I hope you enjoy spring as much as I do. Fragrant blossoms, verdant countryside, melodious birdsong...everywhere, nature shouts of new hope and fresh beginnings. So what's not to like about spring -- besides allergies, I mean? I'll tell you what's not to like. Weeds. Along with the fresh blooms, green shoots, and soft new grass of spring, the nemesis of the suburban property owner proliferates with evil tenacity. Why is it that weeds seem to spread so much faster than the stuff you want to have growing? Not only that, they thrive without water Continue Reading
The Not-So-Obvious Reason You Feel Dog Tired
Have you noticed how exhausted people are? Everybody wants more energy. Everybody wants the stamina to enjoy life and accomplish some things, but it seems to elude us. So what's to blame? Certainly our food is no longer pure,what with all the genetic engineering and toxic ingredients we've added to it. But is that the only reason we're tired? Is it all about what we are eating (or not eating)? Sometimes addressing those issues can help -- but there's another causative factor at work which has less to do with our nutrition and more to do with our lifestyles in Continue Reading
How Easter Reminds You to to Live in Hope
Last week at our church, our pastor did something a little unusual. He handed out a list of prayer needs regarding people in our congregation and their loved ones. My church isn't huge; we run around 400 on an average Sunday. But I looked at the typed pages in my hand and felt a little overwhelmed. Cancer. Shoulder injuries. Autoimmune disease. Back and neck issues. Neurological disorders. Diabetes. Depression. That's not even all the categories, nor was every need of our congregation on the list. So much need. So much brokenness and frailty. So much death at work in our bodies and Continue Reading
Why This Commonly Assumed Idea Needs to be Reexamined
Ever suddenly notice a phrase or idea that everyone commonly uses, and then stop to think about whether you actually agree with it? I'm not a big fan of group-think, so I find myself doing this fairly often. The latest term I've decided to scrutinize is "unprotected sex." I work at a pregnancy help center, and avoiding unprotected sex is a mantra which our clients hear from their schools, the media and the health department all day long. Be sure to use birth control properly. That's the rule of today's religion du jur ... the religion that worships sexual Continue Reading