My gut made me exercise
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My gut made me exercise

Many of us, when we reach a certain age, look down at our bodies and vow to make a change. We want to get thinner or become healthier, so we start an exercise program and hope it will extend for more than a few weeks. Our change in behaviour is a conscious act of will,…

My virtual hearth
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My virtual hearth

There was no possibility of meeting in person that day. The pandemic had brought with it risks so new, and an uncertainty so deep, that gathering the lectio divina group in the same room was now out of the question. A few minutes before 8:30 a.m., I settled my infant daughter and her toddler brother with their…

Safe Space is more than a Slogan
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Safe Space is more than a Slogan

Safe space has become a buzzword. It is unfortunate that this important concept has become a slogan with so many different meanings that it is often meaningless. Like the cheapened cries for freedom, calls for safe space raise questions such as: safe for whom? Safe for what? What do you mean by safety? Labelling a…

What teens want their parents to ask 
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What teens want their parents to ask 

Dear Parents and Caretakers,  Something needs to be brought to your attention: your child needs you. This might seem obvious, but I think more time needs to be spent contemplating this statement. It is well known that Gen Zs are significant recipients of mental health struggles. Increased pressures – both academic and societal – as…

When Mysticism Becomes Medicine
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When Mysticism Becomes Medicine

Trauma has become one of the most exciting areas of medical research and therapeutic treatment today. Revolutionary discoveries about the mind-body unity of the human person are bringing hope to many people living with deeply embedded emotional and psychological pain. Books like The Body Keeps the Score by the Dutch scientist Bessel Van Der Kolk…

Our theology of suffering
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Our theology of suffering

For 15 years I have been working as a registered nurse both in Canada and abroad as a missionary in Malawi, East Africa. Recently, I began studying to get my master’s degree in nursing as a primary care Nurse Practitioner. This is a growing field in Canada, and I am excited about the potential for…

The shadow of death
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The shadow of death

In May, an expert panel formed by Health Canada in 2021, in collaboration with researchers, stakeholders and clinicians, released a final report to the federal government recommending safeguards, protocols and guidance for providing MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) to persons with mental illnesses. This is in preparation for March 17, 2023, when the exclusion of…

Dutch hearts, Greater risk
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Dutch hearts, Greater risk

“I found out that I am a carrier of PLN (Phospholamban) when I was 33 years old. I knew that I should be informed about my own health, but never did I think that finding out about it would take me to where I am now.” PLN, as this carrier discovered, is the gene that…

Breath and breathless
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Breath and breathless

The men (they are mostly men) arrive at the clinic and take their seats in the waiting room. It’s a nondescript medical office with a busy receptionist, examination rooms and various types of medical equipment. This clinic is unique, however, because the patients all arrive with a black nylon bag over their shoulders. Some of…

Sharing ‘the spare’
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Sharing ‘the spare’

Earlier this summer, Chad McDonald’s pastor changed Chad’s life. The method might surprise you: he did it by donating an organ. One working kidney was what stood between Chad MacDonald and renewed strength and health, and Pastor Joel Ringma was able to provide that life-changing donation. Less than a quarter of Canadians are living organ…

Three ways to garden around pain
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Three ways to garden around pain

“It’s not so hard to bend down; it’s getting back up again that’s the problem.” You may have heard others who share my distress at back, hip and leg pain. If you suffer from these infirmities, I offer three suggestions to help you continue working in your garden. The first is simple; go to your…

In the valley of the shadow of covid
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In the valley of the shadow of covid

Severe pain radiated from the left side of my chest. My lungs felt scraped raw; two rib joints were so swollen they protruded like giant knuckles. “It’s just inflammation from your body fighting covid. There’s nothing we can do,” the attending doctor said, after several tests had normal results. “Go home and rest. Take Advil.”…