus as he is.  He is our Savior, but he is also our friend.  He loves us with a love that we can't understand.  He accepts us for who we are right now...not when we have our lives together...not when we're less anxious and worried...not when we're joyous instead of depressed...he accepts us as we are right now.  In this time when life seems so fragile and unstable, with the Corona virus causing illness and fear, with the political platforms in constant conflict, and with the racial tensions that plague us, we need a Jesus that is personal.  He was human, he lived in this world, he experienced many of our same emotions, and he understands.  

Approaching him is easy.  In "The Chosen," he talks about how prayer should be short, not fancy, and from the heart.  He tells the crowd to go into your closet, where it is private, and talk to God.  He doesn't expect long, drawn out rhetoric.  He wants to hear from us, as a friend would.  He is approachable and always ready for us.  

Jesus is personal.  He wants a personal friendship with you.  Talk to him.  He longs to hear from you.  Remember, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  John 15:13

Find "The Chosen" at the app store.  Search for "The Chosen app" and download.  It's free to watch!

Do not be discouraged

Hi there!

Can you believe we're more than halfway through July already?  I thought that being socially isolated at home would make the summer drag on.  It's been quite the opposite.  I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some kind of normal again.  So much has happened this year, and most of it has been scary.  The most obvious scary happening this year has been COVID-19.  It has changed so much of our daily living. Like you, I wonder how long it will be in the forefront.  Every day, wherever I go, I wear a mask, and I sanitize my hands.  I'm not sure if my kids will be returning to traditional school, which they desperately need.

I suppose we're all feeling a little desperate.  Not only are we dealing with a pandemic, but we are also reeling from the current protesting and rioting.  There has been so much destruction of personal and public property, and many people have been injured, even killed, during this time. There is talk of defunding the police in several cities, and the election banter is overwhelming.  It feels like the world is falling apart.  Part of me feels mostly safe when I step outside my door at home, but there is also part of me that worries and feels fear.  What next?

At times like these, I have to turn my worries over to the one who can handle them.  I'm not always sure to what to pray for.  In fact, many days I just feel overwhelmed.  Romans 8:26 tells us that the Spirit of God helps us.  It says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans."  That encourages me.  When we don't know what to pray, God knows our hearts and our worries.

Next time you are lost for words to pray because you feel discouraged, anxious, or overwhelmed, remember that God knows what you're feeling.  He knows what makes you anxious, and he knows what you need.  All you have to do is go to Him.

Love your neighbor

Good morning. I hope you and your family are surviving this pandemic and staying safe. I have been silent on one of the other issues on the forefront of our news right now: racism. This is such an important issue that needs special attention. I’m married to a husband who is half-Mexican and my adopted daughter is half African American. While I believe that all lives matter, I also believe we have to step up our game for those who are not like us. 

I read in my devotional today, “One day there will be healing,” by Cochran & Co, that we are to consider who is our neighbor. The devotional tells the story of the Good Samaritan and how he cares for someone of opposite race and culture who is left to die. 

“I believe Jesus is doing the same thing for us today. He is saying, “I don’t care what race they are, who they’re voting for, what their religion is, or how much money they have—if they’re a person, they’re your neighbor—love them!” Even if they feel like an enemy, Jesus tells us to love them too (see Matthew 5:44)! Jesus calls us to love those who don’t think like us, act like us, or look like us.”

You may not feel like you’re a racist, and possibly you’ve gone out of your way for people of other races and cultures. That’s how I’ve always seen myself. However, as a white person, society has offered me privilege, whether I’ve recognized it or not. Today, I am choosing to thoughtfully love my neighbors the way Jesus would. I’m choosing to drop any pre-formed opinions I might have regarding other races, whether I’ve been conscious of them or not. I’m choosing to love all races and cultures with an open mind and heart, the way God loves each one of us. 

“…Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

COVID Blues

Hi there.  How are you doing through all of this COVID panic and mania?  If you're like me, you've become tired of just about everything:  the isolation, the social distancing, the lack of toilet paper, wearing masks in public, the confusion in the media regarding the virus, and the political upheaval around us.  Because I'm a doctor, so many people have asked me my thoughts about mask wearing, glove wearing, if it's safe to socialize with a small number of people, do I think there will be a vaccine soon, does having the virus give a person immunity, etc.  Unfortunately, even health care workers don't have all the answers, and we even disagree about certain aspects of this viral pandemic. 

Needless to say, this viral funk has led me to not feel like blogging over the past month.  If you are able to see my Facebook posts, I've concentrated on positive messages, images, and things that will make you laugh or lift your mood.  My initial posts were about COVID-19, but honestly, the further we get into this pandemic, the less I feel I know about this virus.  What I can tell you, is that as an Obstetrician, I haven't seen many positive cases, and I'm thankful for that.  I think my whole family had COVID-19 before the pandemic was announced or tested for in early March.  We all had mild-to-moderate illness with slow recovery.  One of my colleagues that I work with had COVID-19 and had moderate illness, even with several health problems.  I'm grateful that it wasn't severe.  Through this entire time, I've worked more than full-time, which I know that many cannot say.  I'm so grateful for my job, though many days, it was scary coming to the hospital.  Not knowing how much of this illness I would see, not knowing if I would contract a severe form of the virus, and not knowing if I would take it home to my loved ones weighed on me...and still does.

Many people have lost loved ones to this virus.  It just breaks my heart to know there are so many who were affected by death or the loss of a loved one.  Our elderly loved ones have had to be isolated without visitors, and I'm certain this has taken a toll on their health and happiness.

There is so much unknown ahead of us.  As businesses start to open again, and we feel our way along this new path, please join me in staying positive.  We really need to support each other, care for each other, and love each other.  We are actually in this together, though our individual paths may look a little different.  Take each step with kindness, patience, and grace. Remember that we are social individuals and we need each other.  God made us this way, to need relationships and to care for each other. God bless you all!

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

I hugged my patient today

She looked up at me with fear and pain in her eyes. EMS had brought her into the ER because she was having a postabortion complication. My eyes met her with my face mostly covered with a surgical mask. “I’m not proud of what I did and I don’t believe in doing what I did, but I had an abortion three weeks ago,” she said with a trembling voice. 

I suppose she expected judgment from me, because I could hear guilt spilling from her words. I shook my head and told her there was no room for judgment. We talked about her medical issue at hand. I examined her, and everything turned out to be okay. 

After I told her she would be okay, tears erupted from her eyes and her body began to shake. “I didn’t want to do it, but I had to. I was so overwhelmed. There was no other way. I deserve to have a complication,” she cried. 

Sobs began and she reached out as for something to hold. I reached out to her and held her as she held on tightly and sobbed into my shoulder. Tears came to my eyes as I felt the weight of her pain and emotion. After a moment, I looked at her and told her that she was not alone. I shared with her that God loves her unconditionally no matter what she’s done and that He would not leave her. With deep regret, she said she wanted to go back and change the outcome but she knew she couldn’t. I reassured her that her baby was in heaven with Jesus. She nodded and cried some more. By the time she went home, her tears had subsided and she thanked me for being there for her. 

In the middle of this COVID crisis, there are so many people hurting from so many different things. Know that God loves you and cares for you. Reach out to Him and He’ll put His loving arms around you. No sin is unforgivable. His love is real, is unconditional, and is there…for you. 

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

Light in the darkness

During my quiet time with God today, I prayed earnestly for healing for our world.  I prayed that God would halt the spread of this virus and care for those already affected.  I prayed that He would rain down His love and mercy on us.

I was reminded of a story in the Bible in Luke Chapter 7.  It's the story about a centurion who had a sick servant, who was about to die. The centurion sent some elders to Jesus and asked Jesus to come to his house to heal his servant.  Jesus went to the house, but as He was approaching, the centurion sent friends to Jesus to say, "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.  That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you (verse 7)."  Then he said something very powerful in the rest of verse 7.  He said, "But say the word, and my servant will be healed."  Jesus was amazed at the centurion's faith and said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel (verse 9)."

God only needs to say the word.  He is all powerful and above any cancer, depression, loneliness, or viral disease.  He is the way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness.  He alone can save us.  If you are like the rest of us who are social distancing and waiting to see what happens, you are anxious and scared.  Although God tells us many times in the Bible not to fear, I have to admit, I've felt fear lately.  Take a moment to be quiet, to bow your head, and to ask God to please speak words of healing over us. He is listening, and he only needs to whisper words of healing for healing to happen.

Sustained weight loss

Hi there! As many of you are aware, I was on a ketogenic diet for quite some time. Although I started out losing weight on that diet, I was unable to get down to my target weight or sustain the weight I’d lost. I’ve tried various diets and exercise regimens without much success. Although I did not not start out considerably overweight, I could see with age that my weight was trending upward. I started avoiding looks in the mirror, I would only wear certain outfits because certain clothes showed my muffin top, and I just didn’t feel good.

Two months ago I signed up at Noom.com. I started out at a weight of 126 lbs. Today, I weighed in at 116.8 lbs. I want to sing the praises of this app, because for the first time, I’ve been able to lose my weight and keep it off.  My target weight over two months was 115 lbs, but as you can see, I got really close and I’ll continue to use this app.  This app is unique for many reasons:

-        You get a customized weight loss plan when you sign up. You set goals and your reasons for your goals, and then Noom customizes a plan for you. 

-        You are assigned a coach who chats with you once a week, so you can be held accountable. Your coach also gives you helpful tips and encouragement.

-        You are assigned to a group, which is a feature I don’t use. However, it’s a good place to share your struggles and victories.

-        You weigh in daily, and Noom plots your weight loss on a graph so you can see it. 

-        Noom offers daily education about the different food groups, different eating habits, the psychology behind why we eat what we eat, helpful tips, and much more.

-        Noom sets your daily calories and daily step goals for you. You can log in every meal and see how many calories every food item is worth. That way you can stay within the calorie goal that Noom set up for you. You can also use your phone to track your daily steps…and Noom tracks these for you and lets you know when you’ve reached your goal. 

-        If you do additional exercise, you can log the exercise in and get credit for calories burned.

For my experience, all I’ve done is stay within my calories goal, which is 1200 per day. The other thing I’ve done is reach my daily step goal. Just those two things have caused me to lose my weight and keep it off.  It really works.

Example of what I see on the app

To sign up, go to Noom.com and answer the questions they ask. They will set you up with your own customized plan. Noom has you sign up for two months at a time. The cost is $49/month. Whenever you want to cancel, you just have to tell your coach. I’m so thrilled with my weight loss, that I’ve signed up for two more months. This app helps you change your habits so that this process doesn’t feel like a diet. My energy is better and my skin is clearer.  I highly recommend it and I wanted to share it with you. 

Not just another COVID19 post

Written by a child on Animal Jam app

“God has created this world and everything in it. He created each of our hearts and sustains the breath of all living things. If there is anything or anyone worth trusting, it would be the God who was there before everything we’ve ever known or seen.” (Roar, live from Passion 2020, from the You Version Bible app devotional).

During these times of uncertainty, we feel fear, anxiety, and we’re not sure what the future holds. As a physician who works in an ER, I have taken my fears to the Lord. I know that He is in control and I know for certain that He hears our prayers. 

While I’m doing my best to comply with all of the CDC’s recommendations (hand washing, being socially distant, etc), I know with all of my heart that God is with us. Pray. Talk to God. Ask Him to rid the world of COVID19. Ask Him to protect you and your loved ones. Ask Him to protect those at risk. Ask Him to heal those who have been infected. Prayer makes a difference. God hears you and He can act. 

Take your fears to the One who can change things. 

“For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4