Signs of the Times
April 2006
The McGraths: Every Rose . . .
It is nine years since Jane McGrath was first diagnosed with breast cancer. And while the initial diagnosis was devastating, to say the least, the second and now third relapses (announced in February) continue to shake the lives of the McGrath family and all those close to them.
The Mystery of God
We can disagree about anything and everything. But there is something none of us can deny: there is a transcendent sweep over our existence. We are all stunned by the fact that we simply are. We understand that we derive our existence from something greater than a product of our own hands. We are all here, and in spite of all of our unanswered questions, this mystery of life is larger than us and reaches deep into every one of us, whether religious or not.
Optimism: A New Way of Life
It’s an age old battle: the pessimist thinks the optimist a fool; the optimist thinks the pessimist makes themself unnecessarily miserable. As a doctor, I’ve read a lot of the research into the issue. One researcher who’s spent more than 25 years looking at the topic is Martin Seligman, a psychologist and author. Seligman and his colleagues have found that optimistic people are happier than pessimists, which stands to reason!
Rebounding Generosity
Real giving is about making a life joyous through service; there is really no other way to have lasting joy, and it’s this that Jesus taught.
Reclaiming Intimacy
Frequently, when things start to go wrong, couples try to get closer sexually, hoping to recapture intimacy and closeness. Others may try to talk it out, without realising that intimacy is an intensely emotional or affective experience that requires more than words and reasons. Still others will shift their focus away from the relationship to their involvement with their children, career, sports or other interests. So what does it take to keep love alive?
Fools of History
One of the beauties of April Fools’ jokes is their practicality, with no intention to inflict harm or insult other people. Sometimes the joke seems to require more effort than the end result is worth; sometimes the end result snowballs beyond all expectation
Celebrating Easter
When you think about Easter, is it rabbits, eggs and chocolate that springs to mind? Or do you recall a deeper meaning to the holiday? Is there any thought of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus on the cross outside Old Jerusalem and what that meant?
Of Life and Death
The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ will always constitute the watershed of meaning in human life and the history of our planet. If the reality of Jesus’ story has been fabricated, or misrepresented by some intentional religious collusion, then Christianity stands condemned as the biggest, most sophisticated hoax of all time.
The Woes of Weighing
Your bathroom scales might be a quick, easy measure of diet progress, watching those numbers reduce, but that’s not necessarily a measure of success. Here are 10 reasons why.
Living and Learning in Laos
While walking though the local food market looking for something that resembled lettuce, I realised that life in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) was not that different from life in Australia or New Zealand. I still worked, ate and slept as normal, but these daily tasks were done in a uniquely Laotian way.
Facing Your Past
Is it only obsolete TV station signals that can be stored somewhere to be replayed later? Our very personal “computer,” the brain, stores vast amounts in the form of memory. But there is even more extensive information about us stored in another archive. The Bible tells us that “books of remembrance” (Malachi 3:16) are being written, recording details of our lives. Jesus warned that we will have to give an account even for our careless words (see Matthew 12:36, 37) one day. Sometime we may have to face it.
God Carried My Baby
If ever there was a defining moment in my life it was the evening of June 30, 2003. As I was rushed to hospital in an ambulance, I put my life into God’s hands. I prayed, “Lord take me if it is your will, or please, cause me to completely recover.” Within minutes of arriving at the hospital it was confirmed . . .
No Smoke or Mirrors
It was the greatest event of history. Its results would reverberate for eternity. Yet while it has been recognised as the pivot of all Christian belief, it has come under increasing attack by those who would denigrate the certainty of this epoch-shattering event.
Resolutions You Can Keep
The New Year is a time to take stock of your life and ponder important questions, such as, “What have I accomplished?” “What are my goals?” and “Is my hair colour fooling anyone?” It is also a time to make resolutions, which, frankly, none of us ever have enough self-control to keep.
SIGNS REGULAR COLUMNS
Our Times:
Women make a stand, speedy eyes, take cover! and more . . .
Food Matters:
Barley Benefits Health
Internet Insider
What a Tangled Web We Can Weave
Bible Discovery:
the miracle of generosity
Food Matters Recipe:
Barley and Lemon Soup
Medical Hotline
with Dr James Write
Lifeguide:
with Deanna Pitchford
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