Terri Schiavo's Gift

Written by Dr. Vicki Rackner


Terri Schiavo's Gift By Vicki Rackner MD

Terri Schiavo and her family have given us a gift. They remind us that planning for your death is your final act of love.

Forrepparttar past few weeks, we have witnessed painful lessons we would prefer to ignore. Death is a part of life. Tragic medical events befall even young people, often at unexpected times. And difficult decisions accompanyrepparttar 110159 final days of life.

When you enterrepparttar 110160 medical system, your job as a patient is to make choices. The process, called informed consent, involves weighingrepparttar 110161 risks and benefits of one intervention and comparing it with alternatives. While these are called medical choices, they are really personal choices, reflecting your values, preferences and spiritual beliefs. That’s why, according to US law, medical ethics and common decency, you asrepparttar 110162 patient arerepparttar 110163 one who chooses.

You always haverepparttar 110164 option of choosing no treatment at all. Our law states that a competent adult hasrepparttar 110165 right to refuse treatment even if it means that he or she will die without it.

One day you may not be in a position to make choices for yourself. The medical and legal systems have provided mechanisms to guiderepparttar 110166 decisions you would make for yourself - if you could.

This is a good time to complete and sign two important legal documents: your *advanced directive,* sometimes called a *living will,* and a durable power-of-attorney. The advanced directive outlines your wishes for medical treatment. Give your doctor a copy and take it with you should you enterrepparttar 110167 hospital. Let your family know where this document is. You can also assign a durable power- of- attorney form that identifiesrepparttar 110168 person who will makerepparttar 110169 choices for you, if you become unable to make them yourself.

Guilt Free Parenting

Written by Kimberly Chastain


I don’t know about you, but I do guilt very well. At times, it seems like I can feel guilty for almost anything. Also, as a parent I mess up routinely. I can be short with my temper and my words are not always pleasant. Also, there seems to be a new parenting article out daily that tells you how to parent and of course it feels like to me anyway that I always come up short. My hunch is I am notrepparttar only one that feels that way. So, how do I haverepparttar 110158 audacity to come up with an article entitled, “Guilt Free Parenting”? Actually, it wasn’t totally my idea. God placedrepparttar 110159 idea and burden on my heart to share it with you.

Let’s look at Psalm 139:16, “Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Thy book they were all written,repparttar 110160 days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” Basically, before you were born God marked out your days and may I add also your children’s days. God has a plan for you and He has one for your children as well.

What does all of this have to do with guilt free parenting? I’m glad you asked. God is truly in control of your life and your children’s lives as well. We cannot always see His hand or plan, but He is there. That means on our worst parenting days God is still working His plan in our lives and in our children’s lives in spite of us. There have been so many times inrepparttar 110161 Bible where at first glance God’s plan did not make sense and then on later inspection it made perfect sense. So, when we are not doing a good job of being parents, God is still working in our lives and our children’s lives.

I want to quickly say this does not give us permission to say, “I don’t have to parent, God is in control.” I’m not saying that at all. What I am saying is quit beating yourself up when you feel you have not done a good job or had a less than stellar parenting moment. God does not expect us to be perfect parents or have perfect children. If He expected that or required that we would not need Jesus.

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